1. Chili

Some vegans find it hard to find viable substitutes for their favorite comfort foods. Luckily for them, vegan chili is super easy, delicious and I think actually quite fun to make. I think that vegan chili is so successful as a substitute because all you really have to do to make it is withhold any meat product you would be putting in, rather than having to substitute harder to replicate ingredients, such as eggs or cheese, with different plant-based ones. Vegan chili also has a wide variety of nutrients in it, from the wide variety of ingredients, rather than just being filled with carbs like a pasta or rice meal would be.

2. Burgers

Giving up going to my favorite burger restaurant as definitely a challenge for me as I transitioned to a vegan diet, but I quickly learned that there is no shortage of delicious cruelty-free burger recipes on the web. I’ve included a black bean burger recipe as those tend to be my favorite but lentil burgers and quinoa burgers definitely shouldn’t be overlooked. Vegan burgers are a great way to feel super satisfied, and there are so many ways to customize them to make them your own. Additionally, making a vegan aioli is a great way to make your burger reminiscent of a classic cheeseburger.

3. Quesadillas

Quesadillas have always been one of my favorite foods and i’m glad that it’s super easy to make them cruelty-free. The recipe that I’ve included here doesn’t incorporate a vegan cheese substitute as it calls for nutritional yeast however I have recently been using Daiya brand vegan mozzarella style shreds and they work really well so feel free to switch it up if you so choose. Whenever I make vegan quesadillas I really like to diversify with my side dishes often making some homemade pico de gallo, guacamole and rice and beans.

4. Omelette

Omelettes are surprisingly the food that I struggled with the most when giving up animal products, so naturally I am super excited to try this egg-free omelette recipe. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten the chance yet but the recipe seems promising, using rice flour, tofu, cornstarch, and soy milk to replicate eggs. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t make an omelette without cracking an egg.

5. Brownies

I wanted to include a vegan dessert recipe because I know that I personally struggled with cutting ice cream and milk chocolate out of my diet. These brownies use unsweetened cocoa powder and a lot of sugar which definitely makes up for the lack of baking chocolate. Vegan brownies taste the same, if not better, than regular brownies, making them the perfect dessert to bring to family get togethers or use as a cute little gift for a party host. Happy baking!