Since 1988, September 15 to October 15 has marked the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, commemorating the history, cultures, and contributions of Americans with ancestry from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
Over the years, efforts to decolonize food systems and connect to indigenous, pre-colonial customs and traditions have resulted in millions of Latinx (re)turning to plant-based ways of eating. Here, we’re sharing 15 of our favorite Latin American recipes.
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15 meatless recipes for Hispanic Heritage Month
From the shores of Puerto Rico to the mountains of Peru, these 15 recipes are chock full of Latin American flavors.
1Vegan Blue Masa Gorditas With Homemade Refried Pinto Beans
Puffy, masa-based gorditas are filled with homemade, refried pinto beans in this recipe from the Provecho: 100 Vegan Mexican Recipes to Celebrate Culture and Community cookbook. Top them off with a drizzle of dairy-free crema and tangy salsa for an explosion of flavor.
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Karla Salinari
2Vegan Pastelón (Puerto Rican Sweet Plantain Lasagna)
Sweet plantains and savory, saucy veggies form the luscious layers of this meatless pastelón in this recipe from the Abuela’s Plant-Based Kitchen cookbook. Often called “Puerto Rican lasagna,” this dish can be customized with the addition of vegan beef and dairy-free cheese.
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Nico Vera
3Vegan Beef Empanadas With Spicy Aji Verde
Believed to have originated in ancient Persia, empanadas were brought to Spain during the Moorish invasion. The dish—made of fried dough stuffed with meat and veggies—was eventually brought to the Americas by Spanish colonizers and conquistadors. Today, empanadas are a staple throughout Latin America. This version from the Vegan Peruvian Kitchen cookbook features a savory beef filling and aji verde—a spicy Peruvian sauce—for dipping.
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Terry Hope Romero
4Vegan White Bean and Seitan Pozole Verde
A traditional Mexican dish often enjoyed during holidays and special occasions, pozole is a hearty, slightly spiced soup made with hominy and typically features chicken or pork. This plant-based version from the Show Up for Salad cookbook swaps out meat for seitan and incorporates white beans; diced potatoes; and a crisp, creamy, peppery avocado radish salad for a new take on tradition. For a more traditional recipe, check out Alejandra Graf’s Vegan Mexican Pozole. Low on time? Give this Vegan Instant Pot Red Pozole a try.
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Karla Salinari
5Vegan Tempeh-Filled Plantain Cups (Tostones Rellenos)
Staples across Latin America and the Caribbean, tostones are crispy, fried green plantains. They’re often mashed flat, fried, and served with fresh sauces for dipping. But tostones rellenos, another classic dish, see plantains formed into cups, fried, and stuffed with savory fillings. This recipe from the Abuela’s Plant-Based Kitchen cookbook features a tempeh filling seasoned with Sofrito and Sazón.
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Edgar Castrejón
6Vegan Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup)
This nourishing, brothy, tomato-infused noodle soup is perfect for the cold, rainy months or when you’re nursing a cold. Garnish with a spoonful of vegan sour cream, crunchy cilantro, and avocado slices and pair with warmed tortillas for a hearty meal.
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Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Urquiza
7Grilled Vegan Pork With Mushrooms (Poc Chuc)
A Mayan dish with origins in the Yucatán peninsula, poc choc is traditionally made with marinated grilled pork. This recipe from The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook gets a meatless makeover with the help of citrus-marinated tender mushrooms.
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8Vegan Portabello ‘Huitlacoche’ Tamales
These Mexico City-style tamales feature a rare delicacy: huitlacoche. Known as “corn truffle” or “corn mushroom,” huitlacoche grows naturally on ears of corn. Its complex, smoky flavor adds notes of savory, nutty, and earthy flavors to these delicious tamales. Can’t find this star ingredient? Swap out for portabello mushrooms.
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Karla Salinari
9Vegan Mexican-Inspired Corn Salad
Street corn is an immensely popular snack sold by vendors throughout Mexico. Also known as elote, it features cooked corn on the cob (served on a stick) that’s slathered with mayonnaise, cotija cheese, and chili powder. Margarine and a squeeze of lime are also common ingredients. This recipe from the Abuela’s Plant-Based Kitchen cookbook pulls inspiration from the street favorite for a smoky, creamy, refreshing salad.
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Kylie Perrotti
10Vegan Shredded Mushroom Tostadas
Quick and easy, these mushroom tostadas pack a punch of flavor. Tostadas are topped with a spoonful of hearty beans, meaty shredded king trumpet mushrooms, lettuce, cilantro, radishes, and pickled red onions. It’s the perfect, healthy meal for low energy days.
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Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Urquiza
11Vegan Zucchini Flower Corn Soup
With origins in Puebla, Oaxaca, Morelos, and the Veracruz regions of Mexico, this thick soup predates the Spanish conquest. Mild chilies, fresh corn, masa, and zucchini flowers are combined for hearty, nourishing bowls in the recipe from The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook.
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Nico Vera
12Vegan Afro-Peruvian Carapulcra (Spicy Chickpea Stew)
Enjoyed for centuries by Quechua and Aymara peoples, this spicy stew has origins in the ancient Andes. Traditionally made with meat, potatoes, and a medley of herbs and spices, this recipe from the Vegan Peruvian Kitchen cookbook swaps out meat for protein-rich chickpeas.
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Charity Morgan
13Mexican Tortilla Soup With Black Beans and Avocado
This hearty, brothy tortilla soup from the Unbelievably Vegan cookbook features a kick of gentle heat thanks to ancho and poblano chilies. Load it up with avocado, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, vegan sour cream, and a squeeze of lime.
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14Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Churros With Dark Chocolate Sauce
Sweet, crunchy, and slightly fluffy, churros were introduced to the Americas by Spanish colonizers. Today, this sweet treat is a common street snack found across Latin America. This recipe from the One Green Planet cookbook also features a dark chocolate sauce for an even more indulgent treat.
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Bailey Ruskus
15Caramelly 5-Ingredient Vegan Flan
Like churros, flan was introduced to the Americas by Spanish conquistadors. Smooth and creamy, this recipe from the Cook. Heal. Go Vegan! cookbook reimagines the classic dessert with cashew milk, coconut cream, agar agar, and coconut caramel.
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Follow these 12 Latinx creators for vegan recipe inspiration
Looking for even more recipe inspo? We’ve put together a list of a few of our favorite Instagram accounts that are showcasing what vegan cooking looks like through a Latinx lens.
@netocraves/Instagram
1Ernesto Rivas (@netocraves)
With more than 600,000 followers and years of creating fresh and healthy eats under his belt, Ernesto Rivas—previously known as The Raw Boy—fills his account with engaging recipe videos, drool-worthy food shots, and endless inspiration for plant-based meals inspired by his Mexican upbringing in Texas. Check out his Reels for Just Egg huevos en salsa verde and frijoles charros.
FOLLOW HERE
2 Dora Stone (@dorastable)
Since 2014, Dora Stone’s blog Dora’s Table has been a great resource for vegan Mexican food, and her Instagram is no different. Reels of dishes like Vegan Chiles Rellenos, Arroz Con Leche, and Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza (zucchini blossom quesadillas) are narrated by the San Antonio resident’s signature gentle and calming voice, making her recipes as approachable as they are mouthwatering.
Follow here
3 Eddie Garza-Buchting (@theeddiegarza)
Celebrated cookbook author, vegan chef, and media personality, Eddie Garza fills his feed with snaps of his takes on traditional Mexican dishes such as arroz Mexicano, gallo pinto, tlacoyos with edible flowers, and so much more. Follow along to keep up to date with his latest TV segments so you can tune in and learn to cook like a plant-based pro.
Follow here
@alexafuellednaturally/Instagram
4 Alexa Soto (@alexafuellednaturally)
San Diego-based mental health advocate and stellar recipe creator Alexa Soto is all about food on her calming, super-aesthetic, neutral-toned account. From inventive recipes like roasted jalapeño crispy chicken tortas and birria ramen to vegan reimaginings of Mexican staples like frijoles charros and arroz con limon—trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
Follow here
@thesalvivegan/Instagram
5 Norma Perez (@thesalvivegan)
When she’s not hosting virtual vegan cooking classes, competing in Tabitha Brown’s Food Network cooking show, or advocating for more Afrolatinx visibility, Norma Perez is sharing all the beauty of plant-based Salvadoran cuisine with her thousands of followers.
Follow herE
@pilconcilloyvainilla/Instagram
6 Alejandra Graf (@piloncilloyvainilla)
Texas-based recipe developer and food photographer Alejandra Graf shares her favorite family-friendly plant-based recipes, often with a traditional ingredient twist. Learn how to make the basics like vegan sour cream, homemade salsas, and dressings to incorporate into your dishes and meals at home.
Follow here
@masbydenise/Instagram
7Mas by Denise (@masbydenise)
With a mostly whole-foods, plant-based approach, Mas by Denise recreates traditional, homemade Mexican food sans meat or dairy. From chile relleno fresas con crema to traditional meatball soup and so much more, this account makes proves vegan Mexican cooking is approachable and delicious.
Follow here
@plantbasedrd/Instagram
8Catherine Perez (@plantbasedrd)
Vegan registered dietitian Catherine Perez proves that plant-based cooking is colorful and filled with flavor. Perez’s feed is chock full of vegan recipes, which pull inspiration from around the world, including her roots in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
Follow here
@la_yoselin/Instagram
9 Jocelyn Ramirez (@la_yoselin) & Todo Verde (@todoverde)
Dedicated to improving the health of Latinx communities, East Los Angeles-based Jocelyn Ramirez puts her skills as a chef and New York Times recipe contributor to use through Todo Verde—a vegan Mexican catering and food business that provides “abuelita-approved, culturally relevant dishes.” Her feed equal parts recipe inspo (mushroom al pastor quesadillas, anyone?) and equal parts women empowerment. Follow Todo Verde for even more recipes.
Follow here
@aveganandher/Instagram
10 Jae Ramos (@aveganandher)
Videographer junkie and Ecuadorian American Jae Ramos teaches his followers how to make quick, easy, delicious meals using readily available ingredients. Learn how to make satisfying eats ranging from breakfast burritos to cucumber salads. Plus, he takes his followers along with him to some of the world’s best plant-based food spots.
Follow here
@eatyodestiny/Instagram
11 Destiny DeJesus (@eatyodestiny)
Portland-based, Cuban-Puerto Rican vegan, and tiny house lifestyle influencer Destiny DeJesus shares her tips for grocery shopping on a budget and tasty recipes spanning from tasty tostadas to dairy-free nachos to breakfast potatoes.
Follow here
@myvidaverde/Instagram
12 Sandra Salazar (@myvidaverde)
This California-based, Colombian registered dietitian breaks down myths about veganism, making going plant-based easy and approachable. From cultural recipes to tips on ditching dairy, Sandra Salazar carefully works her way through the many things that hold people back from making the transition.
Follow here
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
Jocelyn Martinez is an Associate Editor at VegNews living in Los Angeles, CA.
Sarah McLaughlin (@sarahmclaughlin) is the New Products Editor at VegNews and is always on the search for the newest innovations in plant-based food.
