Our 22 Most Popular Recipes of 2021
In 2021, our community of bloggers, chefs, and Meatless Monday advocates submitted tons of plant-based recipes for our articles and roundups. And let’s just say: healthy eating never tasted so good.
As the year comes to a close, we want to showcase our most popular recipes, the ones viewed the most over the past twelve months. Some of the dishes will look familiar — our recipe for Jamaican jerk tofu has an incredibly loyal group of followers — but you may be surprised to see a number of new wildly inventive and delicious additions to the list.
And if you want to start the new year off with more plant-based eating, participate in our new Meatless Monday Challenge. This 12-week challenge is easy to follow, flexible, and a great opportunity to try out some of the best meatless meals from the past year.
WARNING: You may get hungry.
22. Vegetable Pot Pie with Whole Wheat Biscuit Topping
A completely plant-based version of a classic comfort food, this vegetable pot pie with biscuit topping is sure to satisfy everyone at the dinner table. Perfect for cold nights, the creamy filling and crispy biscuit top is the ultimate textural combination.
21. Chickpea Quinoa Burgers
Packed with flavor, crunch, heat, and protein, this recipe for chickpea quinoa burgers is sure to keep you full and happy. Tahini and cumin mimic the flavor profile of hummus, while sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds provide a satisfying bite.
20. Shawarma Tofu
Capture the fragrant aromas and bold flavors of Middle Eastern cooking with this recipe for shawarma tofu. Once prepared, you can stuff the shawarma into a pita or add it to a salad with tahini dressing.
19. Easy Burrito Bowl
This super easy burrito bowl is delicious and quick to throw together for a weeknight meal. Start with rice of your choice (brown, cilantro, cauliflower, etc) and topped with black beans, guacamole, corn, salsa and your choice of plant-based protein (tofu or jackfruit).
18. Classic Tofu Loaf
A vegan twist on a classic comfort food, this recipe for tofu loaf captures the homey feel of meatloaf without the ground beef. Tofu, oats, and lentils recreate the texture of meatloaf, while ketchup, barbecue sauce, and Dijon mimic its traditional tangy flavor.
17. Casamiento (Black Beans and Rice)
Casamiento is a hearty Honduran dish that is deep and rich in flavor. Cooking the rice and beans together creates the perfect marriage of taste and texture.
16. Meaty Mushroom Stew
This meaty mushroom stew with garlic mashed potatoes, is as hearty and unctuous as any beef dish. By using mushrooms (cremini and shitake), soy sauce, and tomato paste, you can recreate that savory, umami flavor that you crave from a cold-weather stew.
15. Tex-Mex Burrito
This Tex-Mex burrito is quick and easy to throw together. Enjoy for a delicious plant-based lunch, dinner, or snack anytime. Ingredients can be swapped for what you have on hand, so feel free to experiment and really make it your own. Maybe add a few extra dashes of hot sauce or some extra seasoning to make the flavors pop.
15. Breakfast Sweet Potato
Simple, sugary-tasting, and amazingly good for you, the sweet potato is nearly impossible to screw up. Mash it, bake it, fry it, or turn it into this yummy breakfast (or dessert) sweet potato by microwaving for 8 minutes and adding sliced banana, creamy peanut butter, chia seeds, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
13. Lemon Mint Quinoa Salad
This lemon mint quinoa salad is simple, refreshing, and flavor-forward; it’s also a great way to introduce friends and family to quinoa.
12. Chickpea Salad Niçoise Sandwiches
Step away from the stove; these chickpea salad sandwiches are both meatless and no-cook. Instead of a Niçoise salad’s traditional tuna, this dish features protein-packed chickpeas in a tangy tarragon-shallot dressing.
11. Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Balsamic Drizzle
Move over Portobello mushrooms, this cauliflower steak is the new centerpiece of your dinner table. Cauliflower is the chameleon of vegetables and can become whatever you want it to be. In this case, it takes center stage as a beautiful plant-based steak with a caramelized crust and drizzled with a balsamic reduction.
10. Kale, Potato, and Carrot Curry
Coconut milk and fragrant spices make this decadent kale, potato, and carrot curry the perfect meal to cozy up to on a cold Monday night. It’s a great way to use up seasonal produce items like kale, carrots, and potatoes, plus it’s a snap to cook.
9. Vanilla Almond Milk Oatmeal
Almond milk, dark brown sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon infuses this vanilla almond milk oatmeal with the spirit of autumn. This recipe makes loose, milky oats, but for a thicker breakfast simply add more oats or less almond milk in this easily adaptable treat.
8. Cauliflower Buffalo Wing Bites
Capture the spicy kick of Buffalo wings without the bones (and the chicken). This super simple recipe for cauliflower Buffalo wings is a definite crowd pleaser. No need to wait for gameday, whip up a batch this Monday.
7. Banana Date Smoothie
Dates, almond milk, and bananas come together for a subtle-yet-sweet tropical smoothie with unexpectedly sophisticated flavors. Rolled oats are the secret ingredient, used to provide a luscious texture to this delicious breakfast drink.
6. Italian White Beans and Kale
Make this Italian white beans and kale for a hearty mid-week meatless meal. Braising the kale along with the dry white beans makes for a product that’s tender, succulent, and rich with flavor. Serve over some creamy polenta for a complete dish.
5. Breakfast Lentils
Forget avocado toast and say hello to your new brunch bestie — breakfast lentils. Sautéing the lentils with shallots, paprika, and fresh lemon juice makes for a savory alternative to traditionally sweet breakfast dishes.
4. Hearts of Baltimore Crab Cakes
A new addition to the list, these Baltimore “crab” cakes use tangy hearts of palm to replicate the texture and clean, sweet flavor of crab. Seafood seasoning and a garlicky aioli makes this recipe a seafood-lovers dream.
3. Veggie Meatballs
It’s no surprise that these veggie meatballs also made our list of most popular recipes of all time. Lentils are rich in protein as well as other essential minerals. Adding them to these veggie meatballs makes for a filling, protein-packed dish that can be served with a side of pasta or zoodles.
2. Carrot Cauliflower Stew
This carrot cauliflower stew is warm and filling thanks to the roasted carrots, chile powder, and turmeric. A can of chickpeas adds an extra punch of vegan protein, elevating this stew from soup-course to entrée status.
1. Jamaican Jerk Tofu
Our champion returns. Pairing this Jerk seasoning (a blend of cayenne, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and thyme) with the subtle flavor of tofu makes this Jamaican jerk tofu a dish that will certainly wake up your palate. Serve the slabs with a vegetable and a side of rice and peas for a complete meal.