A Vegan Comfort Food Meal Plan to Chase Away the Winter Blues
Unless someone else is cooking for you, comfort food should be, well, as comforting to cook as it is to eat. Since I’m currently single (@ me, fellas) the onus lies on me to comfort myself when I’m feeling blah, or when the winter blues start to set in. If I’m in my feelings and comfort food is the only way to drag myself out of them, I guarantee you that I don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, toiling over the stove and humming The National songs to myself. Low-lift is the name of the game so I can get back to sitting and staring into the middle distance watching my stories.
Like many folks, I’ve been trying to eat less meat and more veggies and beans for both health and budget reasons, but that doesn’t mean giving up on food that feels cozy. I find comfort in meals that are hearty, or creamy, or noodle-based, or just plain nostalgic, and I wanted to build a meal plan for the new year that reflected that. Read on for a week’s worth of vegan recipe ideas that’ll keep you motivated to cook all week long. Cook your way through day by day, or just select a few favorites.
Need even more dinner ideas? Check out last year’s cozy vegan meal plan. Not ready to go fully plant-based? Click through for our brand-new Vegetarian Comfort Food Meal Plan and Pescatarian Comfort Food Meal Plan.
1/8MONDAY: Sunflower Saag With Black-Eyed Peas
This saag recipe satisfies both my need for things that are hearty and things that are creamy without a single drop of dairy added to the mix. The creaminess comes from sunflower seeds blended into the sauce base, which is packed with kale. If you tend to think of kale as being too bitter, don’t worry—the other ingredients in the sauce temper that bitterness for an end result that is vibrant but rich, and a beautiful shade of green to offset those wintry gray skies.
The heartiness comes from a blend of black-eyed peas (great for bringing luck at the start of the new year), and corn. (Frozen works just fine here.) Served over rice, with a squeeze of lime for brightness at the end, this is an excellent start to any winter week. If you’re cooking for two, like I do for my roommate, you’ll have leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton2/8TUESDAY: Vegan Mushroom Cheesesteaks
A Philly cheesesteak is one of my ultimate comfort foods, and this vegan version made with mushrooms does not disappoint in the slightest. Any sub roll will do for this, but I make mine with sourdough sub rolls I get locally, and the sourness plays off the vegan cheese sauce really well. I highly recommend using a variety of mushrooms for their different textures. Oyster mushrooms shred really nicely if you’re looking for that classic cheesesteak texture, and cremini or button mushrooms can add richness.
The sauce gets the bulk of its flavor from nutritional yeast and lemon juice but, while beer is recommended, don’t feel like you have to make a special trip to the store if you already have everything else handy. One of the last times I made this dish, I didn’t have an IPA for making the cheese sauce, so I subbed in a sparkling rosé and the result was delicious. This makes two sandwiches, but can be easily scaled up or down depending on how many folks you’re cooking for.
Photo by Hannah Che3/8WEDNESDAY: Vegan Mapo Tofu
Mapo tofu has held a special place in my heart since the first time I had it and experienced that fiery heat from the chiles, and that signature mouth-numbing, tingly Sichuan peppercorn effect. It’s one of my go-to dishes when I have a cold (really clears out the sinuses) because it makes me sweat a little with every bite, making it feel like I’m doing something good for myself.
This recipe, from Hannah Che’s excellent book, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen, calls for rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms and chopping them up as a replacement for the ground meat that usually goes into mapo tofu, and I highly recommend doing it exactly as directed rather than subbing in fresh shiitakes. The latter will work totally fine, but the process of drying and then rehydrating mushrooms both intensifies their flavor and gives them a meatier texture. This dish takes a bit more time than the other recipes in this meal plan, but it still comes together in less than an hour and is worth every second.
Photo by Hannah Che4/8THURSDAY: Sesame Noodles
You’re in the home stretch as far as this week goes, and, maybe in your mad dash to get everything done before Friday, you just ran out of time to go grocery shopping. But surely you have a scallion or two left over from last night’s mapo tofu and that’s really the only fresh ingredient that this recipe requires. Everything else is either shelf-stable or can be prepared way, way in advance.
These noodles get oodles of flavor from homemade red chili oil and a sauce made with Chinese sesame paste. If making your own chili oil is too high a lift, feel absolutely free to sub in your favorite chili crisp. Got tahini instead of the Chinese sesame paste? That’s fine too (though the seeds used to make Chinese sesame paste are roasted for much longer for a stronger flavor, so it’s worth picking up a jar for next time).
If you do decide to make your own chili oil, packed with tingly Sichuan peppercorns, it’ll stay fresh for four months at room temperature, and indefinitely if stored in the fridge. Make it when you have time, and spoon it over everything (even ice cream).
Photo by Kate Ramos5/8FRIDAY: Vegan Red Pozole With Mushrooms
Pozole is one of those dishes that I absolutely adore and crave often, but the traditional pork-based version is such a time-suck to make since it has to simmer away for hours until the meat is tender. Thanks to the Instant Pot treatment, this vegan pozole from Plant Powered Mexican comes together in less than an hour but tastes like it’s been simmering all day. This recipe also makes a very big batch, so you should have enough leftovers to make comforting lunches all weekend long.
Photo by Emily Dorio6/8SATURDAY: Smoky Jambalaya
Every single time I’m in New Orleans, or even just at a Creole restaurant, I will find, and eat, all of the jambalaya. I am Pac-Man, and every serving of jambalaya is one of those super dots that give me the power to eat ghosts. Except the ghosts are actually just more bowls of jambalaya. This plant-based jambalaya recipe serves 10, so cook it for friends and spread those comforting feelings far and wide (and maybe inspire them to do a little cooking and self-care for themselves).
Photo and Food Styling by Joseph De Leo7/8SUNDAY: Beany Minestrone Soup
Sunday was very often pasta night at home when I was growing up, because it would set us up with lots of leftovers to bring to school for lunch on Monday and Tuesday. So I'm circling back to that tradition with a hearty soup that has a little trick to achieving simmered-all-day flavor without the all-day part: refried beans. Rather than cooking the soup base all day, you’ll add refried beans as a thickener, which creates richness and texture (just make sure you buy vegan refried beans). This soup tastes even better the next day, so you may just end up with lunch and dinner sorted for Monday.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton8/8BONUS ROUND: Vegan Banana Bread
Make this brand-new banana bread recipe Sunday night so you can have a slice at breakfast, for dessert, or just a mid-afternoon snack throughout the week. Dark chocolate fills this sweet bread with bursts of bittersweet creaminess in every bite—be sure to use a vegan version if you’re keeping things plant-based.
