There's nothing like sitting down for a large, delicious family meal that you can enjoy with plenty of plant-based options available. We know not everyone is fully plant-based, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy plant-based food for Easter.
We don’t want anyone to be left out of enjoying a lovely dinner just because they decide to pass up the meat and dairy—and we don’t want anyone who does eat meat and dairy to miss out on these delicious plant-based dishes.
Incorporating a few plant-based dishes into this year’s Easter is a great way to cut back on your animal product consumption and introduce your family and friends to yummy new foods. They might not even realize these dishes are plant-based until they’ve licked their plates clean.
If you want to bring more plant-based and vegan recipes to Easter dinner, we have recipes for everything from appetizers to sides to mains and dessert. You’ll leave dinner with everyone asking you to share this recipe with them so they can enjoy them on any special occasion (or, like, a Tuesday). Keep reading to discover your next favorite plant-based dish.
Appetizers
You may want to have plant-based snacks available before dinner’s ready, and luckily many hors d'oeuvres are already plant-based. Of course, mixed nuts or a vegetable platter are a classic treat before the main meals are served for guests to enjoy and keep their energy up.
Still, we’ve included a few more options for you to choose from if you want to shake things up:
Spring Pea Dip
We highly recommend a Spring Pea Dip if you want to serve a dip with your assorted vegetable platter and crackers. For this creamy and tasteful dip, you will need a food processor or blender. You can also chop everything up and mash it together by hand, but a little extra help from the processor doesn’t hurt.
This recipe is set to serve four people, but you can adjust it according to how many people you are looking to have over. For ingredients, you will need:
- 2 cups of thawed frozen green peas
- 2 inches of grated ginger
- ½ cup of raw almonds
- As many cilantro leaves and stems as you want
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Add all the ingredients except the olive oil into the food processor, and pulse until it’s finely chopped. Next, add the olive oil slowly as the food processor, um, processes. Continue until the mixture is nice and creamy. You can add additional spices or more lime juice as you see fit.
This recipe is great with any vegetable—carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, you name it! It also tastes great with crackers and pretzel sticks. Your friends and family will be sure to enjoy it, and it’s delightfully easy to make.
Beetroot Hummus
If you’re looking for something bright, festive, and unique, our recipe for Beetroot Hummus will be a major hit at your Easter dinner. This colorful hummus will catch the eye of everyone, from little siblings to estranged cousins, so get ready to share the recipe over and over again.
For ingredients, you will need:
- 1 ½ cups of drained canned garbanzo beans
- 3 tablespoons of tahini
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- ¼ cup of water
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- ¾ cup of shredded beetroot
- 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon of chopped capers
- Salt and pepper to taste
First, you will strain and drain the canned garbanzo beans and shred the beetroot, either with a cheese grater or a shredding tool. Add all ingredients into a blender, then blend until smooth. It will instantly be a bright pinkish-purple, and you can taste and add whatever else you think it needs.
Get ready for beets to beetcome (get it, like become?) a staple in your daily meals. They are so vibrant, and they provide fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidant properties that make them an awesome healthful ingredient. You can serve this hummus with various vegetables, crackers, and pita chips. Plus, it’ll look beautiful on your spring table. A dip and decor? We’ll take the two-for-one.
Mains and Sides
Once you sit down at the dining table, that’s when the meal gets real. Everyone is eager to dig in, and their plate is not complete without multiple delicious sides and a main dish. Here are a few of each to give you some inspiration.
Maple Glazed Tofurkey
If you want to closely replicate a maple glazed ham for your Easter main, consider this Maple Glazed Tofurkey recipe to wow everyone at the table. For this dish, set your oven to 350 F and grab the following ingredients:
- 1 Tofurkey
- 20-25 whole cloves
- ⅓ cup of brown sugar
- ¼ cup of white wine or apple juice
- 1 tablespoon of applesauce
- ¼ teaspoon of ground mustard seed
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- Crushed pink Himalayan salt
- Crushed black peppercorns
Create a criss-cross pattern on your Tofurkey, and stick bamboo skewers into each diamond. Then, gently stick the cloves fully into the openings you created until the stem is inserted and the bud is showing. Place the Tofurkey into a baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients—minus the cloves and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Brush this mixture all over the Tofurkey, and make sure to get into all the cracks and crevices.
Place the Tofurkey in the oven for 10 minutes after completing this step. After 10 minutes, take it out and reapply more glaze. You will repeat this step 3 times and bake the dish for 30 minutes total.
After the 30 minutes have gone by, take it out and let it rest for several minutes before placing the remaining maple syrup all over. People will be drawn to its sweet, mouthwatering smell. We’re getting hungry just thinking about it 😉
Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
At most Easter dinners, you will find a variety of vegetable plates available for an easy side dish. Some aren’t going to be fully plant-based and might incorporate butter or dairy products in the recipe, so bringing your own never hurts. And who doesn’t love a good brussel sprout recipe?
With our Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts, you can enjoy a savory side for Easter dinner. All you need is:
- 1 ½ pounds of halved brussels sprouts
- 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- ¾ tsp of pink Himalayan salt
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tsp of maple syrup
- Black pepper to taste
Mix everything together in a bowl, then place it on a baking sheet. Bake the Brussel sprouts at 425 F for 18 to 20 minutes, then serve immediately.
It’s easy, relatively messless, and extremely delicious with the Maple Glazed Tofurkey (wink, wink).
Dessert
Okay, we wouldn’t be surprised if you skipped to this part first. Who doesn’t love an amazing and delicious plant-based dessert? Here are some sweet treats that your Easter guests will love:
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Mousse is a classic dessert that almost no one can turn down. It’s creamy and decadent when done right, and what’s more impressive than serving your own plant-based chocolate mousse?
This Thistle recipe serves four people, so you can multiply it to fit however many servings you will need. For ingredients, you will need:
- 2 ⅔ cups of diced soft tofu
- ¾ cup of dark chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp of maple syrup
- ¼ tsp of pink Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp of your favorite flavoring, like vanilla, cinnamon, or hazelnut
Melt the chocolate down in a microwave-safe bowl, and let it cool for a few minutes. In a food processor, put together the tofu and maple syrup until it’s well blended and smooth. Add in the melted chocolate and flavoring of your choice, then blend. Place the mixture into their serving cups and then chill them so that they can firm up and form a mousse-like texture.
Everyone will be dying to get their hands on this mousse, so don’t expect leftovers. Have some coconut, toasted nuts, or cookie crumbles on the side for everyone to sprinkle on top, and thank us later.
Strawberry Easter Eggs
This is a very simple (almost last-minute) dessert that you can bring that everyone will enjoy. All you need is some melted plant-based chocolate, fresh strawberries, and a baking sheet. You can add food coloring to your chocolate to create various festive Spring colors.
Melt the chocolate down in a microwave-safe bowl and dip your strawberries into the mixture. Place the covered strawberries on the baking sheet and line them up. Once you have dipped every strawberry, you can place it in the fridge to chill for 45 minutes.
These are bound to be a hit, and they’re a fun activity to boot. Don’t forget to keep a few hidden in your fridge for later.
Plant-Based Meals With Thistle
If you want to incorporate more plant-based meals into your everyday life—not just on Easter—consider signing up with Thistle. We provide plant-based and delicious meals for all times of the year, delivered right to your door. Whether you need help with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Thistle has got you covered.
We want you and your loved ones to find joy in more sustainable food practices, and when is a better time to start than now? Have any questions about our services? Reach out to the Thistle Team today.
Sources:
The Betty Crocker Project: Maple Glazed Holiday Roast | Meet the Shannons
Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables 1 | NCBI
The Health Benefits of Beets | Cleveland Clinic
There's nothing like sitting down for a large, delicious family meal that you can enjoy with plenty of plant-based options available. We know not everyone is fully plant-based, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy plant-based food for Easter.
We don’t want anyone to be left out of enjoying a lovely dinner just because they decide to pass up the meat and dairy—and we don’t want anyone who does eat meat and dairy to miss out on these delicious plant-based dishes.
Incorporating a few plant-based dishes into this year’s Easter is a great way to cut back on your animal product consumption and introduce your family and friends to yummy new foods. They might not even realize these dishes are plant-based until they’ve licked their plates clean.
If you want to bring more plant-based and vegan recipes to Easter dinner, we have recipes for everything from appetizers to sides to mains and dessert. You’ll leave dinner with everyone asking you to share this recipe with them so they can enjoy them on any special occasion (or, like, a Tuesday). Keep reading to discover your next favorite plant-based dish.
Appetizers
You may want to have plant-based snacks available before dinner’s ready, and luckily many hors d'oeuvres are already plant-based. Of course, mixed nuts or a vegetable platter are a classic treat before the main meals are served for guests to enjoy and keep their energy up.
Still, we’ve included a few more options for you to choose from if you want to shake things up:
Spring Pea Dip
We highly recommend a Spring Pea Dip if you want to serve a dip with your assorted vegetable platter and crackers. For this creamy and tasteful dip, you will need a food processor or blender. You can also chop everything up and mash it together by hand, but a little extra help from the processor doesn’t hurt.
This recipe is set to serve four people, but you can adjust it according to how many people you are looking to have over. For ingredients, you will need:
- 2 cups of thawed frozen green peas
- 2 inches of grated ginger
- ½ cup of raw almonds
- As many cilantro leaves and stems as you want
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Add all the ingredients except the olive oil into the food processor, and pulse until it’s finely chopped. Next, add the olive oil slowly as the food processor, um, processes. Continue until the mixture is nice and creamy. You can add additional spices or more lime juice as you see fit.
This recipe is great with any vegetable—carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, you name it! It also tastes great with crackers and pretzel sticks. Your friends and family will be sure to enjoy it, and it’s delightfully easy to make.
Beetroot Hummus
If you’re looking for something bright, festive, and unique, our recipe for Beetroot Hummus will be a major hit at your Easter dinner. This colorful hummus will catch the eye of everyone, from little siblings to estranged cousins, so get ready to share the recipe over and over again.
For ingredients, you will need:
- 1 ½ cups of drained canned garbanzo beans
- 3 tablespoons of tahini
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- ¼ cup of water
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- ¾ cup of shredded beetroot
- 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon of chopped capers
- Salt and pepper to taste
First, you will strain and drain the canned garbanzo beans and shred the beetroot, either with a cheese grater or a shredding tool. Add all ingredients into a blender, then blend until smooth. It will instantly be a bright pinkish-purple, and you can taste and add whatever else you think it needs.
Get ready for beets to beetcome (get it, like become?) a staple in your daily meals. They are so vibrant, and they provide fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidant properties that make them an awesome healthful ingredient. You can serve this hummus with various vegetables, crackers, and pita chips. Plus, it’ll look beautiful on your spring table. A dip and decor? We’ll take the two-for-one.
Mains and Sides
Once you sit down at the dining table, that’s when the meal gets real. Everyone is eager to dig in, and their plate is not complete without multiple delicious sides and a main dish. Here are a few of each to give you some inspiration.
Maple Glazed Tofurkey
If you want to closely replicate a maple glazed ham for your Easter main, consider this Maple Glazed Tofurkey recipe to wow everyone at the table. For this dish, set your oven to 350 F and grab the following ingredients:
- 1 Tofurkey
- 20-25 whole cloves
- ⅓ cup of brown sugar
- ¼ cup of white wine or apple juice
- 1 tablespoon of applesauce
- ¼ teaspoon of ground mustard seed
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- Crushed pink Himalayan salt
- Crushed black peppercorns
Create a criss-cross pattern on your Tofurkey, and stick bamboo skewers into each diamond. Then, gently stick the cloves fully into the openings you created until the stem is inserted and the bud is showing. Place the Tofurkey into a baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients—minus the cloves and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Brush this mixture all over the Tofurkey, and make sure to get into all the cracks and crevices.
Place the Tofurkey in the oven for 10 minutes after completing this step. After 10 minutes, take it out and reapply more glaze. You will repeat this step 3 times and bake the dish for 30 minutes total.
After the 30 minutes have gone by, take it out and let it rest for several minutes before placing the remaining maple syrup all over. People will be drawn to its sweet, mouthwatering smell. We’re getting hungry just thinking about it 😉
Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
At most Easter dinners, you will find a variety of vegetable plates available for an easy side dish. Some aren’t going to be fully plant-based and might incorporate butter or dairy products in the recipe, so bringing your own never hurts. And who doesn’t love a good brussel sprout recipe?
With our Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts, you can enjoy a savory side for Easter dinner. All you need is:
- 1 ½ pounds of halved brussels sprouts
- 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- ¾ tsp of pink Himalayan salt
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tsp of maple syrup
- Black pepper to taste
Mix everything together in a bowl, then place it on a baking sheet. Bake the Brussel sprouts at 425 F for 18 to 20 minutes, then serve immediately.
It’s easy, relatively messless, and extremely delicious with the Maple Glazed Tofurkey (wink, wink).
Dessert
Okay, we wouldn’t be surprised if you skipped to this part first. Who doesn’t love an amazing and delicious plant-based dessert? Here are some sweet treats that your Easter guests will love:
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Mousse is a classic dessert that almost no one can turn down. It’s creamy and decadent when done right, and what’s more impressive than serving your own plant-based chocolate mousse?
This Thistle recipe serves four people, so you can multiply it to fit however many servings you will need. For ingredients, you will need:
- 2 ⅔ cups of diced soft tofu
- ¾ cup of dark chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp of maple syrup
- ¼ tsp of pink Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp of your favorite flavoring, like vanilla, cinnamon, or hazelnut
Melt the chocolate down in a microwave-safe bowl, and let it cool for a few minutes. In a food processor, put together the tofu and maple syrup until it’s well blended and smooth. Add in the melted chocolate and flavoring of your choice, then blend. Place the mixture into their serving cups and then chill them so that they can firm up and form a mousse-like texture.
Everyone will be dying to get their hands on this mousse, so don’t expect leftovers. Have some coconut, toasted nuts, or cookie crumbles on the side for everyone to sprinkle on top, and thank us later.
Strawberry Easter Eggs
This is a very simple (almost last-minute) dessert that you can bring that everyone will enjoy. All you need is some melted plant-based chocolate, fresh strawberries, and a baking sheet. You can add food coloring to your chocolate to create various festive Spring colors.
Melt the chocolate down in a microwave-safe bowl and dip your strawberries into the mixture. Place the covered strawberries on the baking sheet and line them up. Once you have dipped every strawberry, you can place it in the fridge to chill for 45 minutes.
These are bound to be a hit, and they’re a fun activity to boot. Don’t forget to keep a few hidden in your fridge for later.
Plant-Based Meals With Thistle
If you want to incorporate more plant-based meals into your everyday life—not just on Easter—consider signing up with Thistle. We provide plant-based and delicious meals for all times of the year, delivered right to your door. Whether you need help with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Thistle has got you covered.
We want you and your loved ones to find joy in more sustainable food practices, and when is a better time to start than now? Have any questions about our services? Reach out to the Thistle Team today.
Sources:
The Betty Crocker Project: Maple Glazed Holiday Roast | Meet the Shannons
Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables 1 | NCBI
The Health Benefits of Beets | Cleveland Clinic
