Welcome to The Simple Green

Established in 2015, The Simple Green is an award nominated food blog sharing delicious and approachable plant-based and vegetarian recipes. All recipes here are inspired by fresh, seasonal ingredients and a love for cooking and baking at home.

Easy mains, desserts, cozy fare, breads, smoothies and more—there is something for everyone here whether you eat vegetarian, plant-based or otherwise. The Simple Green has been featured in numerous online and print publications and has been shortlisted for a Taste Canada Award. Visit the press page to see more.

Start with vegetarian main dishes, seasonally inspired cakes and cupcakes, or be inspired to get outside with my tips on organic gardening.

round green coloured award seal for "taste canada awards shortlist"

Get to Know Heidi Richter

Hi there, I'm Heidi, the creator of The Simple Green. As a professional recipe developer, food writer and photographer, I am almost always in the kitchen. Longstanding passions for cooking, baking, photography and vegetable gardening inspire all of my work here.

When I'm not perfecting recipes for The Simple Green, you can find me developing recipes & writing for local food magazines, photographing for clients, tending to my garden and exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my family. Visit my portfolio here to see more of my work.

Thanks you so much for stopping by!

A signature for "Heidi".
Blog author Heidi in jeans and an apron with a basket of tomatoes under a garden trellis.

More About The Simple Green

With almost 20 years of experience—long before decent veg-friendly foods were available—I've learned a thing or two about how to make plant-based and vegetarian food taste good. I develop many of these recipes for my own family and share them here for the everyday home cook; these are tried and tested recipes that readers come back to time and again.

You'll find dozens of recipes here, each with my own personal tips and notes included from my home kitchen on Vancouver Island. Apart from recipes, you can also find information and guides on organic gardening. Much of the fresh produce for my recipes comes from my home garden during the peak seasons.

I acknowledge and send gratitude to the Snuneymuxw First Nations for the land on which we live and share—Hay ch q̓a.

As Seen In

Features and Work

The Simple Green has been featured on the CBC, Reader's Digest, Food52, Brit & Co, IMPACT, Edible, Alive, and several other online and print publications. My work has also caught the attention of Martha Stewart via social media.

A few of the brands I've worked with include Nikon, All-Clad Canada, Vitamix and American Express. Since 2019, I have been a regular contributor to Edible Vancouver Island magazine. Visit my press page for more.

See my Press Page

Fun Facts About Me

Get to know the person behind it all (a bit more).

a mother and small child in a rhubarb patch.

Gardening is a huge passion of mine that really blossomed after becoming a parent to one two kiddos. Immersing my children and family in the abundance of a backyard garden is a privilege I never take for granted. Sharing what we grow with neighbours and friends leaves me overflowing with joy.

two young girls baking cooking on a surface covered with flour.

Cooking and baking were cherished pastimes during my childhood. My parents taught me much in the kitchen and, instead of cartoons, I devoured cooking shows like Martha Stewart Living, Nigella Bites and Lidia's Italian Kitchen, to name a few. Baking my first loaves of bread at age 8 (rather unsuccessfully) also taught me certain lessons that only experience can. Cookbooks are still my favourite reading material and I consider kitchen skills essential to a good life—my two boys have had many foodie lessons like I did.

a woman in a purple bikini posing with a fitness trophy.

In another life, fitness modelling, competitive gymnastics and fitness competitions took up much of my time. After university, I competed in the Western Canadian Natural Fitness Championships and placed first in my category. It was an intense sport and, frankly, I favour good food way more than being on stage. My approach to health and fitness is vastly different now, nevertheless, I am proud of the dedication it took to achieve my athletic goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

A basket of tomatoes sitting on wooden steps.

I shoot with a Canon 5D mark ii body with either a 50mm 1.4 lens,  100mm 2.8 macro lens or an 85mm 1.4 lens. I also shoot with a Nikon Z5.

Yes! Contact me with the details of your project or to discuss ideas. I work with both large and small business alike for product or food photography, recipe development or video content. Some brands I have worked with include Nikon, Vitamix, Lacanche Canada, All-Clad, and others. Visit my portfolio to see more of my work.

Yes! Please contact me to see if working together would be a good fit. Please note that I will not accept free product in exchange for a blog post(s), website links, social media content or any other form of advertising.

For recipe roundups, sharing a recipe image, a short summary and a link back to my original post is okay, but please contact me first. If you simply want to link to one of my posts, feel free to do so.

All content on The Simple Green is protected under copyright. Syndication or republication of any work on this site (recipes, images, or posts etc.)  without permission is a copyright infringement. If you are interested in licensing one of my images, please contact me to discuss pricing and usage rights.

I started eating plant-based 16 years ago before there were any good options available for vegan food! As you can imagine, I've learned a thing or two about making plant-based food taste good.

I have since grown to enjoy some vegetarian recipes and, with my work as a food writer and recipe developer, I am continually working with a variety of ingredients that aren't strictly vegan. My family eats a regular diet, however the vast majority of our family meals are vegetarian friendly.

The basics were taught to me by my parents. Over the last 35 years, I have spent countless hours baking, cooking and perfecting recipes for myself and my family. I spend a fair amount of time in self directed study and consult professional resources whenever necessary.

Thank you for your interest and I'm glad you asked! You can head to the main page here and scroll down to the sign up box. By signing up for my email list, you'll be the first to hear about new recipes, updates and news from The Simple Green. If you need assistance, feel free to contact me at heidi@thesimplegreen.com and I can manually add you to the list

Popular Recipes

  • Closeup of red cherry tomatoes on a tomato plant.
  • close up of romaine lettuce in the garden.
  • a child's hand holding a bunch of carrots covered in soil.
  • a bunch of cherry tomatoes on the vine.

Love my recipes or have a question?

Drop me a comment on a post or send me an email. Also, if you make one of my recipes, don't forget to tag me on social media; I love seeing what you come up with.

Featured In

  • Nikon logo text.
  • CBC logo text.
  • Edible communities logo text.
  • Vitamix logo.
  • Logo: Audible an Amazon company
  • Reader's digest logo text.
  • Parade logo text.
  • Food52 logo text.
  • Buzzfeed logo text.