12 Braised and Pan-Seared Plant-Based Recipes

Braising is a cooking technique that involves pan-searing food and then slowly cooking it in a liquid. The technique makes food tender and flavorful. While people often choose to braise meats, you can also braise vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, faux meats, and multiple other ingredients. If you feel like getting a little fancy in the kitchen, try one of these recipes that use braising! There’s everything from braised beans, to braised vegetables, to braised tempeh!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help you get healthy! 

1. Olive Oil–Braised White Beans

Source: Olive Oil–Braised White Beans

Although there’s great reward in the time it takes to cook dried beans, there’s just no arguing with the convenience of canned beans.  This recipe, however, is a great way to get canned beans tasting closer to the dried variety. Slowly braise a couple of cans of white beans in the oven, in olive oil that’s been infused with lots of garlic and a few sage leaves, and they’re transformed. The beans soak up the rich oil to become intensely creamy on the inside and deeply flavored. You will love these Olive Oil–Braised White Beans by Sheela Prakash!

2. Mushroom Tarragon Braised Tempeh

Source: Mushroom Tarragon Braised Tempeh

This comforting and flavorful Mushroom Tarragon Braised Tempeh by Rouxbe is all about the sauce — mushrooms, Madeira wine, Dijon mustard, horseradish, and tarragon are the main components of this rich and tasty dish.

3. Braised Kale

Source: Braised Kale

Healthy and delicious kale, braised with onions, garlic, and stock. This yummy Braised Kale by Rouxbe goes well with almost anything.

4. Veggie Bowl with Braised Tofu

Source: Veggie Bowl with Braised Tofu

Dinner made easy! This Vegan Veggie Bowl with Braised Tofu by Teri Macovei is the healthy comfort food that you need. It’s sweet, sour, and mildly spicy. All of the flavors and textures are well balanced, making it into an irresistible delicious bowl of food.

5. Braised Cauliflower with Olives

Source: Braised Cauliflower with Olives

This recipe for Braised Cauliflower with Olives by Lenia Patsi is so flavorful and delicious! Plus, it isn’t too difficult to make. It will impress everyone at the table!

6. Korean Braised Tofu

Source: Korean Braised Tofu

You are just seven ingredients away from delicious Korean Braised Tofu by Anita Jacobsen. This recipe uses onion, soy sauce, sake, sugar, Korean chili powder, and scallion to create a flavorful and healthy meal. Garnish with some sesame seeds for added flair and texture.

7. Braised Seitan Short Ribs in Spicy Chili Sauce

Source: Braised Seitan Short Ribs in Spicy Chili Sauce

After braising in the spicy chili sauce, these seitan ribs will be tender to the point of almost falling apart. While this recipe has a long list of ingredients, don’t worry! It’s not too complicated. Just full of flavor! These vegan seitan ribs are rich, buttery, and perfectly seasoned. Serve them over mashed potatoes for a smooth and creamy base. Bring them to your next family dinner night––they’re sure to impress. These vegan Braised Seitan Short Ribs in Spicy Chili Sauce by Rhea Parsons are comforting, warm, and super satisfying.

8. Braised Harissa Eggplant and Greens

Source: Braised Harissa Eggplant and Greens

There’s a brief period between summer and fall where it seems that just about every fruit and vegetable is available in abundance at the farmers’ market. This stew-like dish celebrates the seasonal overlap when tomatoes are still ruby red, deep purple orbs of eggplant are taut and smooth, and dark, leafy greens arrive in bunches. It’s just the thing to make when the weather starts to turn and your craving for cool, crisp salads is replaced by warmer, spicier things. If you’re the type that likes to squirrel away good things to uncover in the depths of winter, this is a wise one to double batch and freeze so you can reach for it when nothing but potatoes and onions seem to prevail. You will love Sheela Prakash‘s Braised Harissa Eggplant and Greens!

9. Braised Tofu and Veggie Cacciatore

Source: Braised Tofu and Veggie Cacciatore

Delicious over pasta or rice. Brown rice would be a perfect complement to this Braised Tofu and Veggie Cacciatore by Kinda Vegan, Adams Media along with a nice glass (or two…or three…) of red wine.

10. Taiwanese-Style Braised Tempeh “Pork” (Lu Rou Fan)

Source: Taiwanese-Style Braised Tempeh “Pork” (Lu Rou Fan)

Easy, authentic vegan version of classic Taiwanese-Style Braised Tempeh “Pork” (Lu Rou Fan) by George Lee. Marked by a sweet, savory, and umami sauce. With these meaty slices of king oyster mushroom, you won’t even remember that this bowl is vegan.

11. Miso Braised Carrots and Leeks With Cilantro Cardamom Basmati

Source: Miso Braised Carrots and Leeks With Cilantro Cardamom Basmati

The miso adds a subtle sweet earthiness to the veggies that are quite delicious. To add a bit of contrast, serve the veggies over a bed of basmati flavored with cardamom, lemon, and cilantro. Mmmmmmm. These Miso Braised Carrots and Leeks With Cilantro Cardamom Basmati by Courtney West are so good!

12. Simple Braised Lentils

Source: Simple Braised Lentils

We could spend a whole afternoon talking about lentils and even then we would not have said it all. The number of varieties that exist are huge, yellow, orange, brown, black … an authentic rainbow! Whatever the variety, lentils are a very versatile, complete, and indispensable food in any recipe – like these Simple Braised Lentils by Sara Oliveira which will be your new favorite way to eat them!

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
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• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!