18 Vegan Paleo Recipes So Good You Might Convert (2024)

You'd think vegan and paleo sort of cancel each other out, with paleo diet recipes emphasizing grass-fed meats and free-range eggs and vegans avoiding all animal products. But when you think about what our “ancestors" probably really ate, it must have been a very plant-based diet. So, what does an ancestral vegan diet look like? Abundant fruits and veggies are something both eating philosophies have in common. Grains and legumes — go-tos for many vegans — are out, but paleo-friendly starches like sweet potatoes, yams, cassava and plantains are in, and they're both tasty and filling. So are all the good fats, like nuts, avocados and olive oil. And we can sweeten things up when we need to with fruit juices, honey, molasses, pure maple syrup and dried fruits. This is starting to sound not only healthy, but also deliciously doable. Here are 18 tempting recipes that'll have you saying: “Let's do this!"

1. Crispy Plantains With Garlic Sauce: A staple of Caribbean cuisine, plantains are delicious fried or mashed. Ripe ones look similar to bananas and can be used in sweet dishes, while green ones mash and crisp up nicely. In this recipe, green plantains are parboiled, smashed and pan-fried, so the center remains soft while the edges provide crunch. The accompanying garlic-lime dipping sauce is sinfully delicious. (via Wellfed)

2. Zucchini Noodles With AvocadoSauce: What’s not to love about zucchini noodles, AKA zoodles? They’re so fresh and delicious! Avocados, pine nuts and basil make this raw vegan dish a creamy delight. (via Simple Vegan Blog)

3. Kimchi Fried Cauliflower Rice: Kimchi is one of those debatable topics in paleo circles, but Primal Blueprint guru Mark Sisson makes the point that before refrigeration, our ancestors would have eaten a lot of fermented foods. The kimchi in this recipe gives the riced cauliflower an added zing. We can’t get enough! (via In Sonnet’s Kitchen)

4. Zucchini Lasagna With Basil-Cashew “Cheese” Sauce: If you think a paleo diet means you’d be missing out on traditional Italian dishes like lasagna, look no further. The cashew sauce on this veggie-packed version will have you running back for seconds and even thirds. (via Healthy Recipe Ecstasy)

5. Cassava Pizza Crust: Speaking of Italian comfort foods, you can still have pizza Fridays. This pizza crust is made of mashed cassava (also called yuca), which crisps up nicely (as our Caribbean friends who traditionally cook with yuca already know). Top it with your favorite veggies and nut cheese and you’re good to go. (via Predominantly Paleo)

FAQs

Is there a vegan version of paleo? ›

In essence, a pegan diet is the same as paleo, just with much fewer animal products; fruit, vegetables, and nuts make up three quarters of your plate, whilst meat, fish, and eggs fill the rest. A vegan paleo diet, however, doesn't contain any of these animal products.

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How to be paleo vegan? ›

Crafting Your Pegan Plate

Starchy Vegetables and Fruits: Sweet potatoes, yams, apples, bananas, and berries offer natural sweetness and fiber. Protein Sources: While traditional paleo diets lean heavily on animal protein, the pegan diet limits this intake, focusing instead on plant-based proteins like nuts and seeds.

Is quinoa paleo? ›

Quinoa isn't Paleo-friendly because it belongs to a group of pseudocereal grains. It has lots of nutritional goodness, like protein and amino acids, but if you're sticking to a strict Paleo diet, it's better to go for a Paleo-friendly option like broccoli rice or zucchini noodles.

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Is rice paleo? ›

Strict paleo dieters exclude all grains from their diets — including rice — primarily due to their high phytate content. Although it's technically prohibited, many people still consume small amounts of white rice while following a paleo diet because it's lower in phytates, compared with other types.