Community
Print
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you may be thinking about cooking something special for your significant other. Or maybe you plan to celebrate the day by showering love on your closest friends. Even if you don’t care at all about Valentine’s Day, why not use it as an opportunity to show yourself some love by making yourself something delicious to eat?
Whoever you’re cooking for, we’ve got some dreamy, fully vegan recipes for you to create a delicious Valentine’s Day three-course meal.
Read more: 20 Incredible Vegan Recipes To Help You Continue Veganuary
Vegan “crab” cakes
Making your own crab-free crab cakes isn’t nearly as hard as you’d think. This recipe, adapted from The Gracias Madre Cookbook, uses hearts of palm to mimic the texture of crab, plus Old Bay seasoning and crushed nori to provide the taste of the sea without any fish. Corn and bell peppers bring a hint of sweetness. Rolled in panko breadcrumbs and lightly fried, the crispy crab cakes pair beautifully with spicy vegan mayo and fresh cilantro. Finish with a squeeze of lemon.
Find the recipe here.
Vegan whipped feta with slow roasted tomatoes
Romy London created this indulgent starter which will transport you to the Mediterranean. The whipped feta is made from blending vegan feta cheese and dairy-free yogurt with olive oil and garlic. Slow roast cherry tomatoes until they begin to caramelize, bringing out their sweetness to complement the salty feta. Add some roasted red peppers from a jar, top with pine nuts, and serve with soft flatbreads or fresh sourdough.
Find the recipe here.
Coliflor frito (crispy cauliflower)
Another recipe adapted from The Gracias Madre Cookbook, this one giving you crispy cauliflower bites and a cashew-based nacho cheese for dipping them in. Simply fry the cauliflower until golden, and whip up the cheese using soaked cashews blended with pumpkin seeds, garlic, and lemon. Add your preferred flavor, such as chipotle powder or jalapeños.
Find the recipe here.
Spanish white wine lentils
Lentil stew is a classic Spanish dish, called lentejas in Spain. In this take by Viva’s Vegan Recipe Club, vegan dry white wine, tomatoes, and stock form the base flavors. Smoked paprika, garlic, and optional vegan bacon lardons add richness and depth. As lentils are super high in protein, the dish is also nutritious and comes together in just 20 minutes. Topping suggestions include toasted pine nuts, chargrilled peppers, and vegan crème fraîche. Serve with a side salad or crusty garlic bread.
Find the recipe here.
Easy Tuscan beans and spaghetti
Making a special meal doesn’t mean you have to make a lot of work for yourself too. This spaghetti recipe from Ashley Madden’s Plant-Based Delicious can be made in one pot, saving you on washing up after. With leek, Portobello mushrooms, spinach, and chopped tomatoes, the dish is packed with healthy vegetables. Choose from borlotti, cannellini, or navy beans and add to the pot with the pasta. Cooking the pasta in the sauce helps to thick it up, while generous seasoning with Italian herbs and nutritional yeast add loads of flavor.
Find the recipe here.
Read more: 15 Gluten-Free Plant-Based Recipes
Creamy linguine al limone
Another recipe proving that pasta can be a special date night meal. Rebecca Hincke’s creamy linguine from her book The Vegan Pasta Cookbook includes toasted pistachios and the juice and zest of two lemons to give it its bright Italian flavors. Lashings of vegan butter make it creamy and rich. Hincke’s book includes a recipe for almond parm to top the pasta with, or use a store-bought vegan parmesan alternative.
Find the recipe here.
Easy Biscoff no-bake cheesecake
Biscoff spread is beloved by vegans as a replacement for Nutella, which contains dairy, so this cheesecake recipe from Viva!’s festive book A Very Vegan Christmas Mini Cookbook is sure to go down well. Blend a generous helping of Biscoff spread with vegan cream and cream cheese to make the rich filling. For the base, mash up Biscoff biscuits and combine with melted vegan butter. Lick the utensils clean while the cheesecake sets in the fridge. Finish with a topping of melted Biscoff spread and crumbled biscuits for a truly decadent dessert.
Find the recipe here.
Easy vegan ‘Cheat’s Tiramisu’
Chloe Wheatland created this vegan take on tiramisu for her book Chloe’s Vegan Kitchen. The cake part is made from oat flour, almond meal, and dates, for a sweet and fluffy base that is then dipped in strong black coffee. For the cream, blend cashews and coconut yogurt with vanilla protein powder to boost turn it into a high-protein dessert. Layer the cake and the cream, then simply pop in the fridge for a few hours to set. Finish with a dusting of cacao powder.
Find the recipe here.
Crème brûlée
Crème brûlée traditionally requires a lot of eggs and a lot of dairy. But this vegan version from Viola Vegan by Amanda Bankert achieves all of the smooth creaminess and flavor of the dessert without the animal products. Using cornstarch to help thicken the mixture, stir together soy cream, oat milk, sugar, and vanilla bean in a pan until it comes to a boil. Keep stirring while it simmers and thickens up into a custard. Pour into ramekins and chill overnight before sprinkling with sugar. Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar for that perfect crunchy topping.
Find the recipe here.
Vegan cheese platter with homemade cheese
A fancy meal should always be completed with a cheese platter. You can buy some cheeses from one of the many artisanal vegan cheesemakers out there, or make your own using soaked cashews blended with nutritional yeast and miso paste. Add your own chutney to the platter made from onion, apples, sugar, and cider vinegar. Serve with grapes, olives, and crackers for a sophisticated finish to your Valentine’s meal.
Find the recipe here.
Read more: How To Make Valentine’s Day Heart-Shaped Chocolate Truffles
