Take the guess work out of vegan cooking with these 35 Carnivore-Approved Vegan Recipes. If you're new to a vegan diet, a vegan cooking for meat-lovers or just want to add more plants to your rotation, you can whip up vegan burgers, pastas, stews and even roasts with minimal fuss.
These tasty recipes are perfect for vegans, meat-lovers and everyone in-between
This recipe roundup was originally posted June 5, 2020 and updated with new images, recipes and tips July 27, 2021.
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- Tips to Creating Vegan Food Meat-Lovers Will Love
- Vegan Food Myths
- Meat-Lover Friendly Vegan Meals
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My family is not vegan. In fact I am the only vegan in my immediate circle. Yup, that's me; the girl guarding the hummus at the buffet table. Hi.
Besides being the only vegan, I am also the cook around here so to say I've gotten pretty good at feeding non-vegans vegan food is an understatement. I even wrote a cookbook about it.
My little family has gone from completely carnivorous to eating an 80% vegan diet. That may not be your goal - maybe you just want to cook for your meat-loving Nana. Either way, I have some easy tips that will make eating vegan food easier for your meat-loving friends to digest.
Tips to Creating Vegan Food Meat-Lovers Will Love
- My first tip has nothing to do with cooking but I think it's important. Take the word "vegan" out of the dialogue. While I use the terms "vegan" and "plant-based" in my recipe names to make them easier to find,youcan just call a mushroom burger, a "mushroom burger" rather than a vegan burger. A chickpea curry can just be that. While you and I may be super comfortable with "vegan", some may find it confronting. Let your cooking speak for itself.
- Experiment with spices. Like "traditional" meat-based cooking, vegan recipes go from yum to mind-blowing with a few spices. Mushrooms love thyme, cauliflower has a thing for fresh herbs but also rocks a spicy Mexican rub. Meanwhile, did a roast vegetable ever look better than sprinkled with sea salt and rosemary?
- Take a traditional recipe and veganise it. I use oyster mushrooms, jackfruit, lentils and tofu to substitute for meat and create texture and bulk with larger legumes like chickpeas and black beans. Get creative!
- For the love of Moses, season your food! Flavour doesn't happen with a wish and prayer...season and taste as you cook.
Vegan Food Myths
Vegan Food Isn't Filling
One of the most common myths about vegan meals is that they won’t fill you up. The truth is meals made with fibre-rich and nutritious ingredients - whether vegan or no - make you feel fuller for longer. Fibre-rich foods take longer to digest helping to keep you satisfied for longer.*
You Can't Get Enough Protein From Vegan Food
Tell that to a silverback gorilla!
Protein is available in a plethora of plant-based sources including whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu and even kale and broccoli. A study in to food consumption in America found that vegans get more than enough protein.
Most American adults eat about 100 grams of protein per day, or roughly twice the recommended amount. Even on a vegan diet people can easily get 60 to 80 grams of protein throughout the day from foods like beans, legumes, nuts, broccoli and whole grains." New York Times
Vegan Food Has No Flavour
Finally, I often hear that it's hard to get enough flavour in to plant-based foods. Whaaaaaatt? No way. We've got 35 carnivore-approved vegan recipes here to put that myth to rest for good!
Meat-Lover Friendly Vegan Meals
I make this vegan shawarma for family and friends all the time. It's a winner! Wrapped in pita bread and drizzled with tahini sauce it's mouthwateringly good. Jackfruit is a great plant-based meat replacement while chickpeas add protein.
Load up on your vegetables with this warming and nutritious Vegetable Dumpling Soup from Karen at CraveVeggies.
Mel's Creamy Vegan Gnocchi with Garlic and Kale? Get in to my belly. This bowl of yum is from A Virtual Vegan.
A great addition to our carnivore-approved vegan meals list. I love a slow cooked meal and this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Red Lentil Chilli from Karen at Kitchen Treaty is hearty and loaded with flavour.
What can I say, I love my legumes and I love my curry. Chana Masala from Marina at Yummy Mummy Kitchen.
Gyros! This had to go on our list of carnivore-approved vegan recipes. Loaded with protein-packed tempeh, this Vegan Greek Gyros with Tempeh from Sophia at Veggies Don't Bite is a delicious powerhouse.
Oh, my goodness this Vegan Garlic Sriracha Tofu Yakisobafrom Lauren at Rabbit and Wolves is so vibrant and wonderful.
Meat-lovers will love this full-bodied and rich vegan chilli made with mushrooms, beans and dark chocolate.
Super crispy and awesome, I am so excited to try these crispy baked cauliflower bites from Jenn at Veggie Inspired.
I love this Vegan Jambalaya from Mel at The Stingy Vegan. Jambalya is such a versatile and comforting bowl.
Both carnivores and vegans will love Vegan Cauliflower Lentil Loaf from Rebecca at Strength and Sunshine.
Amber from Quite Good Food has hit me in my sweet spot with herBroad Bean Falafel with Tahini Sauce .I am a bitch for the falafel.
Oven-Baked Celeraic Cutlets? Yup. This bit of awesome is from Francesca at Seven Roses. While I'm at it, I'm going to go ahead and include Francesca's Vegan Holiday Roast because it looks and sounds fabulous.
Everyone loves pizza and my vegan white pizza with pears and balsamic shallots is creamy, sweet and savoury all at the same time.
My Mum used to make us Stronganoff all the time and now we can enjoy it again with this One Pot Vegan Mushroom Stronganoff from Caitlin at From My Bowl.
Beth's Best Damn Vegan Lasagna is sure to please the pickiest of carnivorous palates. Check out the recipe at Pass the Plants.
I made this Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup for my daughter's kindy class and they all loved it! Jackfruit gives it an authentic texture.
This Smoky Southern-Style Meatless Meatloaf from Alex and Linda at Veganosity makes me want to lick my screen. Is that wrong? I am also including their Pulled BBQ Carrots because...it's carrots! These two recipe HAD to be on our list of carnivore-approved vegan meals, yes?
Cheese lovers rejoice! This Vegan Feta from Terrence and Brittany from Plant Power Couple has your cheese craving sorted.
Vegan Tuna Salad from Valerie at Very Vegan Val. How cool is that? No fish were harmed in the making of this tuna salad!
This Vegan Lentil Burger from Florian at Contentedness Cooking looks so lovely and fresh and very carnivore friendly.
My family are such big Mexican food fans, so I am excited to try these fantastic looking Chipotle Lentil Tasquitos from Steven at the Nut-Free Vegan to our carnivore-approved vegan recipes list.
Warming, nutritious and gluten-free, this Lentil Cottage Pie from Trinity at Trinity's Conscious Kitchen ticks all the comfort food boxes.
Mac N Cheese alert! This Luxe Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe from Alexandra from Occasionally Eggs is all the things we love about this comfort food and then some.
As Sarah from My Darling Vegan says this Vegan Tempeh Reuben Sandwich is " tower of saucy, spicy, smoky, sauerkraut-filled goodness." Delicious. This tower of yum had to make our carnivore-approved vegan recipes list!
I believe you can never have too much of thisTofu Tikka Masala. Thank you Shannon from Yup, It's Vegan for this bowl of awesomeness.
Biscuits and Gravy, Baby! That's Vegan Biscuits and Gravy from Jackie at Vegan Yack Attack. Hello, breakfast.
A sandwich you dip in gravy? Sign me up. This French Dip Sandwich from Alissa at Connoisseurus Veg looks messily perfect.
This vibrantIndian Butter Tofu Paneer from Richa at Vegan Richa is so packed with flavour, I'm pretty much drooling on my own shirt. It happens.
Oh, look at those lovely dumplings. I am definitely going to try Becca's Chickpea Dumplings in Sweet Potato Gravy - how awesome. Becca is from Amuse Your Bouche.
I love Sicilian Aubergine Caponata and this lighter vegetable-laden version from Andrea from The Petite Cook looks so damn good.
This Smothered Tofu 'Chicken' Recipe from Michelle at Healthier Kitchen looks like a big warm hug in a bowl.
If you need to feed your little carnivores something that looks like meat, you can't go past this Vegan Potato Jackfruit Stew Recipe from Florentina at Veggie Society.
So, there you have it. 35 carnivore-approved vegan meals and recipes. So, what are you waiting for? Round up those meat-lovers, get in the kitchen and get cooking. Enjoy, x.
