Easy Vegan Recipes For World Vegan Day

Include this article in your Skills Builder Journal. It could help you develop... 

It’s World Vegan Day, and what better way to celebrate than by preparing a delicious feast to fill up your tum! Below are a few brilliant vegan recipes for you to try, share, and dig into. 

STARTERS

Lemon, Rosemary and Olive Focaccia

What you’ll need:

• 520g strong white bread flour
• 1.5tsp fast action dried yeast
• Salt
• Olive oil
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 lemon (zest only)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 100s mixed fresh olives (pitted)

How to make it:

Stir together the flour, yeast and one teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl. Form a well in the middle and add 300ml of tepid water and three tablespoons of olive oil. Mix the ingredients together to make a dough, then transfer to a clean surface and knead for ten minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to prove for at least one hour or until it has doubled in size.

When the dough is ready, use your fists to lightly punch out most of the air then transfer to a well greased baking tray. Stretch it out to the corners then cover with the damp tea towel and prove again for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C fan. 

Finely chop the leaves from one of the rosemary sprigs, then stir together the chopped rosemary, lemon zest, garlic and two teaspoons of olive oil in a bowl. Use your fingers to punch lots of holes in the dough and push the olives into holes. Then break up the remaining rosemary sprig and push the leaves into the dough, before pouring the olive oil mixture over the top and brushing it all across the top of the dough.

Finally sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until the bread is lightly golden on top. Leave to rest for ten minutes before cutting the focaccia into chunks to serve.

Mushroom and Cranberry Sausage Rolls

Makes: 20 rolls
What you’ll need:

• 1 onion
• Olive oil
• 250g chestnut mushrooms
• 50g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts
• 4 garlic cloves
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 1.5 tsp dijon mustard
• 40g stale bread
• 1 x 320g pre-rolled vegan puff pastry
• 3 tsp cranberry sauce
• Sesame seeds to serve (optional)

How to make it:

Peel and dice the onion then heat a little olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for five minutes.

Meanwhile dice the mushrooms and chestnuts, then peel and dice the garlic. Add them to the frying pan and fry for ten minutes.

Finely chop the sage and add it to the frying pan along with generous pinches of salt and pepper and fry for three minutes.

Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor along with the dijon mustard. Then tear the bread with your hands into smaller pieces and add it to the processor. Pulse until mostly broken down then leave the mixture to fully cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. When the mushroom mixture has cooled, roll out the pastry and cut it in half lengthways. Spread half of the cranberry sauce down the middle of each half of the pastry. Next add half of the mushroom mixture down the middle of each half of the pastry. Then wrap the pastry around the filling so you are left with two long logs. Cut each log into 10 equally-sized rolls and transfer them to a lined baking tray. Brush with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top to serve.

MAINS

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Serves: 2 people

What you’ll need:

• 200g spaghetti
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ small red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
• small handful of parsley, finely chopped

How to make it:
Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti for about ten mins, or until al  (which means ‘to the tooth’ in Italian, basically just slightly undercooked, so it still has a little bit to it). Check the packet for full cooking instructions. 

When the pasta is nearly ready, heat the oil in a frying pan set over a medium heat and sizzle the garlic and chilli, if using, for one minute until fragrant and the garlic is lightly golden but not brown (the garlic will taste bitter if it gets too dark).

Drain the spaghetti and add it to the garlicky oil with the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine, then serve.

Burritos

Serves: 4 people

What you’ll need:

• 4 large or 8 small tortilla wraps
• 2 large handfuls of spinach leaves, shredded
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• Hot sauce, to serve

For the chipotle black beans:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp chipotle paste
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g black beans, drained
• 1 bunch coriander, chopped

For the lime and red onion rice:

• 250g wholegrain rice, cooked and drained
• 1 lime, juiced
• ½ red onion, very finely chopped
• 50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

How to make it:
To make the beans, heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic for a minute, then stir in the chipotle paste. Tip in the tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer. Season with salt. Simmer until thick, add the beans and cook briefly (make sure any water gets cooked off), then stir in the coriander.

If you are using cold cooked rice, then warm it through, stir in the lime juice, red onion and nuts and season well.

Lay out the tortillas and sprinkle over some spinach, add some avocado slices and some rice, then top with the bean mix. Add a shake of hot sauce, if you like. Roll the bottom up, then fold the sides in to stop the filling falling out as you roll. Wrap tightly in foil, if you like, and cut in half.

DESSERTS

Brownies

Makes: 12

What you’ll need:

• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp coffee granules
• 80g margarine, plus extra for greasing
• 125g self-raising flour
• 70g ground almonds
• 50g cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 250s golden caster sugar
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract

How to make it:
Heat oven to 170C. Grease and line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment. Combine the flaxseed with 6 tbsp water and set aside for at least five minutes.

In a saucepan, melt 120g chocolate, the coffee and margarine with 60ml water on a low heat. Allow to cool slightly.

Put the flour, almonds, cocoa, baking powder and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl and stir to remove any lumps. Using a hand whisk, mix the sugar into the melted chocolate mixture, and beat well until smooth and glossy, ensuring all the sugar is well dissolved. Stir in the flaxseed mixture, vanilla extract and remaining chocolate, then the flour mixture. Spoon into the prepared tin.

Bake for 35-45 mins until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean with moist crumbs. Allow to cool in the tin completely, then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container and eat within three days.

Coconut chia pudding

Serves: 4 people

What you’ll need:

• 360ml coconut milk
• 90g chia seeds
• 15-20ml maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Berries or fruit of your choosing

How to make it:
Add coconut milk, chia seeds, maple syrup and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.

Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least six hours). The chia pudding should be thick and creamy. If not, add more chia seeds, stir, and refrigerate for another hour or so.

Enjoy as is, or layer with your favourite berries or fresh fruit!

Happy World Vegan Day and don’t forget to tag us in any pics on our socials @NCS if you make any of the dishes!