From warming winter stews to hearty pies and fakeaways, this collection of vegan comfort food recipes promises the ultimate plant-based pick-me-up.
Vegan pie recipes
Vegan Comfort Pie
This is precisely the kind of dish you crave on dark winter evenings: warmly spiced chickpeas, lentils, and kidney beans with a fluffy potato topping. It’s substantial, flavourful, and as comforting as a roaring fire on a blustery day.
Ainsley Harriott’s Mushroom, Kale and Chestnut Pies
These hearty individual pies feature a delicious savoury filling of chestnut, button, and dried porcini mushrooms, complete with a buttery celeriac mash topping that can easily be made vegan.
Vegan fakeaway favourites
Vegan Sweet Potato Katsu
If you love the savoury, mellow flavours of a katsu curry, try this plant-based alternative – complete with a crispy panko crumb and easy homemade sauce – that takes under 30 minutes to make.
Air Fryer Tofu and Chips
Craving fish and chips? This air fryer recipe is the perfect plant-based alternative and takes only 30 minutes to make. The crispy marinated tofu also makes a great filling for a vegan fish finger sandwich.
Meera Sodha’s Peanut Butter and Purple Sprouting Broccoli Pad Thai
If noodles are your go-to comfort food, you’ll love this vegan version of the takeaway classic pad Thai, as featured in Meera Sodha’s East. Thick rice noodles covered in a delicious peanut and lime sauce make for a satisfying base, while purple sprouting broccoli adds a moreish crunch.
Southern Fried Cauliflower
This crisp, aromatic Southern fried cauliflower is the vegan cousin of the ultimate American comfort food. It has the same irresistible crunch, the tender meaty centre, hit of salt and spice, and, unsurprisingly, once you start eating it it’s impossible to stop.
From the book
Vegan Comfort Classics
Indulgent, crave-worthy vegan recipes
Vegan ideas for every occasion
All your favourite comfort food
Buy From
Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich
With panko-coated cauliflower steaks so succulent it’s impossible to miss chicken, it’s not hard to see why this buffalo burger went viral.
From the book
Vegan Comfort Classics
Indulgent, crave-worthy vegan recipes
Vegan ideas for every occasion
All your favourite comfort food
Buy From
Sweet and Sour Jackfruit Fakeaway
Why not try One Pot Vegan‘s plant-based take on the classic Chinese takeaway dish, sweet and sour? This fakeaway is made with chunks of meaty jackfruit in a tangy sauce.
Comforting vegan pasta recipes
Jessie and Lennie Ware’s Aubergine and Puy Lentil Bolognese
As far as we’re concerned, comfort food and pasta are inextricably linked. This vegan alternative to spaghetti bolognese is as good as the real thing with lentils, sticky Medjool dates, red wine and earthy spices. Blending half the lentils at the end gives a perfect texture, too. Serve with vegan cheese.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s Ultimate Traybake Ragù
If rich, umami flavours are your comfort food bag, run don’t walk to this recipe from Ottolenghi FLAVOUR . With generous quantities, it’s ideal for a batch cooking session or as a crowd-feeder.
Vegan Juna Pasta
Tuna pasta is a staple of student kitchens everywhere, and with very good reason: it’s tasty, comforting, and won’t break the bank. In this recipe from Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats, Rachel Ama creates a clever, plant-based version of the dish using jackfruit in place of the tuna for a meal that’s just a enjoyable and budget-friendly as the original.
Vegan Lasagne
A plant-based take on the classic family favourite, this vegan lasagne from The World of The Happy Pear manages to be both comforting and nutritious. It’s a great option for feeding a crowd, and the moreish basil cashew cream béchamel will have everyone asking for seconds.
Rainbow Lentil Meatballs with Arrabbiata Sauce
Made using lentils, these vegan meatballs are a fitting alternative to the original, with a robust but tender texture and a rich and spicy tomato sauce. And if you find yourself with any leftovers, why not turn them into a vegan meatball sub for lunch the following day.
Bacon Mac and Cheese
Made with shiitake mushroom ‘bacon’ and a velvety vegan cheese sauce, this is not just any mac and cheese but its ultimate form.
Comforting vegan stews
Tuscan Vegan Sausage and Bean Stew
When only a soul soothing stew will do, try The Happy Pear’s vegan twist on a Tuscan classic, with meat-free sausages and chunky butter beans.
Vegan West African Peanut Stew
Rachel Ama’s soothing West African stew brings warmth, sustenance and plenty of flavour.
Vegetable Chilli
If you’re feeding a crowd, this warmly spiced veg and bean chilli is a fail-safe for colder nights. Serve with fluffy rice or flatbreads.
Vegan curry recipes
Beetroot, Chickpea and Coconut Curry
If a curry is your ultimate comfort food, plump for Rukmini Iyer’s creamy coconut-based beetroot and chickpea number. This simple, one-tin recipe is finished in the oven for maximum ease.
Meera Sodha’s Pumpkin Malai Curry
Meera’s pumpkin malai is spiced with a warming blend of cumin, cinnamon and ginger. It can’t fail to lift the spirits.
Creamy Cauliflower Korma
A cuali-based twist on your favourite creamy curry, complete with plump raisins, lashings of vegan cream and a scattering of flaked almonds. Serve with vegan naan.
Dal: Pe Hin
This hearty Burmese dal is the kind of recipe you want on speed dial after a tough day (speed dal, if you will). With that in mind, make up a big batch when you come to cook it and store it away for whenever it’s needed most.
