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Easy but elevated vegan eats

The Best Vegan Meatballs

The Best Vegan Meatballs

Made of black beans and oats with a savoury bbq sauce, these are The Best Vegan Meatballs! Sprinkle with fresh mint and serve with a side of rice or a salad.

These vegan meatballs are super healthy and also gluten-free so they can be devoured by all.

They’re perfect for family dinners and are very kid-friendly (though feel free to replace the mint with your herb of choice if desired).

Black Beans for the Best Vegan Meatballs

I use black beans in this recipe for several reasons. They give a nice dark colour resembling meat, they have a neutral taste that can be spiced to any flavour, and they’re full of protein and nutrients!

Black beans are a nutritional powerhouses rich in plant-based protein, fiber, and antioxidants that help manage blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol levels.

So, these black bean vegan meatballs are a wholesome meat replacement that you can feel good about.

Ingredients in Your Meatballs

This recipe for The Best Vegan Meatballs is made up of:

• One can of black beans (or you can use cooked dried black beans if you prefer

• Rolled oats which when blended are ground to a flour-like consistency to hold the meatballs together

• Tomato puree to give the meatballs juiciness

• Herbs and spices such as fresh finely chopped cilantro and dried savoury and spicy spices

• Ground flax which acts as an additional (super healthy) binder to hold the meatballs together

• Hot sauce for heat, flavour and moisture (I use Cholula Original Hot Sauce because it’s flavourful, has no sugar and is vegan)

The recipe for the Bbq Sauce is made up of:

• Crushed tomatoes

• White vinegar to add a tanginess to your sauce

• Onion and garlic of course!

• Hot sauce and mustard for heat and complexity of flavour

•Liquid smoke to get that earthy smoky flavour

•Sugar and of course molasses for that deep sweet flavour and slightly thick yet silky texture

•Fresh mint to garnish, as its cool flavour contrasts with the spiciness so nicely

Tips for Making The Best Vegan Meatballs

Be sure to use a hand blender or food processor for this recipe. The rolled oats need to be ground into a meal, as they act as the flour on this recipe. If you happen to have oat flour on hand, then you can just combine the remainder of the ingredients and mix well with a fork, without using a food processor.

Don’t skip on the hot sauce. The hot sauce acts as an additional liquid in your meatballs so don’t simply skip it if you don’t like heat. If you don’t want hot sauce, replace the hot sauce in your meatball portion of the recipe with the same amount (1 tsp) of tomato puree. This will avoid having dry meatballs.

Don’t make your meatballs too large. Your vegan meatballs will cook differently according to their size. Keep your meatballs at about an inch and a half around. This will ensure they cook all the way through.

Only keep your meatballs simmering in the sauce for the recommended time of 5-6 minutes. If you keep them in too long the texture may change, causing them to loose their firmness and become mushy and fall apart.

Try them with the mint garnish! Fresh mint gives such a lovely combination to the dish.

Enjoy!

The Best Vegan Meatballs

The Best Vegan Meatballs

Made of black beans and oats, with a savoury bbq sauce, these are The Best Vegan Meatballs! Sprinkle with fresh mint and serve with a side of rice or a salad.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Appetizer, dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Food processor or hand blender

Ingredients
  

Vegan Meatballs

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 can black bean 400 ml, drained and rinsed
  • extra virgin olive oil plus some for cooking
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup white onion chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 2 Tbsp ground flax
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp hot sauce such as Cholula Original Hot Sauce

BBQ Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium medium white onion chopped finely
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped finely
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp hot sauce such as Cholula Original Hot Sauce
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp vegan sugar such as coconut sugar
  • 1/4 tsp mustard
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1 Tbsp molsasses

Garnish

  • fresh mint

Instructions
 

The Best Vegan Meatballs

  • Add the ingredients for your meatballs into a food processor (or use a hand blender) and blend until well combined.
  • Begin rolling the mixture into meatballs. (You may want to use a small ice cream scoop to grab the mixture portions).  Your balls will cook differently depending on the size you roll them. Aim for about 1 1/2 inch round meatballs.
  • Once your meatballs are rolled, set them into the fridge while you prepare your BBQ sauce.
  • Into a medium-sized pot add your oil and heat on low for a 1 minute. 
  • Add your onions and cook for 5 minutes or until translucent.  Add your garlic and cook for another minute. 
  • Add the remainder of your ingredients and simmer on medium for 10 minutes, stirring often. Taste and flavour according to taste (more salt or spice if desired). Remove from heat.
  • Once slightly cooled enough to handle, use a hand blender to thicken and blend. (Optional). Set aside.
  • In a large non-stick pan heat your olive oil for 1 minute then add your meatballs and cook for around 1 minute on each side. 
  • Add your desired amount of BBQ sauce to the pot and cook for around 5-6 minutes on medium with lid on, until your meatballs are cooked throughout. 
  • Serve hot with a side or rice or salad.

Notes

These meatballs and bbq sauce will last in the fridge in a tightly sealed container for up to a week. Both can be frozen in the freezer as well!
Keyword Black bean, Gluten Free, Meatballs, Plant-based meat, Vegan meat

Looking for more healthy, wholesome and homeade meat replacements? Try my Vegan Crab Cakes with Dill Sauce recipe!

Vegan Crab Cakes with Dill Sauce

Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups

Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups

Spicy, tangy protein shreds served up in fresh lettuce cups, topped with radish slices, sprouts, and vegan Caesar dressing. My Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups are made with TMRW Foods Spicy Tangy Buffalo protein shreds.

This is such a quick snack to make that’s actually healthy yet so delicious that it tastes naughty! It’s so handy to have some healthy but quick to make vegan protein on hand for those busy days. There are a ton of vegan meats on the market these days. Finding a vegan meat that is healthy, contains real ingredients and is full of protein can be a challenge. TMRW Foods meets these requirements and more!

This new vegan brand is a socially-conscious plant-based meat company proudly cultivated in Vancouver, BC. With a focus on bringing better food to more people, TMRW Foods prides itself on running a business that truly cares about the environment, its employees, and community. 

Nutrition of Spicy Tangy Buffalo Shreds

TMRW Food’s Protein Shreds are a better vegan meat option. Why? First off, they’re made with simple ingredients. Their base is made of pea and rice protein, with oat flour, cayenne, vinegar, sunflower oil and a few more simple ingredients. The shreds are gluten-free and soy-free so they’re great for people with allergies and food intolerances.

Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups

Most exciting of all, TMRW Foods’s shreds are actually packed with protein! One serving has a whopping 11 grams of plant protein to fuel you. There’s zero sugar in the TMRW Foods Spicy Tangy Buffalo protein shreds. This is surprising since the shreds are coated in a lovely Buffalo Sauce, which you would expect to be loaded with sugar. Not so! The sauce is naturally sugar-free and made of aged cayenne peppers and vinegar, water, alt and garlic powder. Amazing!

What about the all-important texture? TMRW’s protein shreds have a lovely tender texture that closely mimics meat. It gets a nice grilled coating when sautéed in a pan. The taste and texture are delicious and would definitely impress even the harshest critics of vegan plant-based meats.

Making Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups

My Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups recipe is made with only a few ingredients:

• Iceberg lettuce leafs (you can use butter lettuce, or any variety with nice big leaves)

• Sliced red radishes (but you can use watermelon radishes if you like, or any other variety in season or on-hand)

• Sprouts (I used local sunflower sprouts, for their mild leafy tasty and large size)

• TMRW Foods Spicy Tangy Buffalo protein shreds

• Vegan Ceasar Dressing

TMRW Foods

I fried up the TMRW Foods Spicy Tangy Buffalo protein shreds without oil in a non-stick pan from frozen. You can thaw the shreds ahead of time to cut down the the time needed in the pan to get unfrozen. Simply toss them in the pan, flipping the shreds a bit until heated throughout.

Add your shreds to washed and dried lettuce leaves. Top with thinly sliced radishes and sprouts or tender greens of your choice. If you can’t find sprouts, they would be lovely with fresh chives or cilantro!

For dipping, I used a store-bought vegan Caesar dressing and also a couple dashes of added hot sauce for extra heat! Serve while the TMRW Foods Spicy Tangy Buffalo protein shreds are nice a hot, and dip your Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups in the cool creamy dressing.

Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups

Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups

Made with vegan protein in fresh lettuce cups, topped with radish slices, sprouts, and vegan Caesar dressing.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Course Appetizer, dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad, Snack
Cuisine American, Californian
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups

  • 6 large Iceberg lettuce leaves washed and dried
  • 1 package TMRW Foods Spicy Tangy Buffalo Protein Shreds
  • 6-8 radishes thinly sliced
  • 2 handfuls Sunflower sprouts or sprouts/herbs of choice
  • Vegan cassar dressing store-bought or homeade

Instructions
 

Spicy Buffalo Lettuce Cups

  • Add a package of TMRW Foods Spicy Tangy Buffalo Protein Shreds to a non-stick pan.
  • Cook shreds until heated through. (This will take longer if cooking from frozen, and less time if you thawed your shreds).
  • Wash your iceberg lettuce and carefully peel off 6 leaves.
  • Dry your lettuce leaves.
  • Wash and thinly slice radishes.
  • Wash and dry sprouts.
  • Once your TMRW Foods Spicy Tangy Buffalo Protein Shreds are heated, divide between the 6 lettuce leaves, placing a portion in the middle of each leaf.
  • Top with radishes and sprouts.
  • Serve hot with cool creamy vegan Caesar dressing and extra hot sauce (if desired).
Keyword Buffalo shreds, Lettuce, Lettuce cups, Protein shreds, TMRW Foods, Vegan meat, Wraps

Looking for more healthy and easy vegan eats? Try my Vegan Hearts of Palm Fish Tacos!

Vegan Hearts of Palm Fish Tacos

Vegan Mexican Tofu Stew

Vegan Mexican Tofu Stew

Protein-packed and filled with flavour, this comforting Vegan Tofu Mexican Stew is great for summer family-style dinners. Red beans, crumbled tofu and lots of refreshing lime juice and spices make up this dish. Garnish your stew with fresh slices of jalapeño, bits of green onion, citrus and corn tortilla chips.

Ingredients in Your Vegan Tofu Mexican Stew

Tofu:

Firm tofu that is pressed, crumbled and lightly sautéed. Make sure to use firm tofu, not silken or soft which has too high of a water content and will dilute the flavours of your stew. It’s also important to press your tofu to get the excess water out!

Kidney Beans:

Filled with fibre, folate, and protein, these beans give major nutrients to your stew. You can use any other type of bean you’d like, but Kidney Beans pair so well with tofu and they give a classic taste to this stew.

Garlic: 

Garlic brings a sweetness to any dish when it’s sautéed. Don’t skip the garlic!

Oil: 

A touch of oil softens the onions before being added to the stew pot.

Onion:

Onion offers a sweet and savoury addition to the vegan stew that goes so nicely with the kidney beans.

Finely Chopped tomatoes: 

I use canned Mutti finely chopped tomatoes, but you can use any brand or chop up some fresh ones if you prefer.

Chili Powder;

A must-use seasoning for a Mexican stew, it gives a slight smokiness with a touch of heat.

Paprika:

The sweet and spice of paprika gives a depth of flavour to the stew. I recommend using classic paprika and not smoked paprika. The smoked variety adds too much of a strong flavour to this stew but that is a personal preference.

Fresh Lime Juice:

Fresh lime juice gives a brightness to this Mexican stew and enhances all of the other flavours.

Water: 

A cup of water is used to thin out this stew but you can use veggie broth instead.

Steps to make Vegan Mexican Tofu Stew (photos match steps below).

How to Make Vegan Mexican Tofu Stew

  1. Sauté the onions in oil until they’re soft and translucent.
  2. Then, add the chili powder, garlic, and paprika.
  3. Now, add the red Kidney beans.
  4. Next, add the canned finely chopped tomatoes and lime juice. Stir all together and let simmer.
  5. While the stew cooks, press your tofu then sear the firm tofu in a skillet, and mash it with a fork to crumble it.
  6. Once the tofu is golden brown, add it to the stew pot and cook a few more minutes

Serving & Garnishing Your Stew

Vegan Mexican Tofu Stew

Once your Vegan Mexican Tofu Stew is done, add a big heaping to a bowl and adorn it with garnishes. Place a small handful of corn tortilla chips standing up at the edge of the bowl. Slice up about half a jalapeño and neatly place in the stew. Sprinkle a helping of chopped green onions or chives over your bowl of stew. Lastly place a lime wedge or slice. You can even add a sprinkle of vegan cheese to top it off!

Vegan Mexican Tofu Stew

Vegan Mexican Tofu Stew

A comforting Vegan Mexican Tofu Stew of red beans, crumbled tofu and lots of refreshing lime juice and spices. Garnished with fresh slices of jalapeño, green onion, citrus and corn tortilla chips.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 57 minutes
Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Calories 83 kcal

Ingredients
  

Vegan Tofu Mexican Stew

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1 tsp garlic minced
  • 1 cup onion
  • 1 can finely chopped tomatoes 28 ounce
  • 2 cans red kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 3 Tbsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup water

Tofu

  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1 block form tofu

Garnish

  • 1/2 small jalapeño
  • handful corn tortilla chips
  • 1 green onion chopped
  • 1 lime sliced

Instructions
 

Vegan Tofu Mexican Stew

  • Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions until they're translucent and soft, approximately 7 minutes.
  • Add all remaining stew ingredients. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  • While the stew is simmering, press your tofu with a tofu press. (Ensure most of the water is removed so that your stew doesn't taste watered down).
  • In a skillet, warm some oil. Add the tofu block and mash with a fork until crumbled. Sauté for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Add your crumbled tofu to the stew pot and stir to combine. Cook another 5 minutes.
  • Serve and garnish with lime, jalapeño, green onion and tortilla chips.

Notes

Vegan Tofu Mexican Stew will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Store in an airtight container.
Keyword Butternut Squash Soup, Chilli, Hearty Stew, Stew, Tomato Stew

Looking for more healthy and delicious vegan stew recipes? Try our Winter Roasted Squash & Tomato Stew!

Winter Roasted Squash & Tomato Stew

Vegan Summer Pasta Salad

Bright and healthy, this Vegan Summer Pasta Salad is filled with flavourful vegetables and tossed in an apple cider and olive oil vinaigrette.

A Bright Vegan Summer Pasta Salad

A beautiful pasta salad should be colourful and bursting with the flavours of crisp seasonal veg. This Vegan Summer Pasta Salad checks all the boxes.

It uses a quality pasta, in this case an Italian-made spaghetti. It also features an array of vegetables with differing textures and colours. And it has a simple yet flavourful dressing that enhances (and doesn’t overpower) the flavours of all the ingredients.

Vegan Summer Pasta Salad

This Vegan Summer Pasta Salad features:

•Two flavours of radish

This recipes uses red radishes, the common radish with a crisp texture and a spicy flavour. It also uses watermelon radishes, a lovely heirloom variety of Chinese daikon radish. Watermelon radishes have a bright pink interior and green skin.

Radishes are actually members of the mustard family and give a firm, crunchy and peppery punch of flavour to this dish.

watermelon radish pasta salad

•A quality store-bought artisanal spaghetti.

Not all store-bought pastas are created equal. An Italian grocer will carry a fine array of dried pastas that taste almost as good as homeade.

These artisan pastas like La Bottega brand are dried slowly, which is why they taste better.

A slow-dried artisan pasta will have a nice al dente bite yet easily dissolves into a creamy paste as you chew and mixes with the sauce to create an incredible, lush texture. 

•Carrot ribbons

Using a hand vegetable peeler, create delicate little ribbons of carrot. They’re so lovely looking in a dish, and they also give a lighter texture to your salad. Since they’re long and thinly shaved, the carrot ribbons feel smoother on the palette, rather than big hunks in your salad that you have to crunch on.

•Iceberg lettuce and mixed greens

Iceberg lettuce is key to this Vegan Summer Pasta Salad. it gives a cool crunch and mixes so well with the carrot and spaghetti. You can use any mix of lettuces you’f like but you won’t be disappointed using the iceberg variety as the star of the show!

•Apple Cider & Olive Oil Vinaigrette

Apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper make up the simple vinaigrette for your pasta salad.

Tips for Assembling Your Pasta Salad

Vegan Summer Pasta Salad

•Be sure to cook your pasta only to al dente. You don’t want mushy pasta!

•Ensure that you fully dry your iceberg lettuce and greens. You can choose to use a salad spinner to get your greens dried quickly. Or, simply throw them in a tea towel and spin it around in the air. This method also works great!

(If you don’t fully dry your lettuces, the water in these vegetables will really dilute the flavours in your salad, leaving your a bland and water-y dish).

•Toss your salad thoroughly so that the heavier vegetables don’t remain stuck at the bottom!

•Start off by drizzling a small amount of dressing on your pasta salad and toss. Then increase the amount to taste. A salad should be lightly kissed with dressing, not drenched!

•Leave some watermelon radishes to sprinkle on top of your pasta salad. They’re a beautiful pop of colourful to garnish your dish.

Vegan Summer Pasta Salad

Vegan Summer Pasta Salad

Bright and healthy, this Vegan Summer Pasta Salad is filled with flavourful vegetables and tossed in an apple cider and olive oil vinaigrette.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Californian, Plant-Based, Vegan
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

Pasta Salad

  • 1/2 package spaghetti 250 grams
  • 1/2 head iceberg lettuce washed and dried
  • 3 cups greens such as arugala and mixed lettuces
  • 2 carrots ribboned
  • 4-6 red radishes washed and dried
  • 4-6 watermelon radishes washed and dried

Apple Cider & Olive Oil Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp  maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic grated
  • 1/4 tsp  mustard
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions
 

Pasta Salad

  • Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente.
  • Drain pasta and rinse well under cold water until chilled and add to a large salad bowl.
  • Wash, dry and chop icerberg lettuce and add to salad bowl. Add washed greens to bowl.
  • Wash and peel carrots. Discard first layer of peelings. Continue to peel the clean carrots into long ribbons and add to salad bowl.
  • Wash and slice radishes and add most to bowl. Set aside a small portion.
  • Toss salad very well.

Apple Cider & Olive Oil Vinaigrette

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste.
  • Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking the contents of the bowl and continue to whisk until the dressing is emulsified.
  • Drizzle a small portion on your pasta salad and toss. Then add more dressing to taste until salad is 'kissed' with the vinaigrette but not smothered in it!
  • Garnish salad with remainder of sliced radishes.
  • Keep remainder of your dressing in the refrigerator.
Keyword Pasta, pasta salad, radish, salad, Vegan spaghetti

Looking for more vegan salad ideas? Try our Pearl Couscous Spring Salad recipe!

Pearl Couscous Spring Salad

Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls

Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls

Healthy Vegan Lasagna Rolls with a tofu ricotta filing and gooey cheesy topping. These Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls are the ultimate Italian meal that vegans and non-vegans will enjoy.

This recipe is specifically made to taste like an authentic Italian lasagna dish. The ricotta cheese really mimics the ricotta or cottage cheese filling of a non plant-based lasagna. You can make these Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls for even the toughest critic of vegan food!

This meal is also formulated to be as healthy as possible without sacrificing taste. The recipe calls for just enough olive oil and cheese to get a flavourful dish that is low calorie, but does not taste like it is lacking in anything. Each roll comes in at approximately only 265 calories, which is great for Italian cuisine!

Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls

These Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls are made up of:

• Homeade Vegan Ricotta:

A super quick and easy ricotta filling. It uses tofu as its base to get that crumbly and slightly wet texture of ricotta. Use firm or medium firm tofu, not silken tofu, as silken tofu has a very high water content.

To make this vegan ricotta you simply mix the tofu with a soft nuts-based cheese, or a vegan cream cheese. It won’t work with a hard block of vegan cheese or shredded cheese.

You want to get that soft yet crumbly texture, which requires the addition of a creamy soft cheese paired wit the tofu.

•Tomato-based Sauce

Quality canned rushed tomatoes along with olive oil and spices make up your sauce. I use Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes in the 797 ML can. Mutti brand tomato products from Italy have a lovely texture and such a fresh taste. You can of course use any brand of crushed tomatoes.

If you prefer, you can use your own tomato sauce of choice instead of the sauce in this recipe.

The tomato sauce in this recipe is super quick to make but flavourful. You really don’t have to simmer a tomato sauce on the stovetop for hours to get a quality tasting sauce. Not even the Italians do that!

• Lasagna noodles

I used store bought lasagna noodles. It is crucial to use the type of noodles that you have to pre-boil. You cannot use oven ready noodles, as they ate stiff as a board and will not allowed you to roll up your lasagna rolls!

If you want to get really fancy, use homeade lasagna noodles. Everything tastes elevated with homeade pasta, and it’s really not that difficult to make. Store-bought noodles, however work great and are used in this recipe as a time saver.

• Sautéed mushrooms and zucchini

To get the best flavour it’s advised to lightly sauté your vegetables before adding them to the lasagna rolls. They’ll be tastier, and it ensures the vegetables will be nice and tender and fully cooked when you take your lasagna rolls out of the oven. Plus, sautéing will reduce the water content of the vegetables a bit so it doesn’t leave your lasagna rolls being watery and soggy.

• Melty gooey cheese topping

There are some really great vegan cheese this day and age. So use a type of vegan cheese that will give you that gooey melty topping. I used Earth Island Finely Shredded Mozzarella. It is so close to a classic cheese that non-vegans will not even notice that it’s plant-based.

Making Your Vegan Ricotta

Making the Vegan Ricotta is super quick and easy! You can even use this vegan ricotta in a myriad of other recipes from stuffing raviolis to topping a vegan bruschetta and filling savoury pastries.

It’s crucial to use a firm or medium firm tofu, rather than a soft or silken tofu (which will give it too much water). Be sure to taste your ricotta mixture and salt to taste. It should be a bit of the saltier side, as cheese is a salty substance. You can of course control the salt though according to your preference.

vegan ricotta cheese

Constructing your Lasagna Rolls

You want to divvy up your ingredients evenly into each roll so that you don’t run out of stuffing. I used a dollop of ricotta about an inch and a half round, with about 4 mushroom pieces and 3 zucchini pieces per roll. The amount you use will depend on how thickly you’ve chopped your vegetable pieces. You don’t have to be overly precise, however!

When adding your tomato sauce, be sure to add enough as to not have dry rolls, but do not drown them in sauce. You may have a bit of tomato sauce left over at the end, depending on how saucy you’d like your lasagna rolls!

Once you remove your lovely bubbling and cheesy pan of lasagna rolls from the oven, top them with a small bunch of fresh basil for an elevated presentation.

Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls

Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls

Healthy vegan lasagna rolls with a tofu ricotta filing and gooey cheesy topping. These Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls are an easy quick meal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian, Plant-Based
Servings 8 people
Calories 265 kcal

Ingredients
  

Vegan Ricotta

  • 3/4 package tofu (about 1 cup) firm
  • 2/3 cup plant-based cream cheese or soft nuts-based cheese (I used 100 grams of Spread Em Kitchen Co. Meadow cheese block)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Tomato Sauce

  • 1 large can crushed tomatoes I used a 797 ML can of Mutti Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp basil dried
  • 1/2 tsp thyme dried
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Lasagna Rolls

  • 8 sheets lasagna noodles
  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1 package mushrooms 277 grams
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup vegan mozzarella cheese I used Earth Island Mozzarella Style Dairy Free Cheese

Instructions
 

Vegan Ricotta

  • Drain tofu and add 3/4 of the package to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add your plant-based cream cheese or soft nuts-based cheese to the bowl.
  • Add your salt and garlic powder.
  • Mix with a fork or with your hands. (It's most effective to combine the mixture with your hands).
  • Add more salt and garlic powder to taste if desired.

Tomato Sauce

  • Add the can of tomatoes to a large bowl and add the garlic powder, salt, thyme, basil and olive oil.
  • Mix your sauce and taste. Add more salt and garlic powder to taste.

Lasagna Rolls

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  • Cook 8-10 lasagna sheets until al dente. (They need to be cooked enough so they are just soft enough to roll. You do not want to overcook your noodles, as they will get softer in the oven. You may want to cook 10 sheets just in case one of your sheets tears. You will need 8 to cover a typial lasagna pan).
  • Drain and rinse your lasagna noodles. Set aside to cool.
  • Wash and chop your zucchini, mushooms and garlic. Sautée your vegetables for 5-7 minutes in a pan.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Coat a 4 X 9 rectangular lasagna pan with a thin layer of your tomato sauce.
  • Lay out one lasagna noodle flat on a counter or cutting board. Using a large spoon, spread a thin layer of tomato sauce across the center of the noodle.
  • Add a dollop of your vegan ricotta cheese. Place a small amount of mushrooms and zucchinni on top of the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle a small dash of salt overtop (optional).
  • Fold your lasagna roll and place in your lasagna pan. Repeat until you have 8 rolls in your pan.
  • Cover each lasagna roll in a layer of sauce. You do not want to drown them in sauce. Some of your noodles should be showing, rather than being completely covered. You want enough sauce so that they are not dry.
  • Sprinkle your vegan mozzarella evenly on top of your lasagna rolls. Cover with lid or aluminum foil.
  • Place lasagna rolls in oven at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 35-45 minutes until tender.
  • Remove lid or foil and bake another 5 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes and serve!
Keyword Authentic homeade pasta, Italian, Lasagna, Lasagna Rolls, ricotta cheese, Rolls, vegan cheese, vegan ricotta

For more delicious and easy but elevated Italian dishes, try my Vegan Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter recipe!

Vegan Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter

Vegan Crab Cakes with Dill Sauce

Vegan Crab Cakes with Dill Sauce

The best easy and quick Vegan Crab Cakes with Dill Sauce recipe. Chickpeas and hearts of palm with a dash of sea weed give these fritters an authentic crab taste and texture. You can easily make these plant-based crab crab gluten free by swapping out the bread crumbs with a gluten-free variety.

Hearts of Palm & Chickpeas

Hearts of palm are a magic vegetable! They’re like nature’s way of giving us a plant-based fish. This vegetable naturally has a subtle fish-like flavour and a flaky texture. It’s wild how much hearts of palm mimics the flaky flesh of a fish.

A major bonus of hearts of palm is that it also acts as a great protein-rich replacement for fish. It’s nutritious, low in calories but high in protein, fibre, manganese and a wide range of other essential nutrients. Like many canned foods, hearts of palm can tend to be high in sodium. By rinsing them off before consuming though is a quick and easy way to slash their sodium content.

Likewise, chickpeas also have a slight fish-like flavour resembling tuna. This is why so many vegan recipes use chickpeas for plant-based tuna salad. Mixed with the flaky texture of heart of palm, the combination gives your Vegan Crab Cakes with Dill Sauce an authentic ‘under the sea’ vibe.

Making Your Vegan Crab Cakes with Dill Sauce

Equipment:

• All you need to make this recipe is a food processor, hand blender or just a simple fork to mash up your mixture!

Making your mixture:

• Mash or blend the mixture enough so that it will hold together. At the same time, however, you want to leave your mixture with a bit of texture to it.

• If your mixture is not holding together well enough to make your patties simply chill it in the fridge or freezer for a little bit. A cold mixture will always hold together better.

Breading your crab cakes

• When dipping your crab cakes into the breadcrumbs, keep your fork (or fingers) clean after dipping each. You do not want to get the breadcrumbs wet with the chickpea mixture or the breadcrumbs won’t stick.

• This makes them hold together better when flipping to ensure both side are covered with breading, while making your crab cakes remain in tact.

Frying your crab cakes

• You do no need a ton of oil! Many crab cakes recipes have you cook your cakes in a sea of oil. For this recipe you only need a Tbsp or two in a non-stick pan.

• You can even get away with doing oil free if you choose.

Vegan Crab Cakes with Dill Sauce

• After flipping your crab cakes if your cakes loose their shape a bit you can reshape them with your spatula.

Serve your crab cakes with your cool and creamy dill sauce for the perfect plant-based seafood dish!

Vegan Chickpea Crab Cakes

Crispy vegan crab cakes with a soft flaky interior. Easy to make, nutitious and an authentic under the sea flavour.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Appetizer, Brunch, dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Mediterranean, Plant-Based
Servings 10 crab cakes

Ingredients
  

Vegan Crab Cakes

  • 1 can chickpeas (19 oz)  drained and rinsed
  • 1 can hearts of palm (19 oz)  drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs divided
  • 1 sheet seaweed chopped
  • 1/4 cup vegan mayonaise
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp mustard
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 1 Tbsp capers for garnish

Lemon & Dill Sauce

  • 4 Tbsp vegan mayonaise
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dill fresh or dried
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions
 

Vegan Crab Cakes

  • To a food processor, add the chickpeas, hearts of palm, chopped nori, vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, paprika, mustard, salt, and pepper.
  • Pulse 3-4 times to mix and break up the chickpeas and hearts of palm. Do not over mix, as you want there to be texture.
  • Add in 4-5 Tbsps of breadcrumbs to the mixture and stir.
  • Divide the mixture into 10 portions and use your hands to form 10 small patties. (It's easier to ensure they hold together in the pan when frying/flipping when smaller in size).
  • Dip both sides of your patties in a shallow bowl filled with the bread crumbs.
  • Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.
  • When hot add the patties, and fry 5-7 minutes per side until golden brown.
  • Serve hot with a side of Lemon Dill Sauce and capers.

Lemon & Dill Sauce

  • Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
  • Serve overtop of Crab Cakes or in a small dip bowl.
Keyword Chickpeas, Crab cakes, Heart of Palm, Vegan Crab, Vegan Fish, Vegan Seafood

Looking for more plant-based seafood recipes? Try my Vegan Hearts of Palm Fish Tacos with a spicy mayo sauce!

Vegan Hearts of Palm Fish Tacos

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