Planning Quick Easy Vegan Recipes
Now that you are familiar with the ingredients that make up part of a healthy plant-based diet and you know about all the health benefits of being vegan, you need to start planning your weekly dishes. To do so effectively, you need some easy vegan recipes (or maybe six or seven!) for a hearty meal that will leave you and your family feeling satisfied.
Preparation is key to sticking to your vegan cooking diet. In case you have done away with your old meat and dairy-packed cookbooks, then don't worry. Here are ten absolutely delicious plant-based based easy vegan meals for you to try out in the kitchen. What's more, the recipes can all be prepared in around half an hour, making them super quick and simple alternatives to your usual satisfying favourites.
Learn more about vegan-friendly food at What is Vegan Food.
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And with all of that spare time you will have after prepping the family dinner and waiting for it to be cooked, you can treat yourself to a refreshing glass of vegan wine to whet your appetite!
Vegan Food Essentials
First-time vegans may not be familiar with the vast range of meatless foods that can help add protein, flavour and texture to their dishes. Here is a handy guide to some of the best food types to keep in your house to keep making delicious recipes for you, your friends and your family!
Beans
Namely, lentils and chickpeas - lentils are great to add to soups and salads, while chickpeas can go into pasta dishes and stews.
Grains
Grains, like brown and white rice, quinoa, and bulgar, offer nutrition, texture, and flavour.
Tempeh
Tempeh is a great source of protein.
Tofu
Tofu is essential for any vegan kitchen.
Nuts
Almonds, pine nuts and cashews are good to keep handy and whole or chopped nuts can be put in salads and grain dishes.
Dried fruits
Raisins, dried apricots, and dates are perfect for snacking and for adding flavour to cooked dishes.
Miso
Keep light and dark miso paste in the refrigerator, as they can make excellent soup and dressings for salad.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is very versatile and can be used to sear food, to add into dishes, or it can be used for baking.
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is a natural sweetener and can be used for baking, making dressings and glazes, or for eating with vegan pancakes (see recipes below).
Ground flax seeds
Flax seeds are extremely nutritious and rich in fibre and Omega-3 fatty acids. Stir them into oats, add them to muffin recipes (they are a great egg replacement) or mix them into smoothies to get their goodness.
Do you know the benefits of going vegan? Read about the health benefits of being a vegan and take the first step towards a healthy lifestyle.
10 Quick And Simple Vegan Recipes
1. Mediterranean baked sweet potatoes
Ingredients
• 4 medium sweet potatoes* (~140 g each)
• 1 15-ounce (425 g) can chickpeas
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp each cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked (or regular) paprika
Garlic herb sauce
• 1/4 cup (60 g) houmous (or tahini)
• juice of 1/2 lemon (~1 Tbsp)
• 3/4 - 1 tsp dried dill (or sub 2-3 tsp fresh)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp or 9 g)
• Water or unsweetened almond milk to thin
• optional: Sea salt to taste
Toppings optional
• 1/4 cup (45 g) cherry tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup (15 g) chopped parsley, minced
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
• Chilli garlic sauce
Method
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 °C) and line a large baking sheet with foil.
2. Rinse potatoes and cut in half lengthwise.
3. Toss drained chickpeas with olive oil and spices and spread on the baking sheet.
4. Rub the sweet potatoes with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and place them on the baking sheet containing the chickpeas.
5. Bake about 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and chickpeas are golden.
5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients, only adding enough water to the almond milk to thin it so it’s pourable.
6. Also, toss the tomato and parsley with lemon juice and set aside to marinate.
8. For serving, flip the potatoes flesh-side up and smash down the insides a little bit. Then, top with chickpeas, sauce, and parsley-tomato garnish, and serve immediately.
This recipe is courtesy of the Minimalist Baker.
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2. Vegan Yellow Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 100 g tofu, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes
- 125 ml oil
- ½ red chilli, sliced
- 2 lemongrass stalks (bottom half only), bruised
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 1 medium aubergine, sliced into rings
- Veggies of your choice (carrot, white cabbage, French beans)
- 250 ml coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 torn lime leaves (optional)
- 1 small handful fresh herbs (e.g., coriander or basil)
Method
- Fry tofu in a little oil until golden; drain.
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onions 2 minutes.
- Add garlic, chilli, lemongrass, and turmeric; cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in aubergine and carrot until coated.
- Add water and coconut milk; simmer gently 10 minutes.
- Add cabbage, French beans, soy sauce, salt, and lime leaves; cook 2 minutes.
- Stir in tofu and heat through; adjust seasoning.
- Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.
This recipe is courtesy of Azlin Bloor from Linsfood.com
3. Vegan Salted Egg Yolk Tofu
Ingredients
- 2 tofu cubes (350–400g), chunked
- 3–4 tbsp corn starch
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp coconut cream
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1–2 red chillies
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/3 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 cup oat milk
- 2 sprigs of curry leaves
- Black salt
Method
- Press and cut tofu into small pieces.
- Mix corn starch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and coat the tofu with it.
- Fry tofu until golden (or bake/air fry with oil).
- Slice chillies.
- Melt vegan butter in a pan; sauté garlic 1–2 mins.
- Then add chillies and curry leaves. Cook until fragrant.
- Add oat milk and soy sauce.
- Add turmeric for colour and black salt to get an ‘eggy’ flavour.
- Finally, add nutritional yeast and then add tofu. Cook for 2–3 mins.
- Add extra oat milk if needed and simmer for 1 min.
- Serve with rice.
Recipe courtesy Ramya from Brown Girl Vegan.
4. Vegan green chilli mac’n’cheese
• 10 ounces large macaroni shells
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4-6 hours or overnight, then drained
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (DIY or store-bought)
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp chilli powder
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 4-ounce can diced chills (scoop half into the sauce, reserve half for the finished mac'n'cheese)
• optional: 1 cup tortilla crisps, fresh cilantro for topping
Method
1. Tortilla topping: Crush crisps into fine crumbs and spread on a parchment-lined baking pan. Spritz with olive or canola oil, sprinkle with salt and stir. Bake at 176 °C oven for 10 minutes until golden brown.
2. Boil macaroni per package instructions.
3. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Once cool, blend onions, garlic and remaining ingredients(omit the tortilla crisps and add only half of the green chillies). Blend until smooth and creamy.
5. Drain noodles and set aside. In the same pot, add the cashew cheese and cook on low until slightly thickened.
6. Add noodles along with the remaining green chillies and stir. Serve with crushed toasted tortilla crisps, toppings, and cilantro (optional).
*Adapted from the amazing Isa Chandra.*
Recipe courtesy of Minimalist Baker.
5. Vegan Eggless Kaya Toast
Ingredients
Homemade Kaya Jam
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 3 pandan leaves (or 1/2 tsp pandan extract)
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Kaya Toast
- White bread
- Homemade kaya
- Vegan butter
Instructions
- Blend sweet potatoes, coconut cream, and sugar until smooth.
- Transfer to a pan on low heat. Add tied pandan leaves or pandan extract.
- Stir constantly until thickened; then remove pandan leaves.
- Cool, transfer to a jar, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- Spread on toasted bread with vegan butter to serve.
Recipe courtesy of Ramya of Brown Girl Vegan
6. Easy Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- Eggplant
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Red bell peppers
- 8 oz soba, rice, or other noodles
- Chopped scallions
- Crushed peanuts
- Peanut Sauce
Method
- Cook the noodles following the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant and mushrooms, and cook until tender and lightly browned.
3. Mix in the red pepper and scallions, and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add a dash of soy sauce, and remove.
4. In a large bowl, combine the noodles with the peanut sauce. Add the cooked vegetables and mix.
5. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and crushed peanuts.
This recipe is courtesy of Jeanine Donofrio from Love and Lemons.
7. Spicy Chickpea Veggie Burgers
Ingredients
• 1 can chickpeas, drained, well-rinsed, and mashed
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 small zucchini, grated
• 3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup quick oats (gluten-free if needed)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
Method
1. After draining and rinsing the chickpeas, place them in a bowl and mash them with a fork.
2. Add all the other ingredients to the bowl.
3. Use your hands to mix very well.
4. Form into 6-8 patties.
5. Cook on the BBQ around 400°F for approximately 10 minutes each side.
6. You can also fry these in a pan with some oil for 3-5 minutes a side.
Recipe by Deryn Macey of Running on Real Food.
8. Italian Orzo spinach soup
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 (14-ounce) diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) DeLallo orzo pasta, or pasta of your choice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• salt and black pepper
• optional toppings: freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes
Method
1. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes.
2. Add carrots, celery and garlic and saute for an additional 3 minutes.
3. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, orzo (pasta), thyme, oregano, rosemary and stir to combine. Bring soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
5. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Season with salt and black pepper as needed. Serve warm.
Recipe courtesy Ali from Gimme Some Oven.
9. Vegan Laksa
Ingredients
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Galangal
- Thai chili
- Kaffir lime leaves
- lime zest
- Spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, and paprika
- Coconut milk
- Water
- Season with soy sauce, salt, and pepper
- Toppings like fried tofu, bok choy, bean sprouts, and cilantro
Method
Make the Laksa Paste:
- Roughly chop the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chilli into small pieces.
- Add them to a blender.
- When adding the kaffir lime leaves, tear them in half to enhance the aroma. Add the dried spices and blend until they form a smooth paste.
Make the Laksa Broth:
- Add the oil to a pan, followed by the laksa paste. Sauté the curry paste until fragrant for about 10 minutes.
- Next, add water and coconut milk and mix well. Add soy sauce, salt, and pepper as needed. Bring to a boil.
- Add your tofu puffs and bok choy. Cook them for a few minutes until the bok choy or greens are bright green.
- Turn off the heat.
- Serve hot.
This recipe is courtesy Anh of veggieanh.com
10. Vegan Hainanese Chicken Rice
Ingredients
Ingredients
- King oyster mushrooms
- Spice mix: salt, pepper and 5-spices
- Sesame oil
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Salt
- Rice
- A large sheet of yuba (tofu skin)
- Mushroom seasoning
Method
- In a pot, add sesame oil and sauté ginger until fragrant.
- Add rice to the pot and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add 3.5 cups of water, followed by kombu dashi, salt, and white pepper.
- Then add in a tied bunch of pandan leaves.
For the vegan chicken
- Cut the heads of the king oyster mushrooms and boil in 4 cups of water.
- Add a vegetable stock cube and let the mushrooms simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove and transfer to an ice bath.
- Gently squeeze off excess water.
- Rub the mushrooms with the spice mix and pepper.
- Slit the mushrooms vertically and form a mushroom cutlet.
- Rub the mushroom cutlets on both sides with the salt rub mixture, including salt, black pepper and 5-spice powder.
- Cut the tofu skin sheet into thirds, then make the vegan chicken.
- Fry in oil until golden brown and crispy.
- Thinly slice the vegan chicken into thin pieces.
Assemble the rice with vegan chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, and scallions. Serve with soy sauce and chilli sauce.
This image is courtesy Anh of veggieanh.com
Learn More About Vegan Food
There's much more to vegan food than just being a healthy alternative to rich foods in the traditional western diet.
Contrary to popular belief, homemade vegan cooking doesn't have to be boring; just look at all these flavourful recipes listed above, which don't use animal products. And if you are looking to find more vegan dinner recipes, then why not try searching for more inspiration using the web? Just type in some key vegan or vegetarian words into your search bar to find a collection of vegan breakfast ideas, meals, side dishes, desserts or entrees.
Some examples are sweet potato, tofu, quinoa, lentil, butternut squash, pumpkin, risotto, noodles, almonds, banana, salad, cucumber, cabbage, broccoli, chickpea, beans, parsnip and pomegranate... the options are endless! But if you aren't confident being the chef and have some doubts over whether or not you can recreate such yummy recipes yourself, then you can always look out for vegan prepared meals at your local supermarket.
To find out which shops are best for vegan foods, visit The Best Shops For Vegan Food.
More Vegan Food Ideas to Whet Your Appetite
Savoury vegan meal and sides ideas include:
- curried stews
- one-pot Mexican casserole
- pecan bread, bean soup
- sundried tomato bruschetta
- pumpkin pie
- black bean burritos
- vegan mac and cheese
- bean burgers
- chickpea curry, noodle salad
- portobello mushroom wellington
- crispy tofu with peanut sauce and garlicky dried tomato with spaghetti
Ready to start making some delicious vegan desserts? Here are 10 Amazing Vegan Baking Recipes to get started with. Check out some exceptional online cooking courses on Superprof.
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