45 Best Vegan Recipes

It's a plant-based party, and everyone's invited.

Signing up for a plant-based diet doesn't mean you will be stuck eating a sad pile of steamed veggies and calling it dinner for the rest of your life. In fact, all of your meals can (and should!) be varied, fresh and full of excitement—and these vegan recipes are proof of that.

While none of these healthy vegan dinners, breakfasts and desserts contain meat, dairy, eggs or animal-derived ingredients, every single dish is super satisfying. (ICYMI, all of these recipes are vegetarian, as well). From creamy pastas (vegan macaroni and cheese, anyone?) to sandwiches, salads, burgers and beyond, all of these meals will please both vegans and carnivores alike. That means everyone can eat the same thing, and no one has to multitask, cooking up ten versions of dinner each night.

Many of these plant-based recipes take less than 30 minutes to prepare, and there are tons of make-ahead breakfasts and lunches, plus lots of healthy snack options and fun feel-good desserts. Now it's easier than ever to incorporate more fruits, veggies and legumes into your day, and say "goodbye" to meat and cheese once and for all—which has a ton of potential health and environmental benefits.

It's time to embrace just how delicious (and nutritious) a plant-based lifestyle can be. Ready?

Drive-thru who? You'd never guess this epic cheeseburger is actually completely vegan—special sauce and all.

Get the Vegan Smashburgers recipe.

Per serving: 436 cal, 25 g fat (8.5 g sat), 19 g protein, 967 mg sodium, 34 g carb, 7 g sugars (1 g added sugars), 3 g fiber

RELATED: We Tried More Than 80 Vegan Cheese Brands—Here Are the 15 Best

Don't feel like cooking? This refreshing (and satisfying!) soup only involves throwing stuff into a blender, then letting everything sit in the fridge for an hour or so.

Get the Cool and Spicy Melon Soup Duo recipe.

Per serving: About 120 cal, 2.5 g fat (0.5 g sat), 0 mg chol, 429 mg sodium, 24 g carb, 4 g fiber, 19 g sugar (0 g added sugar), 3 g pro

Meet the plant-based power pair that takes vegan macaroni and cheese from meh to amazing—nutritional yeast and cashews. Together, they blend into the creamiest, dreamiest, "cheese" sauce.

Get the Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe.

Per serving: 597 cal, 20 g fat (3 g sat), 23.5 g protein, 266 mg sodium, 83 g carb, 5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 7 g fiber

RELATED: 7 Benefits of Nutritional Yeast That Will Make You Want to Use It On All Your Food

Be the envy of the office with this plant-based, veg-forward take on a tuna fish sandwich.

Get the Chickpea Salad Sandwiches recipe.

Per serving: 472 cal, 12 g fat (2 g sat), 23 g protein, 905 mg sodium, 70 g carb, 11.5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 16 g fiber

Don't worry, this vegan salad will keep you *full* for hours, with its quick hit of fiber, protein and healthy fat.

Get the Cumin-Roasted Cauliflower and Romanesco Salad recipe.

Per serving: 288 cal, 23.5 g fat (3 g sat), 9 g protein, 558 mg sodium, 17 g carb, 5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 7 g fiber

RELATED: 9 Cauliflower Benefits That Make It a Superfood, According to a Dietitian

When slowly cooked in a homemade BBQ sauce and shredded, jackfruit makes a stellar stand-in for pulled pork—an ideal vegan-friendly swap in sliders, tacos, or these delish sandwiches.

Get the Vegan BBQ "Pulled Pork" recipe.

Per serving: 335 cal, 10 g fat (1.5 g sat), 8 g protein, 714 mg sodium, 54.5 g carb, 12.5 g sugars (8 g added sugars), 12 g fiber

RELATED: These 45 Vegan Crockpot Recipes Are So Good They'll Fully Convert Carnivores

When you have a stash of in-season summer tomatoes, make a big batch of soup that will blow the canned stuff out of the water. Just skip the Parmesan rind to keep things 100% plant-based.

Get the Tomato-Basil Soup recipe.

Per serving: 160 cal, 7.5 g fat (1 g sat), 4 g protein, 260 mg sodium, 22 g carb, 12.5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 5.5 g fiber

RELATED: 27 Easy Vegan Soups for Any Possible Craving

Keep a stash of these in the fridge, so you can pop one into your mouth the next time you need a quick bite to eat, stat.

Get the Pistachio Energy Balls recipe.

Per ball: 86 cal, 6 g fat (0.5 g sat), 2 g protein, 33 mg sodium, 8 g carb, 3.5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 2 g fiber

RELATED: 30 Healthy Vegan Breakfast Recipes That Are Ridiculously Delicious

Get your Oktoberfest fix with this German-inspired feast that's vegan to boot—thanks to plant-based sausage that rivals the real deal.

Get the Impossible Bratwurst-Apple Salad with Caraway Vinaigrette recipe.

Per serving: 334 cal, 20.5 g fat (6.5 g sat), 20 g protein, 708 mg sodium, 19 g carb, 8 g sugars (0.5 g added sugars), 7 g fiber

RELATED: 12 Plant-Based Meat Substitutes You Need to Stock Up on ASAP, Per Experts

For a vegan dinner that's special enough for a fancy date night, serve up cauliflower steakhouse-style.

Get the Chimichurri Cauliflower "Steak" recipe.

Per serving: 302 cal, 28 g fat (4 g sat), 4.5 g protein, 789 mg sodium, 11.5 g carb, 4 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 5 g fiber

Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Vegan, At Times: 120+ Recipes for Every Day or Every So Often will make you want to cook meat-free meals more often. Exhibit A: These saucy chickpeas and sweet potatoes.

Get the Vegan Spiced Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas with Smoky Tahini Dressing recipe.

Per serving: 655 cal, 29.5 g fat (4 g sat), 16 g protein, 799 mg sodium, 87 g carb, 10 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 14 g fiber

These dreamy decadent bars are sweetened with dates, so they don't overdo it on the sugar. P.S. Dark chocolate is typically plant-based, unless milk or butter has been added to the equation. Peep the label to be safe.

Get the Dark Chocolate and Date Fudge recipe.

Per serving: 51 cal, 3 g fat (1.5 g sat), 0.5 g protein, 18 mg sodium, 5.5 g carb, 4 g sugars (1.5 g added sugars), 1 g fiber

Plum tomatoes transform into a tasty substitute for raw tuna—a game-changer for vegans, soon-to-be mamas, and anyone else who's trying to avoid consuming raw fish.

Get the Vegan "Spicy Tuna" Sushi recipe.

This breakfast doubles as dessert, thanks to a *generous* amount of chopped dark chocolate.

Get the Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread recipe.

RELATED: These 20 Vegan Chocolate Bars Are So Good (Like Really, Really Good)

Blitz up a flavorful vegan pesto in the amount of time it takes to bring your pasta water to a boil.

Get the Pasta with Mint and Almond Pesto recipe.

Cozy up! Each veggie-packed bowl provides the right balance of warm spices and bright citrusy notes, plus a rich creaminess and good amount of crunch.

Get the Rutabaga and Collard Green Curry recipe.

Per serving: 581 cal, 22.5 g fat (13.5 g sat), 17 g protein, 817 mg sodium, 79 g carb, 22 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 16 g fiber

See ya, ground beef: These balls are made with a mix of mushrooms and eggplants and they'll please the whole crew.

Get the Spaghetti and Meatless Meatballs recipe.

Per serving: 711 cal, 19 g fat (3 g sat), 25 g protein, 876 mg sodium, 113 g carb, 15 g sugars (3 g added sugars), 14 g fiber

These golden cookie bars get their gorgeous yellow hue from turmeric (not food coloring!), which also offers heaps of health benefits like antioxidants and nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties.

Get the Turmeric Citrus Squares recipe.

Per serving: 235 calories, 4 g protein, 30 g carb, 1 g fiber, 12 g sugars (11 g added sugars), 11 g fat (1.5 g sat fat), 80 mg sodium

Once cooked, sweet potatoes become the ultimate blank canvas for all your fave vegan toppings, like pico de gallo, avocado and black beans. Satisfying plant-based dinner, coming right up!

Get the Super-Fast Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes recipe.

Blend up a thicker smoothie—featuring almond milk, blueberries, frozen cauliflower and unsweetened pea protein—so you can serve it in a bowl and go wild with toppings.

Get the Spiced Blueberry Smoothie Bowl recipe.

Per serving: 325 cal, 5.5 g fat (1 g sat), 22 g protein, 357 mg sodium, 52 g carb, 29 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 10 g fiber

RELATED: 14 Best Healthy Vegan Protein Powders for Weight Loss and Muscle Gains, According to Nutritionists

Trish (she/her) is the deputy food editor at Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things food, from cooking trends and delicious recipes to top-tested kitchen products and grocery finds. She has over a decade of experience writing about food for GH, Women’s Health, Prevention, Redbook, Woman’s Day, The Daily Meal and Food Network. When she’s not at the supermarket or trying out a new recipe, you can find her at the beach, in her backyard or on the couch — typically with a glass of wine in hand.

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