4 Comforting Vegan Recipes For Rainy Days

Comforting Vegan Recipes from the Chopra Center

These comforting Vegan Recipes are created by a Holistic Health Coach. Mashed Potatoes, Yam Soup, Apple Crisp, and a Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna.

Does this sound good? the right food for a rainy weekend day? These recipes will make it a pleasant feast. A day to eat and sumptuously. These recipes serve 6-8 persons, good enough even to have some friends or family over.

Enjoying a healthy and comforting meal together is something which will be remembered. Everyone will be nourished and satisfied.

4 Comforting Vegan Recipes For Rainy Days

Roasted Garlic-Veggie Smashed Potatoes

Here is a healthy, savory twist to classic mashed potatoes; your family and friends

will request this dish again and again. Buy organic produce to ensure you’re not

eating GMOs or toxins from pesticides.

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 medium organic Yukon Gold potatoes, 1-inch cubes with skins on
• and 3 to 4 medium organic purple potatoes, 1-inch cubes with skins on
• 3 to 4 medium organic red potatoes, 1-inch cubes with skins on
• 2 stalks of organic celery, sliced
• 1/2 bulb fennel, 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 sweet onion, 1-inch cubes
• 6 to 10 cloves garlic, depending on personal taste
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (for tossing veggies) and 2 tablespoons olive oil (for mashing)
• 2 tablespoons no-salt seasoning blend (use your favorite spice blend)
• 1 teaspoon smoked sea salt
• 1 to 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash and cut all veggies. Toss veggies in a large mixing bowl with 4 tablespoons

olive oil and seasoning blend.

Pour mixture into a 9-inch-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or

until golden brown, thoroughly tossing veggies after 20 minutes.

When veggies are done roasting, put them into a large mixing bowl or pasta pot and mash

with a hand masher, adding in extra olive oil and vegetable broth to desired consistency.

Alternatively, put everything into a food processor; this will make for a smoother mash.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Hearty Yam Soup

This hearty yam soup, with its bright orange color and curry powder, is a winter staple that can warm you to the core, is easy to make, and is oh-so-delicious.

 

Ingredients:

• 8 cups yams (about 6 yams) cut into 1-inch cubes, skins on
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon thyme or rosemary
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 tablespoons tamari, gluten-free soy sauce, or Amino Acids
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/2 to 2 cups apple cider for desired consistency
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil for sauteing

Directions:

Wash and cut yams into 1-inch cubes, leaving skins on.

Cover yams with water and boil until done (20 to 30 minutes). Save the boiled yam water for pureeing.

Sauté garlic, onion, curry powder, and thyme or rosemary in olive oil.

Puree the sautéed mixture with one-quarter of the yams and yam water and blend well.

Add remaining yams, yam water, white wine, and tamari (or gluten-free soy sauce or Amino Acids) and continue blending.

Add in apple cider if you need more liquid until the desired consistency is reached.

Serve in bowls and top with toasted, slivered almonds.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna

This recipe has a few more steps but is plenty easy. If you are gluten-free, vegan, or dairy-free and have been missing your lasagna, you will love this dish. The cashews in the vegan herbed ricotta need to be soaked overnight, so plan this dish one a day in advance.

Vegan Herbed Ricotta Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw cashew pieces (soaked for 8 to 12 hours, drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• Black pepper to taste

Lasagna Ingredients:

• 1 box gluten-free lasagna noodles (if you are gluten-free, try brown rice flour noodles; if you are paleo, try nut flour noodles)
• 1 jar marinara sauce (low-sodium, no added sugar; alternatively, you can make your own)
• 2 cups organic spinach
• 1/2 cup roasted pine nuts, chopped

Vegan Herbed Ricotta Directions:

Place the raw cashew pieces in a glass jar or bowl. Add table salt and cover the cashew pieces with filtered water.

Soak for 8 hours or overnight.

Rinse cashews well, drain, and immediately place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Lasagna Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour 1/3 of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch lasagna pan.

Spread 1 cup of spinach leaves over the marinara, covering the sauce.

Lay half the lasagna noodles in the pan, covering the spinach leaves.

Spread 1 cup of vegan herbed ricotta evenly across all noodles.

Repeat layer with 1/3  marinara, 1 cup of spinach leaves, the last half of noodles, and 1 cup of vegan herbed ricotta. Top with the last 1/3 of marinara. Sprinkle chopped pine nuts on top.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes; remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Get all recipes here>Chopra Center

More Comforting Vegan Recipes> Comforting Vegan Soup Recipes For Fall and Winter