Comfort Food Recipes
Fruit Tarts with Custard (plant-based)
The kids have been begging for a fruit tart filled with custard and shiny berries on top for months. I just couldn’t figure out how to make it without milk and eggs, so I kept putting it off.
Riz gras, or deconstructed stuffed peppers (plant-based)
This vibrant African dinner tastes a bit like delicious stuffed peppers to me. The peppers are blended into the sauce instead of being left whole, and the rice, plant-based meat, other veggies and spices round out the meal.
Butternut Gnocchi with Tomato and Sage (plant-based, gluten-free)
This is my Italian grandparents’ gnocchi recipe as I remember it, except I like to make butternut squash gnocchi sometimes instead of potato, and I made it vegan and gluten-free.
Plant Burgers with Baked Fries (plant-based, gluten-free)
I was vegan and gluten-free for 2 years. These meatless burgers one of the treasured recipes I kept from that time.
Peach Mango Cobbler (plant-based, gluten-free)
What is a peach plum cobbler, you say? It’s baked fruit with fresh biscuit dough on top, which tastes spectacular!
Apple Oatmeal Raisin Muffins (plant-based, gluten-free)
I made up a gluten-free muffin recipe! Maple apple oatmeal raisin muffins, based on what I had in the kitchen. So tasty!
Spinach Mashed Potatoes (plant-based, gluten-free)
These are the most flavorful mashed potatoes I have ever eaten. Based on a recipe from Belgium for “stoemp,” the intense flavor comes from cooking up some onions and garlic first, then mashing them into the potatoes along with any other veggies you want to incorporate.
Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread (plant-based)
What’s the secret to the addictive Cheesecake Factory brown bread that they give you before your meal? Turns out it’s a mix of molasses and cocoa!
Stuffed Peppers (plant-based, gluten-free)
This is a fun, complete meal where you get to eat the container too. The comforting, savory plant-based meat and rice filling blends nicely with the soft, roasted stuffed peppers.
Homemade Poutine (plant-based, gluten-free)
Poutine is a French-Canadian dish of french fries with cheeze curds on top and covered in gravy, so the cheeze gets all gooey. It’s hard to imagine how good it is until you actually taste it.
Banana Carob Brownie Muffins (plant-based, gluten-free)
I call these banana carob brownie muffins because whenever my kids eat one, they ask me “are you SURE there’s no chocolate in this?”
Bosnian Grah bean soup (plant-based, gluten-free)
Grah is a rich, smoky stew filled with beans, veggies, and tender chunks of vegan meat or tofu. Healing comfort food at its best.
Coconut Ginger Dal (plant-based, gluten-free)
If you’re feeling a bit under the weather, or if you just want an extra healing, nourishing meal for your body and spirit, this coconut ginger dal is the soup for you.
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (plant-based, gluten-free)
If you’re looking for comfort food in Germany, you might come across cabbage rolls: a traditional dish of cabbage, (vegan) meat, rice, onions, and tomato.
Peach Blueberry Bread Pudding (plant-based)
This peach blueberry bread pudding is a plant-based version that uses coconut milk for extra creaminess.
Oatmeal Raisin Bites (plant-based, gluten-free)
These oatmeal raisin bites are plant-based, gluten-free, with no refined sugar, and they’re a wonderfully delicious treat to keep in the freezer and grab anytime.
Locro de Papa, or Baked Potato Soup (plant-based, gluten-free)
The first thing I said when this soup touched my tongue was, “Wow, why haven’t I ever made this before?” It tastes like a loaded baked potato, but in a creamy velvety soup.
Dad’s Porridge (plant-based, gluten-free)
Growing up, porridge was the one recipe I got from my wonderful Dad. And the dad in our family now makes porridge for us too!
Soba Noodle Salad (plant-based, gluten-free)
“Sesame chicken and sobas, please!” is the frequent answer to “What do you guys want for dinner?” at our house. It’s a spin on a baked chicken dish I had at a retreat once.
Sunny Mac & Cheese (plant-based, gluten-free)
Paired with green beans or cauliflower, sunflower mac & cheese makes a completely delicious and nutritious dinner.
Oatmeal Soda Bread (plant-based, gluten-free)
Since I went gluten-free, I’ve been missing a good, hearty loaf of bread. I grew up eating bread every day, and this oatmeal soda bread is saving me!
Fasolada Bean Soup (plant-based, gluten-free)
Fasolada tastes like eating lunch in a Greek grandmother’s kitchen. It’s fresh, hearty, and you can taste the love.
Spinach Mushroom Quiche (plant-based)
A savory breakfast is a nice change around here, especially lovely for a Sunday brunch. This quiche with mushrooms, peppers, spinach, and feta cheese would be good any time of day though.
Adasi Lentil Soup (plant-based, gluten-free)
Adasi lentil soup is a comforting dish that mixes in some potato, onion, and sage for a lovely fall or winter dinner. I like to have it with some stir-fried greens on the side.
Pasta with Cheezy Lentil Sauce (plant-based, gluten-free)
A totally yummy, cashew-cheezy, hearty-lentilly pasta dish of comfort for any family dinner.
Trenette al Pesto from Luca (plant-based, gluten-free option)
The dish from the movie Luca is made up of linguine with homemade pesto, potatoes, and green beans. Here is our vegan version!
Baked Papa Rellenas (plant-based)
Imagine a handheld shepherd’s pie – chili-spiced (plant-based) meat and veggies, all wrapped up in a crisp coating of mashed potatoes.
Pasta with Beans and Greens (plant-based, gluten-free)
When I don’t know what to make for dinner, I usually throw together some kind of pasta dish, like this spaghetti with beans and greens.
Apple Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce (plant-based, gluten-free)
We’ve tried a lot of pancake recipe variations, and these fluffy apple pancakes are definitely the favorite. Great for a weekend morning.
Mac & Cheeze with Broccolini (plant-based, gluten-free)
You toss some cashews and cheesy sauce ingredients into a blender, boil the pasta and broccoli in the same pot, and mix it all together. Plant-based mac & cheese is a new favorite at our house!
Pasta with Beets and Greens (plant-based, gluten-free)
Here’s a simple pasta with beets from the garden that will leave everyone coming back for second helpings!
Soppa tal-armla (plant-based)
This Mediterranean soup will comfort you on even the most challenging of days. Chick peas, pasta shells, a basket of vegetables and spices, and a pinch of love will do the trick.
Green Pea Risotto (plant-based, gluten-free)
Instead of green eggs and ham (that’s another recipe to come for avocado scrambled eggs), how about green peas and ham risotto?
Tourtière sans viande (plant-based)
Here’s my vegan spin on Canadian tourtière, loved by all ages. It’s loaded with mushrooms, herbs, garden greens, and love.
Cozy Irish Stew (plant-based, gluten-free)
On a chilly fall day, there’s nothing like coming home to a bowl of warm, hearty Irish stew. Here’s a plant-based version that nourishes your spirit and sticks to your ribs as much as any meat-based stew would.
Baked Eggplant Parmigiana (plant-based, gluten-free)
All the goodness and love of eggplant parmigiana without the greasy fried feeling, or the heavy dairy cheese, or the wheat.