Small Plates & Sides

Most people who go vegan notice an unexpected phenomenon: Your meals become one-dish wonders. Whereas it used to be a meat, a starch, and a vegetable, now it’s often just a big bowl of plant-based goodness—which could be a hearty pasta dish, a tofu-and-veggie stir-fry, a giant salad with quinoa and beans, or one of infinite combinations of “a grain, a green, and a bean.”

The point is, it’s really easy to go down this one-dish road. Nutrition takes center stage. Cooking and cleanup are simple. And hey, who wants to plan and shop for three dishes when you can get the job done with one? But even if every bite remains delicious when you eat this way, there’s no denying that every bite is, well, the same.