Eating vegan is easier than ever, but some meals can be a little heavy on grains and carbs. With these low-carb dishes, however, you won’t miss real pizza or pasta one bit! The trick is to use protein-packed ingredients and a few sneaky substitutions to make your food filling and delicious. Expect to see a lot of cauliflower on this list. But there are also a ton of fun recipes, like coconut flour pizza and even keto-friendly brownies!
25 Low-Carb Vegan Recipe Ideas From Breakfast to Dinner
1. Vegan Quiche Cups
Quiche probably wasn’t the first thing you had in mind when reading a vegan post, but here we are. These are obviously not real quiches, but rather a vegan take that uses extra firm tofu and lots of spinach. A lot of low-carb diets use quiche because it’s easy, tasty, and high in protein. Luckily, this recipe is too!
2. Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Did you know that one cup of cooked rice has as much as 37 grams of carbohydrates? The same amount of raw cauliflower has just five! Cauliflower is a powerhouse for vegans because it’s crazy versatile. It’s great on its own, or it can be used to make everything from pizza to rice. This Mexican blend uses onions, garlic, and jalapeños for taste, along with plenty of peppers for fantastic color.
3. Mushroom and Cauliflower Vegan Shepherds Pie
I grew up on shepherd’s pie (well, technically cottage pie because the former uses lamb), and it’s about as comforting as it gets. The base is a yummy blend of veggies, ground meat, and gravy, and it’s all topped with a hefty portion of mashed potatoes. What’s not to love? Of course, being vegan, this recipe calls for mushrooms instead, and the top is mashed cauliflower to keep it nice and low-carb.
4. Zucchini Noodles with Pesto
Pasta is probably the hardest thing to give up when you look at cutting carbs. It’s loaded with the stuff but worth every bite if you ask me! I have to admit that zucchini noodles are not the same as pasta. Of course, right? But if you’re on a low-carb diet and your cravings are getting unbearable, this is a terrific alternative.
5. Coconut Flour Pizza Crust Vegan
Coconut flour is naturally gluten-free and has about a tenth of the carbs as all-purpose. This recipe also calls for psyllium husk, which is a binder and helps to make this super tender. You can substitute it with corn starch (twice as much) or flaxseed if you prefer. The best way to cook this is to bake the crust first and then add your toppings for the last few minutes.
6. Easy Low Carb Keto Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a great way to start the day, but it’s not very low-carb. Even though the carbs are considered “good,” they’re still pretty dense. For this vegan version, you’ll mix almond flour with unsweetened coconut flakes, flax meal, chia seeds, monk fruit, and cinnamon. The coconut will give you some of that texture back, and the chia seeds offer a lovely pudding-like consistency.
7. Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
If you’re new to the world of vegan cooking, you might not have come across nutritional yeast before. Also known as nooch, it’s nutty, cheesy, and loaded with umami goodness. To make this soup creamy and cheesy, you’ll use soaked cashews, coconut milk, onions, garlic, nooch, and veggie broth. Add the broccoli whole or roughly chop and stir into the pot depending on how you like it.
8. Crispy Keto Firecracker Tofu
I tried tofu a long time ago and hated it. It was mushy and gross! But if you press out the excess liquid and toss it in cornstarch, it will turn out wonderfully crisp. The sauce is full of Sriracha, soy sauce, and hot. It’s firecracker tofu, remember! Cauliflower rice is probably the best side for this, minus the eggs, of course. Or, if you can find them, Shirataki noodles are low-carb and really easy to cook.
9. Superfood Low-Carb Veggie Salad Bowl
One of the easiest ways to make salads more filling is to add meats and veggies. But since that’s not an option here, we need to find some other yummy extras. To start, adding spinach to your bowl along with lettuce will boost the vitamins, nutrients, and fiber content. Next, you’ll want to include nuts, avocado, and low-carb veggies like asparagus, peppers, and zucchini.
10. Quick & Easy Vegan Caesar Salad
Vegan caesar dressing is a quick blend of avocado, garlic, lemon juice, water, capers, mustard salt, and pepper. Toss it with lettuce, and you won’t know it’s vegan. One thing missing, in my opinion, is a crunchy element. I always add a ton of croutons to my caesar salads. In lieu of bread, why not try these fabulous vegan crispy onions? They’ll add a much-needed crispy layer, and the flavor is to die for.
11. Keto-Bowl with Konjac Noodles and Peanut Sauce
Shirataki noodles, also known as Konjac noodles, are ridiculously low in calories and carbohydrates. They don’t really taste like anything, and they’re a great alternative to heavier noodles. To counter the lack of flavor in the noodles, you’ll marinate tofu in garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. But that’s not all! There’s also a yummy peanut sauce over the whole thing.
12. Super Easy Cauliflower Hummus
Chickpeas are rich in protein and fiber, but they’re also pretty high in carbs, making hummus a less than ideal snack. But remember what I said about cauliflower being versatile? This dish is no exception. I highly recommend roasting it before blitzing, as it adds so much incredible flavor. Although, you’ll mix it with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices, so you’ll get away with just steaming.
13. Vegan Broccoli Cheese Tots
Broccoli has a fairly unique taste, and it’s only made better when you mix it with cheese. But turning it into tots might just be my favorite way to serve it. Cook the broccoli and then pulse it with sauteed onion and garlic until it’s coarse. Then add tofu, nooch, chickpea flour, flax, and salt & pepper. Lastly, stir through some vegan cheese and bake until golden.
14. Avocado Keto Spring Rolls
Most pre-made wonton wrappers are neither low in carbs nor vegan. They’re usually made with wheat flour and eggs, so if you want spring rolls, you’ll need to think outside the box! Wonton wrappers made using coconut or rice are your best bet. Rice paper is super thin, so even though they contain carbs, it’s not too much. For something even lower in carbs, these coconut wraps are your best option.
15. Low-Carb Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Mushrooms are earthy, meaty, savory, and deliciously filling. Serve these as a side or main; just don’t skimp on the filling. Save the stalks and dice them, then gently fry them with onion, garlic, rosemary, and pine nuts. You can use walnuts if you prefer, since they’re a little bit cheaper. Once they’re soft, you’ll mix through chopped cranberries, ground almonds, and nutritional yeast.
16. Pumpkin Soup With Coconut Milk
Pumpkin is a lot lower in carbs and sugars than, say, potatoes or corn. It’s also naturally sweet and purees like a dream. Not only that, but it works whether you like it sweet or with a bit of a kick. For example, you’ll use coconut milk to make it creamy, but then feel free to add curry powder or paprika if you want some heat.
17. Cabbage Gratin With Vegan Cheese
If you’ve ever had potato gratin, you’ll know it’s insanely creamy and loaded with cheese. Not very vegan, unfortunately. Cabbage is a terrific potato alternative because it mimics the crispy edges with all those roasted layers. You’ll also notice a familiar-looking cashew “cheese” sauce made using apple cider vinegar, tahini, nutritional yeast, onion powder, and garlic powder.
18. Vegan Keto Recipe for Cauliflower & Turmeric Soup
Other than adding lovely yellow hues to your food, turmeric is a little earthy, bitter, and just a bit peppery. And you’ll need all that flavor because cauliflower is pretty bland. Luckily, this soup also blends ginger, carrots, and coconut milk. The best part, though, is the crispy tofu on top!
19. Keto Chocolate Pudding
Chocolate pudding is a beloved snack and dessert, but it’s usually made with either heavy cream or eggs. To make it vegan, you’ll need agar agar, which is a vegan-friendly setting agent. Plus, you’ll use real dark chocolate! Just be sure to get vegan chocolate, as some are made with milk. Similarly, when buying orange flavoring, it’s vital that you get oil. Otherwise, the chocolate will seize.
20. Easy Vegan Chili Slow Cooker Recipe
Chili is super easy to make vegan, but you still need to be careful about the veggies you add if you want it low carb. Also, you’ll need to omit the beans and corn. Again, this recipe uses mushrooms for flavor and terrific texture. But if you’re not a fan, try adding this ground “beef” tofu instead.
21. Baked Stuffed Tomatoes with Pico de Gallo and Cauliflower Rice
If you’re looking for a unique side to go with your tacos, you have to try this dish! Stuffed peppers are the norm, but I love the added juice and flavor you’ll get from using tomatoes. And they go perfectly with tacos or fajitas. Use the middle of the tomatoes to make a simple pico de gallo, then mix it with cauliflower rice and stuff.
22. The Best Keto Low Carb Vegetable Soup Recipe
In addition to the usual suspects (onion, garlic, and peppers), the base for this soup includes cauliflower, green beans, diced tomatoes, and broth. If you don’t like green beans, use broccoli or zucchini. Or for something with a little more color, try adding diced summer squash. A nifty trick to adding flavor is to roast the onions, tomatoes, and pepper in the oven until they’re slightly charred.
23. Vegan Keto Brownies
You won’t believe how easy it is to make chocolatey, dense, and dangerously delicious brownies that are both vegan and low carb. Xanthan gum might sound a little scary, but it’s pretty common in baking, and in this case, it makes the brownies stable enough to slice. As with the pudding recipe above, you’ll need dark chocolate, so make sure to find something super dark and dairy-free.
24. Keto Mocha Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Vegan ice cream almost always uses coconut milk because it’s lightly sweet and lusciously creamy. For this mocha version, just blend full-fat unsweetened coconut milk with unsweetened cocoa powder, instant coffee, and the sweetener of your choosing. I added some dark chocolate chips for texture!
25. Vegan Keto Cookies with Chocolate Chips
It’s almost impossible to make cookies without flour, but almond flour is a lovely low-carb alternative. Just be sure it’s super-fine and not lumpy or grainy. And see? Here’s that xantham gum again! Used as a binder to keep these babies together. Since these don’t have eggs or butter, they won’t spread like regular cookies, so make sure to flatten them with your hand before baking. The flatter you make them, the crispier they’ll be. Click on a star to rate it!
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