As we become more aware of how meat and animal products affect the planet, many of us are looking for ways to eat more vegetable-based meals. I became a vegetarian whilst studying at university because of environmental and ethical concerns. At first, I began to try out vegan recipes to reduce the amount of animal products I was eating and found to my surprise they were easy to make.
Here, I have rounded up some of my favourite recipes from some of my favourite vegan TikTokers.
If you still want to include some animal products , there are small changes that you can easily make to suit you!
Even if you’re not sure on becoming fully vegan, there are changes you can make to these recipes to make them vegetarian! There are a huge number of vegan TikTokers who have a great variety of recipes to try but here are some great vegan recipes I’ve picked to start you off!
Breakfast
A firm favourite for meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans alike, pancakes are a well-loved breakfast. This simple recipe uses easy to find ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen! I often like to make this on lazy Sunday, or in the evening as a dessert.
Not sure on them being vegan? Try with dairy milk initially and try switching to plant-based milks further down the line!
Recipe (8 pancakes):
- 1 cup (140g) flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Stir
- 1 cup (250ml) plant milk
- 2 tablespoon oil (I used canola oil)
Vegan nutrient bomb overnight oats by plantyou
Not got much time for breakfast in the mornings and bored of toast? Here is a meal prep recipe that I make at the start of the week for a nutritious pick me up throughout the week. Healthy and tasty, what’s not to love?
Recipe (1 serving):
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vegan yogurt
- 1/2 cup plant milk (I used almond)
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds
- Top with fresh berries and banana and sweetener of choice if desired (like maple syrup)
Vegan sourdough French toast by plantyou
French Toast is a great quick breakfast that will soothe any sweet tooth. This recipe doesn’t use the key ingredient of egg, but instead uses the liquid from a can of chickpeas known as aquafaba. Aquafaba is used in a lot of vegan baking recipes as an egg replacement as it whips up easily as egg whites, or in this case gives the eggy texture needed for French toast. I find this a great way to reduce waste and use the chickpea liquid left over from other cooking.
Recipe (4 servings):
- 4 slices of sourdough bread
- The chickpea juice (aquafaba) from one can of chickpeas
- 1/2 cup plant milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Dinner
This recipe is a great introduction to tofu for anyone wanting to try including more vegan protein in their diet! Using extra firm tofu gives a great meaty texture when pressed before cooking, just put something heavy (like a wooden chop board) on top of the tofu for half an hour before you begin (or if you’re lazy like me, just push down on the tofu with your body weight for a minute or two)! I often use dairy yogurt or mayo in my wrap if I don’t have the vegan version in the fridge, it’s a great way to make the recipe more accessible!
Recipe (1 serving):
- 150g tofu
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- FRY for a few minutes
- Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon vegan mayo
- 1 tablespoon vegan yogurt
- 1 teaspoon each sriracha
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 tortilla + a smaller tortilla
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- A handful of nacho chips
Proper pea-sto pasta by madebyblitz
I love a quick dinner, and nothing is loved by students more than pesto pasta, so this 20 minute “pea-sto” pasta is a go to. Jarred pesto isn’t vegan as it uses parmesan (and often isn’t vegetarian). This recipe uses nutritional yeast which is fortified with lots of important nutrients (clues in the name!) and has a great cheesy flavour. A food processor is needed for this recipe, but the results are well worth it!
Recipe (2-3 servings):
- 100g breadcrumbs (half in the pesto, half in the pan grotto, you could also make these myself if you want to use up bread)
- 30g basil
- 100g frozen peas
- 15g mint
- 5 sprigs of thyme (3 sprigs in the pesto, two in the pan grotto)
- 30g cashews
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 5 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves (2 in the pesto, 3 in the pan grotto)
- Splash of water
- Salt and pepper
- 250g any pasta you’d like
Chickpea curry by dr.vegan
Remember the aquafaba from the French toast recipe? Here’s how I use the chickpeas; this curry recipe is simple and a great vegan recipe to try as it’s naturally vegan! Coconut milk is used in a lot of curries and is naturally vegan, helping to get the taste you know and love!
Recipe (2 servings):
- 1 onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoon amchur (or a little lemon juice if you don’t have this)
- 1 cup tomato puree
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 2 cups tinned chickpeas
- Handful spinach
Dessert and baking
I love making this recipe in the summer for a healthy dessert or snack. The frozen yogurt makes a delicious creamy, almost ice-cream like texture. Adding fruits you like, allows you to make this recipe your own. I like using berries such as strawberries and blueberries, to add ome sweetness to the bark.
Recipe (approximately 10 portions):
- Vegan yoghurt
- Fruit of choice
- Sweetener (if wanted)
If you want a healthier, creamy chocolate ice-cream then this recipe is for you! I find this is the perfect way to have dessert while still getting some fruit into my diet. Freezing ripe bananas is also a great way to reduce your food waste, just peel, chop and freeze!
Recipe (1-2 portions)
- 4 frozen bananas
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 scoops protein powder (optional)
- Dash of plant milk
Vegan Chocolate Muffins by fitgreenmind
These muffins are easy to make and super chocolatey! The oil helps make the cakes super moist even without the eggs. If you don’t have any vegan chocolate, you could replace it with dairy chocolate!
Recipe (makes 10 muffins):
- 1 3/4 cup (225g) flour
- 2 heaped tablespoons (25g) cocoa powder
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon ground coffee (optional)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) neutral oil (I used canola)
- 7/8 cup (225ml) plant milk
- 80g vegan chocolate
I hope you enjoy making some of these recipes! Make sure you tag @cardiffstudents to show us your creations.
Emily Wright | She/her | School of Business