Ugly Vegan Kitchen

Vegan Minestrone Soup

This easy vegan minestrone soup recipe is loaded with zucchini, green beans, carrots, celery, spinach, tomatoes, pasta and a little dry white wine. It’s a wonderful Italian vegetable soup for summer, because it uses so much of the season’s bounty. But really, it’s great any time of year. Is minestrone soup vegan? Sometimes. Some cooks…
Italian Tempeh with Peppers, Onions and Herbed Farro

This is a savory vegan recipe for Italian tempeh with peppers, onions, and herbed farro. Peppers and onion mingle with tempeh seasoned like Italian sausage with fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, garlic and oregano. All of this deliciousness is served over a bed of toasted farro with fresh basil, parsley and lemon juice. This Italian…
Vegan Souvlaki Tempeh Pita

Souvlaki is a popular fast food meat skewer from Greece. It can be eaten alone, thrown on a pita, or covered in a red sauce. If served on a pita, it often has tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce, a yogurt-based sauce with cucumber, garlic and herbs. Fried potatoes are served on the side or inside…
Vegan Heirloom Tomato Salad

Crispy tempeh bacon, shallots, and fresh basil with a white wine vinegar and olive oil dressing, they all felt like the right things to put in this delicious vegan heirloom tomato salad. I mean, what better way to celebrate the king of all tomatoes? A few things… As a variation, use this recipe to make…
Okra Soup

Okra, it’s delicious. Whether it’s deep fried, stewed, stir fried, pickled or added to a soup, it’s always a winner. Maybe you feel the same way? This easy vegan okra soup recipe is inspired by the Indian dish, bhindi masala. It preserves many of the same ingredients. And much like the classic dish, this soup…
Vegan Tofu Salad with Curry-Lime Dressing

This Thai-inspired vegan tofu salad recipe has roasted cashews, a medley of vegetables, fresh basil, cilantro and an oil free curry-lime dressing. It’s got texture and flavor. And it couldn’t be easier to make! This tofu salad recipe uses smoked tofu. It can be found in many major U.S. grocery stores (including Walmart, Whole Foods…
Vegan Panzanella Primavera Salad

Especially popular in Tuscany and Umbria, panzanella salad is usually composed of stale bread, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, fresh basil and an olive oil and vinegar dressing. Most people think of it as a summer dish, but why be so limiting? What if it had more of a spring vibe? Inspired by the classic Italian bread…
Vegan Crab Salad

These days, there are many different types of fake meat products that rival the real thing. I still tend to go the DIY route. This vegan crab salad recipe with hearts of palm, kelp granules, plant based mayo, lemon juice and more is a great example of just that. It isn’t meant to be an…
Vegan Street Corn Skillet with Soy Curls

While there are many preparations of Mexican elote, many Americans think of it as grilled corn on the cob slathered in a delicious, creamy sauce. Inspired by this Mexican classic, this is an easy vegan street corn skillet recipe with red potatoes, fried soy curls, and a delicious chipotle mayo sauce. It’s creamy, smoky and…
Tempeh Eggplant Adobo

I rarely use tempeh. And yet, it has so many health benefits. It’s a probiotic. It’s loaded with protein. It’s a good source of vitamins, like manganese, copper, b2, and magnesium. And it has a ton of fiber. Every time I eat it, I think, “I should eat this more often.” And then, I don’t.…
Carrot Artichoke Tortellini with Garlic Butter Arugula

A fresh spin on the classic Italian pasta, the vegan tortellini filling uses grilled marinated artichokes, finely chopped carrots and fresh parsley. It’s totally free of nuts and soy, so great for folks with allergies. If you positively love artichokes, this is the one for you! This recipe makes ~30 vegan carrot artichoke tortellini. A…
Hearts of Palm Ceviche

Eaten all across Latin America and the Caribbean, ceviche is a popular seafood appetizer. It often involves raw fish, citrus, cilantro and chiles. It is commonly enjoyed on its own or with tortilla chips. And there are cultural differences in ingredients and preparation. Inspired, I came up with this vegan (or vegetarian) hearts of palm…
Buffalo Soy Curls Wrap

This vegan buffalo chicken soy curls wrap recipe is super easy and tasty! It’s great for lunch or a quick dinner during the week. Or deconstruct it and make it into a salad. A few things… This vegan buffalo chicken recipe makes ~4 servings of buffalo soy curls, whether you put them on wraps or…
Miso Shiitake Soup with Tofu and Bok Choy

This bok choy and shiitake mushroom soup recipe relies on red miso, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and scallions to create a brothy, comforting bowl of soup. When I was growing up, we never bought vegetable broth or bouillon cubes. We would finish a dish by adding miso at the end of cooking.…
Zucchini Basil Soup

Years ago, one of my best friends would go to the farmer’s market, load up on zucchini and fresh basil, and make a batch of soup. I always looked forward to it. Because even in the height of the summer, this vegan zucchini basil soup recipe made complete sense. It was somewhat creamy yet had…
Soy Curl Tetrazzini Primavera

Tetrazzini is an American pasta dish named after an opera singer. It involves a cheesy sauce, some kind of meat (usually chicken or tuna), and some vegetables. When I was a kid, I thought it sounded very classy. This vegan chicken tetrazzini recipe is built around a delicious cashew cream sauce. White wine, raw…
Seitan Beef Stew

This vegan seitan beef stew recipe wants to be your favorite. I used a little bit of red wine, red miso, and a hint of soy sauce to bring the umami. If you don’t have red miso, substitute a vegetable or fake beef bouillon cube, instead. Just make sure to taste it at the end,…
Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup

Inspired by the North African and Middle Eastern dish, shakshouka, this vegan roasted garlic and tomato soup recipe uses fresh mint, parsley, cumin, paprika and coriander. If you are used to tomato-basil soup, this is a nice departure. While it may seem out of the box to put fresh mint in a tomato soup, it…
Texas Caviar with Italian Dressing

The first time I had Texas caviar (also known as cowboy caviar) was at a work potluck. As I recall, it was the one dish that didn’t make it home. We devoured it straightaway. And thus, I was inspired to make this recipe for Texas caviar with homemade vegan Italian dressing! So, what is Texas caviar?…
Jerk Jackfruit

Putting this together could not be easier! You mix canola oil, spices, soy sauce, liquid smoke and shredded young jackfruit in a bowl, and then, grill it. Served with homemade mango salsa, this vegan jerk jackfruit recipe tastes awesome in tacos, inside a wrap or alongside Slow Cooker Kidney Beans and Coconut Brown Rice. It’s…
Chimichurri Chickpea Potato Salad

A few years back, I made a recipe with chimichurri sauce. I served some potatoes on the side with it. And I couldn’t help but think, “This sauce tastes great on potatoes too.” So here we are, with a vegan chimichurri chickpea potato salad recipe that’s absolutely delish. Is chimichurri vegan? While it is often…
Spinach, Wild Mushroom and Pea Gnocchi

I made vegan gnocchi for the first time in college. It was during the time I was studying the Italian language, and it was an epic fail. My gnocchi were too wet, and fell apart in the water. The ones that didn’t fall apart clumped together on the bottom in one big, oddly shaped ball.…
Vegan Cornmeal Galette with Sweet Potatoes, Black-Eyed Peas and Greens

Black-eyed peas were first introduced to Virginia during the 17th century. Grown throughout Asia and West Africa, black-eyed peas favor warm climates, and are extremely tolerant to drought. Thus, crops of black-eyed peas proliferated throughout the Southern United States, and to this day, continue to play an important role in Southern cuisine. This recipe blends common…
Coconut Corn Soup with Soy Curls

This vegan coconut corn soup recipe is what happens when I spend time learning about Guam’s corn soup, have Latin flavors on my mind, and am in the mood for soy curls. Coconut milk, cilantro, lime juice, ground cumin, rubbed sage, and a good amount of garlic make this vegan chicken corn soup oh so…