32 Healthy Recipes | FoodByMaria Recipes

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32 Easy + Vegan Healthy Recipes

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A new year means it is time for a round-up of some of my favorite healthy recipes!

In this roundup, I’ve included a full list of some of my favorite easy and vegan recipes. Everything from soups to salads, to my favorite sauces, mains, side dishes, and more!

Healthy Recipes – Soups

Vegan Tortellini Soup

Creamy tortellini soup. Can you say “COMFORT FOOD”!?! This vegan tortellini soup recipe is seriously comforting. It’s perfect for the winter months and will warm you from the inside out. Soup for me is one of my favorite things to meal prep. I love making up a big batch on Sunday and then storing it for a quick, and easy meal to grab during the week when I’m super busy. Plus, it’s so easy to load a soup up with nutrients so you are getting everything your body needs from a nutritious meal, that’s why recipes like this are great recipes to hide veggies and healthy things from your kids ;)!

Creamy Vegan Greek Lemon Rice Soup

My favorite Greek soup has turned vegan! This Greek Lemon Rice Soup is super creamy, authentic, easy, and can be whipped up in one pot. The flavors of this soup are perfect! Ingredients like the lemon flavor really ties everything together and allows for the spicy heat from ingredients like the black pepper to shine through. And the creaminess from the rice and miso really marries the soup while the miso and nutritional yeast add a certain earthiness and warmth. This soup is loaded with flavors that are well balanced and simple to make.

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Creamy Vegan Vegetable Soup

We all know I love a good bowl of soup. Nothing beats it! And homemade soup is where it is at. My creamy vegan vegetable soup is easy and fragrant recipe that can be made in one pot; it’s incredibly easy and tastes delicious. How many people out there thought the soup was complicated and time-consuming? Well, my soup recipes are simple! Because soup doesn’t need to be complicated. And this creamy vegan vegetable soup is easy, healthy, and great for meal prep or to make ahead and freeze for future meals.

This vibrant plant-based and vegan Coconut Curry Noodle Bowl comes together so easily and just like the street vendors in Thailand, all you need is one pot!

One Pot Coconut Curry Soup

For my one-pot Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup, I wanted to show you how easy it is to create depth and rich flavors in your own kitchen. The ingredient list for this soup is full of fresh vegetables including butternut squash and simple elements that you probably already have! And the best part is that like most of my soups, it can be made in one pot! This is one of my most flavorful soups that you HAVE to try! 

Roasted Tomato Soup

Soup season is upon us. Who doesn’t crave a big bowl of warm, steaming soup as the weather starts to get colder? I know I for sure do. This Vegan Roasted Tomato Soup is creamy and delicious. It’s perfect to pair with your favorite sandwich or to devour on its own. 

Looking for more of my deliciously easy soup recipes? Try these Amazing Soup Recipes.

Healthy Vegan Salads

Blood Orange Salad

This easy, fresh blood orange salad with red onion and mint can be whipped up so quickly, is loaded with health benefits, and great for a refreshing side or lunch.

Grilled Romaine Salad with Lentil & Olive Salsa

This easy-to-make grilled romaine salad recipe is topped with lentils and flavorful olive salsa. A great quick lunch or meal.

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Healthy Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocados

Tuna salad stuffed avocados, oh my! These tuna cups are the perfect mood pleaser and they don’t take hours to prepare. Packed with tangy flavor, these bad boys are sure to please any tuna salad lover. I use hints of vegan parmesan, and artichokes to really elevate this dish. It is a healthy and easy dish that will keep you full, and your body happy. 

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Quick + Easy Watermelon + Mint with Tofu Feta Salad

One of my favorite fresh salad recipes! And this is the perfect example that all salads don’t have to be green! Who doesn’t love juicy watermelon? Mixed with a mint flavor and my spin on vegan feta, it is the perfect combination to make one of the most refreshing salads to pair as a side or eat it all to yourself.

This spicy Thai sunflower noodle salad is super easy to make and allergen free thanks to its plant-based sunflower seed dressing.

Spicy Thai Sunflower Noodle Salad – Allergen Free!

Salads have come a long way from the average oil and vinegar dressing on a bed of leafy greens. People are digging the mix of fresh and raw veggies tossed in flavorful sauces, topped with pretty much anything you can think of. And my spicy Thai sunflower noodle salad is the perfect example of that. And this salad is super customizable for what ingredients you have at home, even this spicy sauce will become one of your favorites to add to other dishes! 

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New Year Quinoa Salad Meal Prep

A lot of plant-based and vegan recipes use quinoa and for good reason. This tiny grain packs some serious punch in the nutrition department. That’s why I love using it in my salads, it is a serious game changer! Along with raw veggies and beans, you can create a totally satisfying and filling plate (or jar) of greens, perfect for meal prep for those busy days. Remember – fueling our bodies with real and raw food is so important and it doesn’t have to be timely or hard. 

Israeli Couscous Tabbouleh + Dried Prunes Salad

Nothing beats a great couscous salad! And you know I like to take traditional healthy recipes and add my Maria twist! And this Israeli couscous tabbouleh + dried prunes salad is the perfect example of that! The best part of this recipe (besides the delicious ingredients)? This salad only takes 10 ingredients and hardly any time to make. Whip it up and have a delicious, flavorful side or meal. Prepare it for yourself or to impress your friends and family!

Shaved Cucumber Salad

This fresh Shaved Cucumber Salad with Wild Blueberries is vegan, delicious, and oh-so-perfect for summer. It’s fresh, it’s easy to make, and you can eat it on its own or pair it with your fav foods that are straight off the BBQ. 

Vegan Potato Salad Recipe

Oh, baby! Nothing says summer is just around the corner than a good ol’ potato salad. Okay, just kidding, summer is still a ways away. However, when I think of potato salad I think of either barbecue in the summer sun or my grandmother’s recipe. What is with grandma’s and making such amazing potato salad? Anyway, this Vegan Potato Salad Recipe is, of course, a vegan spin on a classic potato salad recipe. 

Healthy Mains & Sides

Vegan Miso Ramen

Holy moly, this Vegan Miso Ramen is so dang delicious. This recipe is easy, gut healthy, and filled with miso, kimchi, vegan bangers, with a hint of spicy you’ll love. It can be easily adapted to be vegan or non-vegan, and only takes 25-minutes to put together so it’s easy for meal prep, lunch, or dinner. I mean, what’s more comforting than a steaming bowl of ramen after all? 

Vegan Taco Meat Nachos

This perfect vegan taco meat nachos snack is great for lunches, game-day or after school. Made with walnuts, you’ll have even meat eaters guessing how you did it.

Zucchini Potato Pancakes on serving plate with dipping sauce

Zucchini Potato Pancakes

These crunchy vegan Zucchini Potato Pancakes are perfect for brunch, lunch, a snack, or an easy dinner. They are great paired with sour cream and chives for dipping.

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini & Chilli Olives 

This roasted cauliflower with tahini recipe is blasted with flavor from the lemons and fresh olives with a kick of spice.

Three Bite Vegetable Fritters

This healthy recipe for vegetable fritters is super versatile and easy to make. With delicious ingredients like lentils and quinoa, most of the ingredients for these three-bite vegetable fritters you can find in your own pantry! A little work will go into this recipe, but you can make loads at once and they’ll last one week in the fridge, or you can freeze them for up to three months.

Sweet + Spicy Lentil Curry (Healthy Meal Plan)

Who does not love Curry? And this sweet + spicy lentil curry is a perfect example of how easy it can be to eat well. This healthy food dish is filled with beautiful and exotic spices all of which are extremely important for our diet! You will feel great with this flavorful and simple curry recipe. 

Three Easy Plant-Based Meal Planning Ideas

When I am testing new recipes, there are times I have to get very specific products or ingredients. I am then left with an almost full container of something I may or may not use again. I am trying to be more aware of waste and using everything I have in my house. That’s why I have been trying to get creative and have come up with multiple recipes with a few of the same key ingredients.

Nourishing Quinoa and Bean Burger with “Thousand Island Dressing”

These Burgers are the perfect addition to your next gathering and I promise you that they will be the star of the show. They are a super delicious and nutritious spin for any burger lover and my homemade vegan “Big Mac Sauce” is the perfect addition! When asked about these juicy burgers, you can ensure all your guests that they are made from natural ingredients.

Vegan BBQ Black Bean Meatballs

Holy meatballs! I mean, veggie balls! This recipe isn’t your traditional meatball recipe because it’s completely plant-based and perfect for any vegetarian or vegan in your family. These vegan meatballs really speak for themselves. They are savoury, sweet, almost-too-much-life-meat, delicious and seriously addicting. What’s great about this healthy recipe is that these balls are so versatile and you can make them with any sauce you like. 

Food photography tricks that will help you ace food photos like this vegan spaghetti sauce in a big serving bowl.

Grandmas Pasta Sauce (25 minutes sauce)

Everyone needs a go-to sauce recipe. And my Grandma’s pasta sauce is mine! The perfect recipe, inspired by my Greek roots and family – takes minutes, uses healthy, plant-based (or vegan), natural food ingredients. Prepare in a large pot and freeze for later, these flavors all marry perfectly and really come together with each and every bite! 

Greek Style Potatoes with Avocado Dip

I love Greek Style Potatoes! They are so crispy and crunchy on the outside while staying so steamy hot and soft on the inside. The best part about this dish is all you need is two bowls for stirring and combining and that is basically it. Greek Style Potatoes involve minimal mess and leave you with time to get organized while they are still cooking.

Lentils with Spinach in serving dish with spoon in the bowl

Creamy Vegan Lentils with Spinach

Looking for a comforting meal that will warm you from the inside out while delivering the best creaminess, and healthy goodness you need to fuel your body throughout the day? Look no further than these lentils with spinach and artichokes. 

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash

If you are looking for the ultimate meal (or even side dish) for the holiday season, this is it. This Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Dukkah is so comforting with the warming taste of the maple butter, combined with the delicious flavor of in-season squash. Seriously, this recipe may be your new fav for the fall or winter.

Creamy Vegan Pasta in a large serving dish with arms reaching over to cut fresh herbs for garnish.

Vegan Garlicky Pasta

If there is one thing I know for sure, it’s that I friggin’ LOVE garlic, and there’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of creamy, tasty pasta, especially in the wintertime. This super simple creamy vegan pasta recipe is full of flavor and is one of my favorites for cooking up for dinner.

Brown Butter Vegan Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes

I love meatballs because you can do so many things with them. You can throw them in pasta, you can eat them on their own, as an appetizer, switch up the sauces to create different flavors, or switch up the fillings to make them different. Seriously there are so many different variations of meatballs out there, even for vegans. This Brown Butter Vegan Meatballs Recipe with Mashed Potatoes is so good and seriously the ultimate comfort food for the fall and winter. 

Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Does anything scream comfort food more than a big, piping hot bowl of mac and cheese? Combine that with the fall flavors of pumpkin, and you have the ultimate meal to make this fall for you and your family. This Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is easy, cheap to make, vegan, and can be made in just one-pot. 

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Parsnip Mash

This Lentil Shepherd’s Pie is going to be your new staple when you’re craving some fall/winter comfort food that warms you up. Made with lentils, and a creamy parsnip mash. The perfect twist to a classic dish that even the meat lovers in your family will love. 

Vegan Orzo with Zucchini & Lemon

Orzo is a short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice. It can be a great “noodle” for salads, and a great alternative to things like quinoa or couscous when you want something different. This Vegan Orzo Salad with creamy zucchini and lemon is so simple to create and really brings the orzo to life. A perfect recipe for a side dish, main course, or meal pre

Which one of my healthy recipes are you going to try first? Let me know what your favorite recipe is on this list, or what some of your go-to meals are in the comments below.

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