35 Basic Vegan Recipes for New Vegans! | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

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Being vegan isn’t that easy in the beginning. You basically have to build up a new repertoire of recipes. This round-up includes my absolute favorite breakfast, lunch/dinner, snack, bread, milk, condiment, cheese, and dessert recipes.

35 Basic Vegan Recipes for New Vegans! | Elephantastic Vegan (1)

Whenever you adopt a new diet or lifestyle change, the first days, weeks, or months are the hardest! But I want to make things easy (or at least easier) for you and I’ve included my favorite basic vegan recipes for new vegans in this round-up! These recipes have helped me in my transition phase!

Here’s an overview:

  • Breakfast (savory like tofu scramble and sweet classics like pancakes and waffles)
  • Lunch/Dinner (lots of pasta (because quick!!), veggie balls and pulled portobello tacos)
  • Meat & Fish Alternatives (such as seitan steak, seitan sausages, banana blossom fish and crab cakes)
  • Snacks (hummus and crackers are life!)
  • Bread(A basic white bread loaf, carrot bread, naan, crispy flatbread,…)
  • Milk (almond and hazelnut milk are my favorites for drinking, coconut milk for cooking)
  • Condiment/Spreads/Dips (date-sweetened BBQ sauce, garlic sunflower seed dressing, 3-ingredient caramel sauce,..)
  • Cheese (cashew and almond parmesan, oooey-gooey nooch cheese and baked almond feta)
  • Dessert (muffins, chocolate chip cookies, cake and ice cream – the holy grail of desserts?)

Vegan Breakfast Recipes

Quick & Easy Tofu Scramble

Tofu Scramble is THE perfect vegan alternative for scrambled eggs. A special ingredient will make it taste and smell super eggy!

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Vegan Banana Bread Pancakes with Chocolate Chunks

Looking for a dairy-free and egg-free pancake recipe? Then you’ll love these vegan Banana Bread Pancakes with Chocolate Chunks! And you’ll never have to decide between banana bread and pancakes again!

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Vegan Chai Waffles

These vegan Chai Waffles topped with maple syrup taste and smell just like Christmas. These are made without eggs or dairy – but 100% flavorful. With cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and all the typical chai spices!

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Vegan Gingerbread Granola

This vegan Gingerbread Granola smells and tastes just like Christmas. It’s easy to make and includes all the typical gingerbread spices: ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.

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Vegan Blueberry Overnight Oats

Recipe for vegan and gluten-free Blueberry Overnight Oats. Prepare the oats the day ahead and top with warm blueberry sauce the next morning. So good!

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Raspberry Chia Pudding

Recipe for a vegan and gluten-free Raspberry Chia Pudding. Chia Puddings are awesome because you can make them the night before and therefore enjoy them in the morning without any hassle.

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Quick & Easy Lunch & Dinner Ideas

Easy Tomato Olive Pasta (Vegan)

This easy Tomato Olive Pasta Recipe is the perfect quick and fuss-free lunch or dinner! Ready in just 15 minutes and made with basic ingredients.

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Vegan Pulled Portobello Tacos

Pulled Portobello is a great vegetarian and vegan alternative to pulled pork. These Pulled Portobello Tacos are easy to make and absolutely delicious!

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Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

Soy granule is the perfect alternative for the traditional meaty Bolognese sauce! This vegan Spaghetti Bolognese is quick to make, tastes like the real deal and no one would think it’s vegan!

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BBQ Couscous Bowl

Recipe for a simple BBQ Couscous Bowl with curried couscous, broccoli and tofu, slathered in BBQ Sauce. It’s the perfect healthy lunch or ideal to bring to work/school.

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Veggie Balls (IKEA-style)

These IKEA-style Veggie Balls are made with chickpeas, carrots, broccoli, onion, garlic, red bell pepper, corn, and peas. They are flavorful and easy to make. Packed with flavor and nutrients.

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Meat & Fish Alternatives

Homemade Vegan Sausages

No need to buy expensive veggie sausages anymore! These Homemade Vegan Sausages are easy to make and delicious. Thanks to two tricks, they are not tough and rubbery like seitan often is.

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Vegan Seitan Steak

This vegan Seitan Steak is juicy and super easy to make! You can combine all the ingredients in a food processor – so no kneading required! By adding sparkling water and canned chickpeas to the mix, our seitan is softer than many of the tough seitan cutlets you can usually buy in stores. It goes perfectly with roasted potatoes and herb butter.

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Vegan Tempeh Bacon

Real bacon is high in cholesterol and saturated fats! This Vegan Tempeh Bacon is a much healthier plant-based alternative. It’s quick and easy and you can make it in the pan. The tempeh slices are smoky and crispy – perfect for breakfast with some tofu scramble or in wraps, burgers etc.!

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Banana Blossom Vegan Fish

This Vegan Fish made with Banana Blossoms is life-changing – especially if you thought that you would never eat anything tastes like fish again! The soft and flaky texture of the banana flowers is perfect as the base!

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Vegan Crab Cakes

These vegan Crab Cakes are quick and easy to make. I've added all the typical ingredients for a fishy flavor: nori, dill, lemon juice, and capers to a hearty base of artichokes and chickpeas. Delicious!

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Vegan Smoked Salmon (Carrot Lox)

You can make delicious vegan Smoked Salmon out of carrots! Everything Bagel + Vegan Cream Cheese + Carrot Lox = HEAVEN!

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Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad

Chickpeas make a great tuna-inspired sandwich filling. The dill, nori, capers, lemon juice, mustard, and tahini add to that typical flavor. The „tuna“ salad is also delicious in wraps!

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Easy Vegan Snack Recipes

The Best Hummus made with dried chickpeas

Say Hello to your new favorite Hummus recipe made from dried chickpeas.

Recipe yields 1 1/2 cups.

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Vegan Za’atar Crackers

With a few simple ingredients you can make delicious crackers. Top them with za’atar seasoning and you have the best crispy Za’atar Crackers ever! Vegan.

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Better-than-store-bought Vegan Breads

Basic White Bread

You can use this basic white bread recipe for all kinds of breads: bread loaves, burger buns, flatbread, pizza crust, bagels, pretzels,… Anything is possible!

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Mixed Flour Carrot Bread

Recipe for an easy-to-make and super flavorful vegan Carrot Bread using two kinds of flours. With lots of flax seeds and caraway seeds.

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Crispy Sesame Flatbread

Recipe for a crispy, yeast-free, vegan Sesame Flatbread. It’s the perfect bread to enjoy with hummus or to serve with soups! So easy to make and it’s quite addictive!

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Easy Vegan Naan (Indian Flatbread)

Easy Vegan Naan – if you’re into super fluffy flatbreads, then this is THE recipe for you! The dough is just a simple yeast dough, which you can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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Vegan Sandwich Bread

Nothing is better than freshly baked, warm, homemade bread! This fluffy vegan Sandwich Bread is easy to make and smells amazing!

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Plant-Based Milk Recipes

Date-Sweetened Hazelnut Milk

Do you want to make your own Hazelnut Milk at home? It’s actually super easy! I have a date-sweetened recipe for you, that is super yummy and delicious. It’s great for cereals, chia puddings or for hot cocoa.

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Almond Milk

Recipe for homemade, from-scratch Almond Milk. Super silky and better than store-bought! Add sweeteners, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon or whatever you feel like!

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How to make Homemade Coconut Milk

You want to make your own Coconut Milk? Great idea! It’s super easy to make and I’ll show you how! It is perfect for cooking e.g. curries.

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Condiments and Sauces

Vegan Peppercorn Sauce

This Vegan Peppercorn Sauce is quick & easy and you only need staple ingredients to make it. It's perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts and helps bring them to the next level!

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Vegan Date-Sweetened BBQ Sauce

Recipe for a vegan, date-sweetened BBQ sauce. The perfect condiment for cookouts! It’s smoky and sweet, perfect for tofu, tempeh, and grilled veggies!

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Vegan Mango Chutney

Recipe for an easy-to-make and delicious vegan Mango Chutney made with a fresh mango. It’s perfect to spread on papadums (crispy Indian bread) or to serve with summer rolls or crispy homemade vegetable pakoras!

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Vegan ‘Meaty’ Tomato Dip

This is the perfect smoky & ‘meaty’ Tomato Dip to serve with Tortilla Chips! Thanks to soy granule, no one will know that it’s actually vegan!

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Garlic Sunflower Seed Dressing

This raw, vegan and glutenfree Garlic Sunflower Seed Dressing can be used as a super delicious dip or on a salad as a dressing – you simply adjust the consistency by adding more or less water.

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Vegan (Salted) Caramel Sauce

This is the easiest vegan Caramel Sauce ever! You’ll only need 3 ingredients and 1 minute to whisk it together! Drizzle it over nice cream, pancakes, or crepes! It’s true magic!

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Vegan Cheese Recipes

Vegan Cashew Parmesan

Vegan Parmesan is one of the super-easy-to-make homemade staples. You’ll only need three ingredients! Make some vegan Parmesan now because it’s perfect for pasta, pizza, risotto and so much more! It keeps for a long time.

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Almigiano – Vegan Almond Parmesan

Recipe for a vegan Almond Parmesan, perfect over pasta, lasagna, pizza or rice-based dishes. This is not only a dairy-free alternative to traditional parmesan, but also gluten-free and free of all animal products.

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Nooch Cheese Sauce

Easy and quick homemade vegan Cheese Sauce. Try this Nooch Cheese Sauce with Nutritional Yeast Flakes. Perfect for Lasagne or Mac & Cheese.

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Baked Almond Feta with Rosemary

Recipe for a vegan Baked Almond Feta with Rosemary. Made with the leftover almond pulp from making almond milk! Perfect to crumble over pasta, lasagna, or risotto!

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Cashew Mozzarella

Easy recipe for a vegan Mozzarella Cheese made out of cashews. You’ll only need 7 ingredients! It’s perfect for pizza, quesadillas, or grilled cheese sandwiches!

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Sweets and Desserts

Soft Baked Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies I’ve ever made. They are soft with a slight crisp on the outside, slightly flaky, slightly fudgy. Plus they are really easy and quick to make. You’ll only need 6 basic ingredients!

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Peanut Butter Nice Cream with Magic Chocolate Shell

This Salted Peanut Butter Nice Cream topped with Magic Chocolate Shell and Chocolate Granola is a dream come true! I’ll gladly skip any breakfast/lunch/dinner for this treat!

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Vegan Blueberry Lemon Streusel Muffins

Recipe for vegan Blueberry Lemon Streusel Muffins. The tangy lemon streusel go perfectly well with the sweet blueberry muffins. So easy and so good! You don’t need any dairy or eggs for muffins.

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Vegan Rhubarb Crumble Cake

Recipe for a super fluffy vegan Rhubarb Crumble Cake – all dairy-free and egg-free. The cake consists of a simple one-bowl vanilla batter, soft rhubarb pieces and perfectly browned crumble / streusel.

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Vegan Blueberry Ombre Popsicles

You’ll only need 2 ingredients for these Vegan Blueberry Ombre Popsicles! They are the perfect summer treat and look so pretty!

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Don’t forget to bookmark or pin this page, so you’ll always have the recipes handy when you need them.

Let me know in the comments below, what are your favorite basic vegan recipes?

35 Basic Vegan Recipes for New Vegans! | Elephantastic Vegan (46)

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35 Basic Vegan Recipes for New Vegans! | Elephantastic Vegan (47)

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35 Basic Vegan Recipes for New Vegans! | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

FAQs

What do picky vegans eat? ›

36 Easy Vegan Dinner Ideas That Even Picky Eaters Will Love
  • 01 of 36. Spiced Rice With Crispy Chickpeas. ...
  • 02 of 36. Fish-Free Ceviche. ...
  • 03 of 36. Slow Cooker Black Bean Posole. ...
  • 04 of 36. Tofu Asada With Caramelized Onion Refried Beans. ...
  • 05 of 36. Vegetarian BLT With Shiitake Bacon. ...
  • 06 of 36. Chickpea Salad Sandwich. ...
  • 07 of 36. ...
  • 08 of 36.
Mar 15, 2024

What can I cook for my vegan girlfriend? ›

Vegan meal for two recipes
  • Sticky noodles with homemade hoisin. ...
  • Pearled spelt salad with peas & gooseberries. ...
  • Grilled Mediterranean veg with bean mash. ...
  • Miso aubergine. ...
  • Marinated tofu. ...
  • Roasted cauli-broc bowl with tahini hummus. ...
  • Veggie noodles with sesame dressing. ...
  • Pumpkin, spinach & black bean dopiaza.

How to eat vegan without cooking? ›

16 No-Cook Vegan Recipes to Beat the Heat
  1. Berry Overnight Oats.
  2. Chia Breakfast Parfait.
  3. Enchanted Smoothie Bowl.
  4. Chickpea Salad Rolls.
  5. Tofu "Egg" Salad Sandwich.
  6. Rainbow Hummus Sandwich.
  7. Thai Crunch Salad With Peanut Dressing.
  8. Rainbow Salad.
Jul 21, 2022

What foods are cheap for vegans? ›

Vegan on a budget
  • tinned beans and dried pulses of various kinds.
  • vegetables (particularly seasonal ones)
  • potatoes.
  • egg-free pasta and noodles.
  • rice.
  • bread (wholemeal is ideal from a health point of view)
  • dried herbs and spices.
  • seasonal fruit.

What is surprisingly not vegan? ›

Beer and Wine

Isinglass, a gelatin-based substance derived from fish, is used as a clarifying agent in some beer and wine. Other non-vegan ingredients sometimes used are casein (from milk) and egg whites.

What are vegans most deficient in? ›

Intake and status of vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium and bone turnover markers were generally lower in plant-based dietary patterns compared to meat-eaters. Vegans had the lowest vitamin B12, calcium and iodine intake, and also lower iodine status and lower bone mineral density.

What is vegan for beginners? ›

That's why a vegan diet avoids all animal products, including meat, eggs, and dairy. People choose to follow a vegan diet for various reasons. These usually range from ethics to environmental concerns, but they can also stem from a desire to improve health. A vegan diet excludes all animal products.

What not to do when going vegan? ›

Vegans don't eat any foods made from animals, including:
  1. Beef, pork, lamb, and other red meat.
  2. Chicken, duck, and other poultry.
  3. Fish or shellfish such as crabs, clams, and mussels.
  4. Eggs.
  5. Cheese.
  6. Butter.
  7. Milk, cream, ice cream, and other dairy products.
  8. Mayonnaise (because it includes egg yolks)
Nov 3, 2023

Can a non vegan marry a vegan? ›

Put simply, yes. It's something people ALWAYS ask me when they find out I'm in a relationship – 'is he vegan/do you cook vegan together/do you eat vegan at home' etc. I do understand the curiosity.

What snack foods can vegans eat? ›

Try These Popular Vegan Snacks (Chips, Cookies, and More)
  • Vegan Rob's Chips.
  • Rivalz Extra Chedda' Mac.
  • Outstanding Foods PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds.
  • Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars—Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate.
  • Trader Joe's Almond Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets.

How to be vegan when you're broke? ›

Staple vegan foods such as oats, lentils, pasta, rice and chickpeas are among the cheapest foods and are in *a lot* of vegan recipes, so should definitely make an appearance on your list. Oh, and avoid shopping whilst hungry.

How to be vegan while poor? ›

Buy in Bulk

Legumes and grains are perfect for bulk cooking and curries, stews, pasta sauces, and soups all keep well in the fridge and freezer. Canned foods are a versatile and long-lasting staple ingredient. Beans, lentils, tomatoes, fruit, and vegetables are healthful and nutrient-dense.

How to be a vegan if picky eater? ›

Some suggestions to start: black beans (of course!) and rice, black bean soup, spaghetti sauce and pasta, refried bean burritos, and tomato bisque. For other meals: nut butter with whole grain bread, vegan whole grain waffles, fruit smoothies and muffins.

What junk food can you eat as a vegan? ›

Top Accidentally Vegan Foods
  • Cinnamon Life.
  • Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix.
  • SkinnyPop White Cheddar Flavored Popped Popcorn.
  • Airheads.
  • Cracker Jack.
  • Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili–Flavored Tortilla Chips.
  • Fritos.
  • Fruit by the Foot.

What do vegans normally not eat? ›

Vegans don't eat any foods made from animals, including:
  • Beef, pork, lamb, and other red meat.
  • Chicken, duck, and other poultry.
  • Fish or shellfish such as crabs, clams, and mussels.
  • Eggs.
  • Cheese.
  • Butter.
  • Milk, cream, ice cream, and other dairy products.
  • Mayonnaise (because it includes egg yolks)
Nov 3, 2023

What foods do most vegans eat? ›

A vegan diet is based on plants (such as vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits) and foods made from plants. Vegans do not eat foods that come from animals, including dairy products and eggs.

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