Quick and Easy Vegan Meat Recipes

Why cook with Vegan Meat?

Using vegan meat alternatives can be an easy, effective, and delicious way for vegans to up their protein macros and get creative in the kitchen. This short guide will lay out some quick and easy recipes using the plant-based meat that we have available on the PlantX site to give meat lovers some non-meat cooking inspiration. 

So, what exactly is vegan meat and how is it made? Well, every brand has its own method and with the rise in people switching to vegan and vegetarian diets experts have been encouraged to find new and inventive ways to create authentic non-meat alternatives. 

Using a blend of vegetable proteins (such as pea protein), fibers, potato starch, and seitan brands have been able to achieve that delicious tender consistency of meat and fish!

Easy Meatless Meals for Meat Lovers 

Braised Lentils with Vegan Sausage & Fennel 

Serves 4 

Using all your favorite winter flavors and a tasty vegan meat substitute, these romantic Braised Lentils with Vegan Sausage & Fennel would be perfect for a cold February Valentine’s Day, designed to be shared with a loved one. An easy non-meat recipe that combines a classic Italian soffritto with a plant-based sausage.

Ingredients 

• 4 tbsp of organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced 
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1½ cups of dried brown lentils, rinsed
• 3 cups of vegetable stock 
• 8 Beyond Meat Sausage Links

Directions 

1. Begin by preparing your soffritto. Heat your olive oil in a medium-large saucepan and add your diced white onion, cooking for a few minutes or until translucent.
2. Add the fennel and carrot to the onion alongside a generous pinch of sea salt, and cook for a further five minutes.
3. Incorporate the tomato paste and minced garlic, stirring for a few minutes.
4. Next, add all of your lentils to the pan and stir so that they are fully coated.
5. Pour in all of your vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Leave to cook, stirring occasionally for thirty minutes.
6. While the lentils are cooking, prepare your Tofurky Plant-Based Original Sausages according to packet instructions.
7. Once ready, serve in a bowl placing the sausages on top of your lentils. Top with some salsa if you like! 

Creamy Vegan Carbonara with Plant-Based Bacon Bits 

Serves 4

Indulge your senses with a sensual creamy vegan carbonara with plant-based bacon bits. This vegan twist on the Italian classic is an easy meatless meal for meat lovers, packed full of smokey bacon taste there’s nothing not to love. Delicious and totally meat-free. 

Ingredients

• 100g of Light Life’s Smart Bacon, shredded into ‘lardons’ 
• 4 tbsp of organic extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp of tahini
• 1 tbsp of wholegrain mustard 
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 ½ tsp of ground turmeric
• 3 tbsps of nutritional yeast 
• ¾ cup of almond milk
• 300g of dried pasta (we like spaghetti or bucatini best) 
• Sea salt and ground black pepper

Directions

1. Begin by heating your pasta water on the stove, make sure to season generously with sea salt (“salty like the sea”) as this is what will season your pasta.
2. Next, in a large saucepan, heat your organic extra virgin olive oil and half of the soy sauce, and then add your shredded Light Life Smart Bacon. Leave to sizzle making sure that they get nice and crispy then set aside.
3. Next, cook your pasta until it is “pre-al dente”, you want your pasta to be more raw than usual as it will finish cooking in the carbonara sauce.
4. While the pasta is cooking, in a small mixing bowl, combine the tahini, mustard, the remaining soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and almond milk. 
5. Once the pasta is ready, combine all your ingredients in a large frying pan alongside half a cup of pasta water and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, cook until thick and the pasta is cooked all the way through. 

Breaded Shrimp Pad Thai 

Serves 2

A unique vegan twist on a classic Shrimp Pad Thai, this Breaded Shrimp recipe is packed full of vegan meat flavor without the meat. An easy pantry recipe packed full of store cupboard ingredients, this is a meal that is guaranteed to wow all your friends and family and uses one of our favorite vegan meat substitutes. 

Ingredients

• 250g of udon noodles
• 2 tsp of vegetable oil
• 100g of Sophie’s Kitchen’s Vegan Breaded Shrimp 
• 4 spring onions, roughly chopped 
• 2 tbsps of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsps of tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• Juice of 1 lime 
• 1 tbsp of soft brown sugar 
• A small bunch of cilantro, chopped 
• Lime wedges to serve

Directions 

1. Begin by cooking Sophie’s Kitchen’s Vegan Breaded Shrimp according to packet instructions in the oven.
2. Cook the noodles in hot salted water for about 3 minutes and then drain them under cool water using a colander. 
3. To prepare the sauce, combine the tamarind paste, soy sauce, sugar, and lime juice in a small bowl. 
4. Next, chop up your peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges ready for serving.
5. All that’s left to do now is combine all of your ingredients together, and top with some tasty vegan breaded shrimp.

Korean BBQ Tacos 

Serves 2 

This easy vegan meat meal is packed full of healthy plant-based protein. Fusing together all of the best Mexican and Korean flavors, these simple tacos are the perfect thing for a family dinner or even a cocktail night! Swap in wheat-free tacos to make this dish gluten-free! 

Ingredients

• 1 packet of Urban Accents’ Meat Mix Korean BBQ
• 6 tortilla wraps or taco shells, for a good gluten-free option, go for Mikey’s Grain-Free Tortilla
• 1 white onion 
• 2 tbsps of vegan sour cream 
• 1 avocado
• ½ red onion
• Juice of 1 lime 
• Iceberg or romaine lettuce 
• Sea Salt 

Directions 

1. Begin by combining the contents of the Meatless Mix in a bowl with hot water and leave to sit for five minutes. 
2. Next, prepare your guacamole by combining avocado, lime juice, red onion, and sea salt in a small bowl. Set aside. 
3. Heat organic extra-virgin olive oil in a large fry pan and sauté until soft and translucent before adding all of your Meatless Mix to the pan, cook for about four minutes and set aside. 
4. All that’s left to do now is assemble your tacos. Spoon in your vegan sour cream and guacamole before topping with the Meatless Mix and some lettuce leaves. 

So why should you go for more vegan meat? 

As you can probably see by now, going vegan doesn’t have to mean drastically altering all of your cooking habits and spending hours hunting for pulses and grains to recreate that meat-like tenderness in all your favorite dishes. Nowadays, brands across the board are engineering authentic plant-based meat substitutes that work well in a variety of delicious vegan recipes. So what are you waiting for? Use PlantX to stock up on some more vegan meat today! You certainly won’t regret it.