We all know that we need to be eating less meat and cooking more for a healthier lifestyle.
But if you are looking to change up your mealtime, there is nothing worse than getting to the end of cooking a new recipe, only to realize you’ve got a sinkful of pans and the expensive meat replacement you bought looks strange.
To make sure you are making the most of mealtimes, this handy compilation of recipes is just the thing you need. All of the recipes use cost-effective and familiar ingredients that, when combined with simple cooking techniques, are perfect for any beginner wanting to fall in love with cooking.
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
This salad is packed with healthy ingredients and is loaded with flavor. The colorful vegetables in this salad provide a great variety of vitamins and minerals, while the quinoa is full of protein to keep you fuller for longer.
Cucumber Pasta Salad
This salad is so creamy you would never know it was dairy-free. Use fresh cucumbers for extra crunch and make sure your pasta is cooked to a perfect al dente for the perfect texture in every bite.
Chickpea Tuna Salad Sandwich
If the lack of fish is what is holding you back from trying vegan cuisine, this chickpea tuna salad sandwich is a great option. It is really easy to make and delicious, using chickpeas to get the texture of tuna and optional nori sheets as a flavor substitute.
Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Garlic
Need a quick and easy side dish? These roasted cabbage steaks are basted in garlic paste while roasting for sublime flavor. Using just four ingredients and some seasoning, these quick and easy steaks are bound to become a firm favorite.
Be sure to try these with fennel and caraway seeds to find your preference.
Napa Cabbage in Peanut Sauce
Cabbage is a really underrated ingredient, available in so many varieties and packed with nutrients, and once you learn how to cook them properly you are going to be back for more.
Here, tender napa cabbage is cooked in a coconut sauce and peanut dressing. This dish is bursting with flavor and is so easy to cook you may have just found your new go-to midweek meal.
Chickpea Salad
This super easy and healthy meal is the perfect way to eat when the weather is hot. It can be served cold and is very light with lots of colors and juicy vegetables to help keep you nourished and hydrated.
Kale Salad
Know you should eat more greens but don’t want to eat a bowl of bland, watery leaves? This salad is the answer. Combining the kale with chickpeas, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes gives texture to each bite.
The creamy tahini dressing is the perfect accompaniment and feels indulgent without the calories.
Zucchini Noodles
If you want to cut down your carb intake – or want to use that spiralizer that’s never been out of the box – try these tomato zucchini noodles.
This delicious meal is ready in under half an hour and you can even use half zucchini noodles and half pasta noodles if you don’t want to try something too different too quickly!
Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad
Moroccan food has an incredible spice palette and blends together savory and sweet to create really moreish dishes. This salad mixes together the classic carrot and raisin combination for sweetness and spices for the perfect umami blend.
One-Pot Pasta
Pasta is always going to be a favorite midweek meal but this recipe takes convenience one step further – it’s all cooked in one pot. You just put all the ingredients together and cook.
This unfamiliar cooking technique does not harm the overall flavor of the dish as it is still very much delicious but feels free to add chili pepper flakes at the end for a punch of flavor.
Cashew Zucchini Noodles
If you find yourself enjoying more healthy vegetable-based meals but still missing meat, why not try these cashew noodles? The nut butter and salty sauces provide salt and umami that are guaranteed to keep you satisfied.
Hummus Wraps
If you are low on time but still want something nutritious and flavourful, give these wraps a try. They can be made with any number of ingredients and can be ready to eat in less than ten minutes – perfect for quickly using up what is left in your refrigerator to reduce food waste.
Black Bean Tacos
Mexican food is always bursting with flavor and all of the vegetables that are used are packed with fiber and nutritional goodness, perfect for keeping you healthy.
Each of the components is very versatile and can be easily customized to suit your flavor preferences to make this dish one of your favorites.
Lemon and Spinach Pasta
This one-pot wonder is perfect for those wanting to eat more spinach but is unsure how to get the best flavor. The lemon pasta compliments garlic and spinach wonderfully, creating a fool-proof perfectly seasoned meal.
Fettuccine Alfredo
There is nothing worse than really craving a really cheesy, creamy, buttery pasta dish when you are trying to eat healthily. Fortunately, this vegan alfredo sauce feels super indulgent but is made with much healthier plant-based ingredients.
Sofritas
This vegan recipe for Sofritas tastes just like Chipotle and is the perfect companion to any taco or burrito, or for when you want to spice up your salads.
Southern Fried Cabbage
Craving fried chicken? Try this meatless version for all the flavor and comfort of this classic Southern dish without the calories. This cabbage is so easy to prepare and makes a great side dish.
Zucchini and Chickpea Curry
This Indian-inspired dish is so cozy and is packed with flavor – the best kind of comfort food. Like most curry dishes, it will taste even better if prepared ahead of time to let all those flavors marinate together.
Mexican-Inspired Quinoa
This quinoa salad packs in all the flavors of Mexican cuisine and is incredibly nutritious and light. Everything is cooked in one pan – even the quinoa – making it super quick and easy to prepare.
Red Lentil Stew
Though this dish does take a while to cook, you can leave it alone to simmer after about five minutes. The ingredients are simple but combine really well to create a delicious and cost-effective meal.
Spinach Orzo
This creamy pasta dish is smooth and nutritious thanks to the spinach leaves. The combination of smooth spinach and tender pasta makes this dish really satisfying to eat and is so creamy you won’t believe there is no dairy.
Vegetable Chow Mein
A no-nonsense chow mein is the perfect way to pack in lots of vegetable varieties with no fuss. From cupboard to the table in twenty minutes, this dish is better than takeout and infinitely healthier.
Mushroom Couscous
Mushrooms are the ultimate comfort food for many people, producing a warm and hearty meal that is perfect for a chilly autumnal evening. The fresh parsley provides instant lightness to this umami-heavy dish but feels free to add a squeeze of lemon at the end for an extra zing.
So there you have it. Some of the best recipes for easy vegan meals that are delicious and ready to inspire you to try something new in the kitchen.
