Vegan Proteins Meal Prep

Today’s meal prep blog features 3 plant-based protein recipes that I love to prep regularly! They’re healthy, easy to prepare, and make meals simpler to put together. Make sure to watch the video below for visual references and don’t forget to scroll down for the written recipes

Why Should You Meal Prep?

Meal prepping is a great way to help you save time cooking in the kitchen during the week, it can save you money and prevent you from ordering take out 8 times in a week– which can help your wallet and also with weight loss! Cooking nutritious, high-protein meals at home means you know exactly what’s going into your food, and you’re more likely to eat food that you’ve lovingly prepared instead of let it go to waste. Also, if you’re new to eating plant-based, meal-prepping can help you stick to a plant-based diet!

Why Prep Your Proteins?

In my experience when it comes to cooking, I’ve always found that when I have prepared a protein it’s easier to build meals around it. Depending on the protein you’re working with, it’s usually easier to decide on what other meal components to whip up alongside it when dinner time rolls along. For instance, if I have some Crispy Curried Tofu Bites already made, I can easily cook up a pot of rice or quinoa, and air fry a simple veggie like broccoli or quinoa. Or if I have a big batch of Smokey Baked Black Beans made, throwing a couple pieces of bread in the toaster is all I need to do to have a satisfying and comforting quick breakfast.

What’s on the Menu?

Here’s a quick rundown of the plant-based proteins you’ll be prepping:

• Smoky Baked Black Beans: Sweet and smoky black beans that are baked in a rich, spicy sauce.
• Crispy Curried Tofu Bites: Perfectly savoury and seasoned, then air fried until golden and crispy.
• Peppery Soy Curl Steak Strips: Soy curls marinated in a punchy, peppery marinade and cooked to perfection.

Order of Prep

1. Make the Smoky Baked Black Beans as they take the longest to cook
2. While the baked beans are in the oven, make the Crispy Curried Tofu Bites and cook them in the air fryer
3. Rehydrate the soy curls, make the steak spice and marinade, and then marinate the soy curls. Then cook them either in an air fryer, frying pan or in the oven.

A Note on Oil

1. Using a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for this meal prep is ideal, however if the price of olive oil is as expensive for you as they are for me where I live, any neutral-tasting oil like grape seed, avocado or sunflower oil are fine.
2. Oil-Free: If you’re cooking without oil for any reason, I’ve left substitution notes in each recipe calling for oil.

Smoky Baked Black Beans

Ingredients:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust the rack to the middle slot.
2. In a large oven safe sauté pan or dutch oven, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and translucent.
3. To the pot add all the remaining ingredients, except the beans, and stir well to combine. Then stir in the black beans.
4. Cover with a lid or foil and place the pan in the oven. If you don’t have an oven safe sauté pan/Dutch oven, a casserole dish is fine. Bake for 1 hour, then remove the lid and cook uncovered for 15 to 30 more minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the top layer is browned.
5. Carefully remove from the oven, and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped green onions or herbs and enjoy on its own, as a side dish, or spread over a thick piece of toast.

Note: If oil-free, substitute the oil for hot water or veggie broth. Add little splashes of water/broth while sautéing to keep the onion from sticking as it cooks.

Crispy Curried Tofu Bites

Ingredients (double if you want a bigger batch):

• 1 block of extra firm tofu, patted dry
• 1½ tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 scant tbsp curry powder

1. Preheat air fryer to 425°F or your oven to 425°F and set the rack to the top slot.
2. Cut the tofu into roughly 1 inch cubes, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the soy sauce and give the tofu a few gentle tosses to coat it. Then add the nutritional yeast and curry powder and toss to combine once more. These will act like breadcrumbs, making each piece nice and crispy. Ensure each piece of tofu is evenly coated, then transfer to an air fryer basket in a single layer, and air fry for 18 to 20 minutes until crispy. Alternatively, you can place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake on the top rack in your oven for 40 minutes, flipping halfway.
4. The tofu bites will be done when they are a deeper golden colour the edges are crispy.

Peppery Soy Curl Steak Strips

Ingredients:

1. Rehydrate the dry soy curls in a large bowl of boiling hot water. Cover and let sit for 10 or so minutes.
2. Combine all the steak spice ingredients in a jar, seal the lid and shake several times to combine. Then whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, including some of the the steak spice you just made.
3. Drain and press any remaining water from the soy curls, using a wooden spoon and pressing them into a colander. Transfer to the bowl of marinade. Toss well to combine, cover and marinate the soy curls for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight in the fridge. 
4. Drain and remaining marinade that wasn’t absorbed into a small container and use for a salad dressing, if you like, then proceed to cook your soy curl steak strips.
5. Cooking Method 1 – Stovetop: Warm 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat and pan fry the soy curls for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and flipping the pieces over occasionally until golden brown, with some crispiness to the edges. For softer, more tender strips, cook for less time, about 10 minutes.
6. Cooking Method 2 – Air Fry: Transfer strips to a lightly lined air fryer basket and air fry for 18 to 20 minutes at 400° F for a crispier texture. For a more tender texture air fry for 10 to 12 minutes.

Plant Powered

If you digged any of these plant-based protein recipes you might like this High-Protein Greek Meal Prep blog!

Lastly, if you made any of these recipes and decide to share them on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @SteamyVegan and use hashtag #SteamyVegan! I seriously love seeing what you’re cooking up! Plus make sure to check me out on YouTube — I have HUNDREDS of videos to give you limitless plant-based inspiration!