Plant Based U

Fat-Free and Low Fat Vegan Plant Based Recipes

white beans

Oil-Free Plant Based Dill Potato Salad With Homemade Vegan Mayo

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Oil Free Vegan Cashew White Bean Dill Potato Salad (Plant Based)

Even though Summer is almost over you still have lots of time to enjoy some more family picnics or barbecues. Being plant based doesn’t mean you have to miss out of some of the traditional comfort food salads usually served so I wanted to share this recipe with you!

If you can cook some baby potatoes and you have a blender or a food processor you can make potato salad AND your own plant based vegan mayo. This is my take on a classic recipe including some of my favourite things for cold creamy salads like red onion, celery, dill and pickles.



This recipe is sure to please your friends and family for a cook out or even to pack for lunch for yourself or kids. No need to worry about it being food safe out of the fridge because it’s naturally egg free as well!

Why not give it a try and then tell me what you paired it with by commenting below? Enjoy 🙂



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Oil Free Vegan Cashew White Bean Dill Potato Salad (Plant Based)

Oil-Free Plant Based Dill Potato Salad With Homemade Vegan Mayo

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white bean and cashew mayo or other oil free homemade mayo 1.5 lbs baby potatoes (I used red skin)
3 stalks of celery, sliced
6 small sweet gherkin pickles sliced, or other favourite pickle chopped
1/4 red onion, diced 1 green onion/scallion, sliced
1/3 cup of fresh dill, packed and chopped
Herbamare or salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1). Make or portion out 3/4 cup of white bean and cashew mayo.

2). Wash baby potatoes and slice in half if desired. Place in a steamer basket in a large pot with enough water and steam just until fork tender. Be careful not to overcook the potatoes.



3). Drain and rinse the potatoes in cold water and place in the fridge for at least half an hour to cool down before dicing and continuing.

4). Prepare the vegetables and herbs.


5). If desired cut the baby potato halves again so they’re now in quarters. Place in a medium or large bowl and add the sliced vegetables and herbs.

Oil Free Vegan Cashew White Bean Dill Potato Salad (Plant Based)

6). Add the white bean and cashew mayo and stir to combine.

7). Taste test and add Herbamare or salt and pepper to taste. Depending on if you used my mayo recipe or another mayo recipe you might want to add some extra dijon mustard if desired.



8). Chill in fridge if desired. Best eaten within 3 days due to fresh ingredients.

Tip: To have an even dice of onion and celery and pickles you can use a vegetable chopper if desired.

Have you ever made your own vegan mayo before? What do you like to put in your potato salad recipe?


Missing Summer Already – Plant-Based Harvest Soup (Butternut Squash, Sweet Corn and White Beans)

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Ah summer… I think it’s everyone’s favourite month.  (At least mine as it’s the sunniest/warmest time in Canada.) But now the weather is growing colder already and I can tell I’m missing the heat…. I was looking around the freezer the other day and wanted to make up something quick and healthy and I saw I had some bags of frozen butternut squash and some fresh corn. I decided to put it together with onions and broth and make a soup out of it, but it wasn’t thick enough so I thought, hey why don’t I try some white beans to add some bulk and cream it up? It turned out to be a great idea and a totally delicious combination. This soup doesn’t need any butter or cream to make it creamy and delicious, the white beans work perfectly. It also needs very little seasoning since it’s so sweet naturally from the sweet corn.

In fact you could even eat this soup without any of the seasonings at all, it would be a great soup for fussy children, or even a good choice for toddlers.  Everyone knows children enjoy soft naturally sweet foods and butternut squash and corn is a favourite.

I decided to kick things up a bit with some smoked paprika which added a delicious smokey flavour to the soup.  Smoked paprika isn’t of the spicy variety, but sweet so it adds some nice flavour without being spicy.


Summer sweet corn goes really well in almost any dish.  It’s a great topping for salads, adds natural sweetness to soups and is great on it’s own, no seasonings required.

Give this soup a try! It’s super easy (especially if you have frozen squash already, available at most health food stores.)

Fat Free Vegan Summer Harvest Soup (Butternut Squash Sweet Corn and White Bean Soup)

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

4 cups/1 qt./946 mL vegetable broth (homemade or low sodium)
1 large sweet onion, diced (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla)
5 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups/25 oz./1.5 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cubed (fresh or frozen)
2 1/2 cups sweet corn (fresh, frozen or canned – no sodium)
16 oz./453 g can white beans or chickpeas, drained
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or any other seasoning of choice)
3/4 tsp Herbamare or salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Sauté onions and garlic in a large pot over medium heat in 1/2 cup of vegetable broth until soft 5-6 minutes.
  2. Add squash, corn and beans and remaining broth and cover. Cook until squash is tender.
  3. Carefully spoon mixture into a Vitamix blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  4. Pour mixture back into pot, add seasonings and mix thoroughly. Taste test and adjust seasonings if desired.

What do you think of this summer soup? Have you ever tried smoked paprika before?

Slowcooker Vegan White Bean Cassoulet by SkinnyMs

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I love using white beans, especially in plant-based Mediterranean cuisine. They are a delicious addition to soups, stews, chillis, salads or even in place of chickpeas in hummus. They have a mild creamy taste and pair well with almost any herb. I instantly liked this recipe for vegan white bean cassoulet because is jam packed and filled with veggies and flavor without all the meat and cheese of the classic French dish. And once you see how beautiful it is when it comes together it’s sure to please all of your family’s senses.

So before you put away your slow cooker for the season, why not try this hearty dish when you are craving something “different” yet still budget friendly and super filling. I’d also pair this veggie cassoulet with a nice light salad with a homemade vinaigrette. (Check out my quick dijon dressing in this video)



Vegetarian White Bean Cassoulet

A cassoulet is a French dish that is very complicated to prepare and is usually very meat-heavy. Traditionally it is a dish filled with fatty meats, white beans, and vegetables topped with savory bread crumbs and cheese. This version is not nearly as complicated, and it is a healthy cassoulet that is full of veggies. It’s a slow cooker recipe unlike any other. So, if you’re looking for a vegetarian white bean cassoulet recipe that is satisfying, rich, and filling, this one is sure to be a hit.

Vegan White Bean Cassoulet

Recipe provided by SkinnyMs.com

Yields: 6 servings | Serving Size: 1 cup|Calories: 432| Previous Points: 9| Points Plus:  10| Total Fat: 10 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 171 mg | Carbohydrates: 67 g | Dietary Fiber: 21 g | Sugars: 9 g | Protein: 20 g |

Ingredients:

Cassoulet:
    • 3 leeks, white parts, sliced
    • 2 stalks celery, diced
    • 2 large carrots, sliced
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
    • 2 cups vegetable stock
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tablespoons Italian seasoning
    • 2 15 ounce cans white beans of your choice, rinsed and drained
Breadcrumbs:
  • 1 cup good quality coarse bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (or garlic powder)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little vegetable broth or water. Add the leeks and celery and cook until soft. Add the carrots and cook until lightly browned. Add more water or broth as necessary. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the mixture to the slow cooker, followed by the rest of the cassoulet ingredients. Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours, until vegetables are tender. Lightly mash some of the beans to thicken the cassoulet.

Make the toasted breadcrumbs by tossing the breadcrumbs with the garlic (or garlic powder). Lay in an even layer on a baking sheet and lightly toast in a 350 F degree oven, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and combine with the parsley and lemon zest.

To serve, spoon the cassoulet into individual ramekins and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Alternatively, sprinkle breadcrumbs directly on the cassoulet in the slow cooker and serve from there.

Notes:

This recipe has been edited to omit the olive oil to be in line with the needs of the readers of this blog.

Have you ever made a cassoulet recipe? What did you put in it?