5 to-die-for vegan dishes to try in 2021

Plant-based eating is becoming very popular, which is great news for vegans. A few years back, finding a good vegan restaurant or some recipes online would be near-impossible. Today, some amazing cooks are designing meals that even non-Vegans love. Vegan meal kit options are also easily available nowadays, which means everyone can enjoy home-cooked plant-based dinners without having to use their two go-to recipes over and over again!

One of the reasons vegan meal plans are growing in popularity is because of the measurable health benefits in adopting a more plant-based diet. For those who don’t want to make the leap entirely, regular vegan meals can improve your health within a balanced nutritional framework.

In 2021, we are all too aware of the importance of healthy eating, especially considering the severity of COVID-19 for people with obesity and diabetes. Knowing a number of delicious plant-based meals can transform your diet, proving food does not have to be unhealthy or use animal products to be delicious.

These 5 to-die-for vegan dishes should be on your menu in 2021.

Guac on sweet potato toast

 

This is my favorite breakfast and is easy to make. It doesn't require any meat substitutes and isn’t trying to pose as something else. Rather, it is a simple yet incredible plant-based dish.

Making sweet potato toast is easy. You can slice it and put it straight into the toaster, but I find it tastes better if you put it in the microwave for five to ten minutes before that. It makes for a base that is both more substantial and tastier than regular toast.

If you have a guacamole recipe that you love, use it. I know that some people are very particular about their guac. What I do is add finely chopped onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and coriander. If coriander tastes like soap to you, replace it with parsley or any other herb that will give it a subtle boost.

And that’s it! Try it once and you'll soon be eating it every morning.

Veggie Wrap

 

A good wrap does not need any meat or meat substitute. A great veggie wrap just needs to be made with a little finesse.

Choose the kinds of vegetables that go great in a stir-fry. I’m talking peppers, carrots, baby marrow, broccoli, and so on. Then, sauté them (essentially, make a stir-fry). Boil a fair amount of spinach – you know how it shrinks.

In a vegan wrap (I use store-bought spinach wraps), smear some hummus. Layer it with spinach. Place your stir-fried vegetables in the middle, add salt and pepper and any other herbs and spices you particularly like. I add coriander, but it is a personal favorite and I like it with almost everything. Add some chopped chilli if you want it to have a bite.

Chickpea curry

 

Chickpeas are another MVP of vegan food. The humble chickpea is very versatile. You can use it as a texture or cook it so as to bring out its natural flavors. With a chickpea curry, you do both.

To create the curry paste, I recommend using actual curry leaves, mixed with garam masala, ground cumin, ground coriander, chopped tomato, chopped chilli, garlic, and ginger. Fry some onions in olive oil and then blend it all together.

With the paste cooking in a frying pan, add your chickpeas, add a tin of chopped tomatoes, then add some spinach leaves. Add coconut cream and let it simmer for as long as possible without drying it out.

I love this dish because so many people go straight to dahl when making vegan Indian food. Of course, there are tons of Indian dishes which are vegan, and there is no reason that a curry should be equated with meat.

Fried tempeh

 

Tempeh is one of those foods that many people recommend to bulk up vegan meals. A lot of people just don’t like the taste or texture. However, it is a uniquely Indonesian preparation of soybeans and, unsurprisingly, by making it the way Indonesians do, you can come to love it.

The key is not covering it with as many spices and sauces as you can to get rid of the taste. Rather, while you will need to add some spicing to boost its flavors, it is the frying part you need to get right. Do not just throw it into a pan with oil and hope for the best.

After coating it in seasoning (I recommend crushed garlic, salt and pepper, paprika, and lemon rind), fry it in a preheated frying pan on a medium flame. Watch and wait for the tempeh to turn brown. Do not be impatient. You’re essentially waiting for it to lose some of its moisture without turning it dry or burning it on the outside.

Once it is brown on both sides, it is ready to eat. I enjoy it with a chopped salad on the side, along with some sweet potato fries.

Quinoa poke bowl

 

The simplest recipe on this list is also the most versatile. Making a poke bowl with quinoa at its core provides the opportunity to add a huge range of delicious plant-based foods. You can sauté chickpeas, peppers, and onions, then add uncooked cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and celery to give a nice contrast.

Of course, when you are making a poke bowl, what you put in it should be customized according to what you feel like eating. My only recommendation is that you use quinoa as it is such a healthy food that has the perfect texture.

Remember to wash your quinoa before cooking it, so that it loses its bitterness.

Quinoa admittedly does get expensive, and you can use rice or couscous instead without making the dish any more complicated.

All of these dishes have potential to become go-to meals. Try them as part of your vegan meal plan. You won’t regret it!