Easy Vegetarian Pho

This vegan pho recipe is a simple take on the classic Vietnamese noodle soup. It gets its rich flavor from spices and mushrooms instead of meat.

A vegan pho recipe has been on my “to make some day” list for a long time. I got the idea from a Vietnamese restaurant just a short walk away from our house. Their mushroom pho is has a richly spiced broth and loads of slurpy noodles. It’s hot, flavorful, and comforting, but it still feels nice and fresh. After enjoying bowls upon bowls of their delicious soup, I’ve finally made my own vegetarian pho recipe to share with all of you. What is Pho? If you’re not familiar with pho (pronounced “fuh”), it’s a Vietnamese noodle soup that features…

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Healthy Vegan Dinner Recipes

11 of our favorite plant-based dinner options. They're healthy, filling and vegan - most can also be made gluten-free.

Raise your hand if you may have had a little too much chocolate and red wine yesterday while celebrating Valentine’s Day. Suffice it to say, I’m getting a slow start to my week, but I plan to recover by catching up on my vegetable intake over the next few days. Here are a few delicious vegan dinners that are favorites in our house. I hope you love them too! Pictured above: Spicy Sweet Potato Avocado Tostadas (if you don’t have cherry tomatoes, use jarred salsa instead) Millet Cakes with Carrots & Spinach / Sesame Broccoli Shiitake Stir Fry Pictured above: Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce Chili-Orange Veggie Bowl / Vegan…

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Mini Potato Pizzas

Mini Potato Pizzas are the perfect easy & healthy party appetizer.

If there’s any vegetable that’s under-represented on this blog, it has to be the potato. If you take a glance at our recipe index, you’ll notice that I while I have a mild obsession with sweet potatoes, I often skip over other potato varieties. But I have to tell you, I’m in love with all potato varieties (russets, red, whites, blues, the list goes on…), which are especially great for entertaining. These little pizzas are SO delicious and so so easy. A perfect appetizer to serve this Sunday for the big game. To make these, first seek out some colorful pretty petite potatoes. Ok, just kidding, if you…

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Roasted Cauliflower Steaks

This roasted cauliflower steaks recipe is a showstopping main dish! I serve them over creamy romesco sauce & top them with lemon zest & pine nuts.

Cauliflower is one mighty veggie – it’s can transform into rice, a creamy dip or queso, and even mashed potatoes! But sometimes, I crave it made simply. This caramelized cauliflower steak recipe is what I make on those days. Golden brown, tender, and savory, these roasted cauliflower steaks have become one of my favorite vegetarian main dishes. They’re not a side salad trying to be a meal, and there’s no fake meat. Who knew a slab of cauliflower could be so satisfying? How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Steaks Making a cauliflower steak isn’t difficult, but you do have to be…

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Greek Salad Flatbread Pizza

Love salad? Love pizza? Then enjoy the best of both worlds with this fresh, fun Greek salad flatbread pizza! It's an easy, delicious 30-minute dinner.

If you love Greek salad but you also love pizza, then this flatbread pizza recipe is for you. It’s a genius mashup of those two yummy things: classic Greek salad ingredients – olives, tomatoes, onions, feta, romaine, and artichokes – over a hearty whole wheat pizza crust. I wish I could take credit for this fantastic combination, but today the recipe (and all of the ingredients to make it), came from Hello Fresh, the healthy meal kit delivery service. We tried out their veggie box last week and are here to report back with our stamp of approval! Greek Salad Flatbread Pizza…

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Linguine with Fennel & Winter Greens

Just 10 ingredients - including balsamic, sage, and caramelized onions - make this simple pasta so delicious that I always go back for seconds.

Before I get to today’s recipe, I have some exciting news for you – do you remember this trip to Sonoma that I went on a few months ago? Well now it’s your chance to go on that exact same trip, hosted by the lovely folks at Fortessa. You’ll get to stay at the gorgeous Fairmont hotel, attend cooking class at the original Williams Sonoma Store, and of course have amazing food and wine the whole time. It was tons of fun (click here to enter) my fingers are crossed for you! Now back to the recipe! This pasta is super easy, yet…

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Lemon Pesto Spaghetti Squash

Vegan, gluten-free, or none of the above? You'll love this flavorful pesto spaghetti squash bowl filled with spinach, roasted cauliflower & pine nuts.

Back by popular demand – spaghetti squash! If you’ve been following for long you’ll know that I haven’t always been the biggest fan of it. But here’s what I’ve learned: it’s best to get the “spaghetti” thought out of your mind. As pasta, it’s kind of mushy. As a roasted vegetable that happens to form into little strands, it’s so delicious. Especially with a squeeze of lemon and a few dollops of pesto. And if you’re new to this veggie, check out my guide to how to cook spaghetti squash to find my best tips for cooking it. For texture…

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Bok Choy Stir Fry

My favorite baby bok choy recipe! Plenty of veggies and a tangy ginger garlic sauce make this easy stir fry a delicious, flavorful weeknight meal.

Stir fry was probably the first healthy-ish meal I learned to make, although it used to look nothing like this. When I was in college, I’d stock up on frozen vegetables because I was broke and they were 4 for $1 at Publix. I’d mix the frozen veggies with instant brown rice and drown it all in soy sauce. While I appreciated the bargain, that dinner was “healthy” for healthy’s sake, and I’d try to convince myself it was delicious while my roommates all ate pizza. Now, I love to make this actually delicious stir fry with lots of fresh vegetables, like baby bok…

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Chickpea & Cauliflower Tomato Stew

A hearty & healthy vegetable minestrone stew topped with kale pesto. Perfect for cold winter nights or make ahead lunches. Vegan and gluten free.

We’re en route to snowy Chicago today and I’m trying to think warm thoughts. Yes, I grew up there, but I’m such a baby about winter. Scraping car windows, not being able feel my fingers & toes – I did it for years & it’s just not my thing. BUT I’m excited to spend a little time with my family, eat some good food, and probably cook a little. On the menu, obviously, will be warm food like this hot & hearty vegetable-packed soup. This is my take on minestrone although it’s a little less than traditional – it’s in between…

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Winter Farro & Kale Salad

This 6-ingredient winter kale salad is sweet & salty, crunchy & crisp, and it's doused in a delicious gingery dressing. Make it for an easy weekday lunch!

All you want for Christmas is a Christmas salad – right? Ok, maybe not, but in between all of the cookies and other sweet treats, doesn’t it just feel so good to eat something nourishing before your next cocktail? This salad is packed with so many things that I crave, like dark leafy kale and hearty farro; and to make it extra festive – hazelnuts and pomegranates. It’s the salad that looks like a Christmas tree. You can use either lacinato kale (pictured) or curly kale for this recipe. I usually find curly kale to be a little bit softer, but this pretty bouquet of local…

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Creamy White Bean & Tomato Soup

A delicious, healthy & comforting tomato soup thickened with blended white beans. Leftovers are great for packed lunches! Vegan, gluten-free, and simple.

It’s been a soupy week around here. I’ve said it probably one hundred times before, but I just love the process of making soup. It makes me feel grounded and fancy all at the same time. Simmering flavorful things in a pot (with a glass of wine on the side) is my idea of a perfect night. It could be Tuesday night, it could be Friday night – it doesn’t matter to me. I made this one last weekend when my mom came to visit and again a few days later for Jack who had been out of town. The best part…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.