Easy Vegan Dishes for Your Next Date Night

Although going out to eat is fun and easy, having a night in with your significant other is a great way to relax and reconnect. But, just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice enjoying a great meal. Instead of ordering take out or heading to your nearest fast food joint, try one of these recipes!

They are all vegan or can be made vegan easily, and made with pantry staples along with fresh ingredients. Cooking any of these dishes will help save you money, ward off post dinner drowsiness, and get you and your boo to spend quality time in the kitchen. Bon appétit!

Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Curry Roasted Chickpeas

This salad would make for a great starter or side dish. Crunchy cucumber, juicy tomato, and crispy chickpeas combine to create a light but satisfying dish.

For the cucumber and tomatoes:

1. Cut and deseed a cucumber
2. Dice the cucumber along with the tomatoes (about 4 romas, but you can use whatever type you like) and put them into a bowl
3. Squeeze half a lemon over the mixture, and add salt and pepper to your taste
4. If you have any herbs such as parley or ciltantro, throw it in there as well! Not necessary, but the addition brings a light herbacious note to the dish.

For the chickpeas:

1. Preheat your oven 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
2. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Pat them dry and put them in a bowl.
3. In a bowl, combine the folloiwng to make the spice mix:
   4 teaspoons curry powder
   2 teaspoons kosher salt
   2 teaspoons garlic powder
   1 teaspoon coriander
   1 teaspoon turmeric
   1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
   1 teaspoon onion powder
4. Bake until golden and cripsy to your liking, between 30-45 minutes.
5. Once the chickpeas are done roasting, mix them into the tomatoes and cucumber and you’re ready to eat!

Get the full recipe for the dish here

Lemon Arugula Pasta

Sometimes at the end of the day, all you want to do is sit down and eat a big bowl of pasta. The problem is that once you start adding butter, store bought sauce, and cheese, it’s almost as unhealthy as ordering a pizza. However, it doesn’t have to be like that! This recipe for lemon and arugula pasta is absolutely light, zesty, and filling.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, following the instructions on your pasta box.
2. Once the pasta is in the water, drain and rinse a can of canelinin beans.
3. Add the beans into a bowl with argula, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.
4. When the pasta is al dente, strain it and add it directly to the bowl with the bean mixture. Toss gently.
5. At this point, you can also add parmesean cheese if you are not vegan. If you are vegan, omit the cheese! Bon appétit!

Get the full recipe for this dish here