9 Delicious Vegan Recipes Using Lemon Balm
9 Delicious Vegan Recipes Using Lemon Balm
Lemon balm has a lemony scent and flavour, as its name suggests.
Lemon balm is used in alternative medicine for various reasons, including digestive health, wound healing, and heart rate reduction.
The following are some potential effects of lemon balm and the studies that back them up. I have also shared some healthy, delicious, and vegan recipes using lemon balm.
Health Benefits Of Lemon Balm
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a member of the mint family with a lemony scent. The herb is grown everywhere despite being native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia.
The benefits of lemon balm don't stop there; they also include mood and cognitive function support. Learn more about this plant's potential therapeutic properties by reading on.
1. Relieves Stress
Lemon balm is supposed to relieve stress symptoms, relax you, and improve your mood. In a 2004 study, lemon balm was demonstrated to reduce the harmful effects of laboratory-induced psychological stress. Lemon balm users reported a greater sense of relaxation and fewer emotions of alertness.
Although this was double-blind, placebo-controlled research, the sample size was only 18. More research is required to expand on these findings.
Take 300 milligrams (mg) of lemon balm twice daily in pill form. In cases of acute stress, a single dose of 600 mg can be taken.
2. Reduces Anxiety
Lemon balm can also help with anxiety symptoms like anxiousness and excitability. In a 2014 study, lemon balm-containing foods were studied for their mood and cognitive benefits.
The supplement was combined with natural or artificial sweeteners in a beverage and yogurt.
Participants in both groups reported improvements in different areas of their mood, including lower anxiety levels. Although this is encouraging, more research is required to determine its effectiveness.
3. Boosts Cognitive Function
The effects of lemon balm on increasing cognitive performance were also investigated in the same 2014 study.
Memory, maths, and attention were among the cognitive tasks assigned to the participants. The computerized tasks revealed that individuals who consumed lemon balm fared better than those who did not.
Although these participants' alertness and performance levels improved, weariness could still occur over time.
When consuming lemon balm with food, its absorption rate is affected, which may have influenced its efficacy. More investigation is required.
4. Helps Ease Insomnia And Other Sleep Disorders
When combined, lemon balm and valerian may help with restlessness and sleep issues like insomnia.
According to 2006 research, children who received a combination dose improved their symptoms by 70 to 80 percent.
Researchers and parents considered lemon balm a perfect treatment. However, more research is still needed to back up these conclusions.
5. Treats Cold Sores
You can apply lemon balm topically to a cold sore as soon as it appears. In a 1999 trial, participants used a lemon balm or placebo cream to the affected area four times daily for five days.
The researchers discovered that those who applied the lemon balm lotion had more minor symptoms and recovered faster than those who did not.
According to the experts, lemon balm cream may help extend the time between cold sore outbreaks. However, more research is needed to build on these findings.
6. Relieves Indigestion
Lemon balm may help relieve abdominal pain if you have frequent discomfort. In 2010, a small study looked at the benefits of a cold dessert with lemon balm on functional dyspepsia.
After a meal, participants were given a sorbet with or without the herb. Although both types of desserts reduced the severity of the symptoms, the lemon balm dessert amplified the impact. More investigation is required.
7. Treats Nausea
Lemon balm may also help ease nausea due to its potential impact on the digestive system. In a 2005 analysis of various research findings on lemon balm, the herb effectively alleviated gastrointestinal problems like these.
Even though this is an encouraging development, it's vital to consider the study's limitations.
Several studies have studied the use of lemon balm in combination with other herbs. More research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of lemon balm when administered alone.
8. Minimizes Menstrual Cramps
Studies have shown Lemon balm to help with menstruation cramps and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
In a 2015 study, 100 high school girls were tested to see if lemon balm may reduce the severity of cramps. The girls were given either a lemon balm essence or a placebo for three menstrual cycles.
The severity of PMS symptoms was measured before, during, and after the experiment at one, two, and three months.
The lemon balm-taking group reported a considerable reduction in symptoms. However, more research is required to corroborate these conclusions.
9. Eases Headache Pain
Lemon balm can also help with headaches, which are mainly caused by stress. Its calming characteristics might help you relax your muscles, release tension, and unwind.
Ingesting the herb is also thought to help open up and relax tight blood vessels, which can cause headaches.
10. Removes Toothache Pain
Lemon balm's pain-relieving qualities may make it an excellent choice for toothache relief. This home treatment targets inflammation in the body and has soothing benefits. However, more research is needed to corroborate these conclusions.
Vegan Recipes Using Lemon Balm
1. Vegan Lemon Balm And Summer Veggie Tabouli Salad Recipe
This tabouli salad recipe is elevated by lemon balm and summer vegetables. This is a simple lemon balm recipe.
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Lemon balm: ½ cup, finely chopped
- Tomatoes: 1½ cups, chopped
- Garlic: 2 cloves, crushed
- Zucchini: 1, diced
- Yellow pepper: 1, diced
- Sweet onion: ¼ cup, finely diced
- Kosher or Sea salt: ¾ teaspoon
- Lemon juice: 3 tablespoons, freshly squeezed
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
- Wheat bulgur: ½ cup
Method
- Combine the components in rough order of appearance. The bulgur is added last.
- Cover and chill for at least 4 hours; the longer, the better, but the bulgur will be delicate enough to eat by then.
- Then enjoy it with your family.
2. Vegan Lemon Balm Ginger & Pumpkin Seed Pate
Fresh lemon balm leaves, pumpkin seeds, and ginger are combined in this simple pate.
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 5 minutes | Total time: 10 minutes | Servings: 5
Ingredients
- Pumpkin Seeds: 100g
- Fresh lemon balm: 1 handful
- Fresh ginger: 1 teaspoon
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
- Celtic sea salt: ½ teaspoon
- Apple: ½ medium
- Lemon juiced: 1
Method
- Soak them for at least 3 hours or filtered water to soften pumpkin seeds in spring.
- Drain the pumpkin seeds, discard the soaked water, and set them in a jug for blending.
- 1 heaping teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- Apple should be roughly chopped, and lemon juice should be squeezed.
- Combine all ingredients in a jug and blend until the desired consistency is achieved. Instead of an exceedingly smooth dip, you'll probably end up with a beautiful, rustic-looking pate.
- Serve immediately. It will also be kept in the fridge for a few days.
3. Vegan Lemon Balm-Mint Oreo Cake
Fancy an Oreo cake recipe that's simple to create, stunning to look at, smooth, creamy, and utterly delectable!!
Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 6 hours | Total time: 6 hours 30 minutes | Servings: 1
Ingredients For The Cake
- Shredded coconut: ½ cup
- Almond meal: ½ cup
- Pecan nuts: ½ cup
- Coconut sugar: 2 tablespoons
- Carob or cacao powder: 2 tablespoons
- Filtered water: 2 tablespoons
- Fresh mint leaves: ¼ cup
- Pink Himalayan salt: 1 pinch
Ingredients For The Mint Layer
- Cashew soaked and dehydrated: 2+ ½ cup
- Ripe avocado: 1
- Fresh mint leaves: ½ cup
- Fresh lemon balm leaves: ⅓ cup
- Nut milk: 1 cup
- Coconut nectar: 2-3 tablespoons
- Matcha powder: 3 teaspoons
- Coconut oil: 1 tablespoon
Ingredients For The Oreo Cookies
- Shredded coconut: ½ cup
- Almond meal: ½ cup
- Pecan nuts: ½ cup
- Coconut sugar: 2 tablespoons
- Carob or cacao powder: 2 tablespoons
- Filtered water: 2 tablespoons
- Pinch pink Himalayan salt
Ingredients For The Oreo Cream
- Coconut butter: 6 tablespoons
- Coconut milk powder: ½ cup
- Shredded coconut: ⅓ cup
- Vanilla extract: ¼ teaspoon
- Coconut nectar: 2 tablespoons
- Coconut milk: 1-2 tablespoons
- Peppermint essential oil: 1-2 drops
Method
- In a food processor, combine the base ingredients and pulse until fine crumbs form that stay together when pressed. Place in the freezer after pressing onto the bottom of a 6-inch cake tin that has been lined.
- Cashews should be soaked and drained before use. In a high-powered blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the cream over the top of the cake. Then, place it in the freezer for 4-6 hours or until the cake is completely frozen. In a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until fine crumbs form that hold together when pressed.
- Remove from the food processor and shape into a loaf, then roll out to a thickness of ¼ inches using a rolling pin. Use cookie cutters to make the necessary shapes.
- Blend everything in a high-powered blender until smooth. Spread the filling over half of the cookies in a 14-inch-thick layer, then top with the remaining half.
4. Vegan Cold Brew Lemon Balm
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 5 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- Fresh lemon balm: 20-25 leaves
- Cold water: 4 cups
Method
- After crushing the lemon balm to release the smell, place it in a quart jar. Fill the container halfway with cold water. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight, covered. If desired, strain the liquid.
- Slices of fresh lemon or lime can be added. Lemon balm can be replaced with fresh mint. Add 3 to 4 teaspoons of dry lemon balm leaves to 32 ounces of cool water if using dried lemon balm leaves. Place for 3 to 4 hours in the sun. Strain.
5. Vegan Lemon Balm Pesto
This lemon balm pesto recipe is bright, fresh, and full of lemon balm's delicate basil taste.
Everyone will enjoy lemon balm recipes for summer or spring. Serve this pesto with freshly cooked pasta, garlic bread, or a vegetable soup.
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- Lemon balm: 1 cup
- Fresh kale: 1 cup
- Garlic: 6 cloves
- Olive oil: ½ cup
- Walnuts toasted: 1 cup
- Lemon juiced: 1
- Himalayan sea salt: ½ teaspoon
- Freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper: ¼ teaspoon
- Bread crumbs (gluten-free): 1 cup (optional)
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Method
- Combine the lemon balm, spinach, kale, garlic, olive oil, walnuts, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs or pepper flakes, if using, in a blender or food processor.
- Pulse the pesto in short bursts until it becomes a thick paste. If it's too thick or won't blend, add a tablespoon of olive oil until it's thinned out.
- Toss with cooked pasta, add a spoonful to soup, or stir into Risotto.
6. Vegan Lemon Balm Zucchini Soup
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of this vegan zucchini soup is not its light, velvety flavour of simplicity but rather the health benefits of the lemon balm herb.
This plant (also known as Melissa officinalis) has been used for ages to promote hunger, relax the nervous system, help with anxiety disorders, and enhance general mood. It also provides lemon balm zucchini soup with a pleasant lemon scent.
So, if you're preparing to break some shocking news to your family, making this soup first could be a good idea.
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes | Servings: 5
Ingredients
- Zucchini: 3 medium
- Onion: 1
- Lemon balm: 1 handful
- Fresh dill: 1 handful
- Olive oil: 3 tablespoons
- Water: 3 to 4 cups
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Pepper: ½ teaspoon
- Lemon juice to taste.
- Fresh basil and parsley leaves
Method
- The onion should be diced, and the zucchini should be peeled and sliced into smaller pieces.
- Over low heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until transparent.
- Add the zucchini and half the water, cover, reduce to medium heat, boil, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the zucchini is soft.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and add the herbs and spices.
- Pour the remaining half of the water into the blender, then blend until smooth.
- Return the pureed zucchini to the pot, thin it with water if necessary, and bring it to a boil once more.
- Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
7. Vegan Lemon Balm Curry
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes | Servings: 5
Ingredients For The Paste
- Garlic: 5 cloves
- Shallots: 4
- Thumb of fresh ginger
- Handful of lemon balm stalks
- Chilli, seeds removed
Ingredients For The Curry
- Mild curry powder: 2 teaspoon
- Ground coriander: ½ teaspoon
- Turmeric: ½ teaspoon
- Tamari sauce: 1 tablespoon
- Full-fat coconut milk: 400 ml
- Carrots: 2 medium
- Stem broccoli: 200 g
- Linda McCartney’s vegetarian chicken pieces: 200 g
- Mangetout (edible-potted peas): 100 g
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice
- Handful of lemon balm
Method
- In a pestle and mortar or a blender, blitz the paste ingredients into a coarse paste. Melt the coconut oil in a medium-sized pan.
- Cook for 7 minutes, occasionally stirring, on medium-to-low heat with the paste, mild curry powder, ground turmeric, and ground coriander.
- If the paste sticks to the pan, add a splash of water or more coconut oil to loosen it up.
- After that, combine the carrots, soy sauce, full-fat coconut milk, and stock, then add the carrots.
- Cook for about 20 minutes on low heat until the carrots are somewhat softened but still have a bite to them. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly, after which you can add the long-stem broccoli.
- Cook the Linda McCartney's Vegetarian Chicken Pieces in a separate skillet until browned, as directed on the package.
- Cook for 2 minutes after adding the Vegetarian Chicken Pieces and mangetout.
- Tear the lemon balm leaves into little pieces with your hands, releasing their perfume, and add to the curry.
- Finally, squeeze in some fresh lemon juice and season with salt to taste.
- Serve with wild rice and a handful of fresh coriander.
8. Simple No-Churn Vegan Lemon Balm Ice Cream
The easiest thing in the world is to make this lemon balm ice cream variation of “lovely cream.” Lemon balm has a pleasant flavour, albeit not as strong as its relative mint.
This recipe does not need sugar because frozen bananas are normally fairly sweet. This Lemon Balm Ice Cream is simple, quick, and fuss-free to create—and it also doesn't make your kitchen hot!
Prep time: 25 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Total time: 55 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Frozen banana: 1 large
- Lemon balm leaves: 1 handful
- Lemon juice: ½
- Rice milk: 1 splash
- Oats (optional): 1 tablespoon
Method
- Pulse the lemon balm leaves and lemon juice together a few times in a food processor or blender. Add the oats to make it more of a breakfast dish.
- Add the frozen banana and as much liquid as your blender or food processor requires to make the mixture creamy.
- If you over-blend your ice cream, it will turn into a smoothie, which is still tasty but probably not what you want!
9. Vegan Lemon Basil Smoothie
This colourful and fresh sweet lemon basil smoothie recipe is infused with the delicious taste of lemon basil.
You'll be able to rise and shine with this luscious tropical smoothie! This 5-minute blender breakfast dish makes a terrific on-the-go breakfast and can be made higher in protein by adding one extra scoop of protein powder.
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 5 minutes | Total time: 10 minutes | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- Fresh lemon basil leaves, also called lemon balm: ¼ cup
- Pineapple: ½ cup
- Mango: ½ cup
- Banana powder: ¼ cup
- Papaya powder: 2 tablespoons
- Chia seeds: 1 tablespoon
- Water: 3 cups
- Ice: 1 cup
- Protein powder optional: 1 scoop
Method
- In a high-powered blender, combine all of the ingredients.
- Blend low for a few seconds, then increase to high until all the fruit/ice bits are entirely puréed and the smoothie has a creamy consistency.
- Pour into a glass of your choice, relax, and enjoy!
Conclusion
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a member of the mint family, is a calming herb. It has been used since the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, enhance appetite, and ease indigestion pain and discomfort.
Lemon balm is easy to grow either in your garden or in containers. Do you have limited space and want to grow lemon balm on your balcony or in a small garden? Please click here to read my blog post about the Major Tips Of Growing Lemon Balm In Containers.
I trust you enjoyed this article about the 9 Delicious Vegan Recipes Using Lemon Balm. Please stay tuned for more blog posts to come shortly. Take care!
JeannetteZ
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