How to Prepare the Perfect Oven-Baked Vegan Baked Potato

 

Russet potatoes are the gold standard for oven-baked potatoes, due to their high starch and low moisture content, tempting texture, and delicious taste.

Yukon Gold potatoes are another choice, but that variety yields a creamier—rather than a fluffy middle and thinner skin. 

Perfect vegan baked potatoes do best baked in a preheated gas or electric oven, at a temperature of 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 218 Celsius. Cook time will vary depending on the size of the potato and at what altitude your home/ oven is located.  Cook for approximately 45 minutes to an hour or hour and a half. 

Hint: The key to making a good baked potato is getting really crispy skin, therefore the high cook temperature. If you wrap the potatoes in foil, the potato skins will shrivel and soften in the oven. Also, aluminum can be absorbed into the potato and that isn’t healthy.  For best results, leave the potatoes unwrapped. If you oil the skin before baking, it makes the skin soften and that’s not what we're aiming for.

Tip: For best results and to ensure your potatoes cook evenly, choose ones similar in size. This will help them bake uniformly and achieve that perfect consistency.

 

 Ingredients:

 

4 Organic Russet Potatoes about ½ pound each

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Optional toppings (choose one or more): extra virgin olive oil, steamed broccoli, sautéed broccolini, asparagus, sautéed zucchini, spinach, Tex-Mex combo (beans, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, salsa, and guacamole and seasoning), red pepper, carrots, butternut squash, marinara sauce, roasted mashed  garlic, Vegan Pesto, Vegan Pizza Style toppings, or Asian style topping including grated ginger and garlic, tamari sauce, and chopped bok choy, etc.

One variety I made was sautéed zucchini, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and chopped carrot on pieces of oven baked potatoes

 

What to do:

1.   Buy organic Russet potatoes that feel firm, and seem heavy for their size. Look for those with a smooth surface and even complexion. Potatoes with eyes, dark spots, or a greenish hue should not be used.

 

2.   Preheat oven to 425 degrees F or 218 degrees C.

 

3.   Wash potatoes with cold water, then use a vegetable scrub brush to get off dirt and debris

 

4.   Use a clean dish towel to pat dry each potato and place on a piece of unbleached parchment paper covered sheet pan. If you don’t have parchment paper place directly on sheet pan (using parchment paper cuts down on clean up).

 

5.   Prick each potato with a sharp knife 2 or 3 times near the center top part of each potato. This will allow steam to escape while cooking and prevent potato from exploding. It also helps potato cook more evenly.

 

6.   Cook potatoes until crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Test each one at 45 minutes by taking it out of the oven and piercing the center with a fork. If the fork easily goes through, it's done. Just remember, the bake time will be longer for larger potatoes and shorter for small ones. 

7. When potatoes are cooked, make a slit in the top, going across the length from end to end (keep sides attached on the bottom). Then make a smaller slit crosswise in the center top. Scoop out about 1/2 of the flesh. Sprinkle seasoning inside of baked potatoes  (use salt and pepper). Mash the potato you scooped out with a fork, and put it back into the potatoes. Then, it's as simple as adding a drop of olive oil as a topping or using a topping from those outlined above. 

I also made vegan baked potato with salt and pepper, sautéed chopped broccolini, onion, garlic, and a drop of olive oil

This recipe serves four people. Place potatoes on a serving dish or on individual plates to eat at lunch or dinner. A perfect baked potato goes great with a bowl of soup, salad, sandwich, or combo of all.  🥔

Tip: For a scrumptious way to embellish my oven-baked potato recipe, add an easy to make cheese sauce for it. 

The idea and recipe comes from fellow blogger and cookbook author, Connie Edwards McGaughy @ thecarrotunderground.com. Here's her whole food plant-based recipe for Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce. This sauce is great on baked potatoes, and as a flavorful choice for mac and cheese, tacos, and nachos.

Oven-baked potato with easy vegan cheese sauce

 from Connie Edwards McGaughy at The Carrot Underground

Why not feed oven-baked potatoes to a big group of people? Feature baked potatoes on a "Potato Bar" with "Homemade Vegan  Chili." Guests can help themselves to what they like. Offer fixings such as tofu or tempeh chunks, guacamole, salsa, black beans, garbanzo beans, corn chips, cannellini beans, corn kernels, olives, or any combo of colorful veggies you enjoy. 

Please take a moment to comment below. How do you make a perfect baked potato? Please share about it in the comments section below.

What's your favorite baked potato topping? Do you have an easy recipe for making it? Please explain.

Did you know baked potatoes provide many vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium? They are a good source of folate, niacin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese. Get the most out of your potato by eating the skin as well as the flesh, as some micronutrients are more concentrated in the skin.

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Easy Vegan Hoppin’ John Recipe

The first Hoppin’ John recipe in the U.S. appeared in The Carolina Housewife in 1857, and included one pint of rice, one pint of black-eyed peas, and one pound of bacon. It was served on New Year's Day to bring good luck and prosperity in the New Year. History.com has more on this New Year’s Tradition.

 

Today, there are many variations of the recipe. This dish is traditionally served in the south with collard greens, whose green color symbolizes wealth.

 

Black-eyed peas are featured too, and are symbolic of coins (more good fortune). An actual coin is sometimes added to the pot. Folklore tells us that eating black-eyed peas is lucky, and why we need to adopt eating this food as a New Year’s day custom.

 

Despite the name, black-eyed peas are not peas, but belong to a family called “pulses.” Pulses are plant products including chickpeas, lentils, and other dry peas and beans. In addition to ties to good fortune, black-eyed peas are healthy. They’re rich in fiber and protein. See “Black-eyed peas nutrition benefits” for specific details.

 

 

Now, without further ado, look below and discover my very easy to prepare, mouth-watering yet healthy (whole food plant-based version) of Hoppin' John Stew/Soup.

Bowl of Colorful Vegan Hoppin' John with Seeded GF Crackers

 

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion chopped

3-4 cloves garlic chopped

2-3 stalks celery chopped

2 carrots chopped

1 red pepper chopped

2 cans organic black eyed peas rinsed and drained

2 cups organic brown rice cooked according to package directions (you may prepare and refrigerate cooked rice in a sealed container up to a day or two before you cook the rest of the dish)

3 or 4 cups chopped fresh kale or choose another green including collards, chard, or spinach

1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes or one 15 oz. can of tomato vegetable soup (I used soup to cut down on vegetable prep time and add more veggies) 

2 cups of vegetable broth or water for stew, or 4 cups of vegetable broth or 4 cups water for soup

2 Tablespoons smoked paprika

1 Tablespoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper and or ½ teaspoon ground red pepper flakes or to taste 

Tabasco (or other hot sauce) to sprinkle on the Hoppin' John, while seated at the table

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Note: Ingredient measurements for this recipe are flexible, and making substitutions or adding more vegetables are part of the fun. Just remember to add enough liquid so food stays moist and yummy

 

What to Do:

1. Sauté the chopped onion, celery, and carrots with garlic in a few drops of water (use a Dutch oven or large pot) until soft and starting to brown.

2. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes or vegetable soup, spices, black eyed peas, and stir mixture well. Cover the pot.

3. Simmer for at least 20 minutes. Then, add kale or other greens, and simmer until tender and seasoning is melded (about 5-8 minutes. Add cooked rice now and heat until all ingredients are hot. 

 

This simple version of Nan's Vegan Hoppin’ John goes great with cornbread or corn muffins. Serve it for good luck at the start of the year or any time you crave a cozy, satisfying, and delicious plant-based high protein treat.

 

Have you ever made Hoppin' John for New Year's Day? Please comment in the space below.

Do you think you'd like to try making this recipe? Please share your ideas below.

What holiday food traditions do you have? Please share that too.

Before you go, please check out another delicious, healthy, and hearty dish. See 5 Star ★★★★★Vegan Collard Greens, Beans, and Dirty Rice for a tasty dish that features collards, beans, and rice.

Wishing you and yours a beautiful New Year and good health, joy, and prosperity in the year ahead.

  

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Discover Intriguing Things about the Winter Solstice

 

The Winter Solstice is the term used to describe the exact moment when half of the Earth is tilted farthest away from the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, it usually happens on December 21 or 22. 

The Winter Solstice has been a symbol to me for the rebirth or reappearance of the sun, inviting hope, creativity, and new beginnings. This change is evident, as each week afterward has more light minutes than the week before.

This year the Winter Solstice occurs on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 10:03 a.m. (EST). Here is an in-depth post about this special day from The Old Farmer's Almanac.

People who live in the Southern Hemisphere, honor the Winter Solstice in June. That’s because the seasons are reversed below the Equator.

Traditional Colors of the Winter

 Solstice are:

Deep green of evergreens, mistletoe, and pine representing life.

🌲

Red and gold of candles, fire, holly berries, and the sun, as a symbol of warmth and light.

🔥

White and silver to signify snow, frost, and the moon

⛄

Why not check out “How to Celebrate the Winter Solstice: 8 Spiritual Ways to Honor the Return of the Light” from Erin Bruce and The Seasonal Soul Blog for ideas and activities related to the Winter Solstice?

Perhaps you'd like to mark the day with a guided meditation. Then see “Winter Solstice 2025: Meditation and Spiritual Meaning” from Nikki Dyer.

Ancient and modern cultures around the world celebrate this day which symbolizes the "death" of darkness and the rebirth of light, with festivals and celebrations to commemorate it.

Tradtional foods are hearty and warming. Things like flavorful soups, stews, and root vegtable dishes are warming and satisfying. Hot apple cider and ginger tea, and baked goods made with ginger and cinnamon are favored too.

 

Festivities acknowledging this time often involve candles, bonfires, feasting (like dumplings in East Asia), and rituals for renewal, with themes of hope and new beginnings. 

Native American tribes celebrate the Winter Solstice as a profound time of renewal, honoring the "New Sun" and the return of light after the year's longest night, with traditions including storytelling, feasting, dancing, and prayers for spring.

Ceremonies signifying rebirth, connection to the Earth, and ancestral guidance are also an important part of this special day. 

Specific events and public gatherings for 2025 will be announced by individual tribes and cultural centers, but generally focus on spiritual reflection and cultural continuity.

Stonehenge (built between 3100 BC and 1500 BC) is an ancient structure that predates Christmas, and illustrates its builders were clearly aware of the Winter Solstice as an astronomical phenomenon. The main axis of this structure aligns with the setting sun of the Winter Solstice, and shines directly into the heart of the stone circle at the correct time and date each year.

This time of year provides us with an opportunity to pause to remember our connection to the natural world and celebrate the change of seasons.

Have you ever thought about the idea of celebrating the Winter Solstice or practiced any of its traditions? Please share in the comments section below.

Would you like to adopt any of the Winter Solstice practices to help you slow down, treasure the moment, and appreciate the gift of being alive right now?

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I'm so glad you came by for a visit to Colors 4 Health. I appreciate your support, and am grateful for you.

No matter what holiday you celebrate, wishing you a beautiful December.

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Vegan Minestrone Soup, Packed with Flavor

 

Minestrone soup was conceived in ancient Rome, as a peasant dish made from leftover ingredients. This hearty soup has evolved over the centuries to become a staple of Italian cuisine. 

Originally a "poor man's soup" using ingredients like beans, onions, celery, and herbs, it grew in richness with the expansion of the Roman Empire and the eventual introduction of ingredients including tomatoes and herbs from the New World. 

Today, regional variations are common yet still economical, often incorporating seasonal vegetables, beans, pasta, and a hearty broth.

 

My version is an original that's tried and true. It consists of an array of produce that is delicious, colorful, and healthy. No need to go on an extra food shopping trip for ingredients. I use up fresh veggies, canned beans, canned tomatoes, and leftover pasta or rice I have on hand.
 

I’ve noticed the longer this creamy soup simmers, the more intense the flavor gets. This is a great one dish meal, and with the addition of some crusty bread for dunking, it's tops.

Vegan Minestrone Soup, Packed

 with Flavor

 

Ingredients:

2 or 3 drops of water for sautéing veggies

4 cups of homemade or store bought veggie broth, or 4 cups of water, or combo 

3 large carrots thinly sliced or chopped

3 stalks celery thinly sliced or chopped

1 large yellow onion chopped

1 medium zucchini chopped

1 can (28 oz.) fire roasted or diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can mixed three beans, rinsed and drained or sub any bean you enjoy. For more protein, add an extra can of beans

4 or 5 cloves of garlic minced

Handful of fresh basil, oregano, thyme,  parsley, and bay leaf or 2 scant Tablespoons of mixed dried Italian herbs

Fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste. Add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes for extra heat (optional)

Optional ingredient: sprinkle on two tablespoons of nutritional yeast before serving. This vegan ingredient has a cheesy flavor (I prefer those brands that are enriched with vitamin B-12)

Optional veggies: spinach, kale, parsnip, Yukon gold, russet, or sweet potatoes, string beans, sm. size pasta (gluten free, semolina, or whole wheat), cooked rice, and cooked (canned) kidney beans, chickpeas, and/or pinto or black beans
 

What to Do:

1. Prep the veggies and place on a cutting board near the stovetop. 

2. Heat a few drops of water in a large pot (Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots and zucchini and sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the veggies are starting to get tender. 

3. Add the veggie broth or water or a combo of both now. Add all dried or fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, basil, and parsley), beans and optional veggies of your choosing except for tomatoes.

Note: tomatoes slow down the cooking process, so add them the last half hour of the cook time. 

4. Stir pot. Bring to a boil, and cook on medium for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and cover, but remember to make a vent hole by leaving a small opening in the lid to allow steam to escape and prevent pressure from building up inside pot during cooking. Lower heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until all veggies are tender. 

Tip: If you want to add uncooked pasta or rice to the soup, read box directions, and cook separately. Add to soup bowls right before serving, when pasta is al dente or rice is firm but not undercooked. If you add these ingredients to soup pot, they may absorb too much of the liquid.
 
Tip: Do not overcook chopped spinach, chopped kale, or other greens. Put them in the soup pot during the last few minutes of the cook time.

Serve piping hot, as a warming, satisfying one pot meal at lunch or dinner. For those with a big appetite, serve with a tempeh or chickpea salad sandwich or protein rich salad.

Before you go, don’t forget to leave a comment and share on social media with a link back to this post.

 

Do you have a favorite recipe for Minestrone soup and is it scrumptious and simple? 

 

Please comment in the comment section below. 

What ways do you like to prepare veggies, beans, whole grains, and legumes? Please share your ideas and favorite recipes below.

 

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