Looking for plant-based meals to make this summer? I can assure you that these are the easiest and most delicious recipes for plant-based dishes! Read more and you’ll learn how to make marinara sauce from scratch, a protein-packed, plant-based salad & a lime dipped, hearts of palm delicacy. -R
Simple Spaghetti
This is a healthy, refreshing and delicious plant-based spaghetti dish. The best part is: the tomato sauce is made from scratch and it’s so easy! Prep time is 7–10 minutes and cook time is 20 minutes.
You will need:
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 tomatoes
- Half of an onion
- 1.5 cups of mushroom
- Box of spaghetti of your choice (Linguine is my favorite!)
- ½ cup of cilantro
- ½ cups of olive oil
- 3–4 basil leaves
- Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, sage and onion powder to taste
*Yield: 4 servings
Start off by boiling water on the stove. While the water is boiling, begin to prepare your sauce.
To do so, bring a pan to the oven and cut half of your onion into small pieces. Cut your garlic gloves as well, and throw the onions and garlic into the pan, topping it with the olive oil.
Next, you will need to dice your two tomatoes and cut half of your onion into small pieces. Do the same with your mushrooms and cilantro.
As your pan starts to sizzle, begin to toss your ingredients around. Depending on how many tomato pieces you want in the sauce, begin to crush your tomatoes in the pan.
Add your 3–4 basil leaves to the mix and add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, sage and onion powder to taste.
By the time your tomato sauce is ready, your pot of water will likely start to boil. Add your spaghetti to the pot and keep stirring and in the pot for around 7–12 minutes (this varies by spaghetti brand, but 12 minutes should be enough for most brands).
Once your spaghetti is cooked, pour the spaghetti into a strainer and add it back into the pot. Bring as much spaghetti as you want for yourself onto a plate and add your tomato sauce on top.
Summer Salad
OK, I said the first recipe was easy; but this is easier, or even the easiest! If you want a simple salad to snack on, here’s your recipe!
You will need:
½ bunch of cilantro
½ bunch of kale
¼–½ cup of sunflower seeds
1 bell pepper
2 carrots
¼ cup of olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
Optional: Garlic or onion powder to taste
First, you will need a large salad bowl. Then, cut your kale into small leaflets and cut your cilantro into small pieces and add to the bowl.
Next, cut your bell pepper into dices and cut your carrots into dime-shaped pieces. Add bell pepper and carrot pieces into the bowl and sprinkle the sunflower seeds over the mixture. Your salad is almost done! Now, you just need to add your dressing.
Mix the ¼ cup of olive oil and ½ cup of balsamic vinegar together. If you want, you can add garlic or onion powder into the mixture to taste. When you are done doing so, sprinkle on top of the salad. Now, your salad is done. Enjoy!
Hearts of Palm Delight
If you like tart, lime-filled dishes, this recipe is for you! Just like the summer salad, this recipe is perfect for warmer weather as it is meant to be served cold.
You will need:
1 can of hearts of palm
1 cucumber
1 red onion
2 tomatoes
¼ bunch of cilantro leaves
2 cups of lime juice
Salt to taste
Flour tortillas (how ever many you want!)
Yield: 4–6 servings
First, start by cutting your hearts of palm sticks into nickel-sized pieces or ~2 inch slices. Add to a bowl. Next, dice your tomatoes and cut your red onion into small pieces and add them to the bowl.
Then, cut your cucumber into ~1.5–2 inch slices and cut your cilantro leaves into tiny pieces. Add both to the bowl.
Sprinkle your 2 cups of lime juice to the bowl and mix all the ingredients together. Add salt to taste. And, as easy as that, you’re done! To serve this, use a serving spoon to add around 2 scoops of the mix onto a tortilla.
RINA ROSSI 