Comfort Food Recipes
Creamy Zucchini Pasta (plant-based, gluten-free)
Creamy zucchini pasta is a fantastic plant-based pasta dish where you use blended zucchini with basil as a cream sauce, and boil some other veggies in with the pasta.
Shepherd’s Pie (plant-based, gluten-free)
I had nannies from England when I was little, and some of the things they taught us were traditional British recipes. Shepherd’s pie, bubble and squeak, bangers and mash, Yorkshire pudding – all the classics.
Split Pea Soup (plant-based, gluten-free)
Sometimes you just want a creamy, comforting soup to soothe your spirit. This split pea potato soup hits the spot and happens to be plant-based too for extra happiness.
Tempeh Bourguignon with Mushrooms (plant-based, gluten-free)
We’re having a French-inspired month of meals, so we made a plant-based tempeh bourguignon. It’s a thick and nourishing stew made with onions, mushrooms, thyme, zucchini, and a marinated savory tempeh that pops with flavor.
Lentil potato cashew curry (plant-based, gluten-free)
I love the creaminess of blending cashews with rich curry spices. The red lentils dissolve to create a thick and lovely soup.
Crusty Fluffy Cob Loaf (plant-based)
This crusty fluffy bread came out so tasty, our most particular eater asked for 4 helpings!
Healing Red Lentil Dal (plant-based, gluten-free)
The first spoonful of red lentil dal goes into our mouths and immediately all the muscles in our face and shoulders relax. There’s a dreamy “wow that’s good” look spreading around the table.
Canadian Mappleberry Muffins (plant-based)
Apples, blueberries, maple syrup, oats – these mappleberry muffins have all the wholesome goodness of Canada.
Vegan Parmesan (plant-based, gluten-free)
Sometimes I buy the super expensive vegan parmesan from Whole Foods as a delicious topping for our dinners. But now I know how to make it myself with only $2.75 of ingredients! Bonus: it takes less than 5 minutes.
Avena caliente (plant-based, gluten-free)
Creamy and comforting, like a cross between a really good soy latte and a delicious bowl of porridge. A Caribbean and Latin American specialty.
Chick’n Leek and Potato Pie (plant-based)
I adapted this chick’n, leek and potato pie to be vegan. These make great picnic snacks too if there are any leftovers from dinner.
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!
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.
All-Time Favorite Bran Muffins (plant-based)
These bran muffins were almost always around on weekends when I was growing up. My mom would make a fresh batch on Saturday morning and we would snack on them. They’re a kid all-time favorite!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Banana Carob Brownie Muffins (plant-based, gluten-free)
I call these banana carob brownie muffins because whenever my husband Mark eats one, he asks 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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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.