Don’t know what to make a romantic meal? Here are six vegan Valentine’s Day recipes you can make with or for your loved ones this year.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and whether you are sharing the day with your partner, friends, or family, there’s nothing like telling someone you love them with delicious food. Yes, movie nights and handwritten cards are both thoughtful and appreciated, but who doesn’t love to be served a meal (or a few) with your favorite beverage and good conversation?
It’s not that difficult to make vegan dishes, but finding the perfect one to share can take some time. You might be tired of finding a dish you love and having to make it plant-based yourself, but with these six recipes, you don’t have to change anything!
Show that special person in your life just how much they mean to you by crafting these recipes throughout the day. From breakfast to dinner to drinks and dessert, you’ll soon be asked to make these dishes on days other than Valentine’s Day!
1. Pink Beet Pancakes
Have you ever heard of someone complaining about being served breakfast in bed? Now imagine waking up on Valentine’s Day to these lovely Pink Beet Pancakes. These pancakes are naturally dyed pink, so you don’t have to worry about artificial coloring — the beets do all the work for you!
Adding some plant-based fuel to your mornings is a great way to start Valentine’s Day, and you’ll soon find yourself craving them at all times of the day. These pancakes include agave syrup to sweeten them up a bit, but if you’re more of a savory person, you can eliminate all sugar from the recipe and serve with greens, roasted chickpeas, and hummus!
Preparing these beet pancakes isn't too different from your run-of-the-mill pancake, with the addition of the hour you’ll need to roast the beet first. You’ll need a few ingredients:
- Half of a medium beet
- Flaxseeds and water for the egg replacement
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Plant-based milk
- Coconut oil
- Agave syrup
Let your partner sleep in and enjoy a cup of coffee while you make this breakfast (or wake them up and experience making them together, whatever you prefer!). To make this breakfast pinker, include berries or pomegranate arils on top with some coconut whipped cream. Who knows, maybe this will become one of your Valentine’s Day traditions?
2. Cinnamon French Toast
Because breakfast is arguably one of the most important meals of the day, we’ve included another delicious plant-based option so that if bright pink pancakes aren’t your thing, you won’t strike out. And who doesn’t love Cinnamon French Toast?
Yes, French toast is typically meant for breakfast, but serving this at any point of the day will be sure to bring a smile to your partner’s face. This recipe takes a little less time than the Beet Pancakes but is equally delicious and great for Valentine’s Day. Served with a favorite morning beverage and some coconut whipped cream, peanut butter, or agave syrup with powdered sugar, you can’t lose!
All you need to perfect this recipe is:
- Your favorite sliced bread
- Plant-based milk
- Flaxseeds and water for an egg replacement
- Plant-based butter or coconut oil
- Maple syrup
- Cinnamon (obviously)
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Some orange zest, if you’re feeling funky
Serving these in bed might get a little messy, but over a nice cup of coffee and some early morning nature noises sounding in the background, this recipe is sure to set your day off on a good path. Your partner will be fulfilled, happy, and excited to see where the day goes!
3. Burst Tomato, Mushroom, and Garlic Creamy Pasta
In 2022, Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday, so getting together for lunch might not be possible if your work schedule won’t allow it. This next recipe doubles as a big lunch or dinner and can be enjoyed at any time as long as you share it with the people that you love!
This is a simple recipe that’s bursting with flavor. This Burst Tomato, Mushroom, and Garlic Creamy Pasta requires:
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Grape tomatoes
- Linguine pasta
- Garlic
- Plant-based butter
- Plant-based cream cheese
- Plant-based parmesan cheese
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
It shouldn’t take you more than 30 minutes to put this together, but it makes for a very refreshing lunch that will pick you up in the middle of the day.
If you can’t get together for lunch, consider making this and packing it for your partner for their lunch break. This meal could be easily warmed up at the office and is a nice way to tell the person you love that you are thinking about them! They’ll be instantly fueled up by the protein boost from the shiitake mushrooms and the bright flavor of the grape tomatoes.
4. Portobello Steaks With Pomegranate Balsamic
If you want a home-cooked dinner that will wow your date, these Portobello Steaks With Pomegranate Balsamic vinegar will do just that.
Clearly, pomegranates are in right now. They are sweet and tart and bold, and the color is fantastic. Portobello mushrooms are a good source of protein and fiber, making them a good substitute for steak.
To make this plant-based steak, you will need a few key ingredients:
- Portobello mushrooms
- Pomegranate vinegar
- Pomegranate arils
- Steak spices
- Olive oil
- Maple syrup
- Rosemary
You’re going to marinate the mushrooms and then bake them at 400 degrees. While the steaks cook, you will make a balsamic reduction and drizzle it on the steaks when they come out of the oven. This dish is a mixture of sweet and hearty flavors that make for a romantic and tasteful dinner. Feel free to enjoy this meal with a glass of red wine!
5. Black Forest Truffle
Valentine’s Day is known for the indulgence of chocolates and sweets throughout the day. You can’t go wrong with giving someone you love chocolate, but not all chocolate is plant-based. You can go out and buy plant-based chocolate at local stores, but what is more romantic than baking your own dessert? These Black Forest Truffles take about an hour to make but are worth every second!
These truffles contain alcohol, but that can easily be substituted out with apple juice! You’ll need:
- Dried cherries
- Brandy (or apple juice)
- Coconut milk
- Maple syrup
- Cacao butter
- Cacao powder
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Freeze-dried strawberries for the coating
You are first going to rehydrate the cherries over the stove with the brandy or apple juice until it is completely reduced. While this is reducing, you will begin making the truffle by melting maple syrup, cacao butter, and coconut milk and adding the vanilla extract once it’s complete. Remove it from the heat and add sea salt and sifted cacao powder. After whisking that together, you’ll add in the cherries and mix well. Place the cherries into the refrigerator.
You’ll then create the powder by blending the freeze-dried strawberries or crushing them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. After the cherry mixture has cooled down, you’ll scoop a tablespoon-sized ball of truffle mixture onto a sheet. Roll these into balls and coat them with the powder mixture you created.
You can pop them into the fridge until you are ready to eat them. You should definitely try one before serving them, just to make sure they are good!
6. Watermelon Berry Margarita
When it comes to Valentine’s Day, what people want most is quality time and thoughtful actions. It’s not always about giving your loved one an expensive gift. Sometimes more about showing them the different ways you can show up for them. If your partner is someone who likes to talk and relax while sharing a drink at night, you’re going to want to show off with this Watermelon Berry Margarita.
You’re going to need some of Thistle’s Watermelon Berry juice to complete this drink, and it’s so tasty and fun that it will be a great way to end the night! In order to complete this cocktail, you will need:
- Triple sec
- Your favorite tequila
- Our Watermelon Berry juice
- Strawberries for garnish
- Ice
If you like to add a rim to your drinks, use coarse sea salt and lime to line the glass before putting the drink in.
You will put ice halfway up in a shaker, then three parts juice, one part tequila, and ½-parts triple sec. Feel free to add lime juice too! Once shaken, pour this delicious margarita into the glass and enjoy it. Cheers!
Thistle Can Help This Valentine’s Day
Some of these recipes might come easier to you than others, and that’s okay! If you want to have an extra boost of confidence this year, try signing up with Thistle so that we can do some of the hard work for you. Plan to share some of the meals you’ll get the week of Valentine’s Day from Thistle with your loved one so that you don’t have to worry about planning out elaborate dinners.
If you are feeling adventurous, we hope that at least one of these six dishes will be the perfect way for you to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Sources:
Breakfast In Human Nutrition: The International Breakfast Research Initiative | NCBI
Mushrooms, Portabella, Raw | USDA
Shiitake Mushrooms: Health Benefits, Nutrition, And Uses | Web MD
Don’t know what to make a romantic meal? Here are six vegan Valentine’s Day recipes you can make with or for your loved ones this year.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and whether you are sharing the day with your partner, friends, or family, there’s nothing like telling someone you love them with delicious food. Yes, movie nights and handwritten cards are both thoughtful and appreciated, but who doesn’t love to be served a meal (or a few) with your favorite beverage and good conversation?
It’s not that difficult to make vegan dishes, but finding the perfect one to share can take some time. You might be tired of finding a dish you love and having to make it plant-based yourself, but with these six recipes, you don’t have to change anything!
Show that special person in your life just how much they mean to you by crafting these recipes throughout the day. From breakfast to dinner to drinks and dessert, you’ll soon be asked to make these dishes on days other than Valentine’s Day!
1. Pink Beet Pancakes
Have you ever heard of someone complaining about being served breakfast in bed? Now imagine waking up on Valentine’s Day to these lovely Pink Beet Pancakes. These pancakes are naturally dyed pink, so you don’t have to worry about artificial coloring — the beets do all the work for you!
Adding some plant-based fuel to your mornings is a great way to start Valentine’s Day, and you’ll soon find yourself craving them at all times of the day. These pancakes include agave syrup to sweeten them up a bit, but if you’re more of a savory person, you can eliminate all sugar from the recipe and serve with greens, roasted chickpeas, and hummus!
Preparing these beet pancakes isn't too different from your run-of-the-mill pancake, with the addition of the hour you’ll need to roast the beet first. You’ll need a few ingredients:
- Half of a medium beet
- Flaxseeds and water for the egg replacement
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Plant-based milk
- Coconut oil
- Agave syrup
Let your partner sleep in and enjoy a cup of coffee while you make this breakfast (or wake them up and experience making them together, whatever you prefer!). To make this breakfast pinker, include berries or pomegranate arils on top with some coconut whipped cream. Who knows, maybe this will become one of your Valentine’s Day traditions?
2. Cinnamon French Toast
Because breakfast is arguably one of the most important meals of the day, we’ve included another delicious plant-based option so that if bright pink pancakes aren’t your thing, you won’t strike out. And who doesn’t love Cinnamon French Toast?
Yes, French toast is typically meant for breakfast, but serving this at any point of the day will be sure to bring a smile to your partner’s face. This recipe takes a little less time than the Beet Pancakes but is equally delicious and great for Valentine’s Day. Served with a favorite morning beverage and some coconut whipped cream, peanut butter, or agave syrup with powdered sugar, you can’t lose!
All you need to perfect this recipe is:
- Your favorite sliced bread
- Plant-based milk
- Flaxseeds and water for an egg replacement
- Plant-based butter or coconut oil
- Maple syrup
- Cinnamon (obviously)
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Some orange zest, if you’re feeling funky
Serving these in bed might get a little messy, but over a nice cup of coffee and some early morning nature noises sounding in the background, this recipe is sure to set your day off on a good path. Your partner will be fulfilled, happy, and excited to see where the day goes!
3. Burst Tomato, Mushroom, and Garlic Creamy Pasta
In 2022, Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday, so getting together for lunch might not be possible if your work schedule won’t allow it. This next recipe doubles as a big lunch or dinner and can be enjoyed at any time as long as you share it with the people that you love!
This is a simple recipe that’s bursting with flavor. This Burst Tomato, Mushroom, and Garlic Creamy Pasta requires:
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Grape tomatoes
- Linguine pasta
- Garlic
- Plant-based butter
- Plant-based cream cheese
- Plant-based parmesan cheese
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
It shouldn’t take you more than 30 minutes to put this together, but it makes for a very refreshing lunch that will pick you up in the middle of the day.
If you can’t get together for lunch, consider making this and packing it for your partner for their lunch break. This meal could be easily warmed up at the office and is a nice way to tell the person you love that you are thinking about them! They’ll be instantly fueled up by the protein boost from the shiitake mushrooms and the bright flavor of the grape tomatoes.
4. Portobello Steaks With Pomegranate Balsamic
If you want a home-cooked dinner that will wow your date, these Portobello Steaks With Pomegranate Balsamic vinegar will do just that.
Clearly, pomegranates are in right now. They are sweet and tart and bold, and the color is fantastic. Portobello mushrooms are a good source of protein and fiber, making them a good substitute for steak.
To make this plant-based steak, you will need a few key ingredients:
- Portobello mushrooms
- Pomegranate vinegar
- Pomegranate arils
- Steak spices
- Olive oil
- Maple syrup
- Rosemary
You’re going to marinate the mushrooms and then bake them at 400 degrees. While the steaks cook, you will make a balsamic reduction and drizzle it on the steaks when they come out of the oven. This dish is a mixture of sweet and hearty flavors that make for a romantic and tasteful dinner. Feel free to enjoy this meal with a glass of red wine!
5. Black Forest Truffle
Valentine’s Day is known for the indulgence of chocolates and sweets throughout the day. You can’t go wrong with giving someone you love chocolate, but not all chocolate is plant-based. You can go out and buy plant-based chocolate at local stores, but what is more romantic than baking your own dessert? These Black Forest Truffles take about an hour to make but are worth every second!
These truffles contain alcohol, but that can easily be substituted out with apple juice! You’ll need:
- Dried cherries
- Brandy (or apple juice)
- Coconut milk
- Maple syrup
- Cacao butter
- Cacao powder
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Freeze-dried strawberries for the coating
You are first going to rehydrate the cherries over the stove with the brandy or apple juice until it is completely reduced. While this is reducing, you will begin making the truffle by melting maple syrup, cacao butter, and coconut milk and adding the vanilla extract once it’s complete. Remove it from the heat and add sea salt and sifted cacao powder. After whisking that together, you’ll add in the cherries and mix well. Place the cherries into the refrigerator.
You’ll then create the powder by blending the freeze-dried strawberries or crushing them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. After the cherry mixture has cooled down, you’ll scoop a tablespoon-sized ball of truffle mixture onto a sheet. Roll these into balls and coat them with the powder mixture you created.
You can pop them into the fridge until you are ready to eat them. You should definitely try one before serving them, just to make sure they are good!
6. Watermelon Berry Margarita
When it comes to Valentine’s Day, what people want most is quality time and thoughtful actions. It’s not always about giving your loved one an expensive gift. Sometimes more about showing them the different ways you can show up for them. If your partner is someone who likes to talk and relax while sharing a drink at night, you’re going to want to show off with this Watermelon Berry Margarita.
You’re going to need some of Thistle’s Watermelon Berry juice to complete this drink, and it’s so tasty and fun that it will be a great way to end the night! In order to complete this cocktail, you will need:
- Triple sec
- Your favorite tequila
- Our Watermelon Berry juice
- Strawberries for garnish
- Ice
If you like to add a rim to your drinks, use coarse sea salt and lime to line the glass before putting the drink in.
You will put ice halfway up in a shaker, then three parts juice, one part tequila, and ½-parts triple sec. Feel free to add lime juice too! Once shaken, pour this delicious margarita into the glass and enjoy it. Cheers!
Thistle Can Help This Valentine’s Day
Some of these recipes might come easier to you than others, and that’s okay! If you want to have an extra boost of confidence this year, try signing up with Thistle so that we can do some of the hard work for you. Plan to share some of the meals you’ll get the week of Valentine’s Day from Thistle with your loved one so that you don’t have to worry about planning out elaborate dinners.
If you are feeling adventurous, we hope that at least one of these six dishes will be the perfect way for you to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Sources:
Breakfast In Human Nutrition: The International Breakfast Research Initiative | NCBI
Mushrooms, Portabella, Raw | USDA
Shiitake Mushrooms: Health Benefits, Nutrition, And Uses | Web MD
