30g of PROTEIN without meat? Here's what I make 💪

Three Meat-Free, High-Protein Meals

Each meal provides at least 30 g of protein per serving, without meat, eggs, or protein powder.

1. Baked Pasta Shells with Spinach-Tofu-Cashew Ricotta

Protein: 31 g per serving

Ingredients

• Jumbo pasta shells (any size)
• Oil
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced, or more to taste
• Chili flakes
• Passata, or pasta sauce as a substitute
• Fresh basil and salt
• Thawed frozen spinach
• Firm tofu (no need to press it)
• Raw cashews
• Nutritional yeast
• 3 Tbsp reserved spinach water
• Garlic powder, black pepper, a little nutmeg, and salt
• Vegan cheese

Method

1. Cook the shells in well-salted, actively boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and set aside; they’ll finish cooking in the oven.
2. Warm oil in a saucepan. Add the sliced garlic and chili flakes, and cook until the garlic is lightly golden.
3. Add the passata, fresh basil, and salt. Simmer uncovered for about 7 minutes, until slightly thickened. Spread the sauce across the bottom of a baking dish.
4. Squeeze the thawed spinach very dry through a sieve, reserving some of its liquid.
5. In a food processor, blend the tofu, cashews, nutritional yeast, 3 Tbsp spinach water, garlic powder, black pepper, nutmeg, and salt until as smooth as possible. Stir in the squeezed spinach by hand to preserve its green flecks.
6. Fill the shells with the mixture and arrange them in the sauce. Scatter vegan cheese over the top.
7. Bake at 420°F (also given in the subtitles as 200°C) for about 15 minutes, or until bubbling at the edges.

Serve as a complete meal or with a simple salad. Passata is puréed, strained tomato; pasta sauce can be used if needed.

2. Coconut Rice Bowl with Crispy Tempeh, Broccoli, and Peanut Sauce

Protein: 39 g per serving

Ingredients

• Tempeh
• Oil and salt
• Sambal oelek
• Broccoli florets
• Rice and water
• Shredded coconut
• Peanut butter
• Lime juice and water
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Maple syrup
• Snap peas
• Chopped peanuts, for topping

Method

1. Crumble the tempeh into very small pieces. Toss with oil, a good scoop of sambal oelek, and a pinch of salt until glossy.
2. Spread the tempeh on one half of a baking tray. Put the broccoli on the other half, toss it with a little oil, and roast both. The subtitles don’t specify the oven temperature or roasting time.
3. Rinse the rice, add fresh water, cover, and simmer gently for about 12 minutes, until fluffy.
4. Toast the shredded coconut in a dry pan until golden and fragrant. Fork it through the cooked rice.
5. Whisk the peanut butter with a splash of water, lime juice, crushed garlic, maple syrup, more sambal, and a pinch of salt until silky and glossy. It may look thin at first but will thicken as the peanut protein hydrates. If it is too thick to pour, whisk in a small splash of warm water.
6. Boil the snap peas for 2 minutes, until vivid green. Drain and rinse under cold water to preserve their color. Halve lengthwise if desired.
7. Serve the coconut rice with the broccoli, tempeh, and snap peas. Top with chopped peanuts and drizzle generously with peanut sauce.

Tempeh is fermented soybeans pressed into a firm cake; it absorbs flavor well. The peanuts and tempeh contribute much of the bowl’s protein.

3. Persian Fesenjan (Fesenjoon) with Seitan

Protein: 30 g per serving

Ingredients

• About 10 saffron threads, plus another pinch for optional saffron rice
• 1 ice cube, to bloom the first saffron
• Raw walnuts
• Oil and 1 chopped onion
• Tomato paste
• Ground turmeric and a pinch of cinnamon
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable broth
• Seitan (store-bought or homemade)
• Pomegranate molasses
• Basmati rice
• Optional: hot water for the extra saffron, melted vegan butter, sugar, fresh cilantro, and pomegranate seeds

Method

1. Scatter about 10 saffron threads over an ice cube and let it melt slowly to draw out the color and fragrance.
2. Grind the walnuts finely in a food processor. Use fresh walnuts; old walnuts can be rancid and affect the sauce’s flavor.
3. Heat oil in a pan and cook the onion until lightly golden. Add the ground walnuts and toast for a couple of minutes, until fragrant.
4. Add the tomato paste, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until the spices are toasted.
5. Stir in the saffron and its liquid, vegetable broth, seitan, and pomegranate molasses. The molasses gives the stew its characteristic sweet-sour flavor and should not be skipped.
6. Cover, lower the heat, and gently simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Cook the basmati rice separately. For optional golden rice, grind another pinch of saffron, steep it in a small splash of hot water for a few minutes, and fold it into some of the rice. Stirring in melted vegan butter is optional.
8. Taste the stew. Some families add sugar, but the presenter finds the molasses sweet enough.
9. Spoon the stew over warm rice. Finish with cilantro and pomegranate seeds if desired.

Seitan replaces the chicken or duck traditionally used in the dish. The presenter says it can be made at home, but uses store-bought seitan here.

Presenter and Sources

Presented by Sadia of Pick Up Limes. The recipes are from her cookbook Simply Plants. The video also mentions research conducted with researchers from the University of Cambridge about barriers to eating less meat. The presenter notes that a homemade seitan recipe is available from Pick Up Limes.