By Lisa Esile, MS,
Last Updated:Get creative this St. Patrick's Day and enjoy a plant-based menu that's great-tasting and healthy to boot. We’ve put together a mix of both traditional Irish recipes, as well as some that feature the popular St. Patrick’s Day color—green!
Shepherd’s Pie
Nothing beats shepherd's pie when it comes to comfort food, and this veggie-strong version by Cathy Fisher is one to take note of. Fresh thyme's sweet, almost spicy flavor adds an enticing lift to the saucy base of umami-rich mushrooms and veggies. A little of the mashed potato is used to thicken the filling, while the rest gets smoothed over top and baked until lightly golden. A reviewer writes, "Made this for Thanksgiving with Yukon Gold potatoes instead of russet—so good!!"
Curry Chickpea Lettuce Wraps
Green, gorgeous, and packed with sustaining nutrition, these tasty lettuce wraps tick all the right boxes this St. Patrick’s Day. Tart dried cranberries, refreshing celery, and crunchy pecans combine with nutty chickpeas and a creamy Indian-inspired dressing to ensure every mouthful is a memorable one. Delish!
Irish Porridge Bread
This chewy rolled oat bread is a type of Irish soda bread, but it tastes more like the moist, crumbly rye breads of Germany. The recipe uses baking soda instead of yeast for leavening and is perfect for beginner bakers or anyone wanting hassle-free bread making. Note: To make this gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats. Serve with Sweet Potato Butter, homemade jam, or alongside a steaming bowl of soup.
Caramelized Garlic and Potato Soup
It doesn't get more Irish than potato soup! In this crowd-pleasing blended soup, sweet, smoky caramelized garlic provides a rich backdrop, infusing every mouthful with decadent flavor, while cannellini beans add extra heft and creaminess. Serve over cooked farro and garnish with crisp sugar snap peas, spicy red pepper flakes, and aromatic chives. A fan raves, "I wouldn't ever have thought about combining farro and sugar snap peas with potato soup, but the combination was flavorful, light, and fresh."
Apple-Raspberry Crisp
This humble crumble is big on flavor and straightforward to make—don’t you love that happy combination! Almond butter gives the oat topping richness, while a splash of maple syrup is all you need to sweeten it up. The two-ingredient apple and raspberry filling comes together in a flash. Because this recipe calls for frozen raspberries, you can enjoy this tasty pie in early spring or any time of the year. A commenter notes, “I’ve made with a variety of fresh and frozen fruit. Delicious and guest-approved!”
Potato-Spinach Casserole with Trumpet Mushrooms
This tasty vegan quiche-like casserole features creamy spuds, earthy green spinach, and umami-rich trumpet mushrooms. A slurry thickened with chickpea and brown rice flour gets cheesy flavor from nutritional yeast, while grated tofu adds extra oomph. Notes a fan, “The whole thing is just delicious; my husband pronounced it ‘company worthy;! That means our meat-eating friends will like it too.”
Jambalaya-Style Collard Wraps
Classic Cajun flavors abound in these plant-strong burrito-style wraps and are easily achieved with a store-bought Cajun seasoning. A spicy red bean and rice filling, which also features okra and tomatoes, simmers on the stove for half an hour, filling the house with warming aromas. The saucy medley dribbles down your chin in the most delicious way and is perfectly balanced by the fresh crunch of raw collard leaves.
Cheesy Vegan Stuffed Spinach Bites
With a mixture of spinach and mashed potatoes forming the outside layer and a gooey vegan cheese at the center, these fun and hearty balls are the perfect finger food for a green-themed Irish feast. Note: These take a little time to prepare, but you’ll be glad you did. Serve with Marinara Sauce.
Air-Fried Fingerling Potatoes
These crowd-pleasing crispy fingerling potatoes make a great side dish or appetizer. A coating of ground flaxseed seasoned with chipotle chile powder gives them a scrumptiously spicy crunch. Oil-free and absolutely delicious, these tasty bites only take 20 minutes to cook in an air fryer. Serve with the zesty and deliciously green Creamy Chimichurri Dip.
Waffled Smashed Potatoes with Creamed Spinach
Need a satisfying start to your St Patrick’s Day celebrations? This inventive recipe uses your waffle maker to transform steamed potatoes into crispy-on-the-outside and creamy-on-the-inside waffles. Dijon mustard, tahini, and paprika give them a tangy creaminess with extra depth, and a creamed spinach topping comes together quickly and perfectly complements the potato waffles. Writes one happy reviewer, “We tried this recipe out for brunch this morning (“retired persons brunch!”), and it was fabulous.”
Vegan Mashed Potatoes with Kale
Looking for the perfect side dish worthy of a celebration dinner table? Prepare to fall in love with these showstopping mashed taters. Creamy mashed red potatoes are combined with wilted garlicky kale, with fresh dill adding a subtle anise flavor and aromatic depth. Serve as they are or add your favorite vegan gravy. Make plenty; in the unlikely event that you have leftovers, they taste great the next day.
Irish White Bean and Cabbage Stew
Loaded with basic ingredients like cabbage, potatoes, barley, and white beans, this classic Irish stew is seriously delicious—a healthy, filling meal all on its own.
Super Greens Soup with Chickpeas
A little tahini is all you need to add an underlying depth of flavor to this hearty green-hued soup. A single potato helps to thicken it, and loads of greens make it super-nourishing! Top with pomegranate seeds, chickpeas, and peas.
Hearty Purple Cabbage Soup
Warm the cockles of your Irish heart with this deeply nourishing soup of purple cabbage, onion, and potato. Finish with a sprig of fresh thyme and sprinkle with parsley and green peas for a meal to remember.
Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup
Your Irish grandma would approve of this velvety vegan spit pea soup. Throw it into your slow cooker in the morning and come home to the earthy-smoky aroma of home-cooked soup. One reviewer notes: "Was impressed on how good it was without using a ham bone." We agree; just a little smoked paprika is all you need to give it a yummy smoky flavor. In a hurry? No problem: It only takes 20 minutes to put together, or as one reviewer puts it: "Just chop and drop." This one's a keeper!
Split Pea & Cauliflower Soup
Split pea soup traditionally gets its flavor from ham bones, but in this plant-based version a well-chosen mix of spices gives all the flavor you need.
Spring Greens Soup
Mixed spring greens and cucumber form the base of this lush chilled green soup, while frozen peas and avocado make it deliciously creamy. Top with a fresh gremolata for lemony crunch.
Savoy Cabbage Rolls
Stuffed with a potato-couscous-kale mix, these stunning leafy wraps, drizzled with tomato sauce, offer a contemporary spin on two quintessentially Irish veggies: potato and cabbage.
Green Lentil Spoon Salad
Fragrant with fresh herbs, this luscious green lentil vegetable salad is best served chilled, allowing time for the flavors to mingle. One reader notes, “Can’t believe how good this is. Even non-vegan family members love this.”
Green Bean Pasta with Cashew Pesto
In this easy family-friendly meal, fresh basil pesto gives pasta and cannellini beans scrumptious rich flavor, while green beans add extra veggie goodness.
Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Rustic Parsnip Crust
The meaty texture of lentils make them an ideal filling for a vegan shepherd's pie. Be sure to make plenty, as it's even better the next day!
Vegan Minestrone Soup with Potatoes and Kale
Simple, satisfying, and seriously tasty, this hearty minestrone soup ticks all the boxes. Onion, garlic, and mushrooms ratchet up the umami goodness of the savory broth, while potato and cannellini beans add creamy bites. Tender kale adds a helping of greens and rounds out the flavors. Writes one commenter: "It was a raining tonight and I wanted a quick soup.... It filled the bill for a fall evening and was delicious."
Roasted Red Potatoes and Cabbage
In this comforting side dish, wedges of cabbage and red potatoes are roasted with a mix of oregano, chili powder, lemon, and black pepper. Top it all off with a drizzle of creamy Cilantro-Cashew Dressing.
Lima Bean Pesto Hummus
For a green-hued, fresh-tasting hummus use frozen lima beans and fresh basil leaves instead of chickpeas. Serve with your favorite crackers, pita bread, or crudités.
Roasted Asparagus with Tarragon and Balsamic
This platter of oven-roasted, perfectly seasoned asparagus spears is guaranteed to please any crowd.
Emerald Hummus Dip with Fresh Herbs
This spinach and herb hummus is as easy as it is green. Serve with dippers like toasted tortilla chips and veggie sticks. For extra wow this St. Patrick's Day choose all green veggies for dippers, such as cucumber, green bell pepper, asparagus, and snow peas.
Green Goddess Dip
This base for this luscious green dip is zucchini, so there is a lightness to it that's really appealing when you feel like an alternative to bean-based hummus.
Green Pea Hummus with Fresh Mint
Brighten up the color and flavor of simple chickpea hummus with sweet green peas and fresh mint in this 15-minute healthy vegan hummus recipe.
Manna Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
In this ultimate green-themed breakfast, kiwifruit is blended with wheatgrass and kale for tangy-sweet flavor, then the mixture is topped with quinoa, fresh fruit, and seeds.
Cream of Broccoli Soup
The addition of one small potato makes this broccoli soup creamy and thick. Thanks, potato—you've done it again!
Green Goddess Grain Bowls
Celebrate all things green with this sorghum grain bowl topped with cool green veggies and a drizzle of avocado-based Green Goddess Dressing.
Potato Pancakes
These crispy, gluten-free potato and zucchini pancakes are baked, not fried, and would make a great St. Patrick's Day brunch or lunch.
Herbed Fingerling Potatoes
One of the tricks to cooking great-tasting food without oil is learning new cooking methods. In this recipe, all the cooking is done on the stovetop, yet it seems like the potatoes have been roasted in oil.
Green Pea Guacamole
For a low-fat, avocado-free guacamole, try this tasty blend of frozen green peas and classic add-ins like fresh garlic, lime, cilantro, cumin, and hot sauce.
Spinach-Potato Tacos
One of the best parts of understanding the health benefits of a whole-food plant based diet is that you stop freaking out about carbs and can enjoy tasty carb-on-carb meals like these potato tacos.
Chickpea Avocado Salad
Serve chickpeas, avocado, lime juice, cilantro, and red onion on a bed of greens for a fresh-tasting and satisfying green salad.
Potato Snackers with Red Pepper Dip
Get snack-ready with a batch of crispy potato rounds. They’re great served by themselves, with red pepper hummus, or with a green-themed dip such as Lima Bean Pesto Hummus or Herbed Hummus.
Pizza with Creamed Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Olives
The creamy tofu-based spinach filling in this scrumptious pizza is right on point for a green-themed St Patrick's Day menu. Serve it up and watch it go!
Green Beans and Potatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette
Let those new season potatoes shine in this simple green bean, bulgur wheat, and potato salad. Added bonus: It’s ready in just 20 minutes!
Creamy Brussels Sprouts with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
In this masterful side dish, Brussels sprouts are simmered in a garlicky broth then dressed with a tangy cheese sauce made from nutritional yeast and mustard. Finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes add a pop of color and flavor.
This article was originally published on 3/12/2020 and has been updated.
About the Author
About the Author
Lisa Esile, MS
Lisa Esile is an author, illustrator, blogger, vegetable gardener, and whole-food enthusiast with a special fondness for potatoes. She has a master’s degree in human nutrition and is passionate about showing people how to live happier, healthier lives. She is the author of Reach Your Big Calm and the co-author of Whose Mind Is It Anyway? Find her on Facebook.
See More from this AuthorMORE FROM FORKS OVER KNIVES
Join our mailing list
Get free recipes and the latest info on living a happy, healthy plant-based lifestyle.
By providing your email address, you consent to receive newsletter emails from Forks Over Knives. We value your privacy and will keep your email address safe. You may unsubscribe from our emails at any time.
Comments (0)
(0 from 0 votes)