Our Spring Meal Plan is finally here! We are a little late, but we also know that this season has been chilly, temperamental, and generally un-spring-like in many parts of the country. Many of us are still in spring mode and spring produce is still around, so we feel ok about posting this meal plan in June :) The dishes in this plan are centered around all our favorite, vibrant spring plants, like rhubarb, leeks, new potatoes, radishes, asparagus, peas, mangoes, etc.
We’ve got vegan and gluten-free breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert recipes that will feed you for a week. Everything starts with cooking up a pot of millet, chickpeas, and polenta, which will be the foundational building blocks for all your meals throughout the week. We’ve got you covered with the shopping list, as well as all the prep and planning. As usual, we are splitting this meal plan into two parts. This first part will focus on weekend prep, as well as breakfast and lunch recipes. Part 2, with dinner and dessert recipes, is here.
This post also completes a whole year of our meal plans, so we’d love to hear any feedback you might have. Do you cook from them? How do you generally utilize them? Do you find them at all helpful or inspiring even if you don’t cook from the whole meal plan at once? Should we keep posting them? We’d love to hear.
Menu
(Dinner and Dessert recipes are in Part 2)
Breakfast
Creamy Millet Porridge with Stewed Rhubarb and Mango
Millet Kitchari with Spinach and Peas
Lunch
New Potato Salad with Millet, Sugar Snaps, and Sauerkraut
Asparagus Chickpea Chowder with Polenta Croutons
Dinner
Baked Gluten-Free Pasta in Creamy Leek Sauce
Loaded Polenta Fries
Dessert
Roasted Pineapple and Fresh Mango Bowl
*all recipes are vegan and gluten-free and will make enough for a work week (5 days), for 2 people
Shopping List
(Print)
Bring this list with you when you go food shopping, it’s got all the ingredients you’ll need for the recipes in this meal plan. All the items are separated by category, to make the shopping easier and more efficient. Take the time to look over this list beforehand and cross out any items you already have. The hope here is that you own some of the pantry staples, spices, and maybe even some of the produce required, which will help minimize the list.
Produce
- 1 1/2 lb new potatoes
- 1 large head broccoli
- 7 cups fresh or frozen green peas
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1 1/2 lb asparagus
- 1 bunch radishes (for potato salad, optional)
- 1 large red onion
- 2 large leeks
- 1 large yellow onion
- 18 packed cups baby spinach (about 1-1 1/2 lb)
- 2 heads of garlic
- 2 1/2 cups dried millet
- 2 cups yellow corn polenta
- 1/2 cup mung (moong) dal or yellow split lentils
- 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas
- 8-12 oz gluten-free pasta
- 1 heaping tablespoon flax meal
- 1/4 cup + 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- coconut flakes (for porridge garnish, optional)
- toasted pumkin seeds/any other seeds of choice (for garnishes, optional)
- 1 cup sauerkraut
- 2 dill pickles (optional)
- 3 cups almond milk or any plant milk or make your own
- 1 13.5 oz can unsweetened Thai coconut milk or more almond/plant milk
- dairy-free vanilla ice cream or plain coconut yogurt to serve with the dessert
- kombu seaweed (optional)
- whole or ground cumin seeds
- whole or ground fennel seeds
- whole or ground coriander seeds
- turmeric powder
- black pepper
- smoked paprika
- chipotle powder
- garlic powder
- bay leaves
- dried marjoram (optional)
- dried thyme (optional)
- mustard seeds (optional)
- neutral coconut oil
- olive oil
- sea salt
- apple cider vinegar
- miso paste
- sriracha
- tamari
- toasted sesame oil
- sesame tahini
- Dijon mustard
- rice vinegar
- maple syrup
- coconut sugar
- vanilla extract (optional)
Day by Day Prep List
Saturday Night (Night Before Main Prep Day):
These are just quick tasks that need to be done the day before your main prep day. Soaking grains and beans helps rid them of phytic acid, which makes them easier to digest. Adding an acidic medium like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to the soaking water helps break down the phytic acid. Soaking also kickstarts the germination process, making the grains and beans more nutritious.
- Soak 2 1/2 cups of dried millet overnight in plenty of purified water, with a splash of apple cider vinegar/lemon juice.
- Soak 1/2 cup of mung dal overnight in plenty of purified water, with a splash of apple cider vinegar/lemon juice (or do this the night before you make the Millet Kitchari with Spinach and Peas, if not making it on prep day).
- Soak 1 1/2 cup chickpeas overnight in plenty of purified water, with a splash of apple cider vinegar/lemon juice.
Sunday (Main Prep Day):
This is your main prep day, which you can also split into multiple days, depending on your schedule. You will find all the recipes for this prep day in this post, which includes two breakfast options and two lunch options for the whole week, as well as some simple prep for the dinners for the coming week.
- Cook the millet to use in the Creamy Millet Porridge with Stewed Rhubarb, Mango Millet Kitchari with Spinach and Peas, New Potato Salad with Millet, Sugar Snaps, and Sauerkraut, and Baked Gluten-Free Pasta in Creamy Leek Sauce.
- Cook the chickpeas to use in the Loaded Polenta Fries and Asparagus Chickpea Chowder with Polenta Croutons. Save the chickpea broth to use for cooking the polenta and in the Creamy Leek Sauce for the Baked Gluten-Free Pasta.
- Cook the polenta to make the Polenta Croutons and Loaded Polenta Fries. Place in the refrigerator to set, as per the recipe.
- Make the Creamy Leek Sauce and Bechamel Sauce for the Baked Gluten-Free Pasta.
- Make the Spicy Tahini Sauce to serve with the Loaded Polenta Fries and to have with snacks throughout the week.
- Make the Creamy Millet Porridge with Stewed Rhubarb and Mango OR the Millet Kitchari with Spinach and Peas to have for breakfast for the first half of the week. You’ll be making the other breakfast option later in the week.
- Make the New Potato Salad with Millet, Sugar Snaps, and Sauerkraut to have for lunch for the first part of the week.
Monday:
In the evening, make the Baked Gluten-Free Pasta in Creamy Leek Sauce to have for dinner on Monday, Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday nights. This will be fairly quick, since you’ve already made the Creamy Leek and the Bechamel sauces for the pasta during prep day. Roast the pineapple and slice the mango for dessert, it’s quick and you will have enough for dessert for the rest of the week. The recipes for the Baked Gluten-Free Pasta in Creamy Leek Sauce and Roasted Pineapple and Fresh Mango Bowl are in Part 2.
- Make the Baked Gluten-Free Pasta in Creamy Leek Sauce for dinner for the first part of the week.
- Roast the pineapple for the Roasted Pineapple and Fresh Mango Bowl for dessert for the week.
Wednesday/Thursday:
Once you’ve finished eating your first breakfast option, make the second breakfast option (either the Creamy Millet Porridge with Stewed Rhubarb and Mango or the Millet Kitchari with Spinach and Peas) to have in the morning for the rest of the week. Once you’re done with the New Potato Salad with Millet, Sugar Snaps, and Sauerkraut, prepare the Asparagus Chickpea Chowder with Polenta Croutons to have for lunch for the rest of the week. Prepare the Loaded Polenta Fries for dinner for the rest of the week, once you’re done with the Baked Gluten-Free Pasta in Creamy Leek Sauce. The recipe for the Loaded Polenta Fries is in Part 2.
- Prepare the Creamy Millet Porridge with Stewed Rhubarb and Mango or the Millet Kitchari with Spinach and Peas for breakfast for the rest of the week.
- Make the Asparagus Chickpea Chowder with Polenta Croutons to have for lunch for the rest of the week.
- Make the Loaded Polenta Fries to have for dinner for the rest of the week.
Prep
1.
Millet is a very affordable gluten-free grain that also happens to be very versatile. In this meal plan, we’ll be cooking up a big pot of millet to use in all kinds of dishes throughout the week: both the sweet and savory breakfast porridges, the New Potato Salad with Millet, Sugar Snaps, and Sauerkraut, and in the sauce for the Baked Gluten-Free Pasta in Creamy Leek Sauce.
- 2½ cups dried millet - soaked overnight in purified water with a splash of acv
- sea salt
- Drain and rinse the millet and transfer it to a medium pot with 10 cups of purified water and salt. Bring to a boil over hight heat, lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered for 25-30 minutes, until soft. Stir frequently and add a splash of water if the porridge becomes dry. Use right away in the recipes or let cool and store refrigerated in an airtight container. The millet might stick together after refrigeration, so just break it down/fluff it up with a fork before using.
2.
Cooking up a pot of chickpeas on the weekend is always a great idea, since they can serve as the foundation for a meal, a garnish, or even a snack in their crispy form. In this meal plan, we’ll be using the chickpeas in the Asparagus Chickpea Chowder with Polenta Croutons and on top of the Loaded Polenta Fries.
- 1½ cups dried chickpeas - soaked overnight in purified water with a splash of acv
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-inch piece kombu seaweed (optional)
- 2 smashed garlic cloves
- sea salt
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put them in a medium pot with 9 cups of water, and add the bay leaves, kombu, if using, and 2 smashed garlic cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to a strong simmer and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Check for doneness and cook longer if the chickpeas are not done, until they are completely soft but not mushy. Add salt at the last 10 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaves and kombu and store the chickpeas and the broth separately, refrigerated in airtight containers.
3.
Polenta, or yellow cornmeal/grits, is a truly magical ingredient. It’s able to take on so many textures – from soft, light and creamy, to solid and incredibly crispy. It can be prepared to be savory or sweet, and its subtle corn flavor is seriously satisfying. In this meal plan, we’ll be using polenta for its crispy properties in the Loaded Polenta Fries and for the croutons in the Asparagus Chickpea Chowder with Polenta Croutons. If you’ve never had crispy polenta before, it will be a total revelation, and might leave you dreaming about polenta fries at night :)
- 6 cups chickpea broth (from above), plus more broth/water if needed
- 2 cups yellow corn polenta/cornmeal/grits
- sea salt
- 1 tablespoon neutral coconut oil
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Bring the chickpea broth to a boil in a medium pot. Slowly pour the polenta into the pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a steady simmer, add salt and cook for 10 minutes, until thick and creamy.
- Whisk in the coconut oil, nutritional yeast and garlic powder. Spoon the polenta into 2 parchment paper-covered 8" x 8" dishes (or any rimmed dishes of a similar size), spreading it out into an even layer. Cover with more parchment and place in the refrigerator to set.
4.
Preparing this Creamy Leek Sauce and Millet Bechamel ahead of time will make your Baked Pasta dinner a breeze to put together later in the week.
- 1 tablespoon neutral coconut or olive oil
- 2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only - sliced
- sea salt
- 3 garlic cloves - sliced
- 2 cups cooked millet
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1½ cups chickpea broth (from above)
- 1½ tablespoons tamari
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder, or more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon each dried marjoram and thyme - optional
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric - for color, optional
- 1 cup cooked millet
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 heaping tablespoon flax meal
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- sea salt
- Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt and sauté for about 8 minutes, until the leeks are soft and begin to caramelize. Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Combine the sautéed leeks and the rest of the ingredients in an upright blender and blend until smooth. Taste for salt and spices and adjust if needed. Use right away or refrigerate in an air-tight container. Don't rinse the blender.
- Combine all of the ingredients in an upright blender and blend until smooth. Use right away or refrigerate in an air-tight container.
5.
Having a jar of good sauce in the fridge is key to achieving quick flavor in weekday meals. In this meal plan, we’ll be using this sauce for the Loaded Polenta Fries, but you can also use it as a dip for a snack of crunchy veggies or crackers, spread it on toast (avocado toast for example), or use it as a dressing for a simple green salad.
- Spicy Tahini Sauce
- ½ cup sesame tahini
- ½ cup purified water
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container.
Recipes
1.
In this breakfast bowl, the millet that you cooked during prep time gets turned into a creamy and lush porridge that can easily rival most oats. The fruit topping is key here – you can do stewed rhubarb, fresh mango, and even some roasted pineapple from the dessert in this meal plan (or any fruit you want/have/crave).
Tip: If you don’t have almond milk and don’t want to buy/make it, but do have some almond butter on hand, you can make quick almond milk. Just combine 2 1/2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of almond butter in a blender and blend everything until smooth. Voila, you now have almond milk. You can also do this with tahini for quick sesame milk.
- 2 cups cooked millet (from above)
- 2½ cups almond milk or any other plant milk of choice
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- stewed rhubarb (recipe below)
- fresh mango/any fruit of choice
- coconut flakes - for garnish (optional)
- 3-4 medium stalks of rhubarb - sliced
- scant ¼ cup maple syrup
- splash of vanilla extract (optional)
- In a medium pot, combine the millet, almond milk and coconut sugar. Turn the heat to a medium high and whisk all the ingredients together, until the porridge starts boiling. Turn down the heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring periodically, for 15 minutes, or until the porridge thickens a bit and becomes creamy. Serve with stewed rhubarb and/or fresh mango or any fruit of choice, sprinkled with coconut flakes, if using. Keep the leftover porridge refrigerated separately from the toppings and reheat with more water/plant milk.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb, maple syrup, and vanilla, if using. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until soft and jammy.
2.
This savory breakfast option is inspired by kitchari, which is a spiced porridgy stew that’s highly regarded in Ayurvedic tradition to be the optimal, gentle food for easy digestion and deep nourishment. We stew the prepped millet with yellow split lentils (mung dal) and a bunch of healing spices, then stir in spinach and peas for some of that spring nourishment. The result is a cozy but light, spring breakfast.
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds (optional)
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger - minced
- 2-inch piece of fresh turmeric root - minced, or 1½ teaspoons turmeric powder
- ½ cup yellow mung (moong) dal/yellow split peas - soaked overnight in purified water with a splash of acv
- sea salt
- 2 cups cooked millet (from above)
- 1 13.5 oz can unsweetened Thai coconut milk or 1½ cups almond/plant milk
- 2½ cups boiling purified water
- 4 cups spinach leaves
- 1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed green peas
- juice from 1 lemon
- toasted pumpkin seeds - for garnish (optional)
- Warm the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the cumin, mustard seeds, if using, ginger and fresh turmeric (if using fresh), and sauté for 3 minutes, until fragrant and the mustard seeds begin to pop.
- Add the mung dal, salt, turmeric powder (if using powder), millet, milk, and water. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the mung dal is mostly broken down and the porridge is creamy.
- Add the spinach and stir it in until wilts. Remove the kitchari from the heat, stir in the peas and lemon juice. Serve, garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds, if using, or any other crunchy seeds of choice. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container and reheat with more water/plant milk.
3.
This potato salad is packed with veggies, millet, probiotic sauerkraut, and herbs, all slathered in a universal miso vinaigrette, so it fits safely in the complete meal territory. It’s perfect for a spring lunch and travels well to work, school, or a picnic.
- 2 tablespoons white/mild miso paste
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- 1 teaspoon sriracha or hot sauce of choice
- 1 garlic clove - minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1½ lb new potatoes or any small potatoes
- 2 cups cooked millet (from above)
- 1 tablespoon neutral coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 large red onion - sliced
- sea salt
- 4 cups spinach
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen and thawed peas
- 2 large handfuls sugar snaps and/or snow peas - strings removed, sliced lengthwise
- 1 cup sauerkraut
- 2 medium dill pickles - sliced (optional)
- 1 cup chopped fresh herbs - dill, parsley, cilantro
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch radishes - sliced (Optional. I usually slice radishes and add them to salads right before serving, as they can turn bitter if left to sit in a salad.)
- Add the the miso paste to a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the brown rice vinegar and mix together until smooth. Add the rest of the brown rice vinegar, lime/lemon juice, mustard, sesame oil, tamari, sriracha, and garlic, stir to combine. Continue stirring and slowly pour in the olive oil to emulsify into the vinaigrette.
- Boil the potatoes until soft throughout, for about 10-15 minutes. Drain, let cool and cut into halves or quarters for bigger potatoes. Combine the potatoes with the millet in a large bowl.
- In the meantime, warm the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat, add the onion and salt and cook for 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 20 or so minutes, until caramelized. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Add the peas, stir them in and remove from heat. Let cool a bit and transfer the mixture to the bowl with the potatoes and millet.
- Add the sugar snaps, sauerkraut, pickles, if using, herbs, black pepper, and miso vinaigrette to the bowl, toss to coat. Keep refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes before eating if possible. Add sliced radishes right before serving, if using.
4.
This bright green chowder is nourishing, light, and full of digestive aid spices, but also balanced with a more crave-worthy and savory element of crispy polenta croutons. If you have some millet left over from all your prep (you should), serve the chowder over re-heated millet, for a more filling lunch option.
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon neutral coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 large onion - chopped
- sea salt
- 2-3 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 lb asparagus - sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (from above)
- freshly ground black pepper
- juice from 1 lemon
- 5 cups hot purified water
- 6 packed cups spinach
- 3 cups fresh or frozen green peas
- chives and/or mint - chopped, for garnish
- 1 8" x 8" dish of cooked, evenly spread and set polenta (from above)
- 3 tablespoons neutral coconut, avocado, or grapeseed oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Toast the fennel, cumin and coriander seeds in a medium soup pot over medium heat, until fragrant. Grind the spices in a dedicated coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.
- Warm the oil in the same soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and sauté for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, asparagus, chickpeas, black pepper, large pinch of salt, and the ground spices and sauté for another 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and cook for about 1 minute, until absorbed.
- Turn up the heat to high, add the hot water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and peas, and stir until spinach is wilted. Remove the pot from heat.
- Blend 4 cups of the soup in an upright blender, until smooth, and add it back to the soup pot. Stir to combine thoroughly, taste for salt and adjust if needed. Serve, garnished with fresh herbs and polenta croutons (recipe below). You can also serve this chowder over any leftover millet you might have.
- Preheat oven to 450° F (230° C).
- Place the set polenta onto a cutting board by lifting it out by the extended parchment paper edges. Slice into crouton-sized cubes.
- Arrange all the pieces on a parchment paper-covered baking tray in one layer. Brush/sprinkle with the oil and toss to coat all sides. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
- Bake the croutons for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip each piece, and bake for another 15 minutes, until crispy and golden brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Kelly Wingard says
I really like your meal plan posts! I generally am attracted to a few of the meals and prepare those. I have yet to prepare the full meal plan, but I really would like too.
Anya says
This is super helpful, thank you for the feedback :)
Rachel says
PLEASE keep this series going :) I have tried all of the previous plans and have loved them, and have been anxiously waiting for the spring edition. Thanks so much!
Anya says
Hi Rachel,
That’s so amazing to hear! So cool that you’ve tried every one of the meal plans and that they’re helpful :)
Isadora Guidoni says
I don’t think I’ve seen anyone make a plan like this before, I simply love it! Super creative and everything looks delicious!
Anya says
Thank you so much :D
Mary says
I love these recipes…but how many people are we cooking for? 2 adults? Family of 4? (In order to shop/measure correctly…Thanks!
Anya says
Hi Mary,
These recipes should make enough for 2 people for about 5 days (you might have some leftovers after the 5 days, depending on your portions). We have this noted under the menu, but we went ahead and made that line bold, so that it’s easier to see and read. Thanks for your feedback :)
Cinna says
Love the meal plans. They are incredibly simple to follow and – most importantly – always delicious. Please continue this series.
Anya says
Thank you so much for the feedback :)