15 Plant-Based Savory Caramelized Recipes

Caramelization happens when you cook vegetables until the sugar breaks down and they brown. Caramelized onions are probably the most recognizable caramelized vegetable, but all vegetables can caramelize. Besides changing appearance, vegetables will also develop a nutty, toasty, and even creamy flavor. Bon Appetit!

1. Caramelized Broccoli

Source: Caramelized Broccoli

This Caramelized Broccoli by Lola Till is roasted and perfect to serve as a side dish!

2. Kale With Caramelized Onions and Cumin

Source: Kale With Caramelized Onions and Cumin

This Kale With Caramelized Onions and Cumin by Rinku Bhattacharya is a simple and festive dish, with the magical complex sweetness of the caramelized onion melting into the raisins, offering a gentle balance to the light and bitter notes of the kale.

3. Caramelized Onion Cashew Cheese Dip

Source: Caramelized Onion Cashew Cheese Dip

This Caramelized Onion Cashew Cheese Dip by Liv King is perfect to serve with bread, crackers, and even fresh vegetables. It’s an extremely versatile sauce so don’t worry about having leftovers. You’ll find many ways to serve this flavorful caramelized onion cashew cheese dip!

4. Crimini Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Deep Dish Quiche

Source: Crimini Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Deep Dish Quiche

If you’ve got fresh mushrooms, you’re ready to rock. Don’t go about messing with inferior table mushrooms. Get crimini, oysters, baby bella, or something with a bit of flavor and extra B vitamins. Then buckle up. This Crimini Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Deep Dish Quiche by Travis Piper is spectacular!

5. Caramelized Onion, Caper, and Mushroom Tart

Source: Caramelized Onion, Caper, and Mushroom Tart

When it starts to get chilly out, there’s nothing like a warm, bubbly tart to fill your belly. Having no crust, the creamy onion and mushroom filling in these tarts caramelize beautifully in a hot oven. Add to that some fresh thyme and salty capers, and you’ve got yourself some very special tarts. Serve this Caramelized Onion, Caper, and Mushroom Tart by Emily Wilkinson for dinner with a side of greens.

6. Turnips With Caramelized Onions and Toasted Lentils

Source: Turnips With Caramelized Onions and Toasted Lentils

This is a perfect dish of turnips that have a hint of flavor and are cooked to delicate and crisp translucency. A simple stir-fry with turnips and turnip greens. Perfect over warm toasted bread and vegan cheese. You have to try these Turnips With Caramelized Onions and Toasted Lentils by Rinku Bhattacharya.

7. Sausage Rolls with Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion

Source: Sausage Rolls with Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion

These Sausage Rolls with Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion by Harriet Porterfield are irresistibly snackable, delicious, and sure to please all of your guests, even the meat-eaters. The filling is prepared with a favorite homemade sausage recipe, full of smoky flavor and herbs. The sausages are blended with baked sweet potato to make the sausage meat and layered up with caramelized red onion. Encased in flaky puff pastry, these little rolls are sure to be a hit at your festive table this season!

8. Potato Leek Soup With Caramelized Tri-Color Carrots

Source: Potato Leek Soup With Caramelized Tri-Color Carrots

This Potato Leek Soup With Caramelized Tri-Color Carrots by Stephanie McKinnie is a hearty, flavorful, and colorful soup all at the same time! Everything you could ever want in a soup, right? Totally. You’ve gotta try it!

9. Potato Salad With Caramelized Onions and Walnuts

Source: Potato Salad With Caramelized Onions and Walnuts

This Potato Salad With Caramelized Onions and Walnuts by Lenia & Dimitra is a delicious side dish that’s perfect for any occasion! Potatoes, caramelized onions, and walnuts – what could be better?

10. Avocado Pumpkin Panini With Caramelized Onions

Source: Avocado Pumpkin Panini With Caramelized Onions

Better than grilled cheese, this ooey-gooey gluten-free Avocado Pumpkin Panini With Caramelized Onions by Amy Height is filling and delicious, thanks to the creamy pumpkin and avocado. Plus, don’t caramelized onions just make everything better?

11. Caramelized Garlic-Chili Lotus Stems With Mung Bean Noodles

Source: Caramelized Garlic-Chili Lotus Stems With Mung Bean Noodles

Lotus blossoms are the national flower of India and the entire plant is popular in Indian cuisine for its unique flavor and unadulterated beauty. This particular recipe caramelizes the fibrous stems of the lotus plant in a zesty garlic-chili sauce and serves them over a bed of mung bean noodles. This is an easy way you can impress your friends and these Caramelized Garlic-Chili Lotus Stems With Mung Bean Noodles by Anuja Kohli Mariwala can be served as a light meal or an exciting side.

12. Penne with Spiced Caramelized Onions

Source: Penne with Spiced Caramelized Onions

This Penne with Spiced Caramelized Onions by Heather Thomas is another example of economical, everyday ingredients being combined to create a deliciously aromatic meal in the time-honored thrifty Greek tradition. As always, the emphasis is on getting the best balance of flavors from the simplest and healthiest foods.

13. Caramelized Squash With Saffron Rice and Sage Gremolata

Source: Caramelized Squash With Saffron Rice and Sage Gremolata

Naturally free from gluten and dairy, and ready in under an hour. Plus, this Caramelized Squash With Saffron Rice and Sage Gremolata by Christine DesRoches looks super elegant- consider serving it for the holidays!

14. Spaghetti Squash Boats With Caramelized Onions and Quinoa

Source: Spaghetti Squash Boats With Caramelized Onions and Quinoa

Spaghetti squash never goes out of fashion. When cooked, it separates into spaghetti-like strands which add a unique twist to your lunch or dinner. So in this recipe, you’ll learn how to cook Spaghetti Squash Boats With Caramelized Onions and Quinoa by Laine Rudolfa. It’s perfect for serving at parties, gatherings with friends, or family dinners.

15. Eggplant Meatball Parmesan Sub With Caramelized Onions

Source: Eggplant Meatball Parmesan Sub With Caramelized Onions

Pair your favorite vegan eggplant meatballs (linked below) with a fresh sourdough hoagie, a heap of no-oil caramelized onions, and our homemade cashew parmesan. This Eggplant Meatball Parmesan Sub With Caramelized Onions by Jasmine Briones is sure to be a favorite among family and friends. It does not skimp out on flavor OR nutrition! It is packed with veggies and herbs, so you don’t want to miss out on this.

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.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade repeatedly.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• 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!