Whether you’re a new vegan or have been cooking without animal products for a long time, sometimes it can be hard to get inspired. You might find yourself rotating the same few recipes, or feeling stuck when it comes to dinnertime. There are loads of great places to get inspiration for new vegan recipes, and we’ve listed a few below.
1. Instagram
Instagram is perfect for everyday recipe inspiration – look out for accounts with daily pictures of each meal. Following accounts like this is a great way to get an idea of what you can eat on a day to day basis, and you won’t feel overwhelmed by lots of fancy recipes. Getting simple ideas on things like what to spread on your toast, take out as a snack, or cook as a quick dinner can make being vegan feel a lot easier.
For shopping tips and ideas based on products available near you, search using location-specific tags, like #veganUK, or #scottishvegan. When on holiday, tags like #veganfrance could help.
2. Pinterest
Pinterest is really handy for compiling recipes into different sections. You could create boards like, “Vegan Christmas” to save ideas for special occasions, or boards like, “Vegan Breakfast Ideas” for everyday inspiration. You can pin recipes from anywhere on the internet by pasting in the URL, so you’re not limited to what you find using the Pinterest search bar.
If there’s a favourite recipe that you’re missing since going vegan, then searching here will usually yield results. Try ‘vegan carbonara’ or ‘vegan tuna salad.’
3. Reddit
There are quite a few vegan-related subreddits, so you can choose whichever suits you. The main /r/vegan subreddit isn’t only for recipes, but you can filter using the food tag on the right hand side of the page. For dedicated recipe posts, visit /r/veganrecipes, and for pictures of vegan food, try /r/veganfoodporn. Reddit can also be a great place to get tips on cooking with certain foods or veganizing old favourite recipes.
4. Food company websites
If there’s an ingredient you use a lot and want to experiment with a little more, then checking out the manufacturer’s website is often helpful. Most websites will contain a recipes section, and you might get some ideas that you’d never even considered before. We’ve found some great vegan recipes on the Quorn website, and the Cauldron website has loads of great tofu ideas (filter using the vegan option at the top.)
5. YouTube
YouTube is a great source of inspiration. Search for ‘What I eat in a day’ videos for everyday ideas, or look for recipe channels to follow. Two of our favourites are The Vegan Corner and Peaceful Cuisine – they both show a wide range of creative recipes with clear instructions. If you’re interested in cooking with new ingredients, then watching videos on how to prepare them can be a big help. We love this tofu cooking video by The Vegan Zombie. More vegan YouTube channels are popping up all the time, so it’s definitely worth checking regularly.
6. Magazines
There are quite a few vegan magazines available in the UK now, and most include plenty of recipes. You could try Cook Vegan, Vegan Life, or Vegan Food and Living. Members of The Vegan Society receive a copy of The Vegan magazine four times a year, which usually contains some good ideas. You might also get inspiration from non-vegan magazines, like the free ones in supermarkets. Lots of recipes are easy to veganize using substitute meats, milks and cheeses.
7. Recipe books
Sometimes a new recipe book can be the best way to get inspired again. Try picking one that’s different to what you’d usually choose. If there’s a type of cuisine you’ve never tried cooking, then now could be the time to give it a go. There are plenty of vegan recipe books available on Amazon, including: Teff Love: Adventures in Vegan Ethiopan Cooking, Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen, Chinese Vegan Kitchen, and many more. It’s also worth checking local bookshops – we’ve seen plenty of vegan cookery books at good prices in The Works.
How do you get inspiration for new vegan recipes? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
If you’re interested in cooking the spicy tofu wrap pictured at the top of this page, check out our recipe here.
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Tags: inspiration, recipes, vegan