16 lean recipes you'll love

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

These soups, main courses, salads and desserts are great without meat, milk and eggs.

First meal

1. Mushroom soup

Ingredients

• 200 g of champignons or other mushrooms;
• ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• a small piece of ginger;
• ¼ bulbs;
• 700 ml of water;
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper;
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• salt to taste;
• ½ bunch of green onions.

Preparation

Rinse the mushrooms, cut them into longitudinal strips or cubes. Put chopped garlic and ginger in a saucepan with heated oil. Stir, add chopped onion and cook for 1 minute. Then add the mushrooms and fry for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.

Pour in water and stir. Add pepper, soy sauce and salt after 5 minutes. Reduce heat slightly, cover and cook soup for 15-20 minutes. Add chopped green onions at the end.

2. Tomato soup with basil

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of basil
• salt to taste;
• 230 ml olive oil;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 2 kg of ripe tomatoes;
• 150 ml of water;
• 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Preparation

Separate the basil leaves from the stems and place a few in cold water. Grind the remaining leaves and salt in a mortar to a paste-like consistency. Transfer to a jar, pour in 200 ml of oil, close the lid and shake well.

Heat the rest of the oil in a saucepan. Place there finely chopped basil stalks and garlic, chopped into slices, fry for 1 minute. Then add the tomatoes, water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for another 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender.

Remove soup from heat, pour in vinegar and blend until smooth. Pour the soup into bowls, top with the basil oil and garnish with the remaining leaves.

3. Vegetable soup with beans and corn

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• salt to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 2 medium carrots;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 4 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons of ground red pepper;
• 300 g canned corn;
• 600 g canned beans;
• 900 ml of water or vegetable broth;
• ½ bunch of parsley;
• spices to taste.

Preparation

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, lightly season with salt and pepper. Fry for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the diced carrots and peppers, and the cumin and paprika. Cook for 7-9 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Place the corn and beans in a saucepan and add water or stock. You can add a vegetable bouillon cube to plain water for taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the beans are tender. Remove soup from heat.

Grind half of the soup with a blender and stir in the other half. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and spices.

4. Barley soup with vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ onion;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 2 stalks of celery;
• 2 medium carrots;
• 400 g of tomatoes in their own juice;
• 180 g of pearl barley;
• ½ teaspoon of Italian Herbs;
• 800 ml vegetable broth or water;
• 60 g spinach;
• salt to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan or saucepan, add chopped onions and garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes. Then toss in the diced celery and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes, barley, seasoning, and stock or water to the vegetables. You can add a vegetable bouillon cube to the water. Stir, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook for 30-40 minutes, until the barley is cooked. Then add the spinach, salt and pepper and mix well.

5. Spicy lentil soup

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 2 teaspoons of turmeric
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom;
• 400 g of tomatoes in their own juice;
• 400 ml coconut milk;
• 140 g red lentils;
• 850 ml of water or vegetable broth;
• salt to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• ground red pepper - to taste;
• 140 grams of spinach.

Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan or saucepan, add chopped onions and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with spices, stir and fry for another minute.

Add chopped tomatoes with juice, coconut milk, lentils, water or broth, and the rest of the seasonings to the vegetables. You can add a vegetable bouillon cube to the water. Stir, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce heat, remove the lid, and cook for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender.

Remove soup from heat, add whole or chopped spinach and stir several times.

Second courses

1. Shepherd's pie with lentils and mushrooms

Ingredients

• 200 g brown or green lentils;
• 2 onions;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 2 large carrots;
• 10 champignons or other mushrooms;
• 4 stalks of celery;
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil;
• 1 tablespoon flour;
• a few sprigs of parsley;
• salt to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 1 teaspoon herbal mixture
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 500 ml of water;
• 1 cube of vegetable broth;
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 8-10 potatoes.

Preparation

Soak lentils for 2-3 hours. Chop the onion and garlic, cut the carrots, mushrooms and celery into small cubes. Heat oil in a saucepan. Saute the onions and garlic until soft, add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add flour and mix well. Add chopped parsley, salt, pepper, herbal mixture and cinnamon.

Dissolve the bouillon cube and tomato paste in hot water and pour into a saucepan. Add lentils and cook over low heat for 40–45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the filling in a baking dish.

Peel the potatoes and boil. Leave some water in the pot and make the mashed potatoes, adding salt and pepper to taste. The water can be substituted for plant-based milk such as soy milk or coconut milk.

Spread the puree over the filling. Top it can be decorated with parsley. Bake the pie at 180 ° C for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are browned.

2. Ratatouille

Ingredients

• 800 g of tomatoes in their own juice;
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large eggplant;
• salt to taste;
• 2 large onions;
• 1 head of garlic;
• 2 bell peppers;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 2 large zucchini;
• 1 bay leaf;
• a few sprigs of marjoram or oregano;
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preparation

Place the tomatoes along with the juice on a baking sheet, mash them and sprinkle with two tablespoons of oil. Place in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the eggplant into large cubes, mix with ½ teaspoon of salt, put in a colander and let sit for 20 minutes to draw out the juice.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Throw in some chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the minced garlic and fry for another 5 minutes. Layer the diced bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper after 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant cubes, bay leaves, and herbs to the vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to simmer. Reduce heat, cover skillet with lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with vinegar and spices to taste and remove the bay leaf.

3. Rice with vegetables and tofu

Ingredients

• 250 g tofu;
• 180 g of rice;
• 4 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ground red pepper - to taste;
• 5 cloves of garlic;
• ½ bunch of green onions;
• 70 g frozen peas;
• 1 carrot.

Preparation

Cut the tofu into small cubes, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake at 200 ° C for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the rice. Combine 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, sugar, pepper and 1 minced garlic clove and add tofu to this marinade for 5 minutes. Then fry the tofu in a preheated skillet for a few minutes, turning occasionally until the pieces are browned. Place the tofu.

In the same frying pan, cook chopped garlic and onions, peas and carrots cut into slices for 3-4 minutes. Pour the soy sauce over the vegetables. Add rice, tofu, remaining marinade and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Quinoa stew

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 2 stalks of celery;
• 3 carrots;
• 300 ml of water;
• 800 g of tomatoes in their own juice;
• 400 g canned beans;
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• salt to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 80 g quinoa;
• 1/2 bunch of parsley.

Preparation

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Place chopped onion and garlic, diced celery and carrots in it. Fry for 6-8 minutes. Then add water, chopped tomatoes, beans, spices, quinoa and chopped parsley (save a few sprigs for garnish).

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

5. Pasta with chickpea and zucchini meatballs

Ingredients

• 450 g canned chickpeas;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 50 g oatmeal;
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• ½ lemon juice;
• 1 zucchini;
• 250 g pasta;
• 900 ml marinara sauce.

Preparation

Grind the chickpeas, garlic and oatmeal in a blender. You should have a viscous mass. Combine it with spices, lemon juice and grated zucchini. Do not add all of the zucchini at once so that the mass does not turn out to be watery. If this happens, add a little flour.

Roll the meatballs, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 190 ° C for 25 minutes. In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the instructions. Divide them into bowls, top the meatballs and top with marinara sauce or any other tomato sauce of your choice.

Salads

1. Salad with lentils and tomatoes

Ingredients

• 200 g lentils;
• salt to taste;
• 200 g ripe cherry tomatoes;
• 1 bunch of green onions;
• 1 bunch of parsley;
• 1 bunch of mint;
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ lemon juice;
• ground black pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Boil lentils in salted water until tender. It should become soft. Drain and cool lentils. Cut the cherry in half, chop the green onions, parsley leaves and mint leaves. Combine all ingredients, drizzle with oil, lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and stir well.

2. Vegetable salad

Ingredients

• 1 medium cabbage fork;
• 1 red onion;
• 2 stalks of celery;
• 2 carrots;
• 200 g sugar;
• 200 ml white vinegar;
• 170 ml of vegetable oil;
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• ground black pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Cut the cabbage into strips, the onion and celery into cubes, and grate the carrots. Toss vegetables with sugar. In a saucepan, combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour the dressing over the salad, stir and refrigerate. The salad will taste even better in a few days.

3. Salad with bananas and cucumbers

Ingredients

• 3 bananas;
• 2 medium cucumbers;
• a few sprigs of cilantro;
• 50 g of peanuts;
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of coconut flakes
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• salt to taste.

Preparation

Cut the bananas and cucumbers into cubes. Chop cilantro, chop peanuts with a knife. Then combine all the ingredients for the salad.

desserts

1. Lemon sponge cake with glaze

Ingredients

• 270 g flour;
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 350 g icing sugar;
• 1 lemon;
• 100 ml of vegetable oil;
• 200 ml of cold water.

Preparation

Combine flour, baking powder, 200 g icing sugar and whole lemon zest. Add the juice of half a lemon, oil and water. Stir until smooth. Place the dough in a lightly oiled dish and bake at 180 ° C for 25-30 minutes. Check the readiness with a toothpick: it should come out of the biscuit dry.

Sift the remaining icing sugar and mix with lemon juice until thick. Pour the icing over the completely cooled sponge cake.

2. Carrot cake

Ingredients

• 250 g whole grain flour;
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda;
• ¼ teaspoon of salt;
• 300 ml of water;
• 150 g dates;
• 150 g raisins;
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg;
• 1 medium carrot;
• 50 g of walnuts;
• 80 ml orange juice;
• some vegetable oil.

Preparation

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a saucepan, combine water, chopped dates, raisins, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and leave on the stove for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Grate the carrots, pour in the hot spice mixture and cool completely. Then add chopped nuts and juice and stir. Add flour mixture and mix well again. Place the dough in a greased pan and bake for 45 minutes at 190 ° C. Check readiness with a toothpick.

3. Banana cake

Ingredients

• 240 g flour;
• 1 ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• 200 g sugar;
• 60 ml of vegetable oil;
• 4 ripe bananas;
• 60 ml of water;
• vanillin - on the tip of a knife.

Preparation

Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Combine sugar and butter in another container, then add bananas mashed with a fork. Add water and vanillin, stir. Add flour mixture and stir gently. The dough should not have a uniform consistency. Place it in a baking dish and place in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 45-50 minutes. Check readiness with a toothpick.