Healthy Vegan Recipes

This street-style falafel sandwich is herbaceous, tangy and rich. The falafel gets nice and crispy in the oven while the veggies inside keep it simple and fresh. Make the tahini sauce (see Associated Recipes) ahead of time for easy prep. Wrapping the sandwich in foil makes it a perfect bring-along lunch and helps hold it together for eating on the go.

This quick and easy shot packs a punch to wake the senses. Apple and honey make it naturally sweet and are balanced by lemon juice and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper that brings on the heat.

This refreshing shot captures the sweetness of carrots and coconut water, with a slight hint of heat from fresh ginger. If your blender is big enough, this would be easy to double and have in your fridge, ready when you are.

This simplified take on minestrone uses canned beans and tomatoes and packaged broth, meaning you can always keep the ingredients for this easy soup on hand.

This Japanese-style udon soup recipe uses several Asian ingredients that are available at most grocery stores, including udon noodles, mirin (cooking wine), miso, and sesame oil. All will keep for months in the pantry or fridge.

Crispy, salty and packed with everything-bagel goodness, these crispy chickpeas are a delicious, healthy snack that can be enjoyed on their own or tossed into a salad for added crunch. Removing the skins from the chickpeas helps achieve a better crisp. Look for "everything bagel seasoning" in the spice aisle; it's now available in most supermarkets.

Baharat is an Arabic term for spices or spice blends. Many countries in the Middle East have variations of a basic baharat for fish, poultry, and meat. This version is designed for fish and seafood dishes, but can also be used with beef, poultry, and vegetables.

This Moroccan spice blend is often used to season chicken in Moroccan cuisine. It also works well with beef or salmon.

Bright and zesty, this Spanish seasoning mixture is perfect for paella. It also works well with chicken, potatoes, seafood, and vegetables.

In the Mediterranean region, blends of dried locally grown herbs are common. This version is ideal for vegetables, seafood, poultry, and pork.

A tangy tahini-ginger-soy mixture both marinates the tofu and serves as a sauce for this colorful veggie wrap recipe. Look for spinach tortillas for an additional pop of green.

These parsnip chips have only 4 ingredients and couldn't be easier to make. They're best when the parsnips are sliced thinly and evenly, so if you have a mandoline this would be the perfect time to get it out. Recipe adapted from VT Feed.

Kids in the Massachusetts Farm to School program used smart recipe swaps when they created these strawberry muffins: applesauce to replace some of the oil lowers calories, and whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour brings added fiber and more nutrients.

Black beans, black rice and black sesame seeds all contain anthocyanins, potent antioxidant compounds that have been shown to reduce inflammation. So "forbidden" rice isn't just striking, it's also a serious nutrition upgrade. Simmering it in coconut milk adds rich aroma and flavor.

We love how the Egyptian nut, seed and spice blend dukkah adds aroma, flavor and texture to this otherwise simple purple carrot recipe.

This gorgeous salad, packed with vitamin C, will help keep you and your friends healthy during the winter months. Hot chili oil brings the heat in the dressing, while toasted sesame oil adds a nutty note. Creamy avocado and cooling mint balance out the flavors.

This dreamy vegan baked oatmeal is full of tropical flavors from coconut and pineapple, and it couldn't be easier to make. It's a satisfying family breakfast but also feels special enough for a Sunday brunch with company.

This crisp blend of vegetables is offered as a topping or side at Zooba, the Egyptian street food restaurant in New York City. We made it a stand-alone salad to stuff into pita with taameya (Egyptian falafel--see Associated Recipes) or serve with just about anything else. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

This kitchen-sink of a vegetarian dish was most likely invented in Egypt in the mid-1800s when Cairo was a major multicultural trade port, which could explain the similarities to Italian spaghetti as well as the Indian rice-and-lentil comfort food khichdi. Three toppings--a spicy tomato sauce (shatta), crispy onions and a garlicky vinegar (dakka)--are added to the koshari before serving, but in Cairo most people like them in separate bowls so they can season their bites one at a time. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

Use red, yellow or even brown lentils to make this iconic and super-simple Middle Eastern soup. Skip green or black lentils, which won't soften enough to puree smoothly. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)