Spring is upon us! Are you ready for it? Parts of the country may still be a winter wonderland, but over here in California, we're bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and blue-sky-ed! March 20 marks the Spring equinox, and with that comes the transition between winter and spring produce. On account of that transition, I have tailored this week's meatless meal plan around lighter meals that still incorporate some winter vegetables. In my house, we're moving away from heavy winter comfort foods and easing into spring with lightened-up meals that are still nutritious and filling.
Want to ease (and eat!) into Spring? Here's this week's meatless meal plan!
Monday
Nourish Bowl from Nutrition Stripped // Nourishing, well-balanced bowls such as this one are so versatile and simple! You can follow the recipe as provided on Nutrition Stripped, or you can modify it with your favorite add-ins. I love this meal because it takes into account the fine balance between healthy fats, fiber, and protein. I find this balance to be not only paramount in vegetarian and vegan eating, but also completely delicious. This recipe serves one, but since our meal plans are for four servings, we've quadrupled the ingredients on the shopping list; if you're cooking for fewer than four, adjust accordingly!
Tuesday
Vegetable Stir Fry with Thai Peanut Sauce from The Roasted Root // There are no words to describe my love of peanut sauce. Spring rolls and peanut sauce shall go down in history as my all-time favorite take-out! When I make peanut sauce at home, I like to keep the recipe all-natural and eliminate the sugar. It may not be the same as take-out, but it's nutritious and can be used in so many ways. I even use it as a dressing for Thai chopped salads! Vegetable stir-fry with homemade Thai peanut sauce is one of my go-tos for post-work weeknight meals. The recipe comes together quickly and the leftovers are perfect for lunch the next day.
Wednesday
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Balsamic-Date Dressing from Aida Mollenkamp // Roasted root vegetables! My favorite! I'm cherishing the abundance of root vegetables that are still available at my grocery store, and absolutely love adding roasted veggies to green salads. The balsamic-date dressing that goes along with this recipe is completely delicious! I'd even recommend making a double or triple batch of it to keep on-hand if you and your family eat a lot of salads. Consider modifying this salad to incorporate roasted walnuts, pecans, and/or quinoa if you're looking to add some protein.
Thursday
A Modest Vegetable Soup from Produce on Parade // Modesty (along with honesty) is a great policy! This soup was gone the same night I made it, in spite of the fact that only one other person besides me was eating it. It is so full of flavor, and while it may be simple (and modest!), it is completely satisfying. This lighter soup recipe is a definite keeper and can be made any time of year--a win for someone like me, who absolutely eats soup even during the summer months! Because this soup serves 3, you'll want to serve it with leftovers from last night's salad.
Friday
Spaghetti Squash with Garlicky Kale Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes from Oh My Veggies // Have you tried Kiersten's garlicky kale pesto? Because it's bangarang! Pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and walnuts are one of my favorite flavor/texture combinations--I really never get sick of it. As a huge fan of spaghetti squash, I love that this meal is healthful, filling, comforting, and delicious all swaddled up in one complete cozy package. Similar to Tuesday's recipe, I recommend making more garlicky kale pesto sauce than you need if you enjoy having homemade sauces on-hand!
Tips for This Week's Meal Plan
- You'll notice these recipes call for a lot of greenery: romaine lettuce, spinach, chard, and kale! In order to save yourself a little hassle, double up on 2 of the greens instead of getting all four.
- Cross-check the shopping list against what you want in your Nourish Bowl; the recipe is flexible and can be customized to your liking. It's also a great recipe for cleaning out the fridge and pantry or for using up veggies from a CSA box.
- I left the kelp granules for the Nourish Bowl off of the shopping list, so add them back if you like!
Click here for a printable version of this week's meatless meal plan and shopping list, then click on the links above to print out each recipe. Now you're set for the week!
Skye says
You're weekly menus always sound so enticing... Peanut sauce! Balsmaic dressing! Kale pesto! What more could a girl ask for???
Have a lovely - and sunny - weekend x
Julia Mueller says
The sauces that go along with these meals are what drew me in too! There's nothing better than a healthy, satisfying meal with a flavorful sauce or dressing. Hope you enjoy the meal plan and you have yourself a beautiful weekend, too!!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
spaghetti squash looks so good!!! thanks for doing this, its really inspirational.
Julia Mueller says
Spaghetti squash is lots of fun and homemade pesto is one of my favorite sauces to add to the meal. Love Kiersten's recipe and am so glad you like it too! 🙂
Danielle @ theCHARMITspot says
Everything on here looks clean and delicious! I especially love how big the Nourish Bowl from Nutrition Stripped on Monday is. I really like this meal plan, thanks for sharing!
Julia Mueller says
You're welcome, Danielle, I'm glad you like it! The Nourish Bowl was so much fun to make, photograph, and eat! McKel did a fantastic job with the recipe. It's so simple and healthful - definitely one I will be making time and again 🙂
Samantha @FerraroKitchen says
That roasted root veggie salad is lookin' mighty fine! I have some pomegranate syrup I was thinking about playing around with roasted veggies!
Julia Mueller says
YEEES! Do it! A pomegranate vinaigrette would be perfect on this salad. I was blown away by how amazing the flavor and texture of the roasted roots were in the salad. Let us know if you make the recipe and use your pomegranate syrup!
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
OMG, I was just thinking oh I hope Oh My Veggies makes something of mine again. And then BAM! My soup! 🙂 I am so glad you liked it. It's a good one 😉 Thanks so much for featuring it, Julia. Also, I have a question. I am making a water kefir and I let it sit for about 3 days (I know it's a bit long) but it smells just a teensy tiny bit funky. Is that just how it smells. I've new to water kefir 🙂 Cheers!
Julia Mueller says
You're soup was awesome, you're very welcome!
Water kefir has a definite funk to it, but it should smell more on the lemon-y/yeast-y side than the I-don't-want-to-put-that-in-my-mouth side. I found that other probiotic drinks turned out fine if they were over-brewed just slightly, but water kefir is very sensitive to brew time. If it were me, I would toss the batch, start a new one with the same grains and see if the same smell occurs after 24 hours. If it's an icky un-pallatable smell, you may need to start over with new grains. Let me know what happens!!! Good luck!
Joanne says
I love "bowls". And Thai peanut sauce. And roasted root veggies. So basically if this meal plan could be my week, that would be great.
Julia Mueller says
I'm thinking I need to repeat this exact meal line up this week. Everything was so fresh, quick and easy to make! You'd love all of these meals, lady!
Kara Jay says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We do the meal plans every week and my boyfriend has commented on how happy he is that we are now eating more healthy.
He isn't a vegetarian, but the recipes make it easy for him to grill up some chicken to go with it.
This also makes our grocery store trips so much more simple and having all the ingredients deters us from last minute dining out. Thank you again!
aida mollenkamp says
Thanks for including one of my recipes!!
Julia Mueller says
You got it, Aida! The salad was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making it time and again 🙂
elyse says
Omgsh this is amazing! Exactly what I want and need! Thank you so much!