22 vegan Lunar New Year recipes to help you ring in the new year with delicious, plant-based versions of traditional dishes. These meat-free recipes recreate familiar flavors so you can enjoy beloved holiday foods without animal products.
What is Lunar New Year?
The Importance of Lunar New Year Food
Food plays a central role in Lunar New Year festivities, often prepared and eaten for its symbolic meaning. Certain ingredients and dishes represent wishes for the coming year: rice cakes and mochi evoke the passage of time, long noodles symbolize longevity, and dumplings often represent wealth. Traditions vary by culture and family, but food is universally important during the holiday.
Many traditional recipes include animal products, but with straightforward plant-based swaps you can recreate these classics as vegan dishes that preserve the flavors and symbolism.
22 Vegan Lunar New Year Recipes
Below are 22 vegan Lunar New Year recipes to try. These dishes are suitable any time of year but are especially meaningful during the New Year for their symbolism and celebratory nature.
Best Vegan Lunar New Year Mains
Vegan Dumpling Filling
This gluten-free vegan dumpling filling combines tofu and crunchy vegetables with ginger, garlic and sesame for a flavorful, versatile filling. Use it in dumpling wrappers, pan-fry for a bowl, or roll into spring rolls.
Gluten Free Udon Noodle Soup
Homemade gluten-free udon noodles that are thick and chewy. Serve in a savory broth for a comforting bowl—slurping noodles is a traditional way to wish for longevity.
Shanghai Style Rice Cake Stirfry
Rice cake stir-fry (nian gao/年糕) is commonly enjoyed around Chinese New Year because rice cakes symbolize good fortune and prosperity. Sliced and stir-fried, this dish is a festive staple at many celebrations.
Vegan Japchae
Japchae, meaning “mixed vegetables,” features sweet potato starch noodles (glass noodles) stir-fried with a savory soy-sesame sauce and plenty of vegetables. It’s colorful, flavorful, and celebratory.
Vegan Dduk Guk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)
A classic Korean comfort soup often enjoyed for the Korean New Year (Seollal). Sliced rice cakes in a savory broth make for a warming, nostalgic meal.
Zaru Soba
Cold buckwheat soba noodles served with a dipping sauce. While not strictly a Lunar New Year dish, soba noodles are linked to longevity and can be enjoyed as Toshikoshi Soba for New Year’s Eve.
Toshikoshi Soba (New Year’s Soba) by Okonomi Kitchen
Toshikoshi soba is traditionally simple—buckwheat noodles with hot dashi and scallions—but regional and household variations exist. It’s served to welcome the new year and wish for long life.
Ozoni / New Year’s Mochi Soup
Ozoni is a comforting mochi soup enjoyed in Japan for New Year celebrations. Broths and regional ingredients differ, but the chewy mochi is the central element symbolizing good fortune.
Vegan Savoury Rice Balls (Tang Yuan) by Woon Heng
These savory tang yuan (咸汤圆) are soft, chewy rice balls cooked in a hearty, vegetable-packed soup—simple comfort food perfect for winter celebrations.
Veggie Fried Rice by Thriving on Plants
Fried rice is a classic and practical dish—great for using leftover rice and vegetables. Quick to prepare and full of flavor, it’s a popular choice for gatherings.
Lunar New Year Sides
Spicy Cucumber Salad
A fresh, crunchy spicy cucumber salad with a garlicky maple-soy dressing. This no-cook side blends Taiwanese and Korean influences; chill briefly for crunch or longer for a softer texture.
Sautéed Lotus Root
Kinpira renkon, or sautéed lotus root, is crunchy, visually striking and often eaten for good luck during the New Year. The sliced root’s holes are traditionally thought to symbolize seeing one’s future.
Lotus Root Chips
Crispy lotus root chips that are vegan, gluten-free and oil-free. They make a pretty, crunchy snack or accompaniment for spreads and dips.
Mung Bean Pancakes / Bindaetteok
Bindaetteok are Korean mung bean pancakes traditionally made gluten-free with mung bean and rice flour. My version focuses on a generous filling of vegetables for a hearty, savory snack or side.
Dubu Jorim / Braised Korean Tofu
Dubu jorim is a classic Korean banchan—braised tofu in a savory sauce. It’s an easy way to add plant-based protein to your Lunar New Year spread.
Luo Buo Gao (Turnip Cake) by Woon Heng
Lo Bak Gou (萝卜糕) or turnip/daikon cake is a common Lunar New Year dish in many families. Its savory, slightly sweet flavor and dense texture make it a festive classic.
Sticky Rice Pearl Meatballs by The Foodie Takes Flight
Pearl Balls (珍珠丸子) are meatballs coated in sticky rice that glisten like pearls. This hearty, shareable dish is often served at New Year celebrations, birthdays, and dim sum.
Rice Noodle Roll (Cheung Fan) by Liz Miu
Cheung fun are Cantonese rice noodle rolls—thin steamed crepes rolled around fillings like scallions or vegetables and served with sweet soy. They’re delicate, silky and perfect for a celebratory meal.
Vegan Lunar New Year Desserts and More
Red Bean Dessert Soup with Mochi (Zenzai)
Zenzai is a traditional Japanese dessert of sweet azuki beans and mochi. The beans are cooked until soft and lightly sweetened, creating a silky, comforting soup that pairs beautifully with springy mochi.
Vegan Pineapple Tart by Woon Heng
Vegan pineapple tarts (Nastar, 凤梨酥) are a Lunar New Year favorite. These have a melt-in-your-mouth crust and homemade pineapple filling—perfect for gifting or serving at gatherings.
Che Ba Mau / Vietnamese Three Bean Dessert by The Viet Vegan
Che Ba Mau, the three-color bean dessert, combines varied textures and flavors—beans, jelly, and crushed ice—served with sweetened coconut cream. It’s a nostalgic, refreshing treat from childhood for many.
Black Sesame Tang Yuan by Chez Jorge
Black sesame tang yuan are sweet glutinous rice balls filled with toasted black sesame paste. They’re a beloved Taiwanese dessert often enjoyed during the Winter Solstice and Lunar New Year.
