If you had run into Iosune Robles a decade ago, you would probably have found her thinking hard about what she was cooking for herself every day.
That’s because a close relative had been diagnosed with cancer, pushing her (and her entire family) to really think about what they were putting into their bodies with each meal.
As a matter of fact, Iosune had always been interested in healthy food. Her grandfather was “practically a vegetarian” (long before it was considered to be trendy). But now, the stakes were higher.
And that search for a healthier diet, alongside her partner, Alberto Aragón, led them both to look for recipes that were plant-based, ones that they could make right at home.
But they ran into a problem very quickly: there just weren’t that many vegan recipes available, let alone much in Spanish, their native language.
That’s when they decided to do something about it.
So, from their small apartment in Spain back in 2013, they embarked on a mission to fill that gap for themselves, their family, and anyone else who wanted the same. That’s when they launched Danza de Fogones, a Spanish vegan blog, and started sharing what they were learning in their very own kitchen.
The project was perfect for them. Iosune loved cooking and writing; Alberto leaned into his fondness for photography and the technical side of running a site. Neither of them had any kind of formal culinary training, however, so they taught themselves everything, from cooking basics to SEO to web development.
Many late nights and weekends later, they earned themselves a loyal Spanish audience, prompting another question to come up: what about all those non-Spanish speakers?
The answer came in the form of “launching Simple Vegan Blog in January 2014,” they explained. “Our goal was to share everyday vegan recipes in English this time, so that even more people could cook them.”
The name was deliberate too: for the husband and wife duo, simple isn’t just marketing; it’s a promise.
“We chose ‘Simple Vegan Blog’ because we wanted the name to reflect this promise,” says Iosune. “Our mission is to show that plant-based eating can be delicious, it can be affordable, and it can be made with everyday ingredients.”
And from that simple promise a successful business was born. These days, readers can turn to Simple Vegan Blog for recipes that make vegan cooking feel doable with recipes like General Tso’s Tofu, vegan Jambalaya, and tofu stir fry.
These are the types of recipes that their community enjoys the most: familiar flavors paired with step-by-step guidance and accessible ingredients — everything folks need to start their vegan journey, to take the stress out of plant-based cooking.
