Many of Guy Fieri’s most famous recipes are decidedly not plant-based. There’s the Mac Daddy Mac n’ Cheese, for example, or the Bacon Mac n’ Cheese Burger, or the Italian Meatball Sliders. But in and amongst many of these meat- and dairy-laden dishes, some Fieri classics don’t contain any animal products at all.
In fact, on several occasions, the restaurateur, chef, and TV presenter, has embraced vegan food. Take Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, for example, which Fieri has hosted since 2007. His travels across the US have included many stops at plant-based establishments, including The Herbivorous Butcher in Minneapolis and Pingala Cafe in Vermont.
“People look at vegan food with this voodoo [notion],” he once told CNN. “No, I’m sharing it with people and they’re going [in disbelief], ‘Wait a second.’ We don’t even go to the restaurant because it’s vegan, we go because it’s delicious.”
Aside from taste, one of the biggest reasons Fieri makes room for plant-based foods in his diet is his late sister, Morgan.
Food Network
Guy Fieri and vegan food
Fieri’s sister Morgan, who died in 2011 from metastatic melanoma, was a keen vegetarian who often ate vegan food. In tribute to her, he developed a veggie burger, and it became one of his most popular recipes, known as the Morgan Burger (you can find out more about how to make it below!).
But Fieri’s love of vegan food goes beyond one plant-based patty. In fact, earlier this year, the celebrity chef’s Flavortown Tailgate festival in Las Vegas (which is billed as the largest food festival in the US) featured several plant-based eateries, including Las Vegas’ first vegan butcher shop, No Butcher, and plant-based soul food restaurant Down2Earth Plant Based Cuisine.
7 vegan-friendly recipes from Guy Fieri
Fieri also enjoys cooking plant-based food. Alongside the Morgan Burger, he has developed multiple plant-based recipes, including relish, cold noodle salads, and hearty pho soup, for the Food Network. Find some of our top picks below.
Food Network
1 Morgan’s Veggie Burgers
Fieri’s super tasty veggie burgers are made with 21 ingredients, but don’t let that put you off giving them a try. They truly are delicious, and packed with nutritional value, too, thanks to all of the plant-based whole foods they contain (like black beans, chickpeas, red onion, and artichoke). Fieri’s recipe does use eggs as a binder, but to make it completely vegan, you can swap in a flax egg (which is simply ground flax mixed with water).
Find out more
Food Network
2 Four-Bean Relish
This simple four-bean relish recipe is the ultimate barbecue side, but it would also work well as a tasty lunchtime option, too. It’s zesty, nutritious, and easy to make—again, it just requires simple plant-based whole foods. While Fieri’s version does contain honey, you can swap this out for agave nectar or maple syrup for a vegan version.
Get the recipe
Food Network
3 Dang Cold Asian Noodle Salad
This cold noodle salad is about to become one of your new favorite midweek treats. It comes together in just 35 minutes and it’s bursting with flavor, thanks to the combination of ingredients like hot chili oil, hoisin, and sesame oil.
Get the recipe
Food Network
4 Fried Plantains With Sweet Heat
Plantain is incredibly versatile—it can be mashed, boiled, fried, or steamed, and it will still taste delicious. In this dish, Fieri opts for the frying option and combines it with ingredients like sweet chili sauce, sweet hot mustard, horseradish, and rice vinegar, with super tasty results. It also comes together really quickly, in just 20 minutes!
Get the recipe
5 Pho soup
When you’re craving comfort food, you can’t go wrong with a hearty, nourishing bowl of Vietnamese pho. It’s usually made with beef or chicken, but Fieri’s version is totally meat-free. Instead, it’s made with a mix of vegetables, including cremini mushrooms, carrots, onions, and celery.
Get the recipe
Food Network
6 Tabouli
Tabouli, also known as tabbouleh or tabbouli, is a traditional Levantine salad. It’s usually fresh, zesty, and bursting with flavor, and Fieri’s version is no different. It’s made with a mix of refreshing ingredients like tomatoes, cucumber, and fresh mint, and according to Food Network, it’s “mouth-watering.”
Get the recipe
Food Network
7 Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are delicious, sure, but they are next-level delicious when they are twice-baked and smothered with a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Fieri’s recipe uses regular butter, but to make it vegan, simply swap in a plant-based spread instead.
Get the recipe
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
