November 1st is World Vegan Day, an annual event celebrated by vegans worldwide. As plant eaters, vegans avoid all animal products including the consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy. While veganism is deeply rooted in certain cultures and as such, passed on from generation to generation, others choose to adopt a vegan lifestyle for ethical, environmental, and/or health reasons.

In recent years, we’ve seen a huge trend of vegan diets and a shift towards plant-based eating. Health-conscious individuals are filling up on nutritious nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, and of course, fruits and vegetables while meat gets a backseat. This shift has created a demand for more vegan-friendly food products, restaurants, and homemade recipes. As a result, more and more individuals are giving plant-based food a try.

Whether you’ve just discovered Meatless Mondays or have been following a vegan diet for awhile, these plant-based recipes are sure to delight your taste buds! Filled with fresh and wholesome ingredients, you won’t miss meat at all with these super tasty recipes. In honor of World Vegan Day, try plant-based — at least for today!

Recipe from Detoxinista (Megan Gilmore)

This Vegan Meatloaf is a delicious plant-based entrée that will impress just about anyone! Made with lentils, walnuts, and oats, it's hearty & filling.

Ingredients
Lentil loaf:

1 tbsp olive oil

½ large onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped (about ½ cup)

1 celery stalk, chopped (about ½ cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cups cooked lentils

1 cup quick-cooking oats

½ cup chopped walnuts

2 tbsp ground flax seeds

2 tbsp tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)

1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh)

⅛ tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)

½ tsp fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Glaze:

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

2 tbsp maple syrup

⅛ tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Stir occasionally until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. In a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, combine the cooked lentils, oats, walnuts, flax, tamari, thyme, cayenne, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. When the vegetables are tender, add them in, too.
4. Pulse several times, just until the mixture starts to stick together when you press it between your fingers. You don't want it totally smooth, for the best texture.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, then press firmly to pack it together. Stir the glaze ingredients together and brush it over the top of the loaf. Bake uncovered at 375ºF for 30 minutes.
6. Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. Slice and serve warm.

Recipe from Love & Lemons

These spicy vegan tacos are bright, fresh & fun to eat! Served with corn tortillas, these tacos are also gluten-free.

Ingredients
Mango Avocado Salsa:

2 cups peeled and diced mango, about 2 medium

1 medium ripe avocado, diced

¾ cup diced red onion

½ cup diced cucumber

3 tbsps fresh orange juice

3 tbsps fresh lime juice

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

Sea salt

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning:

1½ tsp onion powder

1 tsp sweet or hot paprika

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

Jackfruit:

2 (20-ounce) cans jackfruit in brine or water

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

6 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1½-inch piece fresh ginger, grated

1 habanero, serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced

2 tbsp coconut sugar or agave nectar

2 tbsp tomato paste

¼ cup tamari

3 tbsp fresh lime juice

12 corn tortillas, charred or warmed

Directions

1. Make the mango-avocado salsa. In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, onion, cucumber, orange juice, lime juice, and cilantro and mix gently. Season to taste with salt.
2. Make the Jamaican Jerk Seasoning by combining all of the spices together in a small bowl.
3. Prepare the jackfruit: Drain the canned jackfruit and lightly rinse under water, shaking off excess water. Use your fingers to remove any thick cores and pull the pieces apart so that it resembles shredded pork.
4. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilli pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add all of the Jamaican jerk seasoning, stir to coat, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.
5. Add the shredded jackfruit, coconut sugar, tomato paste, tamari, and lime juice. Stir well. Pour in 1/2 cup water and mix again. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve the jackfruit with the tortillas and mango avocado salsa.

Recipe from Cookie & Kate

Who knew vegan lasagna could be so delicious? This meatless and dairy-free lasagna recipe is easy to make, chock full of veggies, and tastes amazing!

Ingredients
Cashew cream:

2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours

1 cup water

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

¾ tsp fine sea salt

½ tsp Dijon mustard

Vegetables:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium-to-large yellow onion, chopped

2-3 carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)

8 oz baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

½ tsp fine sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

5-6 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

Everything else:

2 ½ cups marinara sauce

9 no-boil lasagna noodles

Suggested garnishes:
vegan Parmesan (nutritional yeast) and fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Drain and rinse soaked cashews until the water runs clear.
2. In a blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and mustard. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, mushrooms, salt and several twists of black pepper. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until most of the moisture is gone and the vegetables are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add another splash of olive oil if necessary to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add a few large handfuls of spinach to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Spread ¾ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread 1 cup of the cashew cream evenly over the noodles. Top with half of the veggies. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce.
6. Top with 3 more noodles, followed by another 1 cup cashew cream (save the leftover cream). Then add the remaining veggies.
7. Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top to evenly cover the noodles.
8. Wrap a sheet of aluminum foil around the top of the lasagna, making sure it’s taut so it doesn’t touch the top. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for 5 to 10 more minutes, until it’s steaming and lightly bubbling at the corners.
9. Remove the pan from the oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle leftover cashew cream on top. Sprinkle vegan Parmesan and fresh basil on top, if using, then slice and serve.

Eating more vegetables can never hurt — so meat-lover or not, don’t forget to eat your greens! That is a health-conscious decision you won’t regret. And neither will trying out these delicious plant-based recipes in honor of World Vegan Day. Enjoy!