13 Plant-Based Easter Recipes To Go Meat-Free This Holiday
These delicious dishes won’t leave you hungry.
Greg Dupree
A traditional Easter dinner can typically consist of various types of meat, including ham, lamb, or even chicken. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this festive holiday gathering with all plant-based offerings instead. Since Easter meals usually include many veggie options of green beans, asparagus, carrots, and more, making a meat-free meal that is as comforting as it is delicious is simple. Here are our top plant-based Easter recipes to serve up this holiday.
Related: 11 Tips for Making Tastier Plant-Based Meals, According to Professional Chefs
Slow Cooker Spinach Lasagna With Romaine Salad
This vegetarian-friendly slow cooker lasagna can’t get much easier. Add the ingredients to the slow cooker and let it cook for just under four hours to enjoy a hearty meal that will look and taste as though you fussed all day in the kitchen. Make it vegan by swapping out the ricotta for a cashew-based ricotta alternative, and a vegan mozzarella cheese.
Related: 7 Delicious Plant-Based Ingredient Swaps That'll Benefit Your Health and the Planet
Shaved Carrot Salad
Jennifer Causey
This easy carrot salad recipe will add some vibrant color (and flavor!) to your Easter meal. If you want to make it a main dish instead of just a side, try adding cooked rice noodles, lettuce, and seared tofu to the dish.
Roasted Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Whip up a spring pesto using the broccoli stems that we normally toss away to achieve a hearty pasta dish your guests will be sure to love. Plus, you can choose whatever pasta that best suits your dietary needs, ranging from whole wheat to gluten-free. Make it vegan by sprinkling nutritional yeast on top instead of grated cheese.
Grilled Halloumi Salad
A salad that looks this good deserves to be seen on a holiday. The halloumi cheese is grilled to perfection so it’s crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside while the olives offer a touch of briny goodness to make the flavors pop. Grill tofu or tempeh instead of halloumi cheese for a vegan alternative, and spoon some of this yummy lemon-cumin sauce on top.
Spiced Rice With Crispy Chickpeas
A perfect meal for your main or side dish, this rice is full of flavor thanks to garam masala, turmeric, and cilantro. The best part is this dish doesn’t require a lot of shopping for ingredients, but instead asks for basic pantry staples of rice and canned chickpeas you might already have in your kitchen.
Cucumber Spritzer
Victor Protasio
Don't forget the cocktails this Easter! This refreshing cucumber spritzer drink recipe features fresh mint, lime, and cucumber paired with herby gin and club soda. Whether you're serving Easter brunch, lunch, or dinner, this cocktail recipe is sure to please guests pretty much any time of day.
Cauliflower Piccata
Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
If you’re a fan of piccata but want to skip the veal and chicken, this plant-based version with cauliflower will not disappoint. Seared cauliflower steaks help make it hearty and tender while the lemon-butter sauce with capers gives this dish an incredible, fresh flavor.
Green Bean and Celery Salad
Greg Dupree
This sesame, green bean, and celery salad uses fresh green veggies plus apple for a crisp, crunchy texture. The Dijon, honey, and apple cider vinegar dressing paired with fresh grated ginger give this salad a bright flavor to complement many other dishes on your Easter menu.
Related: GET THE RECIPE
Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf
This make-ahead rice pilaf helps makes the perfect Easter side dish. The mix of mushrooms used—button, cremini, and shiitake—helps give it a meaty feel without actually including any meat. And it’s a plant-based side that you can serve alongside just about any main dish.
Superfood Lentil Salad
This unique salad is super flavorful thanks to the smokiness of the charred zucchini and the touch of sweetness offered by the golden raisins. Choose to keep it as-is to enjoy as a side dish, or add tofu for a more sizable main that will fill you up on its own.
Lemon-Pepper Tofu With Apricot-Chickpea Salsa
Marinated tofu helps jazz up couscous to the fullest with an additional zesty flavor coming from the salsa. It’s a gorgeous plate that looks and feels like spring, and it comes together in no time.
Fettuccine With Asparagus, Leeks, and Mint
It wouldn’t be Easter without some asparagus on the menu, and this vegetarian pasta gets it just right. Sautéed leeks are buttered nicely and pair with the freshness of the mint while everything is mixed in a lemon dressing rather than a thick and heavy sauce, making it flavorful, but also super light.
Related: 9 Plant-Based Foods You Should Be Eating More Of
Roasted Asparagus With Flax Seed-Walnut Crumble
Speaking of asparagus, this roasted asparagus recipe may just become your go-to side for future holiday meals (and all throughout grilling season). Plus, the turmeric, flax seed and walnut crumble is packed with omega-3s for a nutritional boost to boot.
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