Whether you are a vegan, vegetarian contemplating going even greener, or simply someone keen on trying a more sustainable lifestyle, we have you covered with these super delicious and easy vegan recipes.
People often think that vegans have limited choices when it comes to cooking or eating, or that the dishes can be prepared with only coconut milk or roasted veggies, but that’s not the case. Several interesting vegan recipes can be prepared quickly with other easily available ingredients, while being scrumptious too.
And, just because your plant-based diet is devoid of meat doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with your cooking. Here are some easy vegan recipes that you can prepare within 30 minutes and these aren’t only nutritious but delectable too.
A look at some easy vegan recipes to add to your diet
Avocado toast
Avocado toasts are a classic inclusion in your breakfast. They’re easy, quick, delicious and can be eaten as a snack, too. There are many variations to this recipe.
Crispy well-toasted bread slices (preferably whole-wheat), ripe avocados (mashed well), chilli flakes, chopped garlic, onion, lime juice, fresh herbs, pepper and salt are the only ingredients that you need to make a creamy and crunchy avocado toast.
Mix these to prepare a spread. You can add some fresh cherry tomatoes, radishes or roasted chickpeas to your spread to up your cooking game and amaze your Instagram followers with colourful pictures of your meal.
Red sauce spaghetti
Spaghetti is part of everyone’s favourite vegan dinner recipes list. While spaghetti recipes can be extensive and challenging, this red sauce spaghetti takes less than 30 minutes and is lip-smacking indeed. Even beginners can make it and impress their friends and family.
All you need are these — virgin olive oil, garlic, onion, oregano, fresh herbs, tomato puree, chilli powder, chilli flakes, and salt and sugar to taste.
Take a pan and heat some oil. Then, add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté it until golden brown followed by the tomato puree and seasonings. When the spaghetti sauce is ready, add the cooked spaghetti (you can choose the whole-wheat ones for a healthier option) and mix well.
You can make it for dinner on a lazy weekend and savour this sweet and spicy meal.
Creamy vegan mushroom pasta
What can be a better way to consume your protein than a creamy pasta dish? You can also use gluten-free pasta to make a healthier version.
Start with putting some olive oil into your pan and add chopped onion, garlic and diced mushrooms. Sauté them well and add salt and pepper followed by some quinoa flour for a gluten-free option. After a while, add vegetable broth and let it boil.
Thereafter, put some nutritional yeast and coconut yoghurt and add the boiled pasta to the sauce and mix well. The recipe works for any type of pasta and tastes amazing. Even kids love this delicious vegan meal.
Tofu fried rice
If you love Asian cuisine, you can definitely try this recipe. Although it is a one-pot meal, you can prepare some side dishes too. This is also a delicious way to use your leftover rice and make it healthier and tastier. It is an easy vegan dinner recipe, too.
You need some white rice (you can choose brown rice, too, for a healthier choice), tofu, oil, green onion, garlic, carrots, peas, mushrooms and other fresh veggies of your choice, tamari sauce, salt and pepper. Firstly, shred the tofu, fry it and keep it aside.
Sauté all the juicy veggies in oil with salt and pepper and add the rice and tamari sauce to it. Mix everything well and add the fried tofu at the end. You can serve it for lunch and impress your family with an easy and tasty vegan meal.
Vegan chilli
To spice things up a little, make yourself a mouth-watering bowl of vegan chilli, which is rich and flavourful and one that you will absolutely love. It is also an easy dish to try when you have guests coming over, as making a big batch doesn’t require much time or effort. Moreover, it is one of the most wholesome vegan meals that doesn’t require any side dishes except some toasted garlic bread.
Start by frying red onions and red bell peppers in olive oil. Add some chopped garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and your favourite beans. Though kidney beans are traditionally used for the recipe, you can use a mix of kidney beans, black beans and pinto beans to enhance the taste, followed by some vegan ground beef and vegetable broth. For seasoning, you need chilli powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin powder and some salt and pepper.
Let it cook on a high flame for a while before serving. Many expert cooks prefer to make their own chilli powder using different kinds of dried chillies and peppers. You can also add corn if you wish.
Garnish it with vegan sour cream and pickled jalapenos to add that extra zing.
Chickpea sandwich
Chickpea sandwiches are a healthy and tasty breakfast option. It is an appetising and easy vegan recipe rich in protein and an oil-free dish that helps in weight loss as well. It is a great addition to your vegan diet menu and a perfect post-workout meal, too.
To make the sandwich, chop some fresh veggies of your choice along with onions, coriander leaves, capsicum, fresh corn, tomato and green chillies. Mash boiled chickpeas in a bowl, add the vegetables, cumin powder, black pepper powder and dry mango powder. Sprinkle salt, squeeze a lime and mix well. Add some vegan mayo or vegan yoghurt to the mix and your filling is ready.
Toast few slices of bread (can pick whole-wheat or multigrain) and layer them with lettuce or fresh spinach. Add the nutritious filling over it and your sandwiches are ready to be relished.
Guacamole
Guacamole is one of the most popular ways to eat avocados. It is super easy to make and can be stored in the fridge for a few days. You can eat guacamole with tortilla chips whenever you are hungry or use it as a taco filler. It’s tasty and versatile, and you can make it within 20 minutes.
Add lemon juice, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, fresh cilantro, green chillies, garlic and salt to mashed avocados and your guacamole is ready.
Vegan smoothie bowl
Smoothie bowls are one of the most wholesome vegan recipes that you can make in minutes and eat anytime. This is a very popular and Instagram-worthy recipe nowadays.
You can choose acai as your hero ingredient for this recipe. It is a type of berry that grows on the acai palm tree in South American rainforests. The preparation is not just easy and healthy but also rich in fibre and antioxidants.
Typically, people prefer using frozen acai for the recipe. You can create it with your choice of fruits as well. For this recipe, you need frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries, nuts, vegan granolas, coconut water, any non-dairy milk (can use creamy coconut milk too) and vegan yoghurt.
Blend all of them except the nuts to make a thick smoothie. Now pour it into a bowl and add freshly sliced fruits, nuts and seeds as toppings. Your naturally sweet smoothie bowl with fresh fruits is ready within minutes.
(Hero and featured image: Trang Doan/Pexels)
After graduating from Calcutta University, Pallabi started her writing career as a freelancer. "She's so pieces" is the phrase that describes her the best. Pallabi is another typical introvert who loves to hide behind written words. Music is her comfort language. Binge-watching and eating delicious foods is her favourite pastime.
