The daffodils aren’t the only things starting to bloom this time of year, romance is well and truly in the air too! Valentine’s Day is upon us but there’s no need to stress about gifts – we all know the way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach. But don’t panic if you don’t have any romantic recipes just yet, we’ve got a whole list of vegan Valentine recipes that are bound to impress your significant other. Whether you’ve been together a week or ten years, there’s no excuse not to pull out all the stops, get that apron on and cook a romantic vegan dinner!
There’s always some pressure to impress on Valentine’s Day but making food for your significant other adds a winning personal touch that you just can’t buy. All of our recipes are perfect for even the most nervous cook so you’re bound to find one you love.
1.Curried butternut squash soup
This soup is perfect as a starter or as the main event as it’s full of hearty veggie goodness – and goes perfectly with a crusty roll or sourdough bread! Roast your butternut squash with oil, onion, carrots, and garlic & make sure to season with salt, pepper, and curry powder. Bake, tossing occasionally, until squash is caramelised and tender, about 45 minutes. Add this mixture to a blender with vegan broth and blend until smooth.
2.Quinoa stuffed avocados
This next recipe is for those who find cooking a bit more challenging – and you can cheat further by choosing quinoa you can chuck in the microwave! First, you need to scoop out the avocados, leaving a small border. Take the leftover avocado, dice is up and set it aside. Next, you need your quinoa salad: take a large bowl and combine quinoa, beans, scallion, peppers, and corn. Add olive oil and lime juice and toss to combine and season with salt and pepper (and chilli flakes if you want a bit of spice!) Then take your salad and divide it among the 4 avocado halves and your vegan valentine dinner is ready to serve!
3. Vegan chilli
If you’ve got a big day out planned, you might not have a lot of time for cooking a romantic vegan dinner. But if you choose this vegan valentine recipe, you can put it all in a big pot so it’s ready to simply put on when you get home.
Take a large pot and heat olive oil over medium heat. Add your peppers, onions and celery and cook until softened (this should only take 3 to 4 minutes). Add some garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano and season with salt and pepper. For some extra flavour, you can add a dash of beer or wine and cook until it has reduced – this should take about 6 to 8 minutes. Take your sweet potato, black and pinto beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth and add into the pot. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are cooked – this should be another 30 minutes or so. Then your delicious vegan valentines creation is ready to be enjoyed!
4.Crispy hash browns
No good vegan valentine dinner would be complete without a potato dish – and who can resist a hash brown?! This vegan valentine recipe takes no time at all and requires basically no ingredients so it’s great if you find yourself in a pinch!
Chop up your potatoes and get them into a pot and cover with water with a generous amount of salt and boil the potatoes for 10 minutes. Once those are boiled, rinse them under cold water until cool enough to handle. Grate the potatoes on the large holes of a grater and discard any skin that may have peeled off on the outside of the grater.
Once those are all peeled, heat up some oil in a skillet pan and once oil is hot, transfer the potatoes into the pan and spread them into an even layer. Season with salt, pepper and any other seasoning (maybe try paprika for a bit of a zing). Then cook the potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes, or until very crispy and golden brown on the bottom. Once one side is done, you can flip them and cook until crispy on the other side – this should be about 5 to 8 minutes. Then your hash browns are ready to impress!
1.Chocolate truffles
Nothing says Valentine’s like some vegan valentine’s chocolate! Chocolate used to be off the cards if you were vegan but no longer – we’ve got loads of chocolatey goodness for you and your significant other to enjoy.
To make these vegan chocolate truffles mix melted vegan chocolate in a bowl with avocado, vanilla, and salt. Stir them all together until they’re smooth and fully mixed. Pop them in the fridge to firm them up slightly for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the chocolate mixture has stiffened, use a small scoop or small spoon to scoop approximately 1 tbsp chocolate mixture. Roll chocolate in the palm of your hand until round, then roll in cocoa powder. Leave these to chill again in the fridge and they’re ready to enjoy!
For a chocolatey treat you can enjoy on the go, why not indulge in our Double Chocolish bar? It’s full of vegan goodness and covered in the tastiest dark vegan chocolate.
2.Chocolate brownies
Vegan chocolate brownies are always a hit and for this recipe, alternate flour and butter is your friend! First things first, you’re going to need to preheat the oven to 180° and line a 8″-x-8″ baking pan with parchment paper and grease with vegan cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Then in a separate bowl, whisk together almond butter, coconut sugar, honey, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Take the dry ingredients you mixed earlier and stir them with the wet ingredients until just combined. Pour the whole mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean which should take around 22 minutes. Once they’re cool, sprinkle them with sea salt then serve them to your valentine!
If you’re looking for a chocolatey treat with a twist, why not give our S’mores bar recipe a try and add some gooey marshmallow to your sweet treats.
3. Chocolate mousse
Another super quick and easy vegan valentine’s dessert is this vegan chocolate mousse! Simply blend 2 ripe avocados, vegan cream, vegan chocolate, a dash of vanilla extract, two teaspoons of cocoa powder and a sprinkle of salt in a food processor or blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Transfer the mixture to serving glasses and refrigerate for between 30 minutes and an hour. You can garnish with vegan chocolate curls or raspberries for an added flourish!
This isn’t the only smooth mousse recipe we’ve got laying around – why not take a look at our vegan Berry Mousse recipe as well!
4. Vegan chia pudding
Now this dessert isn’t chocolate but it makes for a great vegan valentine’s dessert for those who don’t have as much of a chocolate addiction – plus it’s super easy to make. Take a medium bowl and whisk to combine chia seeds, alternative milk (whichever is your vegan milk of choice), sweetener of your choice (such as honey or agave syrup), vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Cover the mixture and refrigerate until thick – as little as 2 hours or as much as overnight. You can serve this valentine’s dessert with mixed berries, nuts or jam.
Or if you’re looking to go big this year, why not check out one of our other delicious Valentine’s recipes, our Chocolate and Raspberry tart. This would be perfect if you’re just celebrating Galentine’s this year or if you’re spending it with your family.
If you liked our Valentine’s Day recipes then you’re going to love all the other Nakd recipes we have for you to try! Why not make a delicious vegan carrot cake or even some chocolate millionaire slices next?
