Sides | Crystal's Recipes

Irish Soda Bread – Vegan, Oil-Free

17 October, 2025 Crystal's Recipes 0 Comments Breakfast Dinner Esselstyn Lunch No Oil Recipes Sides Vegan Whole food plant based 6:11 pm

I wanted a slice of bread without the hours of rising that yeast breads take, so I was excited to modify this recipe to see how it came out. The vegan, oil-free "buttermilk" gives it…

Spinach Mushroom Orzo

1 October, 2025 Crystal's Recipes 0 Comments Dinner Esselstyn Lunch No Oil Sides Vegan Whole food plant based 11:37 pm

It's always fun to find a recipe that my teen loves to eat, and between her and my husband, I'm lucky if I get a bowl of this lemony-mushroom orzo. This is ridiculously quick to…

Whole Wheat Bread – Vegan, Oil-free

25 September, 2025 Crystal's Recipes 1 Comment Breakfast Dinner Esselstyn No Oil Scones & Muffins Sides Vegan Whole food plant based 9:43 am

This is my favorite rib-sticking, hearty, delicious, wholesome, and heavenly bread. Plus, it makes the house smell like you're a master French baker. I love to make this before I invite friends over- the aroma…

Best Roasted Cauliflower

6 January, 2021 Crystal's Recipes 0 Comments Esselstyn No Oil Sides 11:18 am

This roasted cauliflower is great on its own as a side dish, but I especially love it the next day, cold from the fridge, on a bed of salad and spread with salsa. They are…

Vegan Perfect Gravy

20 December, 2020 Crystal's Recipes 2 Comments Dinner Esselstyn Holidays No Oil Sides Vegan Whole food plant based 5:16 pm

I love gravy, and until I made this recipe I hadn't found anything that rivaled the good ol' fashioned gravy I remember eating from SAD (standard American diet) days. This is so good, I can't…

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits – Vegan, Oil-Free

11 December, 2020 Crystal's Recipes 14 Comments Breakfast Desserts Esselstyn Holidays No Oil Recipes Scones & Muffins Sides Vegan Whole food plant based 12:00 pm

When I first took a bite of these golden puffs of heaven, I felt like I'd completely won the vegan baking award: I’d succeeded in making a perfect oil- and butter-free biscuit. I usually make…

Baked Soft Pretzels- Vegan, Oil-Free

26 November, 2019 Crystal's Recipes 11 Comments Esselstyn Holidays No Oil Recipes Scones & Muffins Sides Vegan Whole food plant based 12:23 pm

These are the ultimate comfort food. I make these when I want something a little salty (we keep the salt to a minimum around here, to follow Essy's guidelines) but as someone who doesn't have…

Roasted Chickpeas

9 August, 2019 Crystal's Recipes 0 Comments Esselstyn Lunch No Oil Recipes Sides Vegan Whole food plant based 7:29 am

These are addictive and delicious. I love to make roasted chickpeas when I know we'll be taking long car rides, because everyone loves them. What's better, since we don't cook with oil, these never leave…

Instant Pot Beets

18 February, 2019 Crystal's Recipes 0 Comments Dinner Esselstyn No Oil Salads Sides Vegan Whole food plant based 7:39 am

I'm on a mission to cook every vegetable in my kitchen in the Instant Pot. Well, every starchy, root veggie at least- I don't see a reason for putting cucumber in it 😂 When I…

Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

2 January, 2019 Crystal's Recipes 0 Comments Dinner Esselstyn Lunch No Oil Recipes Sides Vegan Whole food plant based 8:50 pm

A friend of mine casually mentioned the other day that she makes sweet potatoes every morning in her Instant Pot, and I admit I scoffed to myself. "Every morning?" I thought, "Psh, I make mine…

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Category: Sides