Community Plant Based Recipe Swap

We hope this blog inspires and encourages you as you eat more plant-based meals. 

Did you try one of the recipes on this blog?    Did you swap or add ingredients?  Serve it to guests who raved about it?  Try it on your children who asked for seconds? Use the comment option on the recipe to share your experiences.

Add your recipe as a comment on this "Submit a recipe" post; we will move your recipe to its own feature as soon as possible.  Please tell us: Your name and any comments telling us why you recommend the recipe and where you found it.   Is your dish an appetizer, soup, main dish, or a dessert?  Or are you offering helpful advice, such as plant based substitutes or helpful hints on plant based proteins? If you are sharing a link to an online recipe, did you make any changes?  

 Do you ever get a craving for a childhood favorite?  Jane recently recalled her sister-in-law's crockpot full of sloppy joes that appeared for summer celebrations and went in search of a plant-based alternative.  Be sure to choose the buns of your childhood, whether pillow-soft or crusty-dense.  Can be made gluten-free if you choose a GF bun and GF condiments.

 The fresh mint and craisins are the surprise additions to this summer salad that is packed with protein and easy to make ahead for a picnic or potluck.  Change-it-up suggestions (below) for leftovers - if you have any!  Jane served it with fresh corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, and a good loaf of bread. Her guests (omnivores) raved.

Does your home have a beet "lover" and another who thinks "all beets taste like dirt"?  This dish should delight everyone with the hint of sweetness that emerges from the slowly cooked but still firm vegetables.  The crockpot makes it an easy prep and clean up. For the Fall 2025 CUCC auction, Angelika offered a "vegan feast" which was also gluten-free.  See the menu below the recipe.

 Jane and Gary's friends Kristen and Michael made this hearty and flavorful soup on a cool spring day, much to the Smiths' delight.  Unlike many tomato soups, this one is chunky and complex and is quite beautiful.  Try pairing it with a tossed salad and bread with an olive oil herb dipping bowl.  The recipe is veganized from this  New York Times recipe .

Here is another "main" from Angelika's auction Vegan Feast (see menu below).  Angelika says the next time she makes it she would reduce the amount of rice to better feature the vegetables and she would double the olive oil, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil.  The "revised ingredients list" below incorporates her suggestions so you don't have to do the math.

 The Smiths tried this new recipe on a mixed group of omnivores and vegans and all said "Make this again!"  So, if you are planning to host some friends to celebrate St. Patrick, why not make a batch of this portobello-based stew?

 Judy and Paul Kiel recommend this recipe.

Judy and Paul Kiel recommend this soup.  This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

 Judy and Paul Kiel recommend this recipe.

 Judy and Paul Kiel recommend this wintry soup.

The Kiels like the way this recipe prepares the tofu crumbles.  Judy  didn’t use the potato masher - just broke the block into several big pieces, then tore those into pebble size pieces.

Perfect for a chilly winter's night, this soup is tan easy  way to use up leftover roasted butternut squash. Aromatic, filling and colorful.  The recipe is easily scalable to suit however much squash you have left over... weigh your squash and reduce or increase ingredients proportionally.  I suspect it would work well with sweet potatoes.

 Jane makes a mug full (or two, if Gary is around) as a special treat after a long day.  We like it dark and not too sweet, but if you prefer sweeter, double the sugar.

 With the mushrooms providing protein, this fancy but easy dish makes a delicious main or side.  Jane used a mix of white and sweet potatoes because that is what we had on hand and we all decided we would make it that way on purpose in the future.

 You can't get more Thanksgiving dinner than succotash!  If you are planning to roast a turkey and want some sides that will amp up the protein for your plant-based eaters, add this side to your table.  The Smiths and their guests enjoyed it one Christmas day. Gluten-free

 You might remember the meatball version from a pre-pandemic CUCC Christmas party.  The Smiths repurposed these Thanksgiving weekend fancy burgers into meatball format to feed a crowd.  Not only are these plant-based... they are gluten free!

 Jane made this for the 2024 Life & Faith Christmas party to great reviews.  None of the guests were vegan.  She recommends doubling the recipe if serving a dozen+ people.  The recipe comes from The Curious Chickpea .