Happy Cinco de Mayo Green Monsters!!!!!
Whip out your best salsa recipes today and bring on the vegan burritos! We’ve got so many spicy, hearty, and satisfying Mexican dishes that we love, so we thought we’d share some of them with you today in honor of the holiday that celebratesquite the historic moment for Mexico.While all of us may not be able to share the same heritage as those from Mexico today, we can still celebrate this commemorative event by enjoying super simple, flavor packed plant-based Mexican recipes.
It’s incredibly simple to make Mexican dishes plant-based since rice, beans, and lots of veggies and fruits such as onions, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, jalapenos, lime, garlic, and other whole grains like corn make up a large portion of Mexican cuisine. Leaving out the meat is a cinch! Plus, if you’re worried about missing the sour cream and cheese over your nachos, don’t be!
Let us show you how easy it is to eat vegan, even on one of the most delicious holidays of the year!
1. Chili Tortilla Lasagna
Source: Chili Tortilla Lasagna
While many lasagnas are associated with Italian fare, this one takes on a Mexican flavor that’s truly incredible! Decadent, hearty, and packed with spicy flavors, it makes the perfect alternative to meat-based lasagnas and is a nice change of pace instead of other dishes once and awhile. The mix of beans, corn, and other Mexican goodies in this recipe makes for one hearty Cinco de Mayo lunch or dinner. And once topped with some guac, you really can’t go wrong here, friends!
2. Vegan and Gluten-Free Chilaquiles
Source: Chilaquiles
This tasty dish is super simple to make, requires minimal ingredients, and yet, is packed with authentic flavor and flair! Cilantro is one of the most flavorful herbs to use in any dish, but especially Mexican dishes. It gives them that unique taste that no other ingredient can. Not to mention, it’s packed with nutrients that benefit your digestion, blood sugar levels, and your heart. Here in this recipe, cilantro is paired with garlic, onion, heart-healthy tofu, and absolutely no meat whatsoever. Protein-packed and good for your heart? Sign us up!
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3. Vegan and Gluten-Free Tamales
Source: Black Bean Tamales
Featuring protein-packed black beans, whole grain corn, spicy cumin, and more delicious ingredients, these tamales are nothing like the processed options you buy at the store. They contain no odd ingredients or unhealthy refined grains. Instead, they pack in flavor from real herbs, spices, and foods, and just let those do the magic all on their own. Spread a little salsa or guac over these, and you’ve got a smashing meal in merely minutes!
4. Vegan Tex Mex Burgers
Source: Tex-Mex Burgers
For those not really feeling nachos or enchiladas, turn your burger into a Mexican treat with these Tex Mex burgers. A classic favorite for many people, Tex Mex burgers are easy to not only make, but also make vegan. These burgers pack in protein from soy-free sources and are bursting with flavor. They’re also a great source of antioxidants and fiber thanks to the ingredients used in both the burgers and the guac. How could you ever go back to McDonald’s after these!??!
5. Yam Enchiladas
Source: Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Sweet potatoes and yams are commonly used interchangeably, so if you can’t find yams at the store (which are normally more readily available in the winter), pick up a sweet potato and have at these delicious bitesanyway! They make look totally gourmet and hard to make, but are actually pretty simple. Root veggies like sweet potatoes are the perfect meat replacement because they’re hearty and filling, and come with additional fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, just look at that sauce … come on, now!
6. Sweet Potato Nachos
Source: Sweet Potato Nachos
Let’s not forget the nachos on one of the best days of the year to enjoy them, right!? Nachos are a classic dish we all love; you can make a meal of them, eat them as a snack, or heck, you can even top them with sweet toppings and legally call them dessert! Give these sweet potato nachos a try instead of corn chips every once and awhile. While the chips are fine occasionally, these will keep you more full and pack in a ton of more flavor!
7. Black Bean, Corn, and Rice Enchiladas
Source: Black Bean, Corn, and Red Rice Enchiladas
Packed with heart, filling flavors and whole food ingredients, these enchiladas are one amazing recipe to cook up for dinner. Here’s a tip: Make a large batch of these, let them cool, and wrap individually in foil. Then, freeze each one and keep them all in a large freezer safe baggie or container and you’ve got easy, tasty vegan lunches and dinners to reheat whenever you want!
8. Avocado and Black Bean Tortas
Source: Avocado and Black Bean Tortas
Featuring hot sauce, black beans, avocados (a must-have for vegan Mexican fare), and lots of spicy goodness, these tortas make plant-based eating an enjoyable cinch! You can top these with whatever condiments you enjoy eating on burgers, or can even recreate Mexican queso dip by blending vegan sour cream with salsa, nutritional yeast, and a little hot sauce. Easy peasy!
9. Magical Roasted Corn and Lime Tortilla Soup
Source: Roasted Corn and Lime Tortilla Soup
Maybe you’re in the mood for something easy to prepare, but still want tons of flavor. This soup recipe has you covered. It’s loaded with healthy, simple, and whole-food based ingredients that take almost no-prep whatsoever. Then, it’s paired with tortilla chips for easy dipping, or crunching up and topping your soup with. Whatever you choose, this soup will be one you enjoy more than just on Cinco de Mayo, guaranteed!
10. Easy Veggie-Loaded Quesadillas – No Cheese!
Source: Easy Veggie-Loaded Quesadillas
Quesadillas are one of everyone’s favorite recipes, Mexican or not. And while the cheese-filled options definitely dredge up some nice food memories, quesadillas are also easy to make without cheese at all. In fact, these are so filling and contain such a flavorful filling, you’ll wish you’d try the cheese-free options years ago!
Hungry yet? So are we! But just in case you’re still looking for more recipes, check out all our vegan Mexican recipes here.
Happy Cinco de Mayo to all of you; may you celebrate it with full bellies and thankful hearts! Be sure to take a picture of your Cinco de Mayo vegan eats and show us how you chose to #EatForThePlanet on Cinco de’ Mayo … we can’t wait to see what you make!
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Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!
Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help withchronic inflammation,heart health,mental wellbeing,fitness goals,nutritional needs,allergies,gut health,andmore!Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, includingacne,hormonal imbalance,cancer,prostate cancerand has manyside effects.
For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading theFood Monster App— with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about theenvironmentalandhealth benefitsof aplant-based diet.
Here are some great resources to get you started:
- Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
- Plant-Based Health Resources
- Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
- The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
- Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
- High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
- Plant-Based Meal Prep
Easy Ways to Help the Planet:
- Eat Less Meat:DownloadFood Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of ourfavorite vegan cookbooks.
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