As many of you know, I write under the pen name, The Homemade Mom, over on the Little Hoboken Blog. We like to showcase great people who do great things.

Today, we are highlighting an amazing mom, Jennifer Rose Rossano, aka Neurotic Mommy. She is an expert vegan/plant based recipe creator and we wanted to show everyone how amazing vegan food can be. And no, it’s no all lettuce. Here are three great recipes you’ll love adding to your weekly rotation.

You can check out more of her recipes in her new cookbook, Living Crazy Healthy.

This first recipe tastes JUST LIKE a tuna sandwich, but it’s 100% vegan! I used spinach and fresh dill (it’s what I had on hand) instead of the arugula and dried dill and it was delicious. And I kept some of the chickpeas whole because I just love the crunch. You’d never know this is vegan!

Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich

• Servings: 2-3
• Time: 10 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup halved red grapes
• 1/2 tablespoon dried dill weed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2-3/4 cups baby kale
• 4-6 slices bread of choice, toasted

Directions

1. In a bowl, mash the chickpeas so that there aren’t any whole pieces left. Add the mayonnaise, oil, grapes, dill, salt and pepper. Mix well.
2. Spread filling evenly over half the bread slices and top each with 1/4 cup kale. Place remaining slices of bread over top and serve with a side salad or fresh fruit.

This is another winning recipe and it’s almost good enough to eat for dessert! The fruit is like a relish and melts in your mouth when eating it. This sandwich is light enough to make for a quick dinner or to whip up before work as a quick lunchtime meal. My 2 year old even loved it in her lunchbox! Win-win!

I love a good soup any day of the year and this one is no exception! I made it exactly how it’s written, with the exception of using a mini macaroni instead of pastini since that’s what I had in my cabinet. The pasta cooking in the soup gives it a really rich and creamy texture. I love this soup and do did my family!

Vegan Italian Holiday Soup

• Servings: 8-10
• Time: 60 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 1/2 cups sliced carrots
• 3 cups diced celery
• 4 cups water, plus extra if needed
• 8 cups (64-oz) low-sodium vegetable broth, plus extra if needed
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 2 cubes vegetable boullion
• 2 cubes vegan ‘chicken’ boullion
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup dried parsley
• 1/4 cup dried basil
• 1/4 cup dried oregano
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 cup acini di pepe or pastina pasta

Directions

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and oil. Add the garlic and onions and cook until onions are translucent. Add the carrots and celery.  Mix well. Cover and cook for  10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the broth and water and bring to a boil. Add the tomato paste, bouillon and seasonings. Lower heat to medium, stirring frequently.
3. When the tomato paste and bouillon have been absorbed into the broth, stir in the pasta. Continue cooking for 20 minutes, stirring frequently so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. The broth will thicken up because of the pasta. If you prefer more broth, you can add about 1 cup vegetable broth or water. When heating up leftovers, you may find it necessary to add more liquid.