Vegan dishes that even meat eaters will love? Yes, they do exist! In fact, we've rounded up appetizers, entrees, desserts and cocktails so good you won't even notice they have dietary restrictions placed on them. To boot, these vegan options are healthier than their classic counterparts — so you can skip on the pool-side bloat.
Image courtesy of Claire Grieve
Tempeh Sloppy Joes
Created by principal chef at Green Chef, Dana Murrell
Serving Size: 2
"This is a vegan take on an American summer BBQ classic, says Murrell. "Here, Sloppy Joes are made with tempeh simmered in a tomato-based sauce with green bell pepper, walnuts and red onions. It's all piled onto toasted whole-wheat buns and topped with quick-pickled red cabbage. Roasted rainbow fingerling potatoes, served with a vegan basil aÏoli, round out this comforting dish."
● 8 oz tempeh
● 2 tbsp walnuts
● ¾ cup Sloppy Joe sauce
● 2 whole whole-wheat hamburger buns
● 1 small red onion
● 1 ¾ oz red cabbage
● 10 oz rainbow fingerling potatoes
● 1 whole scallion
● 1 ¾ oz green bell pepper
● 3 tbsp vegan basil aïoli
● 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
● Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Halve or quarter rainbow fingerling potatoes lengthwise, depending on size. Place potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Spread potatoes out in a single layer.
Transfer baking sheet to oven. Roast 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned and slightly crispy, stirring halfway through.
Place apple cider vinegar in a small pot. Add about ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Add red cabbage. Stir to combine. Let pickle for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cut tempeh into pea-size pieces. Cut ends off red onion and discard peel. Halve lengthwise. Lay flat and medium dice into about ½-inch pieces. Medium dice green bell pepper into about ½-inch pieces. Roughly chop walnuts and slice scallion.
Heat about 1 ½ tablespoons cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add tempeh, onion, bell pepper, and nuts to hot pan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add 1/3 cup water. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until water is mostly cooked off, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add Sloppy Joe sauce to pan. Stir to combine. Simmer 6-8 minutes, or until sauce has reduced slightly and veggies are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon Sloppy Joe mixture over bottom bun and top with pickled cabbage. Place top bun over cabbage. Serve fingerling potatoes and vegan basil aïoli on the side. Sprinkle scallion over potatoes.
Image courtesy of Dana Murrell
Cabbage Salad
Created by Healthy with Nedi founder, Neda Varbanova
Serving Size: 4
"This delicious cabbage salad is a healthier take on the typical fattening coleslaw," says Varbanova. "Looks can be deceiving and although coleslaw has cabbage and carrots, it's not always a healthy option. Most coleslaw is loaded with calorie-rich mayonnaise that is high in fat. The average coleslaw packs in over 250 calories and at least 20g of fat which is extremely high for a 'salad.' If you like coleslaw, try this simple cabbage salad: It has so much flavor and crunch and is ideal for a hot summer day."
● 2 cups white cabbage, thinly sliced
● 2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
● 2 large carrots, grated
● 2 garlic cloves, minced
● 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
● 1 lemon, juiced
● Sea salt to taste
● 2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
Add cabbage and carrots to a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, add garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Mix well. Add the dressing to the cabbage bowl and toss until well combined. Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill. Serve on its own or paired with your favorite protein.
Image courtesy of Neda Varbanova
Healthy Decadent Chocolate Heaven
Created by chef, nutritionist and reiki master, Serena Poon
Serving Size: 12-16
"Even during the hot summer months, we still like to enjoy our sweet treats! While I typically reach for fruit, it's also nice to have a decadent dessert as an option. This one is rich with flavor but without the heavy weight of dairy and cream," says Poon.
● 2 1⁄4 cup coconut cream
● 4 1⁄2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips
● 2 cups water
● 1 1⁄2 cup non-dairy milk (nut milk is great)
● 1⁄2 cup + 1 tablespoons melted vegan butter or coconut oil 3⁄4 cup coconut sugar
● 3⁄4 cup grade A maple syrup
● 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
● 4 1⁄2 cups gluten free baking flour
● 2 cups unsweetened organic cocoa powder 3 teaspoons baking soda
● 3⁄4 teaspoon himalayan salt
Melt chocolate chips until smooth. Gradually whisk in coconut cream. Transfer to refrigerator and chill for 3-6 hours or until mixture is firm, but pliable.
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 9-inch round cake pans as follows: Coat with softened vegan butter or coconut oil, then dust completely with the cocoa powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients and set aside. Add water and non-dairy or nut milk to a small saucepan over low heat until warmed. In a medium bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk. Pour batter into cake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.Place pan on a cooling rack to cool for 30 minutes. Remove cake from the pan and allow to cool completely before frosting.
When ready to frost, remove frosting mixture from refrigerator and allow to stand at room temp for 10-12 minutes. Frost cake and add vegan chocolate shavings or chips as garnish, as desired.
Image courtesy of Serena Poon
Veggies Rainbow Spring Rolls
Created by health and wellness coach, Claire Grieve
Serving Size: 10 spring rolls
"I created these beautiful spring rolls to be a healthy version of a traditional summer spring roll," explains Grieve. "My version is full of fresh, enlivening vegetables and flavors. Not only will you get a major dose of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber when you eat these, you will also feel satisfied. These rainbow spring rolls are filled with healthy fats and plant-based proteins and are so very delicious."
● 10 spring roll rice paper wraps
● 1 large carrot
● 1 large cucumber
● 1 avocado
● handful fresh cilantro
● 5 large green lettuce leaves
● 1/2 cup salted natural peanut or almond butter
● 1-1/2 tbsp soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos if gluten-free)
● 2-3 tbsp honey of maple syrup
● 1/2 medium lime, juiced
● 1/2 tsp garlic chili sauce
● 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
● hot water (to thin)
Prepare all vegetables. Peel, remove seeds and slice carrot and cucumber into matchbox size or julienne. Thinly slice avocado. Remove the cilantro leaves and roughly chop. Soak one wrapper at a time in a shallow dish of very hot water until softened, about 30 seconds. Lift out, let excess water drip off and lay on a clean, dry cutting board. Lay a large green lettuce leaf in the center of wrapper. Place a slice of avocado, carrots, cucumber and cilantro next to each other. Fold the wrapper over the filling and roll into a tight cylinder, fold the sides as you go. Cut the veggie roll in half. Serve with micro greens or salad and dipping sauce of choice.
For the dipping sauce, place all ingredients, except water, into a bowl and whisk together. Add hot water 1 tbsp at a time and continue whisking until you achieve a pourable consistency.
Image courtesy of Claire Grieve
