There aren’t any particularly traditional foods for the occasion; so putting together a vegan Mother’s Day menu filled with spring-y ingredients (and lots of produce) leaves room for creativity. Here are options for every meal you might be making for Mom: Breakfast & brunch, lunch, and dinner.
The recipes following are filled with springtime flavors and fresh produce. There are a few easy sweets at the end as well. Whether you want to make a plant-based breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner for Mom, we’ve got you covered.
Whether your mom is full-fledged vegan or not, a plant-based meals is a common denominator that everyone can enjoy together on this special day that honors mothers.
Breakfast & Brunch
Vegetable Tofu Scramble with Lots of Variations: For tofu fans and vegans, the breakfast and brunch repertoire wouldn’t be complete without a great basic vegetable tofu scramble. Here you’ll find not just the basic recipe but lots of variations. Serve with a simple salad or fresh fruit. Delicious with Hash Browns, which is up next!
Easy Hash Brown Potatoes: This versatile and easy recipe has been a favorite in my family for ages. It’s vegan, of course, and there are lots of ways to vary it. It’s good for breakfast or brunch (or even dinner), special occasion or not. Perfect served with the tofu scramble above.
Vegan Mini-Quiche Cups: Made with chickpea flour, these little delights (contributed by Melissa Copeland) are great if you’re short on time or on a budget. Serve with fresh bread or bagels and a fruit salad for a simple yet satisfying brunch for Mom.
Blueberry & Banana French Toast Casserole: Here’s a luscious vegan French toast casserole that will delight your friends and family as a year-round weekend brunch treat. And so appropriate for Mother’s Day. Complete the meal with some sautéed vegan sausage links (sliced) or patties, another fresh fruit, and some good coffee!
Lunch
Quinoa Tabbouli and a Nearly Instant Mezze Platter: A nearly instant mezze (aka Middle Eastern, aka Mediterranean) platter is centered around an easy quinoa tabbouli. Keep it simple with fresh pita bread, olives, rice-stuffed grape leaves, and hummus (choose from your favorite prepared brand or the hummus variations on this site).
Vegan Niçoise-Style Salad: As you’ve already seen up at the top of this post, this French-Inspired composed platter is an all-in one meal. It’s so easy to throw together, and so impressive. This has got so much going on that all you need to complete the meal is a crusty bread. Featuring artichokes, olives, tomatoes, green beans, and chickpeas, baked tofu stands in beautifully for the tuna that’s traditional to this recipe. Or, you can use any of the plant-based tuna brands that are on the market.
Easy “Tofuna” Salad or Sandwich Spread: Ridiculously easy to make, this practically gets inhaled, even by the staunchest of tofu skeptics, every time I make it. As in the Niçoise salad above, baked tofu is a great way to veganize tuna salad. For your Mother’s Day lunch, serve with the Spring Barley and Asparagus Salad salad below, or one of the colorful options in Colorful Side Salads (following the Dinner section). And of course, leave room for one of the desserts in the last section of this round-up.
Spring Barley and Asparagus Salad: Peas, cucumbers and dill give this barley and asparagus salad a spring-y flavor. For a lovely lunch for mom, I recommend serving this side-by-side with one of the Salads on the Side (following the dinner listings, just below) or Tofuna (just above), fresh bread, and a dessert from the last section in this round-up.
Dinner
Vegan Vegetable Lasagna — Made Without Noodles: Vegan vegetable lasagna without noodles (contributed by Dianne Wenz) fills you up with eggplant, zucchini, and spinach, not carbs! If you’re not averse to carbs, though, you can serve with a crusty bread. A colorful salad (see following section) completes the meal.
Quick and Colorful Vegan Quinoa Paella: Here’s a quick-to-fix, colorful vegan quinoa paella that’s ready in about 30 minutes. Serve with steamed or roasted fresh asparagus (you can roast your asparagus in the toaster oven!) or other green vegetable, and one of the colorful salads in the section following this one.
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice: This vegan version of the iconic dish has that classic Thai sweet-and-salty twist. Sasha Gill, who contributed this recipe, says: “I love cutting the pineapples in half and, after scooping out their sunny flesh with a spoon, using the hollow shells as serving bowls. This is a genius way of making this uncomplicated dish look impressive.” For an easy and special dinner, add a platter of raw veggies and dip and vegetable spring rolls from your grocery’s frozen foods section.
Easy Chickpea and Eggplant Curry: If your mom likes eggplant, then she’s sure to love this easy curry. Serve with or over hot cooked brown Basmati rice. A fresh flatbread is always a welcome addition. And if you’ve got a bit more time and inclination, a simple cucumber raita is refreshing companion. See how to make it when you link through to the recipe, just above the recipe box.
Colorful Side Salads
Spinach and Mango Salad with Cranberries and Cashews: This spinach and mango salad might be super simple — practically all the ingredients are in the title — but it’s lovely to look at and even better to taste. Other baby greens like arugula or power greens can be substituted.
Avocado & Radicchio Salad with Lime Vinaigrette: Sometimes, it’s the combination of ingredients rather than a lot of ingredients than makes a great salad. Case in point, this colorful, gorgeous salad.
Watercress Salad with Oranges & Cucumber: This simple watercress salad, embellished with oranges, cucumber, and sprouts is a lovely way to highlight this delectable, super-nourishing leafy green.
Sweets & Baked Goods
Vegan Lemon-Poppy Muffins: Poppy seeds are a wonderful addition to breads, rolls, bagels, and cakes. Not to mention muffins — these easy vegan lemon poppy muffins (contributed by LeAnne Campbell) make the point easily and deliciously.
Serve them as your Mother’s Day dessert, or even as the centerpiece of an afternoon tea with a fruit platter and a bowl of mixed nuts and dried fruits.
Unbaked Strawberry & Blueberry Crisp: Two favorite spring-to-summer fruits come together in this dessert that’s as pretty as it is easy to make.
For this unbaked strawberry and blueberry crisp, make sure to use the best possible strawberries. If it’s too early in your area for blueberries, use frozen, completely thawed and drained.
2-Ingredient Vegan Date “Caramel” Sauce: An amazing topping that could easily be mistaken for real caramel, vegan date caramel sauce is delicious with fresh fruit, baked goods, and vegan ice cream.
Vegan Apricot Bars: Laura Theodore’s 5-ingredient apricot bars are so easy to make. The sweetness comes from the apricot preserves, and rolled oats provide the crunch.
Silken Tofu & Avocado Chocolate Mousse: This luscious and silken tofu chocolate mousse and avocado chocolate pudding is a mash-up of two contemporary classics. Easy and delicious, your mom (and you) will love it!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles: Last but not least, some chocolate for Mom! These delectable bites will remind you of sneaking bites of raw cookie dough from the bowl as a kid, but because they’re egg-free, they’re completely safe to eat without any baking.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these vegan Mother’s Day recipes and menu ideas. Do you want more?
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