Changing from a typical meat-eating diet to one centered around plants can seem like a big adjustment. However, in my 15 years as a personal chef, I’ve learned there are many recipes that naturally lend themselves to plant-forward eating. Also, there are plenty of delicious plant-based swaps for your favorite meat dishes. Here are my top recipes for swapping meat for plant-based vegan options

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Top Whole Food, Plant-Based Alternatives for Meat

Between the meat alternative section at the grocery store and the plethora of produce available, there are countless ways to swap out meat for whole foods, plant-based alternatives. These are some of my favorite recipes, highlighting vegan alternatives to carnivorous dishes.

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks in Place of Chicken or Steak

A big head of cauliflower can be cut into thick, hearty steaks. The trick is to leave the core intact while cutting the cauliflower. This helps the steaks hold together, rather than crumble into florets. Once you’ve cut the steaks, you can treat them as a vegetarian substitute for meat steaks. Roast them in the oven, sear them in a cast-iron pan, or put them on the grill. Even though it’s plant-based, the goal with cooking is the same: Get a nice char on the outside and finish until tender on the inside.

Spicy Tunisian Chermoula Sauce

Hearty Vegan Portobello Mushrooms in Place of Steak

Hearty Portobello mushrooms work as a satisfying, plant-based alternative to beef. You can cut the mushrooms into big chunks that will soak up all of the flavors of a stew, like this Belgian Vegan Mushroom Stew. Portobellos also work as a wonderful vegan swap in burgers. Toss them on the grill and load up on the toppings.

Flavorful Veggie Burgers Replace Meat Burger

Speaking of burgers, making flavorful veggie burgers is a delicious way to replace traditional meat burgers. Veggie burgers are way healthier and better for the planet than meat burgers. Plus, you have endless options when it comes to flavors: Garden Veggie Chickpea Burgers, Southwestern Black Bean, Un-Beetable, and Quinoa Sliders…just to name a few.

Vegan Meat Crumbles Replace Ground Beef

One of my most recent “I Can’t Believe This is Vegan” recipes is my Best Damn Instapot Vegan Chili recipe ever! This has become my go-to recipe for fooling my carnivorous friends. Instead of ground meat, this plant-based recipe uses Abbot’s mushroom-based ground beef.  You can also use other plant-based crumbles like RollinGreens and Wholesome Provisions. Or, choose any brand you like: Impossible, Beyond, Gardein.

Mashed Chickpeas Replace Tuna and Shredded Chicken

Mashed chickpea “tu-no” salad is consistently a fan favorite when I do plant-based cooking demos around Chicago. Mashing the chickpeas creates a satisfying balance of textures: creaminess meets a bit of chunkiness. With this base, you can add your own twists however you like. I love the 10-Minute Roman Chickpea “Tu-No” Salad, full of Mediterranean flavors. Yet my Plant-Based Curry Chickpea Un-Chicken Salad packs tons of delicious Indian curry flavor. For a more traditional take, check out the classic Forks Over Knives “No-Tuna” Salad Sandwich recipe.

Crumbled Tofu Replaces Scrambled Eggs

One of my go-to recipes before I went plant-based was eggs and veggies. I made this daily, after morning workouts. Well, now I make a Vegan Tofu Scramble instead. Making a vegan tofu scramble is a lot like making an egg scramble. You can mix and match with the different types of vegetables and herbs you add. Plus, it’s packed with protein! Unlike a chicken egg scramble, though, you don’t get all of that saturated fat or cholesterol.

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Types of Cuisines That are Naturally Vegan-Friendly

Besides some classic vegan swaps, many cuisines naturally lend themselves to plant-based cooking. Indian, Thai,

Indian Food: Naturally Plant-Based

It’s no wonder that Indian food has so many delicious plant-based options: About 40% of the country consider themselves vegetarian, largely due to their Hindu beliefs. Indian cuisine relies heavily on protein-rich pulses, lentils, legumes, rice, and breads. Spiced with a rainbow of a spice cabinet, there are endless dishes to choose from. Some of my favorites are Oil-Free Indian Moong Dal Fry, Easy Chana Masala – Indian Chickpea Stew, and Smoky Masoor Red Lentil Dal. For a vast library of Indian inspirations, check out Vegan Richa.

Thai Cuisine: Fresh, Herbaceous Plant-Forward Recipes

Thai cuisine is another category that lends itself to lots of plant-forward recipes. Traditional Thai cuisine centers on noodles, rice, and flavorful curries — where the flavor is the focus and the protein is less significant. Some of my favorite plant-based Thai recipes include Spicy Thai Basil Tofu (Vegan Pad Krapow)Thai Vegan Yellow Potato Tofu Curry, Red Kuri Squash “Drunken Noodles” Curry, Green Thai Coconut Curry with Bamboo Rice, and Spicy Massaman Oil-Free Vegan Thai Curry. I also love my modernized Oil-Free Almond Butter Green Bean Pad Thai. For more ideas, check out the collection of vegan recipes at Rainbow Plant Life

Chinese Wok Magic: Tons of Plant-Based Options

Chinese food, often cooked using the magical high-heat capabilities of a wok, also lends itself to many flavorful plant-based options. Some of my favorite Chinese-inspired vegan recipes include: Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry, Quick Oil-Free Chinese Eggplant Stir-Fry, Vegan Sesame Tofu Green Bean Stir-Fry, High Protein Vegan Tofu and Cabbage Egg Roll Bowl, Plant-Based Oil-Free “Happy” Black Fried Rice, and Spicy Broiled Szechuan Green Beans and Snap Peas.

Mexican Plant-Based Cuisine: Rice, Beans, Corn, and Peppers

Similar to Thai cuisine in that the flavors can ousthine the protein, Mexican cuisine centers on many plant-based staples. Rice, beans, corn, and peppers create the backbone to many of the flavorful salsas, moles, and maiz that appear in Mexican cuisine. Some of my go-to classic Mexican recipes are Charred Mushroom Poblano Tacos, Vegan Green Chili Potato Tacos, Stewed Black Beans, Easy Red Enchilada Black Bean Mexican Casserole, Easy One Pot Mexican Quinoa, Vegan Tortilla Soup with Hominy, and Chipotle Black Bean Soup

Italian: Simple Ingredients Shine

Italy, the land of pasta, is another part of the world that celebrates seasonal plant-based ingredients. Now, Italian food also likes to use a bit of meat and dairy (cheese on everything) in its classic cooking. However, it’s quite easy to modify most Italian dishes by either swapping out the cheese or omitting it. Some of my favorite Italian pasta dishes include: Creamy Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta, Spicy Zucchini White Bean Vegan Protein Pasta, 1-pot Green Chickpea Pasta with Broccolini and Oil-Free Vegan Basil Pesto, Spicy Calabrian Style Whole Wheat Plant-Based Pasta, Gemelli Pasta with Leeks, Corn, and Zucchini Ribbons, and Winter Pasta with Chard, Mushrooms, and Walnut White Bean Sauce

My favorite non-pasta vegan Italian recipes include: Vegan Mushroom Pea Italian “Farro-tto”, Oil-Free Vegan Italian Eggplant Caponata, Italian Winter Minestrone Soup, Big ‘Ole Italian Chickpea Salad and Vegan Italian Stuffed Artichokes

Greek Food: Give Me ALL of the Vegan Sides

Similar to Italian cuisine in that it highlights seasonal, Mediterranean ingredients, Greek cuisine offers a bounty of inspiration for plant-based cooking. You may have to dig a little deeper than the lamb kabobs and chicken souvlaki. Rather, go directly to the “Sides” section of a Greek menu. That’s where you’ll find the Orzo Pasta Salad with Dill, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes, Oil-Free Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes, Tomatoes Stuffed with Greek Cauliflower “Rice”, and Gigantes Plaki: Greek Giant Lima Beans with Stewed Tomatoes.

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Make These?  Let me Know!

If you give any of these bean recipes a try, let me know!  Leave a comment, or take a picture and tag it @chefkatiesimmons or #plantsule on Instagram.

Peace and chickpeas, Chef Katie