March’s Most Popular Vegan Recipes, From Sushi Sandwiches to Crunchwraps

From vegnews.com

Discover the 12 most-loved vegan dishes of March you shouldn’t miss

As we close out March, there’s no better time to usher in spring with a delicious, plant-based meal that nourishes both body and soul. Whether you’re a long-time vegan or just exploring plant-based options, this season offers an exciting opportunity to indulge in flavourful dishes that celebrate spring vegetables. 

We’ve compiled the top 12 vegan recipes that will make today deliciously memorable. With blueberry pancakes, carrot noodle pad Thai, and sushi sandwiches, these recipes prove that seasonal transition foods don’t have to be heavy or lacking in flavour. Whether you’re preparing a quick weeknight dinner or planning a special dish for a cosy gathering, these vegan recipes will keep you satisfied and inspired throughout the next month.

March’s Top 12 recipes

Let’s dive into the flavours of March and discover some of the most delightful plant-based creations.

Hannah Kaminsky

1Easy Two-Step Tofu Scramble With Mixed Veggies

Why settle for eggs when you can enjoy a savoury, cholesterol-free tofu scramble that’s quick and easy to make? Customize this dish by adding colourful vegetables like bell peppers, onions, spinach, or mushrooms for an extra burst of flavour and nutrition.
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Kristin Teig

2Iced Pistachio Matcha With a Cheesecake Surprise

Creamy, nutty, and just the right amount of indulgent, this matcha offers a sophisticated twist on the cheese tea trend that has swept across cafés from Asia to New York. In this recipe from Sesame, Soy, Spice: 90 Asian-ish Vegan and Gluten-Free Recipes to Reconnect, Root, and Restore, Remy Morimoto Park replaces the traditional salted cheese foam with a velvety, tangy topping crafted from vegan cream cheese, lemon, and vanilla.
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Eat the Rainbow

3Sushi Sandwich With Crispy Tofu and Pickled Beets

This fun twist on the classic sammie brings all the fresh, vibrant flavours of sushi, but layered between sushi rice for a unique and tasty alternative. Pickled beets add an extra burst of flavour while also delivering a healthy dose of vitamin C and anti-inflammatory nutrients. From Eat the Rainbow: Vegan Recipes Made With Love, this sushi rice sandwich is perfect for meal prep—make it ahead of time, wrap it up, and enjoy a quick, flavourful lunch during the week.
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Hannah Sunderani

4Copycat Crunchwrap Supreme With Gooey Cashew Queso

Skip the drive-thru and enjoy a delicious Crunchwrap Supreme made right at home. While store-bought queso works in a pinch, this cashew version, created by food blogger Hannah Sunderani of Two Spoons, elevates the dish to a new level of flavour and richness.
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Eat the Rainbow

5Dreamy Vegan Cherry Rose Vanilla Iced Latte

Cherries bring a burst of natural sweetness and vibrant colour to this caffeine-free iced latte. The smooth blend of vanilla, rosewater, and juicy cherries, combined with adaptogenic maca (known for its hormone-balancing and libido-boosting properties), creates a fragrant, deliciously sippable treat. Customize it with your favourite non-dairy milk for a personalized touch.
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Eat the Rainbow

6Crispy, Golden, Baked Chickpea Nuggets

These vegan chicken nuggets, crafted from chickpeas, oats, and tofu, feature a satisfyingly crispy cornflake-panko coating and come together in no time. From the Eat the Rainbow: Vegan Recipes Made with Love cookbook, these chickpea-based nuggets are ready in just 30 minutes. They’re perfect for dipping in ketchup and make a delicious side when paired with homemade fries or roasted potatoes.
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Isa Chandra Moskowitz

7Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Irish Stout Stew With Fluffy Potato Biscuits

No matter the season—fall, winter, spring, or summer—this vegan Irish Stout Stew from cookbook author Isa Chandra Moskowitz will surely delight. Featured in The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook, this dish is made even more comforting with a fluffy potato biscuit that soaks up the rich, savoury gravy. Kidney beans and porcini and cremini mushrooms add the hearty, satisfying texture that’s a staple of traditional Irish cuisine.
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Kayla Cappiello

8Salted Chocolate and Banana Bread Vegan Blondies

These easy, gluten-free, oil-free blondies are loaded with swirls of creamy peanut butter and melty chocolate. Combining the best of banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, and blondies, these treats from the Easy Allergy-Free Cooking cookbook are a must-try. For a nut-free alternative, simply swap the peanut butter for tahini.
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Frugal Vegan

9Roasted Potato Zucchini Pizza

Pizza time is anytime with this simple, healthy recipe. Thinly sliced roasted potatoes and zucchini, topped with fresh, peppery arugula, all on a warm, crispy pizza dough—this is everything we need for dinner this week. The perfect balance of flavours and textures makes it a satisfying vegan alternative to your usual pizza night.
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Kiki Nelson

10Blueberry Vanilla Pancakes With Maple Syrup

Blueberry vanilla pancakes—what more could you want? These fluffy, moist, and flavourful hotcakes are the perfect breakfast treat. From the Plantifully Lean cookbook, these whole wheat, berry-packed pancakes make mornings a breeze. For a personalized twist, add banana slices, chocolate chips, or toasted coconut to create your ultimate pancake experience.
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Hannah Kaminsky

11  Super-Sized Fruity Vegan Pop Tart

This giant pastry takes our nostalgic childhood favourites to a whole new level. Bigger really is better when it comes to the perfect ratio of crust to filling, and this recipe from The Everyday Vegan Cheat Sheet cookbook delivers just that. With a larger bite of gooey, jammy fruit preserves than you’d ever get in a classic hand pie, every bite is pure bliss. The bold pink, beet-coloured icing is a must for that nostalgic touch.
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Carina Skrobecki Photography

12  Healthy Carrot Noodle Pad Thai

This quick, vegetable-packed dish comes together in just minutes for a satisfying and nourishing meal. A creamy almond butter sauce perfectly coats the carrot noodles in this lighter, vibrant take on Pad Thai from The Simply Real Health Cookbook. For an extra protein boost, add baked tofu or vegan chicken to complete the dish.
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https://vegnews.com/march-top-recipes

The 5 Best Vegan Parmesan Cheese Alternatives

From plantbasednews.org

Traditional parmesan is made with dairy and other animal ingredients - try these vegan-friendly products instead 

Parmesan is one of the world’s most popular cheeses and is frequently sprinkled over Italian dishes like pasta, risotto, moussaka, soups, and pizzas.

While no dairy cheese is suitable for vegans, many varieties are still suitable for vegetarians. However, traditional parmesan is unsuitable for either. Here’s everything you need to know about parmesan cheese, including some of the best cruelty-free and vegan alternatives.

What is parmesan?

Parmesan is an aged, hard cheese that has been produced in Italy for around 900 years. Traditionally, each wheel of parmesan is made with heavily salted, unpasteurized cow’s milk, and aged for at least 12 months to create its rich, sharp, and complicated flavours.

The Italian name, Parmigiano Reggiano, applies exclusively to varieties from Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, part of Bologna, and part of Mantua, while “parmesan” is sometimes used for similar Italian hard cheeses and private label options produced elsewhere.

Because traditional Parmigiano Reggiano has a protected designation of origin (PDO), it must also be produced by industry experts using specific ingredients and methodology. This includes the protease chymosin – also known as rennin – an enzyme found in rennet.

Rennet is a liquid combination of enzymes found in the stomachs of calves and other ruminant animals. In animals, rennet aids nutrient absorption, and in cheesemaking, it helps produce curds, which are an integral part of the manufacturing process.

Why isn’t parmesan vegan or vegetarian?

Adobe StockTraditionally, parmesan is made using dairy and rennin, which comes from the stomachs of calves

Much like the use of gelatin in sweets, many people are only just realising that rennet is included in parmesan and that it makes the hard cheese unsuitable for vegetarians. This also extends to popular products that include traditional Italian hard cheeses, such as pesto.

Furthermore, the rennet used in Parmigiano Reggiano is typically sourced from the veal industry, which sees very young calves confined and slaughtered before they can mature. Veal is particularly controversial, even amongst those who still eat other meat products.

Parmigiano Reggiano is also uniquely resource-intensive, as producing a single wheel requires 550 litres of dairy milk, which emits around 764.5kg of greenhouse gas – the equivalent of approximately 86 gallons of gasoline or 856 pounds of coal.

The 5 best vegan parmesan cheese brands

There are a variety of cheese alternatives that make ideal replacements for traditional parmesan. Some, like Violife’s Prosociano, are direct imitations that can be cut, grated, and nibbled just like the real thing, while others are pre-grated options ideal for the dinner table.

Simply V

Adobe StockSimply V’s vegan parmesan is available online from Ocado in the UK

Popular German brand Simply V announced last year that its ParmVegan would come to the online shopping platform Ocado. Simply V described ParmVegan as an “authentic parmesan experience” that has been in development for over a decade.

“Our mission at Simply V is to make delicious, plant-based alternatives that don’t compromise on taste or quality,” said Chiara Broeker, Marketing Director at Simply V, in a statement at the time. “We’ve created a product that not only satisfies the palate for cheese lovers, but also aligns with our commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing. Based on research we know the UK are Italian food lovers, so we’d love for ParmVegan to be a fridge staple.”

ParmVegan is available to buy at Ocado now at an RRP of £2.95 per pack.

Find out more here.

Violife

ViolifeViolife’s Prosociano is available as a wedge and as a bag of grated cheese

Violife launched in the 1990s and has become one of the biggest dairy-free cheese brands on the market over the last five or so years. The company launched its grated Prosociano in 2022, followed by a wedge-shaped block that has a “firm and crumbly texture.”

Violife’s Prosociano costs £3.75 per 150g wedge, also from Ocado.

Find out more here.

I Am Nut OK

I Am Nut OKI Am Nut OK makes a selection of artisanal vegan cheeses

Hackney’s I Am Nut OK – one of the top artisanal vegan cheese brands in the UK – also secured an Ocado listing last year, including its hard cheese alternative “Oh, Grate!” The company says: “We cannot legally describe this as a vegan Parmesan, so we’re not! It’s not Parmesan in any sense – but it is a delicious alternative [to] something else.”

Vegan Oh, Grate costs £5 per 100g pack.

Find out more here.

GreenVie

GreenVieGreenVie also makes vegan parmesan in wedges and grated bags

Cyprus-based GreenVie Foods has won several prestigious awards for its plant-based cheeses, beating out dairy-based competitors with products like Greek Style, Cheddar, Gouda, Mozzarella, and Parveggio – available either grated or as a wedge.

Grated Parveggio is currently available from Balance Wholefoods at an RRP of £1.99 per 100g bag, and the wedge is stocked by Alternative Foodstores for £3.15 per 200g.

Find out more here and here.

Nurishh

NurishhNurishh’s Gran Vegiano may be harder to find than some other alternatives

Nurishh’s Gran Vegiano is a coconut oil-based parmesan alternative made in France. It is fortified with both calcium and B12, and the company describes it as “rich and bold.”

This cheese was previously listed by major supermarkets such as Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, and the Co-Op, with an RRP of £3.50 per 150g pack. While still available, Gran Vegiano is currently listed as out of stock by all but parent company Bel’s foodservice arm.

Find out more here.

What about nutritional yeast?

Nutritional yeast, or “nooch,” is an extremely nutritious, flavoursome, vegan staple. For many, it’s the go-to cheese replacement, whether that’s added to cheesy sauces, included in homemade cheese recipes, or just sprinkled over the top – as you would with parmesan.

Nooch has a cheesy, savoury, nutty flavour. (The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart is a particularly big fan.) But some brands, such as the Notorious Nooch Co, also use natural flavourings to give their nooch an extra cheesy edge, making it a particularly good replacement for parmesan. 

Meanwhile, Pimp My Salad’s Parmesan sprinkles combine cashew nuts, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, kale, lemon, and Himalayan pink salt for another nooch-based alternative. UK-based Good Carma’s Flavour Fusion range combines nooch with almonds and oregano for a “parmesan cheese alternative,” but also offers garlic, chili, and original flavours.

To make your own nooch-based parmesan blend, try combining plain nutritional yeast with crushed cashews, a pinch of garlic powder, and salt. The cashews give the blend body and the creamy, nutty flavour of traditional parmesan, while the garlic and salt provide depth.

Nutritional yeast is also rich in protein, fibre, and essential vitamins like B12, and Medical News Today listed immune system support, improved glucose levels, healthy skin, hair, and nails, and boosted energy among the key potential health benefits of consuming it regularly.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/best-vegan-parmesan-cheese-alternatives/