Plant-based eating has surged in popularity in recent years, and the trend shows no signs of stopping as more and more people shift away from eating meat in their diet at least some of the time. Whether you’re interested in exploring a fully plant-based diet, or you’re just looking for vegetable-focused meals to add to your weekly menu, there are plenty of ways to branch out and try different meals with all kinds of ingredients. There’s no shortage of filling, plant-based recipes you can make with ingredients like stuffed vegetables, mushrooms, fruit, rice and quinoa to name a few!
What is Plant-Based Eating?
Before we dive into plant-based recipe ideas, let’s unpack what plant-based eating means. Plant-based diets focus on foods that originate from plants, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and oils, while limiting or avoiding animal products. Unlike a classic vegetarian diet, it’s still possible to eat some animal products while following a plant-based diet. The goal of plant-based eating is to simply get most of your nutrients from plant-based foods.
There are a number of reasons why people adopt plant-based diets. Plant-based eating can be more sustainable than a meat-heavy diet, and it can be a helpful way to ensure you’re getting valuable nutrients.
Meatless Mondays
If you like the idea of switching to a more plant-based diet but maybe don’t feel quite up to totally ditching meat yet, then Meatless Mondays may be just the thing for you. This is a worldwide movement to try and reduce meat consumption by skipping meat for just one day a week and eating a vegetarian or plant-based meal instead.
Giving up meat altogether can be quite a commitment for some people, so Meatless Mondays are a great way to ease yourself into plant-based eating.
Exploring Plant-Based Rice and Quinoa Recipes
Regardless of your reason for trying plant-based eating, there are plenty of delicious meals you can make that are plant-based while still being delicious and filling.
Here we’ve combined a list of some of our favorite meat-free recipes which you can make using Minute Rice and Quinoa.
Quinoa Recipes
Quinoa is a grain-like seed originating from South America. With its texture and sweet, nutty flavor complement a number of cuisines, and it lends itself well to recipes that feature a lot of vegetables.
For a quick and easy to prepare lunch, take a look at this plant-based Quinoa Carrot Walnut Salad made with Minute White & Red Organic Quinoa. This recipe does not have to be heated, so it can be ready to enjoy in just 3 minutes! It’s also easy to make this recipe your own by adding other ingredients like avocado, cherries and dried cranberries to boost the flavor even more.
Another tasty quinoa salad is this Winter Salad from recipe creator Raising Twin Boys. Packed with sweet potatoes, nuts and Minute Instant Rice & Quinoa, this salad is a filling plant-based dish that comes together quickly on busy weeknights.
This 15-minute Vegetarian Chili With Rice and Quinoa is a hearty option that mixes together plan-based staples like chili, beans and diced tomatoes with cheddar cheese and Minute Instant Rice & Quinoa for a quick comfort meal.
A delicious meal perfect for a plant-based lunch or dinner is this Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl from recipe creator Balancing Pieces. With a base of Minute Instant Rice & Quinoa, this bowl combines fresh vegetables like cucumbers, tomato and avocado along with chickpeas and is topped with tzatziki, hummus and feta cheese.
Brown Rice Recipes
With its chewy texture and nutty flavor, brown rice is an excellent accompaniment to vegetarian or plant-based meals. This filling and delicious Rice Bowl with Veggie Burger recipe is absolutely packed with plant based ingredients and can be prepared in just 5 minutes when you’re in a pinch. Try topping the veggie burger with different types of cheese, dressings and vegetables to really make this recipe your own.
Made with a combination of Minute Brown Rice & Quinoa, this 5-minute Rice and Quinoa Bowl with Harissa Glazed Carrots is a delicious, plant-based, energy packed bowl that will keep you going throughout the day. Combined with butter, water and honey, the harissa paste makes a delicious, spicy glaze to give the carrots a bit of a kick.
For a plant-based dinner that’s sure to be a hit with the whole family, try this Southwest Skillet by recipe creator A Half Baked Mom. You won’t miss meat at all in this hearty dish, packed with filling ingredients like sweet potatoes, black beans, avocado and Minute Instant Brown Rice.
White Rice Recipes
Quicker to cook and versatile for many different meals and cuisines, white rice is also a great pantry staple for plant-based recipes.
This Fiesta Rice plant-based recipe with tomatoes and avocados takes just 5 minutes, and is a great option if you are looking for a light and refreshing plant-based meal. Although this recipe calls for Minute White Rice Cups, you can also try it with other flavored Minute Rice Cups to add another layer of flavor.
For a plant-based recipe with a Mediterranean flavor, try this Greek Salad made with Minute White Rice Cups, cucumber, tomatoes and red onions. Make sure your pantry is well stocked with other Greek ingredients that you can add into the mix, including yellow peppers, raisins or dried currants, artichokes and Kalamata olives.
This delicious Veggie Stir Fry from recipe creator Tati Vegan Cooking features a delicious homemade stir fry sauce over mixed vegetables and yellow rice. Minute Yellow Rice Cups are white rice lightly seasoned with onion powder, garlic powder and turmeric for a delightful taste that enhances any meal.
Jasmine and Basmati Rice
Fluffy and fragrant varieties of rice, jasmine and basmati rice can add a layer of aromatics to many plant-based meals.
Made with plenty of vegetarian ingredients like chickpeas, hummus and feta cheese, this Power Rice-Stuffed Sweet Potato works as a great plant-based dish any day of the week. The Minute Cilantro & Lime Rice Cup adds a zesty flavor that complements these ingredients.
Another plant-based meal that uses Minute Cilantro & Lime Rice Cups are these Veggie Fajitas from recipe creator Tati Vegan Cooking. Made with bell peppers, red onion, tomatoes and avocado, these fajitas are as colorful and vibrant as they are delicious.
Or, try these Vegetarian Mexican Meatballs that are the perfect substitute for the real thing. Prepared with avocado, salsa along with Minute Cilantro & Lime Rice Cups. The whole recipe requires just 5 ingredients and less than 10 minutes to make! Plus, once you’ve tried this dish, you can try incorporating vegetarian meatballs into a number of plant-based dishes.
Ready in just 10 minutes, this Garlic-Butter Kale Rice provides a simple and satisfying plant-based side dish that is sure to impress the next time you are entertaining guests. To reduce prep time even further you can buy pre-washed, cut kale or baby kale to avoid needing to massage the leaves before cooking.
This Sick Day Soup from Tati Vegan Cooking is a nourishing plant-based soup perfect for days when you’re under the weather. Using Minute Instant Basmati Rice, ready in just 5 minutes, this soup can be prepared quickly whenever you have a craving for comfort food.
Enjoy this seasonal Fall Harvest Rice Bowl with squash, apple and maple syrup along with a Minute Basmati Rice Cup. The basmati rice works well to absorb the flavor of the maple syrup, helping to incorporate the fall flavors of this dish.
Explore Plant-Based Eating
With these recipes and convenient pantry staples like Minute Rice, incorporating more plant-based meals into your routine can be easy and enjoyable. The Minute Rice website offers even more plant-based recipes to help keep you inspired. Try searching the recipe page and Mix It Up rice bowls by ingredient keyword to get ideas on how to turn the plant-based foods you have on hand into delicious meals in minutes.
