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Plant-Based Whole30

Cannellini Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad
Plant-Based Whole30VeganVegetarian

Cannellini Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad

by Reed Dunn

Ingredients to make pesto are considered essential around my house, because you never know when you might need a batch of the good stuff. Those same flavors from ingredients used in my signature pesto – without getting my food processor dirty – are what dress this otherwise two-ingredient Cannellini Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad. It makes for a quick-and-easy vegetarian lunch or a side dish that tastes like taking a bite out of summer.

Add this recipe to your list of ideas for vegetarian, healthy lunches, or double or triple the batch to serve it alongside a favorite grilled protein. No matter how you serve this, the best of summer’s cherry tomatoes and herbaceous basil are sure to shine.

There’s something about the smooth, creaminess of the cannellini beans mixed with the fresh, seasonal burst from cherry tomatoes that works so well. Of course, this salad can serve as a base to add more crunchy bits (celery, anyone?) to bulk it up even further.

Cannellini Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad

Cannellini Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients to make pesto are considered essential around my house, because you never know when you might need a batch of the good stuff. Those same flavors from ingredients used… Print This
Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )

Ingredients

  • 1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans (or other white bean)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Cracked black pepper

Instructions

Drain and rinse cannellini beans and set aside.

Wash cherry tomatoes and cut in half. Add to a bowl and sprinkle with about ½ teaspoon kosher salt.

In a small bowl, zest 1 lemon and squeeze in about 2 tablespoons of the juice. Mince garlic cloves and add to the bowl, along with more kosher salt (about ½ teaspoon) and cracked black pepper (about ¼ to ½ teaspoon).

Stir dressing components together and drizzle in olive oil while continuously whisking to bring the dressing together.

Roll up basil leaves and cut into small strips. Sprinkle onto the tomatoes and add the drained and rinsed beans to the bowl. Sprinkle in pine nuts and stir in dressing, until salad is well coated.

Serve immediately at room temperature for optimal flavor.

Notes

Salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, though I prefer it at room temperature. That’s when I think the flavors of the basil and tomato really shine best.

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Dilly Quick Pickles
AppetizersPlant-Based Whole30VeganVegetarianWhole30

Dilly Quick Pickles

by Reed Dunn

Pickles tend to be a love them or hate them food. I lean way into the love them camp – in all varieties. Pickled anything makes me happy, and now is the time of year when you can really explore. Carrots, radishes, beets. I pickle a lot of things, but there’s nothing better than the classic.

All of the extra produce – including cucumbers galore – can be turned into pickles with a few simple ingredients and just a few hours to let them work their magic. They’re better after a few days, but the pickling goodness starts happening soon after the brine meets the veggies.

I visited a farm stand over the weekend and loaded up on locally grown cabbage, lettuce and corn. But first I stumbled onto a giant bin of pickling cucumbers, which are fantastic and so fun to pick out based on their various shapes and sizes. Next to the bin was a bucket filled with 6-foot stalks of fresh dill for the price you’d pay for a tiny clamshell of the fresh herb in the grocery store.

That was all I needed to make a few jars of fresh, seasonal pickles to enjoy during these warm summer days.

While you can add seasonings and mix up the styling of quick pickles, the key for me is starting with a 3-ingredient brine – equal parts water and white vinegar, plus kosher salt – to create the pickling liquid. The ratios are easily doubled or tripled for a larger batch. This one-cup to one-cup mix will generally create enough brine to fill at least three quart jars that have been tightly packed with veggies.

Many quick pickle recipes you find will have some sugar added to the brine, but I leave it out. I like a more vinegary pickle with no added sugar, which also keeps them Whole30 compliant.

Dilly Quick Pickles

Dilly Quick Pickles

Pickles tend to be a love them or hate them food. I lean way into the love them camp – in all varieties. Pickled anything makes me happy, and now… Print This
Prep Time: Cooking Time:
Rating: 5.0/5
( 3 voted )

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds per jar
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns per jar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill per jar
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed or rough chopped, per jar
  • Veggie of your choice, cut into slices or spears

Instructions

Add water, vinegar and salt to a medium, non-reactive* saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil to create brine, then remove from heat.

Add mustard seed, black peppercorns, fresh dill and garlic clove to each quart-size jar. Wash veggies and cut into desired pieces and pack on top of seasonings. You’ll want the jar to be as packed full as possible.

Carefully fill the jar with hot brine, making sure you cover veggies and fill the jar all the way to the top. Let the jar come down to room temperature. Screw on the lid, and place in the refrigerator to work magic.

Pickles last for 3 weeks (up to 2 months) in the refrigerator. I generally eat all of mine

Notes

I like to flip the jar every hour or so for the first several hours to ensure everything is getting an even coating. Pickles are ready in as soon as 6 hours, though the longer you wait the better they get. *Using a non-reactive sauce pan will help avoid any off flavors that might change the flavor of your pickles.

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Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad
Plant-Based Whole30VeganVegetarianWhole30

Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad

by Reed Dunn

If summer were defined by a salad, this would be it.

My mom always had some variation on the theme of a Cucumber, Tomato & Onion salad marinating in the refrigerator from about May until it was time to put up the Halloween decorations. It often was homemade version with our own garden-grown ingredients – we grew a rather large family garden throughout my childhood and even had a separate piece of land for our not-so-humble garden going into my teenage years.

That massive garden produced an abundance of cucumbers and tomatoes, and there were always some variety of onions around to complete the trio of vegetables highlighted in this classic recipe. This was, no doubt, my mom’s favorite salad. This version, which mimics what she would create and keep in mammoth-sized Tupperware bowls in the refrigerator, features a vinegar-heavy dressing.

In fact, this recipe has an almost quick pickle vibe going with the 2-to-1 ratio of vinegar to oil for the dressing. You can eat this right away or make it a day ahead – I often pair it with some hard-boiled eggs or canned tuna for a quick, healthy lunch.

The best part of this memory-evoking dish is that you can eat it until you find the bottom of the bowl and remain free of guilt. It’s just that delicious and healthy.

Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad

Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad

If summer were defined by a salad, this would be it. My mom always had some variation on the theme of a Cucumber, Tomato & Onion salad marinating in the… Print This
Serves: 4 to 6 Prep Time:
Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )

Ingredients

  • 1 English cucumber
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • ½ medium red onion
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Kosher salt
  • Cracked black pepper

Instructions

Cut cherry tomatoes in half and add to a bowl. Slice and chop cucumber into pieces similar in size to the halved cherry tomatoes. Add to the bowl.

Slice a red onion and cut into pieces, sprinkling into the bowl. Season veggies liberally with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

Make a dressing by adding ¼ cup red wine vinegar and a teaspoon of dried oregano to a small bowl. Whisk in about 2 tablespoon olive oil.

Pour dressing onto salad. Stir to combine and serve or refrigerate overnight in an air-tight container.

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Peach Salsa
Plant-Based Whole30VeganVegetarianWhole30

Peach Salsa

by Reed Dunn

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are always inspiring me to mix up how I add flavor to roasted or grilled seafood. This Peach Salsa is the perfect, naturally sweet bite to spoon in heaps on top of perfectly roasted or grilled salmon.

The freshness from the fruit and acidity from a hefty dose of lime juice round out the salsa, which also pairs well with shrimp, any kind of fajita mix or just scoop it up with tortilla chips. This recipe makes a good amount, so you can count on leftovers to nibble on for a few days.

Peach Salsa

Peach Salsa

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are always inspiring me to mix up how I add flavor to roasted or grilled seafood. This Peach Salsa is the perfect, naturally sweet bite to… Print This
Serves: 8 Prep Time:
Rating: 5.0/5
( 2 voted )

Ingredients

  • 3 medium peaches
  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • ½ green bell pepper
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • ½ medium onion (red or yellow)
  • ½ bunch cilantro
  • 2 limes
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Dice peaches and roma tomatoes and transfer to a medium bowl. Finely dice bell pepper and jalapeno – removing seeds and ribs from both – and add to the bowl.

Finely dice onion and add to bowl with sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Stir to combine.

Tear off leaves from ½ bunch of cilantro and chop, removing stems. Add chopped cilantro to the bowl with juice from two limes.

Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Serve.

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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Oven Roasted Radishes
Plant-Based Whole30VeganVegetarianWhole30

Oven Roasted Radishes

by Reed Dunn

I’ve planted a good crop of spring radishes in my raised garden bed – one of my many COVID-19 pandemic projects that’s sprouting out of control – but I recently snagged a few bunches of radishes from a bounty I was able to get delivered with my groceries.

Maybe you think you don’t like radishes, because you’ve only had them as a crispy vegetable in a salad. The naturally peppery taste that turns off so many people magically goes away when you roast these root vegetables like you would beets or carrots.

The surprising change in flavor is amplified with just 25 minutes in the oven.

Oven Roasted Radishes

Oven Roasted Radishes

I’ve planted a good crop of spring radishes in my raised garden bed – one of my many COVID-19 pandemic projects that’s sprouting out of control – but I recently… Print This
Serves: 4 Prep Time: Cooking Time:
Rating: 5.0/5
( 4 voted )

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches radishes, cleaned and halved
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add cleaned, halved radishes to a sheet pan.

Drizzle radishes with oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Place in a preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Add dried parsley and minced garlic to the sheet pan and stir to combine with radishes. Roast for another 5 minutes, and serve sprinkled with fresh, chopped parsley.

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Carrot Top Pesto with Roasted Carrots
Plant-Based Whole30VeganVegetarianWhole30

Carrot Top Pesto with Roasted Carrots

by Reed Dunn

My infatuation for pesto comes from a deep love of dipping sauces, gravies and other delicious finishing touches to otherwise one-note dishes.

This Carrot Top Pesto also fits right into my goal of reducing food waste in my own kitchen. While I might have thrown the leafy green parts of carrots into the compost or trash in years past, these days I do my best to use up as much of the veggies I have as possible.

The pesto can freeze well in individual cubes for later use, and it mixes in well with mayonnaise for an oven fry dipping sauce. Use it to top eggs – one of my most favorite applications – or, of course, serve it on some perfectly roasted whole carrots for a rustic side dish.

For the Roasted Carrots: Wash and dry the carrots while an oven is preheating to 400 degrees F. Add carrots to a small sheet pan and drizzle with about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with a generous amount of sea salt and cracked black pepper. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the carrots. Turn the carrots halfway through the cooking process. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and toasted pine nuts.

Carrot Top Pesto with Roasted Carrots

Carrot Top Pesto

My infatuation for pesto comes from a deep love of dipping sauces, gravies and other delicious finishing touches to otherwise one-note dishes. This Carrot Top Pesto also fits right into… Print This
Serves: 4 Prep Time:
Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 cups carrot tops (from 1 bunch carrots)
  • ½ cup fresh parsley
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 1 lemon
  • ¼ to ½ cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

Add pine nuts and garlic clove to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times to start breaking down and forming a paste.

Tear up the carrot tops, using mostly the leafy portion, into the bowl of the food processor. Add in fresh parsley. Put lid back on and run on low until the mixture is well combined.

Zest 1 lemon into the food processor, and squeeze the juice from ½ the lemon into the bowl. Reserve the other lemon half for another use. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

With food processor running on low, drizzle olive oil into the top until desired texture is reached. I don’t use exact measurements, so I eyeball it until the pesto reaches a thickness that’s not runny but also not a thick paste.

Substitutions: Use toasted walnuts, cashews or macadamia nuts if you don’t have pine nuts. If you don’t have parsley, use an additional ½ cup carrot tops or mint.

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Fennel & Celery Salad
Plant-Based Whole30VeganVegetarianWhole30

Fennel & Celery Salad

by Reed Dunn

Salads with a crunch are crucial when I’m focused on clean eating. This Fennel & Celery Salad is nothing but crunch, and it’s even better because you can taste all of the flavors melding together.

A healthy alternative to a boring, everyday green salad, this is perfect for a picnic, serving on the side of a heavier dish or just as a make-ahead option to keep on hand during your next round of meal prep.

With a few simple, fresh ingredients, you can have Whole30-friendly salad ready to serve after just about 10 minutes of chopping, mixing and whisking.

Fennel & Celery Salad

Fennel & Celery Salad

Salads with a crunch are crucial when I’m focused on clean eating. This Fennel & Celery Salad is nothing but crunch, and it’s even better because you can taste all… Print This
Serves: 4-6 Prep Time:
Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )

Ingredients

  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 1 bunch celery
  • 1 cup packed parsley
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

Wash fennel bulb and celery. Cut fennel into thin, half-moon slivers. Add to a bowl with one bunch of chopped celery, including leafy tops and stalks.

Rough chop parsley and mix into the greens. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Zest and juice 1 lemon into a small bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in olive oil to create a citrus vinaigrette. Pour over salad and mix well.

Stir in pine nuts, taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Beet Hummus
AppetizersPlant-Based Whole30VeganVegetarian

Beet Hummus

by Reed Dunn

When you want to give your boring hummus recipe a healthy kick, this Beet Hummus – featuring a heaping helping of probiotics – will add a bright punch of color to your next appetizer platter. Use this hummus, featuring Ruby Red Kraut from Firefly Kitchens, as sandwich spread or however you want to fit it into your diet.

Beet Hummus

Beet Hummus

When you want to give your boring hummus recipe a healthy kick, this Beet Hummus – featuring a heaping helping of probiotics – will add a bright punch of color… Print This
Serves: 8
Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )

Ingredients

  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1½ cups diced, roasted beets
  • ½ cup Ruby Red Kraut, plus 2 tablespoons brine
  • 3 tablespoons tahini paste
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon flaked salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

Add roasted beets and Ruby Red Kraut to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixture is consistency of sand. Stop to scrape down sides, as needed.

Add drained chickpeas, garlic cloves, 2 tablespoon kraut brine, tahini paste, flaked salt and juice of 1 lemon. Turn food processor to low and combine until a smooth consistency is reached, about 5 minutes.

Slowly drizzle in olive oil through the top of food processor while continuing to run on low.

Taste and adjust salt, as needed. Serve with veggies and crackers or as a spread for sandwiches. Store in an air-tight container, refrigerated, for 5 days.

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Greek Cauliflower Salad
Plant-Based Whole30VeganVegetarianWhole30

Greek Cauliflower Salad

by Reed Dunn

At the deli counter of my local supermarket, there’s this Greek Orzo Salad that became my December addiction. It’s so delicious and packed with veggies and flavors that are some of my favorites.

The problem is now that I’m trying to have a more carb-conscious January is that I can’t stop thinking about that salad. It haunts me when I walk past the deli, so I decided to make a new version. One with the same bold flavors, only this one is Whole30 friendly, vegetarian and even vegan.

It turns out, you don’t need the cheese or the orzo to capture those same beautiful Greek flavors. So, I’m happy to introduce this, my Greek Cauliflower Salad. It’s an easy make-ahead meal for those trying to meal plan and stay on track with Whole30 or any healthy diet as we sail into the first week of the new year.

Greek Cauliflower Salad

Greek Cauliflower Salad

At the deli counter of my local supermarket, there’s this Greek Orzo Salad that became my December addiction. It’s so delicious and packed with veggies and flavors that are some… Print This
Serves: 8 Prep Time:
Rating: 5.0/5
( 3 voted )

Ingredients

  • 5 cups riced cauliflower
  • 1 cup diced bell pepper (I used a mix of red and green for added color.)
  • 1½ cup diced English cucumber
  • ½ cup diced red onion
  • ½ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil (check the label, if you're doing Whole30)
  • ½ cup kalamata olives
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 large lemon
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Instructions

Add first seven ingredients to a large bowl. Stir well to evenly combine.

For dressing, zest and juice 1 large lemon into a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Add in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk together to combine.

Pour dressing into salad mixture and fold together until dressing has evenly coated all ingredients. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge, or serve immediately.

Note: Letting the salad chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours will allow the dressing and flavors to combine with all of the veggies. Salad will keep for 5 to 7 days.

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Hearts of Palm and Artichoke Salad
Plant-Based Whole30VeganVegetarianWhole30

Hearts of Palm and Artichoke Salad

by Reed Dunn

It’s so easy to get caught in a rut when you’re doing any kind of diet, healthy reset or, for me, a Whole30. I am already a pescatarian, which leaves me a sea full of options. Even then, I’m often leaning on shrimp and veggies to pull me through weeknight dinner after weeknight dinner.

Sometimes those dinners just need a salad or side dish to mix things up. That’s where I came up with this Mediterranean-inspired salad that starts with a couple of Whole30-compliant canned ingredients and mixes in a few fresh flavors.

The best part about this salad is it also takes care of one of my biggest cravings during a healthy reset – the desire for a big chunk of cheese. If you’ve never had hearts of palm, they have the shape of string cheese and the texture of a creamy, mild cheese. It feels like a treat when I open a can, because it’s not an ingredient that’s in my regular rotation.
Put this salad together for a pot luck and impress your friends or co-workers, or save the entire thing for yourself. The nice thing about both hearts of palm and artichoke hearts is that they’re low in calories because, they’re vegetables … NOT cheese. (Do you get the point that I might be having a craving right now?)

Hearts of Palm and Artichoke Salad

Hearts of Palm and Artichoke Salad

It’s so easy to get caught in a rut when you’re doing any kind of diet, healthy reset or, for me, a Whole30. I am already a pescatarian, which leaves… Print This
Serves: 4 Prep Time:
Rating: 3.4/5
( 87 voted )

Ingredients

  • 1 14-ounce can hearts of palm
  • 1 13.75-ounce can quartered artichokes
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • 1 small shallot
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Open hearts of palm and drain off water. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds and add to a bowl. Drain quartered artichokes and chop each into 2 or 3 pieces, adding to the bowl.

Rinse cherry tomatoes, slice in half and add to bowl. Chop olives and parsley, adding to the bowl. Peel shallot and slice into half moons, breaking into individual pieces and stirring into the salad.

For the dressing, squeeze the juice of one lemon into a small bowl. Add salt and pepper, then whisk in olive oil as you drizzle it into the dressing. Pour dressing into salad, stir and refrigerate for an hour or serve immediately.

Leftovers will store well for 3 to 4 days in refrigerator.

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