With all the hype in the media about saving the planet and trying Veganuary, I thought I would do some research of the best Vegan/Vegetarian places to eat around London and give you some ideas of meat-free meals to cook.
Let’s be honest, if you like eating meat and don’t think you could go without it, then Veganuary probably isn’t the challenge for you. I truly respect people who have a diet without any animal products. Saying that, there is no harm in making the challenge more achievable for yourself, maybe trying one or two vegetarian meals, or even days, a week. Or maybe you don’t want to try it out at all and you just want some inspiration of places to eat and meals to cook!
- Mildred’s (Soho/Kings Cross/Camden/Dalston)
This is a really popular café among Vegans and has most items on the menu under £10 so it is student budget friendly too! They do a variety of salads, mains, snacks and desserts so whatever food you’re feeling I’m sure there will be a choice right for you.
- Genesis (Spitalfields)
This restaurant is a bit further afield but has a great reputation. They do sharers, mains, sides and vegan drinks too, although a bit more pricey it could be a nice treat on the weekend?
- Kalifornia Kitchen (near Tottenham Court Road)
Slightly more expensive as well, but most dishes are under £15 so for a weekend treat this could be a good choice too. They do sides, salads and vegan burgers and mains.
- Koshari Street (Covent Garden)
With all items under £10, treat yourself to a salad bowl, soup or wrap for lunch at this Egyptian inspired vegan café. A trip to Covent Garden is always worth the time too!
- My favourite vegetarian dish that I make is a Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Curry, try out this recipe from BBC GoodFood: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cauliflower-potato-curry with some naan bread or rice if you want to make it more filling.
- I also love this Vegetable and Lentil Cottage Pie: https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/vegetable-and-lentil-cottage-pie from the good old Mary Berry. It isn’t strictly vegan but you could always replace the cheese with a vegan-friendly product and it would be!
- For a quick dinner there’s always my go-to Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad with tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and onions. There is no specific recipe just chuck in some of your favourite veggies to make a nice sauce and add some pasta.
I hope I’ve given you some inspiration if you’re trying Veganuary or if you just wanted to try out a few new cafes or recipes. Being vegetarian can be a great way to reduce your weekly shopping prices too as meat/fish can be quite expensive, so if you need some extra cash one week why not give one of the recipes above a go? They also freeze well if you like cooking in batch and saving portions for later.
Good Luck with whichever challenge you chose for January and I hope these restaurants and meals live up to your expectations!
