Healthy Vegan Recipes: 17 Vegan Appetizers and Dinners

A vegan diet—one that doesn’t include any meat, dairy, or any animal byproducts—includes many fruits and vegetables, which are rich sources of fiber, antioxidants, folate, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and E. Vegan diets can also help lower your blood sugar levels and increase your heart health.

Vegan appetizers and sides are flavorful additions to any meal. Here are some of the best vegan side dishes and appetizers:

1. 1. Baked pumpkin kibbeh: A traditional Lebanese kibbeh (or kibbe) is a Middle Eastern appetizer consisting of a spiced meatball bound with bulgur or rice and stuffed with a savory filling. This vegan baked pumpkin kibbeh recipe replaces the ground meats with puréed pumpkin for a vegan-friendly version.
2. 2. Cornbread: This egg- and dairy-free variation on cornbread is a buttery, crumbly quick bread made with finely ground cornmeal. While eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter are responsible for cornbread’s signature texture, this vegan cornbread uses a range of alternate ingredients, including applesauce, flaxseed meal, and coconut milk, to achieve a similar consistency.
3. 3. Hummus: A Middle Eastern dish made of simple ingredients—chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic—hummus is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. It is a creamy dip to serve with vegetables or Mediterranean falafel. You can make traditional chickpea hummus or try different protein bases for this weeknight side dish, like this recipe for black bean hummus.
4. 4. Kimchi: Kimchi is a Korean side dish made from salted, seasoned, and fermented vegetables—most commonly napa cabbage with radishes, green onions—and gochugaru or red pepper flakes. Traditional kimchi includes fish sauce or dried shrimp, creating tangy, pungent brine, but you can make vegan kimchi with red miso paste. The result is a bright, umami-rich kimchi without animal products.
5. 5. Miso soup: A traditional Japanese side, miso soup’s flavorful soup base, dashi, traditionally calls for dried seafood. Fortunately, it’s easy to make a vegetable-based dashi for this vegan miso soup using umami-packed kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms.
6. 6. Stuffed mushrooms: Traditional stuffed mushroom recipes use crab or dairy ingredients. For a vegan version, replace the animal products with plant-based, dairy-free options. This recipe for vegan stuffed mushrooms makes for a great sheet pan appetizer, side dish, snack, or chewy hors d’oeuvre at a party.

If you’re looking for vegan meals or lunch ideas, here are eleven healthy vegan recipes to try:

1. 1. Asparagus soup: While traditional asparagus soup uses butter and heavy cream, you can easily substitute them with olive oil and coconut cream. This creamy vegan asparagus soup recipe pairs the earthy, slightly bitter flavor of asparagus with bright, flavorful ingredients like garlic, lemon, and chives.
2. 2. Broccoli soup: A classic comfort food, traditional broccoli soup calls for both cheese and milk. To make a vegan broccoli soup, swap chicken broth with vegetable broth and use non-dairy milk or potatoes to add creaminess. Mix in nutritional yeast for added cheese flavor.
3. 3. Chili: You don't need meat to make a stew worthy of a chili cook-off. This meatless, vegan chili recipe gets its meaty texture from lentils and quinoa, alongside a mixture of canned beans, spices, tomatoes, and yellow or red onions. It is a hearty comfort food and an easy vegan dinner recipe.
4. 4. Fried rice: This Chinese dish involves stir-frying leftover rice with aromatics, vegetables, and protein (typically meat, seafood, and eggs) until crispy and fluffy. Make vegan fried rice by swapping out the meat for extra vegetables.
5. 5. Gumbo: A thick, flavorful stew from southern Louisiana, gumbo includes sausage, seafood, or chicken, but gumbo z'herbes, a traditional dish during Lent, features a variety of leafy greens and fresh herbs. Use butter for a vegetarian version or vegan butter for a flavorful vegan gumbo that makes an excellent weeknight dinner.
6. 6. Pesto: This flavorful Italian sauce consists of crushed fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Its name comes from the Italian word “pestare,” which means to pound or crush. Serve vegan pesto—which omits the Parmesan cheese in favor of ingredients like nutritional yeast or vegan cheese—with pasta for an easy vegan dinner.
7. 7. Ramen: A quintessential Japanese dish and popular comfort food, ramen uses animal stock as a base for the soup. For a vegan ramen, swap meat-based stock for a vegan broth using vegetable stock, which will still result in a rich, umami flavor.
   
8. 8. Sushi rolls: The presentation of raw fish is central to Japanese sushi, but vegan sushi rolls showcase the flavor and versatility of fresh vegetables and fruit. Common vegan sushi centerpieces include baby spinach, crunchy cucumbers, daikon radish, chopped pea shoots, scallion greens, strawberries, kiwi, and mushrooms.
9. 9. Tamales: Tamales are pockets of filled masa (corn dough) wrapped up in corn husks or plantain leaves and steamed until tender. While traditional Mexican tamales use lard, meat, and cheese, you can make vegan tamales using vegetable shortening or oil and a plant-based filling. It is a great main dish you can meal prep in large batches to serve on weeknights or alongside roasted cauliflower vegan tacos, chipotle bean burritos, cilantro-lime rice, or vegetarian enchiladas for a crowd.
10. 10. Tofu scramble: This recipe is similar to scrambled eggs, but it swaps the eggs for a toothsome crumble of tofu. Serve with a hearty carb (like brown rice) or vegetables, such as bell pepper, zucchini, or sweet potatoes, and garnish with black pepper and fresh herbs. Try this crispy tofu scramble for a healthy vegan breakfast or lunch for the whole family.
11. 11. Tomato soup: Traditional tomato soup gets its richness from ingredients like heavy cream, half-and-half, or chicken stock. Vegan tomato soup has all of the vegetable goodness of the original, but the richness in this vegan-friendly version comes from cashew cream or coconut milk.

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