We’re So Excited About This Brazilian Plant-Based Cafe That Just Opened in London!

With plant-based eating on the rise (one in ten Millennials now identifies as either vegan or vegetarian) more and more vegan restaurants and eateries are popping up all around the globe. The latest to land on the London food scene is a cafe called Essential Vegan, which is notable for being the city’s first entirely plant-based Brazilian eatery.

Essential Vegan, which was founded by Vanessa Almeida, started as a humble pop-up in various London-based locations but quickly exploded in popularity. Now, loyal customers will be able to visit its brick-and-mortar location in Shoreditch. Fans love chef Almeida’s food. She serves indulgent cakes, artisan cashew cheeses, hearty seitan burgers, and much more — in fact, you can find some of here recipes here.

Just check out her homemade ‘Nutella’ spread below!

Essential Vegan

“I like to make homemade food. I learned to cook from my grandma and my mum, and at Essential Vegan Café I want to go back to my roots and explore food that I love from Brazil,” Almeida told Plant Based News.

“My husband and I have been so welcomed by the community in London and I really want to create a space that serves delicious, hearty food in a warm, welcoming atmosphere … It’s as simple as that.”

Essential Vegan will be hosting an official launching party on September 30, and lucky London citizens can now buy a ticket exclusively via the Essential Vegan Café Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.

Make Your Own Brazilian Food at Home

We here at One Green Planet are in New York, and therefore cannot taste Almeida’s food for ourselves (yet); but we can create some plant-based Brazilian food at home, courtesy of the Food Monster App, while we save up to buy a ticket to London! Check out some of our top picks below.

These Acaraje: Brazilian Black-Eyed Peas Fritters are crispy and light.

Pavani Nandula‘s recipe makes fritters that are airy and fluffy on the inside and a little crispy on the outside. It’s an absolute must that you eat these while they’re hot — that’s when they’re at their best.

Nourish your soul with this Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew).

Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil — it’s a savory and hearty black bean and meat stew. Annie Oliverio‘s version is completely plant-based, and you can make it in your pressure cooker. Easy!

Fill up on this Brazilian Vegetable Curry With Coconut Milk and Tomato Sauce.

Srividhya Manikandan added coconut milk to make the curry thick and creamy while the roasted vegetables and onion paste combine to make a party of flavors in your mouth.

If you’re interested in trying out flavors of different cuisines, check out this Flavor Guide and these 15 Vegan Recipes Featuring the Biggest Global Flavors.

We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 8,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to ten new recipes per day. Check it out!

Lead image source: Essential Vegan/Facebook