Ugly Vegan Kitchen

Pear Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

While working on another UVK recipe, I was snacking on a D’anjou pear. I dipped it into some lemon tahini dressing meant for the other recipe, and found it to be incredibly tasty. So here we are. This vegan pear salad recipe makes a satisfying lunch or a simple side salad. It’s just so vibrantly…
Lemon Artichoke Asparagus Soup

This vegan lemon artichoke asparagus soup recipe was inspired by the springtime flavors of two places I hold dear, California’s Monterey Bay and the U.S.’s Pacific Northwest. For a time, we lived close to California’s Monterey Bay. After a long day of hiking, we would stop off at one of the roadside farms for fried…
Vegan Potato Zucchini Pancakes

Inspired by Slovak zemiakové placky (which translates in English to “potato pancakes”), this is a recipe for baked vegan potato zucchini pancakes. It preserves some traditional elements (potatoes, garlic, etc), but does take some departures (vegan sour cream, etc). I also prepare them by baking them, instead of frying them. A bit traditional, a bit…
Vegan Soy Curl Paprikash

This is yet another revision of this vegan chicken paprikash recipe. Now, it is gluten free and eliminates the prepackaged vegan sour cream. There’s also a richer, creamier vegan paprikash sauce made with silken tofu, raw cashews, lemon juice and more. This is still the kind of meal that you want to serve over egg-less…
French Onion Wild Mushroom Soup

This is based on the vegan french onion soup recipe I came up with in high school, but it’s taken up a notch with some wild mushrooms. Over the years, I have used different dried wild mushroom blends to make this soup. Basically, I buy the blend I can find in my chain grocery store.…
Orange Miso Chickpea Salad with Pita Chips

This is a simple recipe that works great for lunch, a midday snack or a light meal. It requires few ingredients, and minimal time to execute. The flavor is umami goodness. In some ways, this salad is a deconstructed hummus with a bit of a nod to Asian flavors. Overall, it is creamy and delicious!…
Vegan Antipasto Salad

This Italian-inspired vegan antipasto salad recipe hardly qualifies as “ugly”. It’s completely gorgeous, which is just so Italian. Italians have a way of making everything beautiful. And while it may not be a traditional antipasto (an appetizer that includes meats, cheeses, pickled vegetables, olives, artichokes, etc), it’s a delicious, fresh and herbaceous vegan Italian salad!…
Sweet Potato Chickpea Stew

Puchero is a peasant stew from Spain, but is prepared in a number of countries in Central and South America, and in the Phillippines. The word “puchero” translates to “stew pot” in English. Many times, the broth is made from meat or cured bones. Depending on the country preparing it, there are variations in some of…
Vegan Cuban Black Beans

This is an easy Cuban-inspired vegan black beans recipe with canned beans, green peppers, smoked paprika, dried oregano, white wine vinegar and more. Enjoy these delicious vegan (or vegetarian) Cuban black beans over rice as a meal, or as a side to an entree, like Slow Cooker Vegan Ropa Vieja. Because this recipe uses canned…
Slow Cooker Stewed Kidney Beans, Carrots and Chard with Bulgur

This recipe is inspired by the cuisine of the Middle East. It is incredibly simple, uses ten ingredients, and has a nice, subtle, low key flavor. If you are looking for a dish that’s comforting, budget-friendly and healthy, this is the one for you. And man, the carrots! The carrots taste so good. They really…
Fennel Carrot Soup

This vegan fennel carrot soup recipe is spicy in a warming way from the ras el hanout, bright from the lemon juice, savory from the fennel bulb, and a bit sweet from the carrots. All in all, it uses few ingredients, cooks up fast, and is very easy to make. And best of all, it…
Vegan Cabbage and Noodles

This vegan cabbage and noodles (or haluski) recipe is simple and delicious! It’s one of my favorite comfort meals. If you’re an American with Slavic roots, you may be familiar with cabbage and noodles. In our household, it consisted of butter, onions, cabbage, broad noodles, salt and lots of black pepper. And before my family…
Mandarin Orange Salad

One very cold and snowy evening in Colorado, I was looking through my pantry asking myself the age old question, “What can I make for dinner tonight?” Sometimes, it’s good to be stuck in a snowstorm. It’s like your very own episode of Chopped. I ended up recruiting some stray items from the…
Smoky Medjool Date BBQ Jackfruit

The vegan gluten free barbecue jackfruit can be enjoyed in many ways–on a sandwich, in a taco, on pizza, on top of a baked sweet potato, and more. The naturally sweetened barbecue sauce is sweet, slightly spicy and smoky delicious.
Vegan Grits and Greens Casserole

I first published this recipe almost a year ago, but there’s always been some elements about it that I felt weren’t quite right. Today, I revisited it, and improved it a lot. Blended silken tofu helps create creamy grits that are out of this world. All-in-all, this recipe is much better than the original, and…
Vegan Slow Cooker Soy Curl Carnitas

Carnitas is a traditional Mexican dish, which translates as “little meats” in English. It is generally made from braising pork for three to four hours. Towards the end of cooking, the heat is turned up and the outside of the meat is crisped. It is then shredded and served with tortillas or rice. Because this…
Shiitake Mushroom Soup

Whenever I feel the slightest bit of illness coming on, this is my go-to recipe for tomato-based vegan shiitake mushroom soup. Considered a medicinal mushroom, shiitakes boost immunity, are a powerful antioxidant, and offer a fair amount of vitamin B and D. There is nothing like a spicy bowl of shiitake mushroom soup to clear…
Savory Turnovers with Swiss Chard, Potatoes and Chickpeas

Blitva is a traditional Croatian side dish that stars Swiss chard, potatoes and a lot of garlic. Inspired by this dish, I created a savory vegan puff pastry turnover recipe with potatoes, Swiss chard, garlic and chickpeas. Whether you enjoy these turnovers as a snack or a meal, they are easy to execute, absolutely delicious…
Lemon Tahini Kale Salad with Toasted Pita

Inspired by Levantine fattoush, this vegan lemon tahini kale salad recipe has crispy, toasted pita bread, a homemade dressing, crunchy cucumbers, radishes and red bell pepper and more. It’s light and refreshing, but hearty at the same time. This kale and pita bread salad makes ~4-6 dinner salads or 2 large dinner salads. It is…
Vegan Cream of Kohlrabi Soup

Popular in Vietnam, notable in some Slavic fare, and beloved by German-speaking nations, kolhrabi is a delicious turnip-esque vegetable that tastes a bit like broccoli. Inspired by this tasty member of genus Brassica, I put together this vegan cream of kohlrabi soup recipe with potatoes, carrots, celery and plant based milk. Dried marjoram, garlic and…
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Enchilada Casserole

After almost 6 months out there, I decided to revise this recipe. I’ve made some changes–eliminated the almond ricotta and substituted a cilantro-scallion tofu ricotta. And I’ve gotten rid of the potatoes, and added in spinach. And even though I don’t love vegan cheese, I added more to this version. All-in-all, I prefer this version…
Vegan Mushroom Sauerkraut Pierogi

Because it’s been a few years since this vegan mushroom sauerkraut pierogi recipe went out, it felt like a good time to revisit it. And basically, I did very little to the actual vegan pierogi recipe, but included a few tips to make it easier to make. With almost 3-4 hours of prep time, it’s…
Apple Celeriac Salad

This is an easy recipe for vegan celeriac salad with apples, fennel bulb and hazelnuts. It’s crunchy and refreshing. And tastes awesome as a side to any meal. Before being peeled, celeriac, also known as celery root, may not be much of a looker. But once outer layer is removed, it’s crisp texture and subtle…
Slow Cooker Seitan Goulash

Originating in Hungary, but beloved throughout Central Europe and beyond, goulash is a stew of meat, vegetables and paprika. Inspired by the classic dish, this delicious slow cooker vegan (or vegetarian) seitan goulash recipe is loaded with potatoes, carrots, red peppers and more. It has a savory broth with sweet Hungarian paprika, smoked paprika and…