Veggie Blog

Golden on the outside, satisfying in the middle, and made without eggs or dairy.

Vegan croquettes are a simple way to turn potatoes, beans, and vegetables into a snack, starter, or light main course. Some have a fluffy potato center and a crisp breadcrumb shell. Others use chickpeas or sweet potato for a different texture and flavor. You do not need eggs to make them hold together: the secret is managing moisture, choosing a good binder, and letting the mixture rest before cooking.

This Veggie-Blog guide offers three original, egg-free croquette recipes with step-by-step instructions. Choose the oven for a mostly hands-off batch, the air fryer for a crisp finish with a little oil, or a pan for a more traditional golden crust.

The original Veggie-Blog post in 2007 shared a link to a reader croquette challenge round-up on FatFree Vegan Kitchen. This new guide is different: these three recipes have been written for Veggie-Blog rather than copied from that collection. They are editorial recipe drafts, not kitchen-tested recipes, so small adjustments may be needed depending on your ingredients and equipment. The featured image is a computer-generated illustration, not a photo of these croquettes.

What are vegan croquettes?

A croquette is a small, shaped portion of a cooked or mashed filling, often coated in breadcrumbs and browned until its outside becomes crisp. Familiar fillings include potato, rice, vegetables, lentils, and beans. Traditional versions sometimes use eggs, butter, or cheese, but those are not essential.

For vegan croquettes, use mashed potato, legumes, or cooked starchy vegetables for the body; flour, starch, oats, or breadcrumbs for binding; and plant milk or a simple flour-and-water mixture when an outer coating needs help sticking. The filling must be thick enough to shape without running, yet not so dry that it crumbles.

At a glance

Times below are estimates and can vary with size, moisture, and appliances.

Recipe 1: Crispy Vegan Potato and Pea Croquettes

These vegan potato croquettes use starchy potatoes and cornstarch to make a filling that can be shaped without eggs. Sweet peas and herbs keep the center colorful; breadcrumbs provide the crunch.

Yield: 12 small croquettes (about 4 snack servings)
Prep: about 30 minutes, plus 15–20 minutes chilling
Oven: about 22–25 minutes

Ingredients

For the filling

• 500 g (about 1.1 lb) floury/starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 100 g (about ⅔ cup) thawed frozen peas, patted dry
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour in some countries)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
• ½ tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder

For the coating

• 3 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
• 4 tbsp water, plus a little more if necessary
• 60–70 g (about 1 cup) plain panko breadcrumbs; check that they are vegan
• 1–2 tbsp neutral oil, or oil spray

Method

1. Cook and dry the potatoes. Simmer the cubes in lightly salted water until fork-tender, roughly 12–15 minutes. Drain very thoroughly and return them to the warm, switched-off pan for 2 minutes so excess steam escapes.
2. Mash without extra liquid. Mash until mostly smooth. Do not add plant milk or margarine; a loose mash makes croquettes harder to shape.
3. Season and bind. Stir in the peas, cornstarch, parsley, optional nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Taste and adjust the seasoning before coating.
4. Cool and shape. Let the mixture cool until comfortable to handle, then refrigerate for 15–20 minutes. Divide into 12 portions and form short logs, about 6 cm (2½ inches) long.
5. Coat. Mix the flour and water into a thin paste. Dip each log briefly into the paste, let excess drip off, and roll gently in panko.
6. Bake. Arrange on a lightly oiled, lined baking tray with space between the pieces. Brush or spray lightly with oil. Bake at 220°C / 425°F for about 22–25 minutes, turning once, until the coating is golden and the centers are hot.
7. Serve. Rest on the tray for 3–5 minutes before moving; this helps the crust stay intact.

Air-fryer alternative: Cook in a single layer at 200°C / 390°F for approximately 12–16 minutes, turning or shaking gently once. Work in batches if needed.

Pan-fried alternative: Heat a thin layer of neutral oil over medium heat. Cook for about 3–4 minutes per broad side, turning carefully until uniformly golden. Drain briefly on a rack.

Practical tip: If the mash feels sticky or soft after chilling, add another teaspoon or two of cornstarch, then chill again. Potatoes vary in water content.

Recipe 2: Chickpea and Spinach Croquettes

Chickpeas make satisfying eggless croquettes with a firmer, more rustic texture. Spinach brings freshness, oats absorb moisture, and tahini helps the mixture bind. These are especially good with a lemony dip.

Yield: 10–12 small croquettes
Prep: about 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes chilling
Air fryer: about 12–15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, about 400–425 g before draining (approximately 240–250 g drained), rinsed and drained well
• 100 g (about 3 packed cups) fresh spinach
• 45 g (about ½ cup) rolled oats, pulsed briefly to a coarse meal
• 2 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, optional
• 40 g (about ⅔ cup) fine plain breadcrumbs for a light coating, optional
• Oil spray or 1 tbsp neutral oil for brushing

Method

1. Wilt and squeeze the spinach. Cook it briefly in a dry pan until collapsed. Let it cool, then press out as much liquid as possible and chop finely.
2. Mash the chickpeas. Mash with a fork until most chickpeas are broken down but a few small pieces remain. Avoid turning the mixture into a smooth purée.
3. Mix the filling. Add spinach, coarse oat meal, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, and optional parsley. Stir vigorously until the mixture holds together when squeezed. If crumbly, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. If wet, add a little more oat meal.
4. Rest the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes so the oats can absorb moisture.
5. Shape and coat. Form 10–12 oval patties or short logs. If using breadcrumbs, press them onto the outside; brush lightly with oil.
6. Air fry. Arrange in a single layer at 190°C / 375°F for about 12–15 minutes, turning carefully halfway through, until browned on both sides and hot in the middle.
7. Serve. Finish with lemon and herbs. Pair with a crunchy salad or a yogurt-style herb dip.

Oven alternative: Bake at 210°C / 410°F for approximately 22–26 minutes on a lined, lightly oiled tray. Turn once if sturdy enough.

Pan alternative: Use a lightly oiled nonstick skillet over medium heat, approximately 3–4 minutes per side. Avoid moving the croquettes before a crust forms.

Allergy note: Tahini contains sesame. For a sesame-free version, leave out the tahini and add a little extra mashed chickpea, oat meal and water until the mixture can be shaped. Check all packaged ingredients against your dietary needs.

Recipe 3: Smoky Sweet Potato and Black Bean Croquettes

These sweet potato croquettes have a softer center and mildly smoky flavor. Roasting the sweet potato rather than boiling it helps reduce added moisture, while black beans and oat flour give structure.

Yield: 10–12 small croquettes
Prep: about 20 minutes after sweet potato has cooked, plus 20 minutes chilling
Oven: about 24–28 minutes

Ingredients

• 400 g (about 1¾ cups) cooked, cooled, mashed sweet potato, ideally roasted and not watery
• 1 can black beans, about 400–425 g before draining (approximately 240–250 g drained), rinsed and patted dry
• 65 g (about ⅔ cup) oat flour, plus more as needed
• 2 spring onions/scallions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp fine salt, or to taste
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 50–60 g (about ¾ cup) plain breadcrumbs for coating, optional
• 1–2 tbsp neutral oil or spray for the tray and coating

Method

1. Prepare the sweet potato. Roast sweet potato chunks at 200°C / 390°F until tender, generally 25–35 minutes depending on size. Cool, mash, and measure 400 g. If using already cooked sweet potato, make sure it is not watery.
2. Mash the beans. Roughly mash the drained black beans; leave some texture.
3. Combine. Stir together the sweet potato, beans, oat flour, scallions, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, lime juice, and garlic powder. Mix until thick. If it slumps or sticks heavily, add oat flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
4. Chill. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes so the mix becomes easier to handle.
5. Shape. Make 10–12 compact logs or patties. Press into optional breadcrumbs for a crisper surface, and mist or brush lightly with oil.
6. Bake. Place on a lined, lightly oiled tray and cook at 220°C / 425°F for 24–28 minutes, turning carefully once. Look for browned edges and a hot center; these remain softer inside than potato croquettes.
7. Finish. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving with lime wedges, chopped coriander/cilantro, or smoky tomato salsa.

Air-fryer alternative: Air fry at 200°C / 390°F for approximately 14–18 minutes, checking early if your air fryer browns quickly. Leave space between the pieces.

Pan alternative: Use moderate heat and a little oil. Cook gently for about 4 minutes per side; a nonstick pan helps with this softer filling.

Gluten-free variation: Use certified gluten-free oat flour and gluten-free crumbs. Always check the labels on seasonings and coatings.

How to make vegan croquettes without eggs

Eggs are sometimes used to hold a filling together or make breadcrumbs cling to the outside, but there are several vegan approaches:

• Mashed potato is naturally starchy. Dry, fluffy mash usually holds its shape better than heavily buttered or watered-down mash.
• Cornstarch or flour can help a potato mixture firm as it cooks. Start with a little and add more only when needed.
• Rolled oats or oat flour absorb moisture in bean or sweet potato mixtures. Let the mixture rest so the oats can hydrate.
• Mashed chickpeas and beans add bulk and structure, especially when not completely puréed.
• Flour-and-water paste can replace an egg wash under breadcrumbs; a thin, even coating works better than a thick batter.

The most common mistake is trying to fry a filling while it is still wet and warm. Drain, cool, chill, then shape for more dependable results.

Oven vs air fryer vs pan: which works best?

Oil-free cooking is possible on a good nonstick surface, but a little oil usually improves color and crunch. An air-fried croquette may look drier than a shallow-fried one: that is a method difference, not necessarily a failed recipe.

Three quick vegan dipping sauces

Lemon-herb dip: Mix 120 g unsweetened plain plant-based yogurt, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.

Smoky tomato dip: Stir 3 tbsp tomato paste with 2 tbsp water, ½ tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp olive oil, and a splash of lemon juice. Thin to the texture you like.

Mustard-maple dip: Whisk 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp maple syrup, and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar. Check that your mustard is vegan if that matters to you.

Serve small portions of sauce alongside the croquettes so the coating stays crisp.

Troubleshooting: why do croquettes fall apart?

If a batch cracks, sticks, or loses its shape, check these points before changing everything:

1. Too much water: Drain vegetables and canned beans thoroughly. Squeeze cooked spinach dry. Steam off water from boiled potatoes.
2. Not enough binder: Add a small spoonful of starch, oat flour, or breadcrumbs and test one croquette before adjusting the whole batch.
3. Mixture still warm: Cool and chill before coating. Warm mixtures tend to feel softer and more fragile.
4. Oversized pieces: Small croquettes are easier to turn than large, thick logs.
5. Turning too soon: Give the first side time to develop a crust. Flip gently with a spatula or tongs.
6. Overcrowding: Leave space for the outside to brown rather than steam.

If the batch remains too soft to shape, spread the filling in a small baking dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and bake it as a savory vegetable casserole rather than throwing it away.

Can you make croquettes ahead or freeze them?

Yes. Forming the croquettes in advance can make weeknight cooking easier. Refrigerate a shaped batch promptly in a covered container and cook it within a day for the freshest texture, or freeze the shaped, separated pieces until solid and transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. When baking from frozen, allow extra time and check that the centers are fully heated; avoid giving a universal number of extra minutes because thickness varies.

For cooked leftovers, refrigerate promptly within two hours (one hour if the surrounding temperature exceeds 32°C / 90°F). Use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, or freeze for longer storage. When reheating leftovers, heat them throughout to 74°C / 165°F, following USDA leftovers guidance.

A hot oven or air fryer can help restore some crunch; a microwave tends to soften breadcrumb coatings. Cool food quickly in shallow containers rather than leaving a large pile of hot croquettes at room temperature.

What to serve with vegan croquettes

These croquettes work as a starter, a picnic snack, or the centerpiece of a light meal. Add a green salad with lemon dressing, roasted seasonal vegetables, a tomato and cucumber relish, or a warm bowl of vegetable soup. For a more filling dinner, combine them with grains or a bean salad. If you’re planning a soup-and-croquettes meal, see our vegetarian soup ideas for inspiration, and for more chickpea and lentil meals, our lentil and chickpea dinners.

For a party, make two smaller varieties rather than one oversized batch. Potato-and-pea croquettes are mild and kid-friendly, chickpea-and-spinach croquettes offer earthy flavor, and sweet potato-and-black bean croquettes bring a smoky contrast. Label dips clearly if they contain sesame, soy, mustard, or other common allergens.

Questions readers ask

Are croquettes usually vegan?

Not always. Many traditional recipes contain egg, butter, cheese, milk, or meat. A croquette can be vegan when all fillings, coatings, and cooking ingredients are plant-based.

Can I make vegan croquettes without breadcrumbs?

Yes. You can leave the coating off and form patties, though the surface will not be as crunchy. Another option is crushed certified gluten-free cornflakes or a suitable gluten-free crumb product.

Are these croquettes gluten-free?

Not automatically. Plain flour and many breadcrumbs contain gluten. Use gluten-free coatings and certified gluten-free oat ingredients where required, and check cross-contact information on packages.

Why are my chickpea croquettes dry?

Beans may have been drained very thoroughly, or the oat binder may have absorbed more moisture than expected. Add a teaspoon or two of water or lemon juice while mixing, rather than flooding the bowl.

Share your favorite vegan croquette variation

Do you make vegan croquettes with lentils, cauliflower, leftovers, or a favorite regional spice blend? Tell us in the comments which filling you enjoy, how you cook it, and what you serve alongside it. Reader ideas can inspire a future Veggie-Blog recipe challenge—without copying another cook’s recipe or photographs.

The original Veggie-Blog post was a playful invitation: What fun facts do you know about broccoli? It promised a reader-powered "train" of facts, but the published post never included that list. Let’s give the idea a proper destination.

The featured image is an AI-generated illustration, not a photo of a real garden.

Broccoli already has its own place in our broccoli basics guide, so this trip makes ten new stops around the produce aisle—from rainbow carrots to underground potato stems and edible flower buds. Along the way you’ll discover how familiar foods grow, which parts of plants reach our plates, and a few surprises to share around the dinner table.

A quick note: "Vegetable" is a cooking and shopping word, not a single botanical category. Roots, stems, leaves, flowers and even fungi can appear together on a vegetable plate. That’s part of the fun.

The 10 stops on our vegetable fact train

1. Carrots come in a whole rainbow of colors

If your mental image of a carrot is bright orange, there’s a much bigger palette waiting at the farmers’ market. According to University of Illinois Extension, carrots come in shades of orange, red, yellow, purple and white. One purple variety, ‘Black Nebula’, is so rich in pigment that it looks almost black.

Try it at home: Roast two different carrot colors side by side with a little oil and salt. Compare their sweetness and texture, and see which shade everyone picks first. Add a squeeze of lemon before serving for contrast. This makes a nice low-pressure way to get younger cooks curious about vegetables.

2. Cauliflower does not have to be white

Cauliflower comes in green, orange and purple forms as well as the familiar white heads. According to University of Minnesota Extension, these colorful types need sunlight for their characteristic colors to develop. By contrast, growers sometimes cover white cauliflower heads with leaves to help keep them pale.

A colorful head doesn’t necessarily mean a different recipe: most can be roasted, steamed, folded into curry or added to a sheet-pan dinner. Try it at home: Make a mixed-color roasted cauliflower plate with cumin, garlic and a lemon-tahini drizzle. That’s an easy conversation starter without making any dubious claims about one color being "superior."

3. Asparagus spears can grow into fern-like plants

The green asparagus spear we cook is a young stem emerging from underground buds. If it’s not harvested, it keeps growing into a tall, feathery plant commonly called an asparagus "fern." Those fern-like shoots help the plant collect energy for a future harvest.

That makes asparagus a remarkable example of how a familiar grocery item looks completely different later in its life cycle. Try it at home: For dinner, roast or lightly steam asparagus until just tender, and serve it with lemon, olive oil and cracked pepper. If you garden, look up a photo of mature asparagus ferns before deciding how to manage your patch.

4. Brussels sprouts grow up a tall stalk

Brussels sprouts are not miniature cabbages growing separately under the soil. They develop along the stalk of a tall, leafy plant, one small head forming where a leaf meets the central stem. Once you’ve seen a whole Brussels sprout stalk, a supermarket bag of loose sprouts suddenly makes much more sense.

Try it at home: Cut sprouts in half, toss with olive oil and roast with the flat sides facing the hot tray. Finish with mustard, a little maple syrup and toasted seeds. Some people who don’t like boiled sprouts enjoy the firmer texture and browned edges of roasted ones.

5. An artichoke is an unopened flower bud

The globe artichoke is harvested while its flower bud is still immature. Its layered outer parts protect the center; if left to mature, the bud can develop into a striking thistle-like flower. The edible "heart" is the fleshy base, but preparation matters: in mature artichokes, the fuzzy center called the choke is removed before the heart is eaten.

Try it at home: Use canned or jarred artichoke hearts (checking the ingredients and seasoning) in a white-bean salad with parsley and lemon. For a kitchen project, learn to trim and steam a fresh globe artichoke; it takes more effort but makes the plant’s structure easy to understand.

6. One garlic clove can grow into a new garlic plant

A garlic bulb is made up of individual cloves. Growers plant suitable cloves, and a clove can develop roots and shoots and eventually form a new bulb. The tiny segments we mince into sauces are therefore also a practical starting point for growing garlic.

Not every supermarket clove is well suited to every climate, and gardening experts recommend choosing planting material appropriate for your region. Try it at home: Turn roasted garlic into a creamy, dairy-free white-bean dip with lemon and olive oil. If you’re interested in gardening, ask a local nursery which garlic varieties thrive where you live.

7. A regular potato is a stem tuber, not a root

Potatoes grow underground, so it’s tempting to call them roots. Botanically, though, an ordinary potato is a swollen underground stem called a tuber, as Penn State Extension explains. Its little "eyes" are buds capable of producing shoots—one giveaway that you’re looking at modified stem tissue.

Try it at home: Compare a potato, a carrot and an onion before cooking. They may all come from below ground, but they represent different plant structures: a stem tuber, a true root and a bulb. Then make a simple tray of roasted potatoes with rosemary. Avoid eating green potatoes or sprouts; follow food-safety guidance for trimming and discarding suspect potatoes.

8. Sweet potatoes are not close relatives of ordinary potatoes

Despite the similar names, sweet potatoes and familiar white potatoes belong to different plant families. According to South Dakota State University Extension, sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family, while regular potatoes belong to the nightshade family. What we eat from the sweet-potato plant is an enlarged storage root, not the stem tuber we eat in a regular potato.

The distinction is more than trivia—it illustrates how people often name foods by appearance or cooking use rather than ancestry. Try it at home: Roast cubes of sweet potato and ordinary potato on the same tray, then compare their textures. Add smoked paprika and chickpeas for a filling vegetarian bowl.

9. Rhubarb is used like fruit, but the edible part is a stalk

Rhubarb often turns up in pies and crumbles, yet the harvested part is a leaf stalk, not a fruit. The leaves are poisonous and must not be eaten. That’s why rhubarb recipes use properly trimmed stalks only.

Try it at home: Simmer chopped, trimmed rhubarb stalks with strawberries and a little sugar for a tart fruit-style compote to spoon over yogurt or a plant-based alternative. If growing rhubarb, identify and discard the leaves safely and keep them out of cooking. Rhubarb is a reminder that "plant-based" never means "every part of every plant is edible."

10. Mushrooms are fungi, not vegetables in the botanical sense

Mushrooms are sold in the vegetable aisle and appear in countless vegetarian dishes, but they belong to the fungal kingdom rather than the plant kingdom. The cap and stem we see are often the reproductive structure of a much larger fungus. Unlike green plants, fungi do not make their food by photosynthesis.

Try it at home: Sauté cultivated mushrooms until their released liquid cooks down, then add garlic, thyme and a dash of soy sauce or tamari. Serve them over toast or grains. Buy known edible mushrooms from reliable sellers: never eat a wild mushroom based on a casual photo or internet identification.

Turn the facts into a family food challenge

Want to make vegetable trivia more than a reading exercise? Pick three facts from this list and try one of these simple activities:

1. Build a produce rainbow. Find as many naturally colored vegetables as you can, and check each one’s name.
2. Sort what you’re eating. Is it a root, a modified stem, a flower bud, a leaf or a fungus?
3. Cook the same ingredient two ways. Compare roasted and steamed cauliflower, or fresh and sautéed mushrooms.
4. Sketch the growing plant. What did that edible piece look like before harvest?
5. Share one new discovery. Tell someone the fact that surprised you most.

Keep this activity playful and age-appropriate, and wash fresh produce before preparing it.

Join the train: share your favorite vegetable fact

The original post asked readers for broccoli facts; this time we want to hear about the whole produce aisle. What vegetable fact surprised you? Leave a comment with the fact, its source if you know it, and a favorite way to cook that ingredient.

Please share your own words and avoid copying paragraphs from other websites. We may feature selected, fact-checked contributions in a future update with permission. There is no paid placement or promised backlink.

For other veggie inspiration, try our vegetarian soup flavor quiz or our vegetarian omelette recipe collection.

Questions readers ask

Are tomatoes and other vegetable-aisle foods really fruits?

In botanical terms, fruits develop from flowers and contain seeds; in cooking, the word "vegetable" often refers to savory ingredients. The categories overlap in the kitchen.

Can I eat rhubarb leaves?

No. Rhubarb leaves are toxic; use properly trimmed edible stalks only.

Are mushrooms vegan?

Edible mushrooms are fungi, not animals. Plain cultivated mushrooms are generally suitable for vegan meals, although sauces and packaged products can include animal-derived ingredients.

How can I encourage kids to try different vegetables?

Let them compare colors, shapes and textures, help rinse produce, or build a rainbow tasting plate. Avoid pressuring them to clean their plates; repeated low-pressure exposure can make trying new foods easier.

Final thought

A dinner plate can contain roots, modified stems, flower buds, leaf stalks and fungi—sometimes all at once. That’s a good reminder that vegetables are worth exploring for curiosity and flavor, not just as an obligation to "eat your greens." Pick one new ingredient for your next shopping trip and see what you learn.

One of the pleasures of vegan cooking is how naturally it connects with food traditions around the world. Beans, rice, noodles, vegetables, tofu, spices and herbs form the foundation of countless dishes. Learning a sauce or technique from another kitchen tradition can make familiar ingredients feel new, without requiring a cupboard full of expensive substitutes.

If you are looking for international vegan food blogs, the following five sites offer different ways to explore plant-based flavors. This is a selective editorial guide, not a claim that one cuisine or website is better than another. Each site provides its own recipes and context; follow the original author for exact methods and ingredient details. We have not independently cooked every recipe mentioned here.

The original Veggie-Blog post from September 2007 announced a separate site called Groovy Vegetarian. That announcement no longer functions as an invitation to a live new blog. This replacement keeps the spirit of sharing vegetarian discoveries while giving readers a useful, current path into vegan cooking. The featured image is an AI-generated illustration, not a screenshot of any of the blogs below.

Five vegan blogs to explore

1. The Viet Vegan — Vietnamese dishes with a vegan approach

Visit The Viet Vegan

The Viet Vegan, by Lisa Le, brings personal food writing together with vegan recipes, including dishes informed by Vietnamese cooking. Its Vietnamese recipe section includes noodle meals, dipping sauces, pickled vegetables and more. What makes it useful is the reminder that flavor frequently begins with condiments and preparation, not just the main protein. A few older recipes from before the author went vegan include eggs or dairy, so check each one.

A good place to begin: read about a vegan Vietnamese-style dipping sauce or a noodle dish. Check which ingredients supply saltiness, sourness, sweetness and heat. A sauce that balances those tastes can often accompany rice, vegetables or tofu as well as the featured dish—while respecting the author’s specific instructions.

Best suited to: people interested in Vietnamese flavors and understanding how condiments shape a meal.

2. The Foodie Takes Flight — approachable Asian-inspired vegan meals

Visit The Foodie Takes Flight

The Foodie Takes Flight focuses on plant-based meals inspired by Asian cooking, with plenty of ideas involving tofu, noodles, sauces and savory dishes. It’s useful when you want a flavorful dinner and prefer to learn one versatile preparation that can be adapted with seasonal vegetables.

A good place to begin: choose one noodle, stir-fry or tofu recipe. Read it from start to finish and list the components you need: the protein, vegetables, aromatics and sauce. Prepare the vegetables before heating the pan. This kind of organization is particularly helpful when several elements cook quickly.

Best suited to: cooks looking for practical, sauce-forward vegan meal inspiration.

3. Veganlovlie — Mauritian food and plant-based comfort cooking

Visit Veganlovlie

Veganlovlie has a dedicated collection of Mauritian vegan recipes, offering a valuable opportunity to explore food traditions that may be less familiar to some readers. The site features plant-based versions of dishes such as curries, noodles, flatbreads and island-inspired favorites, alongside other vegan cooking ideas.

A good place to begin: open the Mauritian recipe collection and choose one dish whose central ingredients you can source. Instead of buying every new spice at once, identify what the recipe actually uses and how you might reuse it. Read the author’s background and recipe notes; context is part of appreciating a cuisine, not merely reproducing a list of ingredients.

Best suited to: readers curious about Mauritian plant-based meals and new spice combinations.

4. The Curious Chickpea — a broad international vegan recipe library

Visit The Curious Chickpea

The Curious Chickpea offers vegan cooking inspired by many food traditions, including dishes such as Indian-style dals and curries, noodles, pizza and vegetable-based comfort meals. The archive is broad enough for readers to explore several styles without assuming they all share the same ingredients or cultural history. New recipes have not been added since 2023, but the archive is still online.

A good place to begin: choose a legume-based main dish—perhaps dal or a bean curry—then read the seasoning steps. Notice when aromatics are cooked, when spices are added and when acidic ingredients appear. These details influence the result at least as much as which bean you use.

Best suited to: adventurous home cooks who want a broad range of vegan dinner ideas.

5. Full of Plants — bold flavors and cooking projects

Visit Full of Plants

Full of Plants is a plant-based recipe site with savory dishes, sauces and creative uses of tofu and other ingredients. It can be a source of ideas when you have mastered a few simple meals and want to understand how texture, marinades and homemade components change the result.

A good place to begin: select one simple component—such as a sauce or tofu preparation—before choosing a multi-stage cooking project. Look at the recipe’s required equipment and timings. An appealing photograph can make a complex dish look effortless, but a realistic plan is what helps a home cook succeed.

Best suited to: readers who enjoy experimentation and learning new plant-based techniques.

How to use global vegan recipes respectfully and successfully

A recipe blog may offer family traditions, personal adaptations, restaurant-inspired dishes or creative fusion ideas. Those are not interchangeable categories. When an author describes a recipe as inspired by a particular cuisine, keep that language rather than presenting it as the only authentic way to cook the dish. Regional variation, family preference and ingredient availability can all affect the result.

Start by reading the author’s introduction and notes, especially when a food or ingredient is unfamiliar. Use the recipe’s own name and cite the original author if you share a link. If you make substantial substitutions, describe your version accurately instead of suggesting it represents an entire culture. Curiosity and proper attribution make food exploration more rewarding.

Build a small vegan pantry for flavorful meals

You do not need to buy every ingredient featured in all five blogs. Instead, choose one cuisine or cooking style to explore at a time, then build a modest pantry around meals you will actually cook. Many vegan meals can start with rice or noodles, canned beans, vegetables and a protein source such as tofu or lentils.

For flavor, the useful categories are often more important than exact brands: saltiness, acidity, aromatics, gentle sweetness and heat. Depending on your chosen recipe, you might use soy sauce or another savory seasoning, vinegar or citrus, ginger or garlic, a sweetener and chili. These are examples, not universal substitutes; soy sauce, for instance, may contain wheat, and some commercial sauces contain fish or other animal ingredients. Always check labels and allergies.

For dishes inspired by Vietnamese cooking, dipping sauces and herbs may matter as much as the main ingredient. For Mauritian-inspired dishes, particular spice combinations and preparations matter. For tofu-based meals, pressing, marinating or cooking technique can transform texture. Follow the specific site’s directions rather than applying one shortcut to every cuisine.

Choose a first international vegan dinner

If you are deciding what to cook tonight, follow this simple process:

1. Pick one blog that matches the flavor profile you are curious about.
2. Choose a main dish with familiar equipment and a feasible cooking time.
3. Check the ingredient list for animal products, allergens and specialty ingredients.
4. Make a shopping list of only the items you truly need.
5. Read the complete method before beginning, including any soaking, resting or marinating time.
6. Prepare aromatics, vegetables and sauce ingredients ahead of quick cooking steps.
7. Take notes on flavors you enjoyed, then explore another dish from that cuisine or author.

Avoid turning every recipe into a complex weekend project. A simple noodle bowl can be just as satisfying as a dish with several homemade components. The best first attempt is one that leaves you eager to cook again.

Tips for plant-based substitutions

Ingredients such as fish sauce, shrimp paste, oyster sauce, meat broth, dairy and eggs can appear in traditional or restaurant versions of some dishes. A vegan adaptation may use a specific alternative, but substitutions should be chosen for the role they play. For example, some ingredients provide salinity, others fermentation depth, fat, binding or texture. The right replacement depends on the recipe, and flavor will not always be identical.

Do not assume a packaged product is vegan simply because the front label says “plant-based.” Read the ingredient list, and look for milk, egg, fish and other animal-derived ingredients. When shopping for a guest, ask about allergies separately. Vegan labels do not guarantee that foods are soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or suitable for every dietary need.

How this guide differs from a general blog directory

A general list of vegetarian and vegan blogs helps you discover creators. Here the focus is narrower: learning plant-based cooking through flavor and cultural context. Each of these five sites can introduce you to a technique, a staple or a style of meal. The descriptions are not paid endorsements, popularity rankings or a substitute for the recipes’ original instructions.

Choose a site based on what you want to learn: Vietnamese-style sauces, Asian-inspired tofu dishes, Mauritian home cooking, a broad global recipe archive or more involved vegan cooking techniques. Follow the authors’ current guidance, since recipe collections and ingredient recommendations change over time.

Questions readers ask

Where can I find vegan Vietnamese recipes?

The Viet Vegan maintains a Vietnamese recipe section with vegan takes on dishes and condiments. Read each recipe’s notes for ingredients and preparation details.

Are Asian-inspired vegan dishes automatically gluten-free?

No. Wheat-based noodles, soy sauce and other ingredients may contain gluten. Check the recipe and product labels if you need a gluten-free meal.

What is Mauritian vegan food?

It refers to plant-based dishes inspired by Mauritius’s varied culinary traditions. Veganlovlie offers a dedicated collection that can serve as a starting point for learning about these foods.

Can I replace fish sauce with soy sauce?

Not as a universal one-to-one rule. Those products contribute different aromas and flavors. Follow a tested vegan adaptation or use the recipe author’s recommended alternative.

Start with one flavor, then keep exploring

You do not need a world tour of shopping trips to explore vegan food. Choose one of these blogs, make one realistic dish, and learn what makes it taste the way it does. A few sauces, techniques and pantry staples can open the door to many more meals over time.

For general vegetarian and vegan websites, see our food blogs showcase. If you prefer everyday vegetarian meal planning, our companion guide to five vegetarian recipe blogs for easy everyday meals is a more targeted starting point.

Your turn: What plant-based dish from another food tradition have you enjoyed cooking? Share an idea in the comments and credit the original creator if a specific recipe inspired you.

A good vegetarian food blog does more than offer a beautiful plate of food. It helps you answer the question that arrives most evenings: what can I cook with the time, budget and ingredients I actually have? Whether you are newly vegetarian, cooking for a mixed-diet household or simply trying to eat more meatless dinners, the most useful recipes are the ones you can repeat and adapt.

This guide introduces five vegetarian food blogs with different strengths. Each has a real, browseable recipe collection. The suggestions below are an editorial reading guide, not a ranking based on traffic, taste tests or paid promotion. We have not cooked or independently tested every recipe featured on these sites. The point is to help you choose a starting place—and then make the recipes work in your own kitchen.

The original post on Veggie-Blog was a personal announcement about a review of the author’s former Groovy Vegetarian blog in 2007. That is part of the site’s history, but it no longer helps someone planning tonight’s dinner. This updated page puts practical vegetarian cooking first. The featured image is an AI-generated illustration, not a screenshot of any of the blogs below.

Five vegetarian blogs worth exploring

1. Easy Cheesy Vegetarian — approachable weeknight cooking

Visit Easy Cheesy Vegetarian

This is a useful place to begin if you want dinner to feel manageable, especially when several people in the household have different preferences. Its collections include quick meals, casseroles, one-pot dinners and familiar comfort foods. Cheese and other dairy ingredients appear in a number of recipes, so don’t assume every dish is vegan.

Try this browsing approach: find one short-preparation dinner for a busy night and one bean- or lentil-based recipe for a meal with leftovers. Build your shopping list around ingredients they share, such as canned tomatoes, onions or spinach. If a recipe uses a particular cheese, choose a vegetarian-suitable alternative when that matters to you.

Best suited to: cooks who want straightforward ingredients and dinner ideas that feel practical rather than elaborate.

2. Oh My Veggies — browse by dish type

Visit Oh My Veggies

Some evenings you know you want a soup, pasta or tray-bake, but you haven’t decided on the exact flavor. Oh My Veggies offers broad vegetarian and vegan categories, making it useful for this style of browsing. The site is not exclusively vegan; recipes should be checked individually for eggs, dairy and other ingredients.

Try this browsing approach: start with a familiar dish type, then compare two alternatives based on ingredients you already own. If one calls for a specialty purchase you probably won’t use again, save it for later and pick the simpler option today. You can also browse vegetarian main dishes and soups when planning a few meals at once.

Best suited to: readers who like to search by course or ingredient rather than follow a rigid weekly plan.

3. Naturally Ella — vegetables, grains and pantry knowledge

Visit Naturally Ella

Naturally Ella is useful when you want to cook around produce, grains and cooking components instead of treating vegetables as a side dish. Seasonal vegetables, beans, grains and thoughtful sauces make the food flexible. The site’s collections also encourage learning small techniques you can reuse, rather than buying a completely different cupboard of ingredients for each recipe.

Try this browsing approach: choose a vegetable that is inexpensive and good-quality where you shop, then find two possible uses for it. A roasted vegetable might become dinner one night and a grain-bowl topping the next. Keep a simple sauce or dressing in mind to change its flavor.

Best suited to: people who enjoy seasonal shopping and want to get more use from pantry staples.

4. 101 Cookbooks — vegetarian whole-food inspiration

Visit 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks, by Heidi Swanson, focuses on vegetarian food with frequent vegan options. The extensive recipe archive emphasizes everyday cooking with vegetables, grains, beans, soups and herbs. It is especially useful if your favorite meals depend on satisfying textures and seasonings rather than meat substitutes.

Try this browsing approach: choose a soup or grain dish, then write down a couple of supporting components you already have—perhaps cooked lentils, toasted seeds, a citrus dressing or sautéed greens. If one dish looks ambitious, use the flavor combination as inspiration for a simpler meal instead of treating the instructions as an all-or-nothing challenge.

Best suited to: home cooks interested in whole-food ingredients and broadening their vegetarian repertoire.

5. Vegetarian Ventures — creative seasonal cooking

Visit Vegetarian Ventures

Vegetarian Ventures offers a recipe archive that includes breakfast, brunch, vegetable-focused dishes and recipes suited to gathering people around a table. Its biggest value in this collection is inspiration: ideas for taking familiar seasonal ingredients in a new direction. Some recipes are more involved than a twenty-minute weeknight dinner, which is fine when you are planning ahead. New posts have been rare since 2023, but the recipe archive is still online.

Try this browsing approach: choose one dish to make on a weekend or for guests. Read the ingredient list before committing, check which components you can prepare earlier and decide whether a simpler side will balance the meal. For strictly vegan cooking, check for ingredients such as eggs, butter, cheese or honey.

Best suited to: cooks who want occasional creative projects as well as familiar vegetarian meals.

Which vegetarian blog should you start with?

If you are completely new to vegetarian cooking, first choose a recipe with a short ingredient list and one main cooking method. Easy Cheesy Vegetarian can be a helpful first stop for quick dinners; Oh My Veggies offers a wide category-based index. If you already cook a few vegetarian meals but want more variety, look at Naturally Ella or 101 Cookbooks for new combinations of familiar vegetables, pulses and grains. Save Vegetarian Ventures for inspiration when you have time to enjoy the process.

The ideal starting point depends less on which site is most famous and more on your real constraints. Consider how much active cooking time you have, whether you need leftovers, and whether you are feeding people who prefer mild flavors or recognizable dishes. A vegetarian recipe you repeat comfortably is more useful than a complicated one you save and never make.

Plan a week of dinners from several blogs

Rather than printing five unrelated recipes, use a small planning framework that keeps ingredients manageable:

1. One bean or lentil dinner. A chili, curry, stew or pasta sauce provides an easy foundation.
2. One vegetable-forward pasta. Combine a seasonal vegetable with a sauce and a satisfying protein component.
3. One grain bowl or warm salad. Use cooked rice, bulgur or another grain with vegetables and a dressing.
4. One comforting tray-bake or casserole. This is useful when you want the oven to do much of the work.
5. One flexible leftovers night. Turn cooked vegetables and beans into wraps, tacos, fried rice or soup.

You can source ideas for each category from any of the five blogs. Check what overlaps before shopping. For example, spinach can appear in pasta, a grain bowl and a bean stew; a bag of carrots can go into soup, salads and a roasted tray-bake. This is a planning technique, not a claim that specific recipes from different websites have been tested together. If you would rather follow one ready-made plan, our five-dinner vegetarian budget plan comes with a shared shopping list.

Check the label, not just the recipe title

A vegetarian recipe can still contain eggs, milk, butter, cheese or honey, so read the ingredient list if you need a vegan meal. Some ingredients deserve extra attention: certain cheeses are made with animal-derived rennet, and formulations vary by brand and country, so check the product you are actually buying. Our food blogs showcase explains the vegetarian and vegan difference in more detail.

Get more from recipe blogs without spending more

Use a recipe as a method as well as a set of instructions. When a recipe teaches you how to brown mushrooms, season beans or roast vegetables, that technique can help with many other dinners. Keep a running list of pantry items that regularly appear in meals you enjoy. Frozen vegetables, dried or canned pulses, pasta, rice and tomatoes can make an easier starting point than repeatedly buying specialty foods.

For budgeting, compare cost per serving against what you realistically eat and save; our budget vegetarian meals guide has more pantry-staple ideas. Cooking a large batch only helps if the leftovers are stored safely and actually used. For time savings, make one component that can appear in multiple meals, but avoid preparing everything in advance if it makes the food less enjoyable. Pay attention to food-safety instructions when cooling and refrigerating leftovers.

Good recipe-blog habits for readers

Give credit where it is due. If a blogger publishes a recipe you enjoy, link to the original recipe rather than reproducing all its instructions on your own site. A link can help readers find the complete method and any corrections the author makes later. Before changing ingredients, review notes about texture, allergens and baking chemistry; substitutions are easier in soups than in precise baked goods.

Photographs are useful for understanding how a finished dish may look, but food photographs alone do not establish that a recipe will suit your taste. Cooking time also varies with equipment, chopping speed and ingredient size. Choose recipes that suit your situation and read them from start to finish before turning on the stove.

Questions readers ask

What is the best vegetarian food blog for beginners?

There is no single objective winner. Look for one with clear ingredients, reasonable cooking times and familiar methods. Easy Cheesy Vegetarian and Oh My Veggies are two useful starting places for exploring approachable vegetarian dishes.

Can I plan a whole week of meals from vegetarian blogs?

Yes. Choose a small mix of dishes—such as one lentil meal, pasta, soup, a tray-bake and a leftovers meal—then combine overlapping ingredients into one shopping list.

Do I need expensive meat alternatives?

No. Beans, lentils, tofu, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds can form the basis of many satisfying vegetarian meals. Choose according to your needs and budget.

How can I tell whether cheese is vegetarian?

Check packaging or the manufacturer’s information, especially if avoiding animal-derived rennet. Products differ by brand and region.

A good place to begin tonight

Open the blog that matches your next meal, choose one recipe you can actually cook with today’s time and budget, and make a small note about what worked. In a month, you could have several dependable meatless dinners without buying an entirely new kitchen’s worth of ingredients.

For a broader selection across vegetarian and vegan styles, see our five vegetarian and vegan food blogs worth following. If you want to cook dishes from other food traditions, our companion guide to five international vegan recipe blogs is a good next step. And if you are thinking about publishing your own recipes, our guide to starting a vegetarian food blog covers the basics.

Your turn: Which vegetarian dish do you return to again and again? Share your favorite meal idea in the comments—without pasting someone else’s complete recipe.

The featured image in this post is an AI-generated illustration.

I have all my blogs (including this one) hosted on blogger.com but have always felt constricted by bloggers limitations and lack of extras. I have decided to make the switch from blogger to wordpress and a friend over at blog catalog has been gracious enough to create a post over at his blog, detailing the how-to step by step. The article is great for beginners and non-techies, like me. You are the man, Chang! I also plan to install a custom or third party theme, something with a greenish background and more white space than i have now. The cool thing about Word Press, is the plug-ins available which will add additional functionality to my blog. I am excited about the move and the many more changes i have in store for Veggie-Blog.

My aim is to make this blog a go-to blog for vegetarians looking for information, entertainment, and product news within the vegetarian lifestyle.

Thanxs for reading, commenting, and being my friend.
Missy.

read more | digg story

UPDATE: I have created my new vegetarian blog, Groovy Vegetarian, it has a shiny brand new name and look. It is empty, but soon it will have great content and it will launch officially, on or around July 4th. Please visit, and let me know what you think. Thx, Missy.