Love at First Bite: Plant-Based Valentine’s Day Meal Ideas

Introduction

Hello to all the lovers out there!!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start planning a special valentine’s day dinner to serve to your loved one!

Some choose to eat out on valentines day, however it can be even more romantic if the effort is made to cook a delicious dinner yourself and bring the restaurant into your home.

If you’re looking for vegan Valentine’s Day dinner ideas, but are worried about pulling it off, you’re in luck.

We’ve gathered some of our favorite recipes and others, that are easy to make and will make your heart (and stomach) happy.

From romantic risotto dishes with mushrooms, veggies and vegan Parmesan cheese, to fancy dessert recipes, we’ve got you covered.

So get ready to impress your sweetheart with a deliciously fancy vegan feast this Valentine’s Day!

What is a good meal to cook for Valentine’s Day?

It’s that time of year again! The clock is ticking down to your Valentine’s Day dinner.

If you’ve been looking forward to this day all month long, like we have, then you’re probably thinking about how to best spend it with your loved ones.

We know that cooking a valentine’s day dinner for someone can be an extremely sweet act of love.

But what should the menu consist of?

While some people might choose steak or fish as their main dish, we here at Plants Delish are recommending plant-based options instead!

Not only will these meals be lighter on your stomach after dinner (so you’ll feel less gross lying down next to bae), but they also pack in more nutrients per serving than meat dishes.

What’s a good romantic dinner?

Valentine’s day dinner ideas should be focused on delicious recipes that look and taste impressive yet are not time consuming too cook.

For example, pasta dishes make for great romantic eats.

One classic pasta dish that is always a hit is lemon garlic butter pasta.

The tangy lemon juice and mellow garlic flavors are the perfect pair, while the buttery sauce coats each strand of pasta perfectly.

It is tasty and looks impressive yet is super quick and easy to cook.

So if you’re looking to impress your date with a show-stopping meal, a pasta dish like above is the exact kind of dish to aim for!

A great way to prepare for a romantic dinner and save more time to spend with your loved one is to utilize the slow cooker.

Slow cooker recipes are awesome for creating delicious on the day dinner ideas well in advance.

Meaning you have more time with your loved one instead being stressed in the kitchen over the stove.

Slow cookers or crock pots are very affordable and are very easily available to purchase.

Check out this one here for example. It is perfect for the job and super affordable.

Here are some of our favorite Valentines meal ideas

We have selected a few of our favorite valentines meal ideas to create the perfect valentines dinner for your loved one.

These include the most delicious starters, mains, side dishes and desserts.

Without a doubt we are sure anyone can easily create them without getting too stressed out in the kitchen.

Select one of each course and have a fabulous romantic dinner that I promise will impress!

Starters

Heart shaped beetroot and quinoa salad

Laura from freshfoodbites.com is a dietitian, nutrition coach and recipe developer.

I just had to add this superb recipe to our valentines day dinner ideas because, well come on, heart shaped beetroot!!

How romantic can you be when you have heart shaped beetroot on your plate.

Not only does this salad look amazing, the flavor combinations are a dreamy and can’t fail to impress your loved one this valentines day.

Check out the full recipe here

Brussel sprout salad with garlic sauce

Laura Write from thefirstmess.com created this unbelievably good salad and I have been making it ever since I discovered it.

It is light and fresh and packs bags of flavor and texture in every bite.

The garlic dressing is creamy, rich and packed full of flavor and is a great way to dress up any vegetables, and works incredibly well to dress this super salad starter.

Get the full recipe here

Stuffed Portobello caps with roasted red pepper sauce

Angela at veganela.com creates the most amazing and easy to follow vegan recipes.

This one here is one of my favorite recipes of hers.

This will make a great starter for any vegan Valentine’s day dinner.

The Portobello’s are meaty and flavorful, and the roasted red bell peppers create a sauce adds a delicious savory sweetness.

Super easy and amazing flavors, this is starter perfection.

Get the full recipe right here

Roasted winter vegetables with balsamic reduction

This flavorful recipe created by the talented Candice at thatgreenlyfe.com would make the perfect starter to any romantic meal.

This simple but elegant dish features tender, caramelized vegetables coated in a sweet and tangy balsamic reduction. It’s the perfect way to start off your romantic vegan meal!

For a stickier and more sweet balsamic addition you can simply add sugar to the balsamic vinegar which will help it to reduce down into a tangy and sweet sticky balsamic glaze.

The choice is entirely yours.

Get the full recipe here

Potato and leek soup

Served with fresh crusty bread and vegan butter, this soup makes an warming delicious starter that’s sure to impress your date.

The flavors combine so well and the voluptuously smooth consistency gives the dish a elegant feel.

Despite being dairy free this beautiful soup has a delicious creaminess, even non-vegans will not believe it has no cream in it.

This recipe combines beautifully sweet leeks with potato and onion to create a rich bold flavor that is guaranteed to impress.

Get the full recipe here.

The best Roasted Tomato Soup recipe

When it comes to vegan valentine’s day dinner ideas this starter couldn’t be more perfect.

This soup is rich and creamy (thanks to the vegan Crème Fraiche), Full of intense tomato flavor and super easy to make (just roast some tomatoes, onions and garlic and blend with some veggie stock).

It’s perfect for chilly winter days providing a rich, warming and cozy starter to share with your loved one.

Get the full Recipe here

Main courses

STIR FRY GAME CHANGER WITH BROCCOLI AND MUSHROOM

Stir fries, you’ve got to love them. They’re so simple to prepare, so fast cook, so delicious and satisfying and packed with massive amounts of nutrition.

You can literally create a delicious nutritional dinner in around 15 minutes with the stir fry.

Which makes this dish an ideal choice if you want to spend less time cooking and more time romantically flirting 😉

Serve with some perfectly cooked regular rice like basmati, or over some rice noodles, its a super tasty meal everyone will enjoy.

To make this dish even more nutritional and healthy substitute the rice noodle for homemade zucchini noodles.

Find out how to make this delicious dish right here.

Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

Serve up a delicious vegan chicken dish for your loved one this Valentine’s Day.

Jolinda Hacket from thespruceeats.com created this fantastic vegan chicken pot pie that will warm the hearts of anyone.

This pie has a hearty, creamy filling that lacks nothing in flavor compared to its animal based counterpart.

It is the perfect alternative chicken recipe that will leave even non vegans impressed.

Topped with a light and flaky pastry lid, it really makes for a winning main course dish to any meal.

Get the full recipe here

Vegan cannelloni with spinach and ricotta

Juilanne from nosweatvegan.com knocked this winner of a vegan Italian dish right out the park.

Packed with flavor from the spinach, fresh basil and vegan ricotta cheese and so easy to prepare and cook.

This dish is a great option to add to your valentine’s day dinner ideas list.

Baked in the oven in a rich marinara tomato sauce it can be prepared well ahead of time and just needs to be popped in the oven when needed.

Ideal for spending more time with your loved one on your romantic night together.

Get the full recipe here.

Spaghetti With Mushrooms and Creamy Alfredo Sauce

This super easy and insanely delicious pasta dish was created by the fabulous Laine Rudolfa from onegreenplanet.org

The sauce is cauliflower based which makes it super creamy and indulgent and pairs so well with the mushrooms.

This dish will certainly impress vegan and non-vegan pasta lovers alike for any occasion.

So add it to your valentines day dinner ideas list right now!

Find this great recipe right here.

Creamy Mushroom Risotto with roasted asparagus spears

This dish is full of flavor and will leave you feeling satisfied without any need for meat!

It’s also easy to make, so if you’re looking for something extra fancy then this beauty is perfect.

My extra fancy vegan mushroom risotto is so creamy and indulgent, you would never guess that it doesn’t contain any dairy. The white wine and stock gives the rice a luxurious touch while mushrooms add a delicious meaty flavor.

The left over white wine can always be shared at the dinner table too! 😉

Asparagus adds a delicious added luxury and a nice crunchy texture.

Simply drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon, then roast for 5-10 minutes in a hot oven.

Even better would be to place them into a red hot grill pan to get some smoky charred flavors going on.

Serve with a generous grating of vegan Parmesan cheese and a simple green salad and you have a super fancy main course for your night of romance.

By the way, asparagus is a natural aphrodisiac so this meal is couldn’t be more perfect for Valentine’s Day 😉

Get the full recipe here.

Side dishes

Super easy vegan scalloped potatoes

If you have been scouring the internet for vegan inspired recipes for a while then I’m pretty sure you will have stumbled across the fantastic minimalistbaker.com

They set the standards for me for vegan food creations and are a great resource for all things foody and vegan.

This scalloped potatoes dish ticks all the boxes.

It’s super easy to prepare and cook and is flavor heaven thanks to the incredible vegan cheese sauce which the potatoes cook in.

If you’re looking for something simple to cook but gives the impression you have been working your socks off in the kitchen for hours, then you must add this side to your list of valentine’s day dinner ideas.

Get the full recipe here

Creamy mashed potatoes with garlic

Desiree of desieerd.com not only creates super healthy and nutritious ideas to cook at home but they are also some of the tastiest and simple dishes you really shouldn’t live without.

I mean who doesn’t love rich and creamy mashed potatoes?

Throw in some roasted garlic and you know you are onto a serious winner of a side dish to compliment almost any main course.

These garlic mashed potatoes are my absolute favorite and I couldn’t leave them off this valentine’s day dinner ideas list.

Find out how to make them right here

Desserts

Sweet Potato Brownies

ChocolateCoveredKatie.com is one of the top 25 food websites in America, so where better to find the ultimate vegan brownie dessert to finish your valentine’s day dinner.

It blew my mind how a dessert this good could be made using the humble sweet potato, but my goodness Katie has absolutely nailed it because these are amazing.

They are made using peanut butter or almond butter, however they can made nut free by substituting the nut butter for a vegan butter instead.

These are rich and gooey and super chocolatey with a healthy twist.

Check out how to make them right here

Raw Vegan White Chocolate Strawberry Hearts

Ruxandra is the founder and owner of gourmandelle.com and is the creator of fantastic vegan and vegetarian inspired dishes.

Included on her amazing blog is this recipe for 100% guilt free white chocolate strawberry hearts.

Can you think of a more perfect way to end your valentines day meal? I think not!

For this recipe it’s recommended to use a good quality high powered food processor as the ingredients list includes raw cashew butter.

Cashew butter might be difficult to buy in stores but can easily be made at home if you have a food processor up to the job.

I highly recommend this one here which will make so many cooking tasks at home so much easier.

Trust me when I say these are far too tasty to be considered healthy and are well worth making for any romantic treat.

Check out the how to instructions for this beautiful treat right here

Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

I first discovered Bianca from biancazapatka.com on Pinterest and have been drooling over her vegan sweet treats ever since.

They say chocolate is the ingredient of love and this recipe of Bianca indulges you in it in the best way possible

I mean who doesn’t love a good chocolate cheesecake??

This is a perfect for any date night.

Silky smooth and creamy chocolate cheesecake with a crunchy Oreo cookie base – perfect for a romantic dessert!

This decadent, rich chocolate cheesecake is topped off with fresh blackberries which add to its deliciousness.

It’s also really easy to make, so if you’re looking for something quick then this recipe is perfect.

Get the full recipe here.

So there you have it!

Some of our own recipes and some favorites from our friends in the foody world I’m sure will have inspired you to get in that kitchen.

I really hope you found this article helpful.

Leave a comment if you did as it will be great to hear from you.

Thanks for reading as always.

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