These Were Our Most Popular Vegan Recipes in 2017

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Want to start cooking more vegan meals at home? Whether you’re a full-time, long-term vegan or you’re just toying with the idea of adding more meat-free meals to your weekly routine, our website is full of great breakfast, lunch, dessert, and snack ideas to inspire you. So if you’re stuck in a rut and wondering what to cook next-or if you’re new to the game and have no idea where to even get started-look no further than this recipe list. These dishes were some of the most searched-for, the most viewed, and the most popular vegan recipes of 2017-and you should try them all!

1. Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower ‘Wings’

1 cup water or soy milk
1 cup flour (any kind will work-even gluten-free!)
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into pieces
1 cup buffalo or hot sauce
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil or melted vegan butter

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Combine the water or soy milk, flour, and garlic powder in a bowl and stir until well combined.
• Coat the cauliflower pieces with the flour mixture and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake for 18 minutes.
• While the cauliflower is baking, combine your buffalo sauce and olive oil or margarine in a small bowl.
• Pour the hot sauce mixture over the baked cauliflower and continue baking for an additional 5 to 8 minutes.
• Serve alongside vegan blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.

Makes 4 servings

2. Easy Vegan Pad Thai

1 cup water, plus more for soaking the noodles
1 10-oz. package rice noodles or ramen-style noodles
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 12-oz. package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into chunks
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
Juice of 2 limes
3 Tbsp. sugar
Sriracha, to taste
Sliced green onions, for garnish
Chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional)

• Fill a large microwave-safe bowl with water and heat in the microwave until boiling. Carefully submerge the rice noodles in the water and let soak for about 15 minutes.
• In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic cloves and tofu chunks. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce over the tofu and sauté until golden brown.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, sugar, Sriracha, remaining soy sauce, and 1 cup of water.
• Add the soaked noodles and peanut butter mixture to the tofu and cook through, about 5 minutes.
• Garnish with sliced green onions and chopped peanuts and serve right away. Enjoy!

Servings: 2-3

This pad Thai recipe is more than just delicious-it’s also a steal, costing just $3 per serving to make. The best news? We’ve got a whole list of thrifty vegan lunches for you to try:

3. Vegan Rainbow Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

2 pkgs. Daiya mozzarella-style vegan cheese shreds
5 colors cruelty-free food coloring
3 Tbsp. vegan butter or mayo
10 slices bread

• Divide the vegan cheese shreds evenly among 5 small bowls-1 per color-and add 3 to 6 drops of food coloring to each, mixing well to distribute the color evenly.
• Warm a large pan over medium heat.
• Spread the vegan butter or mayo on one side of each bread slice. Place 5 slices butter-side down in the pan.
• On each slice, create colorful rows made out of the vegan cheese shreds. Top with the remaining bread slices, butter-side up.
• Fry until golden brown, then flip and fry the other sides until golden brown and the vegan cheese has melted.
• Enjoy!

Makes 5 sandwiches

4. Tofu-Spinach Lasagne

1/2 lb. lasagne noodles
2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 lb. soft tofu
1 lb. firm tofu
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. minced fresh basil
2 tsp. salt
4 cups tomato sauce

• Cook the lasagne noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Squeeze the spinach as dry as possible and set aside.
• Place the tofu, sugar, soy milk, garlic powder, lemon juice, basil, and salt in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the spinach.
• Cover the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of noodles (use about one-third of the noodles). Follow with half of the tofu filling. Continue in the same order, using half of the remaining tomato sauce and noodles and all of the remaining tofu filling. End with the remaining noodles, covered by the remaining tomato sauce. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

5. Vegan French Toast

1 cup soy milk
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. sugar or sweetener of your choice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch nutmeg
6 slices whole wheat bread

• Mix all the ingredients (except the bread slices) in a shallow bowl.
• Dip the bread slices into the soy-milk mixture and cook, either on a nonstick griddle until browned on both sides or on a greased cookie sheet in a 400°F oven until golden on both sides, turning once.

Makes 3 servings

6. Easiest Vegan Mac ‘n’ Cheese Ever

1 clove garlic
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours and drained
1/4 cup water
1 8-oz. pkg. pasta, cooked and drained

• Place the garlic, turmeric, salt, nutritional yeast, cashews, and water in a blender. Process until completely smooth.
• Pour over the pasta and stir. Heat before serving.

Makes 6 servings

7. Smoky Vegan Mozzarella Pumpkin Pizza

1 vegan pizza crust or dough for 1 pizza
1 can pumpkin purée
1/8 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
6 Tbsp. Smoked MozzaRisella
1 butternut squash, sliced into ribbons
1 handful arugula

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• If using pizza dough, roll out to about 12-inches in diameter.
• Mix together the pumpkin purée, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on the crust or dough.
• Top with the Smoked MozzaRisella and squash ribbons.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until the dough is thoroughly cooked and the crust is slightly browned.
• Top with fresh arugula and serve.

Makes 1 pizza

8. SolFood Vegan’s Spicy Fried ‘Chicken’

2 cups wheat gluten
5 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
3 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
5 Tbsp. tahini
1/2 + 1/3 cup hot sauce
6 cups vegetable broth
2-3 cups white flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. chipotle powder
3/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
Egg replacer equivalent of 3 eggs (Namaste brand works well)
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
Vegetable oil, for frying

• In a large mixing bowl, add the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, 2 teaspoonfuls of onion powder, 1 teaspoonful of salt, and the poultry seasoning and mix together until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the tahini, 1/2 cup hot sauce, and 1 cup vegetable broth.
• Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until a thick dough forms, then knead with your hands for 2 to 4 minutes. It should be somewhat elastic. You may need to add more wheat gluten if it’s too wet.
• Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape into patties.
• Pour the remaining vegetable broth, enough to just cover the patties, into a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Add the patties and boil for 45 minutes to 1 hour, then drain. Set aside to cool or run under cold water until cool enough to work with.
• In a medium-size bowl, add the remaining onion powder, remaining salt, flour, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, white pepper, and paprika and mix until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining hot sauce, vegan egg replacer, and mustard.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large pot over medium-high heat. Coat one patty in the flour mixture, then dip in the “egg” mixture. Let the excess liquid drip off before placing back in the flour mixture. Gently roll in the flour mixture until evenly coated. Repeat with the remaining patties.
• Place 2 to 4 patties in the oil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Place on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining patties.

Makes 10 fried seitan patties

For more delicious recipes and inspiration from Aaron Parker of SolFood Vegan, visit his website, Instagram, and Facebook pages.

9. Sumptuous Spinach Salad with Orange-Sesame Dressing

Good-Saint.com

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed, drained, and chopped
2 medium-sized sweet peppers, sliced and deseeded
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, sliced into rounds or halves
Sesame seeds, for garnish

• Combine the olive oil, rice vinegar, orange juice, sesame oil, agave nectar, garlic, and smoked paprika in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until combined. Adjust the flavors, as needed, then set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the spinach, peppers, onions, and orange slices, then drizzle with the orange-sesame dressing. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Adapted from Good-Saint.com.

Good-Saint.com

10. Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

4 Tbsp. vegan margarine or olive oil
1 green pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced
1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 8-oz. pkg. seitan or 1 pkg. Gardein Beefless Tips, cubed
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. celery flakes
1/4 tsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 7-oz. block Follow Your Heart dairy-free provolone style slices
2 vegan French rolls, cut in half lengthwise

• Preheat the oven to 375˚
• Melt 2 tablespoonfuls of the vegan margarine in a large pan on medium heat. Sauté the green pepper, onion, and seitan for about 5 minutes, or until the seitan is heated all the way through. Add the garlic powder, celery flakes, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• Transfer to an oven-safe pan. Top with the dairy-free provolone and bake for 10 minutes, or until the “cheese” is melted.
• Melt the remaining vegan margarine in another pan on medium heat. Place the French rolls face down in the pan and cook until lightly browned and crispy.
• Fill each roll with the seitan, green pepper, onion, and vegan cheese and serve.

Makes 2 servings

11. Vegan Churros

1 cup water
2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for frying (I used a wok, which requires 2 to 3 cups of oil)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

• Boil the water in a medium-sized pan, then add the sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the oil and remove the pan from the stove. Add the flour and stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into a piping bag with large star tip.
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a pan or wok. Squeeze churro-length pieces of batter into the pan and fry until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes.
• Combine the sugar and ground cinnamon in a large plastic bag and shake until well combined. Place the churros one by one into the bag to coat evenly. Enjoy!

Makes 6 Servings

12. Aquafaba Whipped Cream in Two Steps

Liquid from 2 cans garbanzo beans
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar (finely ground is best)

• Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Blend with a stand or hand mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Enjoy immediately with your favorite treat, or refrigerate for up to one week.

Makes 2 to 3 cups

*****

If you’re looking for vegan recipes to spice up 2018, we’ve got you covered with suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts.

From gluten-free desserts to raw main courses (all of them totally animal-free), we’ve got cuisine from countries all over the world.

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You can browse thousands of animal-free recipes right here on PETA.org, and be sure to order a free vegan starter kit-it’s packed with helpful tips that make cooking and eating vegan meals easy and accessible.

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