Fitness
Hearty, Healthy Plant-Based Recipes That Satisfy
Published
3 years agoon
By
Terry Power
Winter is upon us and sometimes we all just need a hearty, comforting (yet nutritious) dish. Plant-based recipes are all the trend right now—and even if you don’t identify as a vegetarian or vegan, going meatless for a meal once or twice a week can still be a delicious option while reducing your overall meat intake and upping that vegetable quota. Dig into these five hearty, flavorful plant-based recipes; they’ll be in rotation all year long.
1. Black Bean and Quinoa Falafel Bowl
Servings: 2 bowls (6 falafels each)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled
- 1 15oz can black beans, rinsed, drained, dried
- ¼ cup, raw or roasted pumpkin seeds
- 5 cloves garlic skin removed, crushed
- ½ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp cumin, ground
- ½ tsp coriander, ground
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (or omit for less spice)
- 3-4 cups chopped greens (kale, romaine, red cabbage) per bowl
Toppings (suggested):
- Hummus
- Tahini sauce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Fresh parsley
- Kalamata olive
How to make it:
- Prepare quinoa by following directions on the package to yield 1 cup cooked, and allow to cool. To cool quickly, pour and spread cooked quinoa onto a baking sheet and refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add rinsed, drained, dried black beans to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until beans appear cracked and feel dry to the touch. Remove beans from the oven and increase oven temperature to 375°F.
- While beans are baking and quinoa is cooling, prepare desired toppings. Slice cherry tomatoes in half, dice red onion, chop parsley, slice Kalamata olives and set aside.
- Add beans, pumpkin seeds, and garlic to a food processor and pulse into a loose meal. Then add cooked/cooled quinoa, salt, cumin, coriander, tomato paste, chipotle pepper. Blend until a textured dough forms.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed
- Scoop out 1 ½ Tbsp and gently form into a small sphere using your hands. Add formed falafel to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Then flip to ensure even baking and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until golden brown and crispy.
- To serve, fill the bottom of a bowl with chopped greens, add baked falafels, and finish by adding all desired toppings.
2. Hearty Plant-Based Chili
Servings: 3-5
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 4oz can mild green chiles
- 1 large sweet potato cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cups water | 3/4 cups
- 1 15oz can black beans, drained
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
- 2 cups squash and zucchini, diced
- 1 ½ cups sweet corn, frozen
For the garnish (optional):
- Lime wedges
- Cheese
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
How to make it:
- Place oil in a large pot and place over medium high heat. Add in garlic, onion, diced carrot, red bell pepper, cubed sweet potatoes and green chiles. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. (You can also put ingredients into a crockpot in the morning, cooking at low/medium heat, and having it ready in the afternoon or evening.)
- Next add chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and black pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add crushed tomatoes, water, black beans, chickpeas, beans and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until chili thickens
- Taste and adjust seasonings and salt as necessary.
- Add garnish as desired.
3. Cauliflower Curry
Servings: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 cups chopped sweet potato (1 pound)
- 5 cups chopped cauliflower (1 medium head)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- I teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons curry paste
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
- 2 teaspoons turmeric, ground
- 1 ½ teaspoons coriander
- 1 28oz can diced San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 15oz can coconut milk, full fat
- 1 15oz can chickpeas
- 4 cups raw spinach
- Cilantro to garnish
- Brown rice to serve
How to make it:
- Cook the rice as per directions on the package.
- Dice the onion. Chop the sweet potato into bite-sized chunks (do not peel). Chop the cauliflower into florets.
- Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the sweet potato and sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Add cauliflower and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and sauté for another 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander. Add tomatoes and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower and sweet potato are tender.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas. When the vegetables are tender, add the chickpeas and spinach. Stir for 2 minutes until the spinach becomes wilted. Add another ½ tsp of kosher salt to taste. Add more salt if desired.
- Serve with brown rice and garnish with chopped cilantro.
4. Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
Servings: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 10oz can mild enchilada sauce
- 1 4.5oz can chopped green chiles, drained
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels, canned or roasted
- ½ cup black beans, canned, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- 1 minced jalapeno pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
- ¾ shredded cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
How to make it:
- In a large saucepan with 2 cups of water, cook quinoa according to package instructions, and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil (or coat with nonstick spray) an 8×8 or 2 quart baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, enchilada sauce, green chiles, corn, black beans, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Spread quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly and cheeses have melted (about 15 minutes).
- Serve immediately and garnish with avocado and tomato, if desired.
5. Simple Black Beans and Rice
Servings: 6 (about 1 ½ cups each)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 jalapeño peppers (optional)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 15oz cans black beans
- 2 15oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 bunch green onion or cilantro (garnish and topping)
- Salt to taste
How to make it:
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeño. Then dice the remaining jalapeño flesh. (For a milder dish, skip the jalapeño and use smoked paprika. For a spicier soup, include the jalapeño seeds.) Thinly slice the green onion, separating the white and green parts. Set the green parts aside for garnish. (You can also use fresh cilantro.)
- Add the onion, jalapeño, white parts of the green onion and olive oil to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- While the onion, garlic, and jalapeño are sautéing, use a blender to purée 3 of the 4 cans of black beans, including liquid from the can. If the beans are too thick to purée, add just enough water to make them blend. If you don’t have a blender, you can mash by hand.
- Add all 4 cans of black beans to the soup pot—one can of whole beans with liquid, 3 puréed—along with the can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato paste, the cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Place a lid on the pot and allow the soup to come up to a simmer, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve hot with your choice of toppings or over rice (see instructions below)
Preparing the rice:
Servings: 3 cups cooked rice
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or oil (optional)
How to make it:
- Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cool, running water until the water runs clear. This removes dusty starch that can lead to gummy rice.
- Bring 2 cups water, salt and butter or oil to a boil in a covered small saucepan over high heat.
Add the rice and stir. - Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the water is absorbed (18 to 20 minutes).
- Rest the rice off the heat for 10 minutes covered. Fluff with a fork, and serve.
Jordan Mazur, M.S., R.D., is the Director of Nutrition for the San Francisco 49ers
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