Try These Vegan Lunch Recipes

Even in this day and age, there might be some confusion about being vegan and being vegetarian. Although both diets revolve heavily around plant-based food, vegan lunch recipes, or rather vegan recipes do not involve the consumption of milk, butter and other dairy items that come from animals.

A vegan diet is an extremely healthy diet enjoyed by many people around the world. A vegan diet is an entirely plant-based diet where no animal by-product is used in cooking food. One of the top priorities of a vegan diet is to stay in harmony with nature and preserve the varied animal species. Organic vegan foodstuffs are even better due to them being free of harmful chemical compounds.

Depending on the intensity, veganism could be restricted to only food choices. But, it can also be integrated into everyday life to include clothes, medicines, and even alcohol made out of animal hair or skin.

But there are a lot of people who consider being vegan to be a non-sustainable lifestyle choice. It couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are plenty of choices in vegan lunch recipes.

There is nothing to fear nutritionally either. The proteins gained from meat can be easily replaced by a few healthy servings of lentils, legumes, and soya chunks. Many vegans consider soya chunks as adequate replacements for meat.

You can use vegetable and nut-based oils in place of animal fats. Even regular milk can be substituted with cashew, almond, or even soy milk.

There is no lack of choices when choosing to make healthy vegan lunch recipes for a fulfilling meal. There are various ideas for vegan lunch recipes you can try to have a filling meal.

Here are three quick recipes you can whip up to satisfy your taste buds and eat healthy.

Simple Vegan Lunch Recipes

1. Vegetable and Lentil Soup

A vegetable and lentil soup is a combination of hearty lentils and crunchy vegetables cooked with an array of aromatic spices. You can check out the original vegan lunch recipe here at Minimalist Baker.

Ingredients

A teaspoon of any plant-based oil

2 minced cloves of garlic

1 thinly sliced onion

2 cups of your choice of chopped vegetables (potatoes, carrots, capsicum, cauliflower, beans, peas, etc.)

Vegetable broth or water as needed

1 cup of washed lentils (you can use any type – masoor dal, moong dal, toor dal, kabuli chana)

Salt and pepper as needed.

Method of Preparation

• Heat oil in a pot. Once hot, add the garlic and onions. Sauté till the onion becomes translucent. Add the remaining vegetables and season with the salt and pepper.
• Add the vegetable stock or water. Close the pot and bring to a rolling boil.
• Add the washed lentils to the pot and stir. At this point, taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper if required.
• Keep pot covered and cook till the lentils are soft and easily mashed. Keep a kettle of hot water ready. If the soup is too thick, add more water, or add more stock.
• Sprinkle some freshly ground jeera powder and chopped coriander leaves for a splash of colour, and fresh taste.
• Serve warm with some chapattis, vegan bread, or rice. This soup can be eaten as it is without any accompaniment.

2. Andhra Pesarattu Recipe

One of the best, healthy Indian vegan lunch recipes you can make is the Pesarattu. It is made with green moong beans which is an excellent source of protein. You can find the original recipe here at Hebbar’s Kitchen.

Ingredients

1 cup of green mung beans (ideally soaked overnight or for at least 4 hours)

2 tbsp rice (soaked with the beans)

1 teaspoon of jeera seeds

1-inch sliced piece of ginger

1 finely chopped onion

1 green chilly finely chopped

Salt to taste

Til oil for preparing the pesarattu

Method of Preparation

• Grind the soaked mung beans and rice with enough water to have a consistency similar to dosa batter. Add salt to taste.
• Heat a skillet. Pour a ladle of the batter and spread it into a thin circle. Pour a spoonful of oil over the edges to make it crispy.
• Sprinkle some of the chopped onions, ginger, and green chilly on the pesarattu.
• Once the top is cooked, fold the pesarattu and serve hot.
• The pesarattu is best when paired with spicy ginger chutney, or onion chutney.

3. Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta

The original recipe can be found here at Fit Foodie Finds. Who doesn’t love pasta? If you have just decided to try out a vegan diet, and are despairing of the lack of cream and cheese, you don’t need to look any further. Try this vegan lunch recipe and enjoy.

Ingredients

1 finely chopped onion

6 tomatoes very finely chopped

4-5 finely chopped garlic cloves

2 tablespoons of olive oil

400 grams of whole wheat pasta

1 cup of soaked, unsalted cashews

A handful of chopped, fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste.

Method of Preparation

• Heat a pan and pour in the oil.
• Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and onion and cook till the onions turn translucent.
• Add in the chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes turn mushy.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• While the tomatoes and onions cook, put a pot of water to boil, to cook the pasta (as per package instructions).
• In a mixer, grind the soaked cashews with water to get a thick, pouring consistency.
• Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the creamy cashew sauce and mix well. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if required.
• Toss in the cooked pasta and mix well so that all the pasta is coated entirely in the sauce.
• Serve warm with freshly chopped basil and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

Conclusion

These are three simple recipes for you to try if you have just begun a vegan diet. There is no lack of flavour in vegan lunch recipes irrespective of the lack of meat, cream, or cheese.

Just because you have decided on a vegan diet, does not mean you have to miss out on flavours and taste.

It is possible to turn a simple vegan lunch recipe into something truly amazing that can be enjoyed by anybody – no matter what diet they prefer!

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