Vegan Dinner Staple Meals – Veganuary Series
My top vegan dinner staple meals that are simple, time-efficient, budget-friendly, and mouthwateringly good! Part of my Veganuary Series.
QUICK AND SPEEDY:
Miso Soup
Miso soup is my vegan version of chicken noodle soup. I always make it when I’m feeling a bit under the weather, or just want a warming bowl of soup that requires very little effort. You can whip up this recipe in less than 10 minutes.
Stir-fry Fried Tofu/Rice
Another quick and easy go-to is stir-fry. Just chuck into a wok whatever vegetables you have on hand, or I usually just use a pack of frozen veggies (mixed or stir-fry for variety),and cook up with your favourite sauce. I like the combination of tahini, miso paste, and tamari (soy sauce), or if I’m keeping it super simple I’ll just use a splash of tamari. Add beans or crumbled tofu for protein. Rice, quinoa, or noodles are also good additions.
FUN PLATES:
Taco Night
Taco Night is for more than just Tuesdays. I do make this spread pretty much once a week, though the day can vary. Whether you’re team hard shell or soft tortilla, you really can’t go wrong. I make enough to enjoy leftovers for the next couple of days. Here are a couple of reels for a closer look: Hard Shell and Soft Tortillas
Tomato Beans with Polenta
Some years ago I visited a friend in California, who introduced me to polenta. If you haven’t tried it, you should! This recipe hasn’t even made it to the Instagram feed yet (keep an eye out, it’ll make it there eventually!), but it’s a great go-to requiring only pantry/freezer ingredients.
First slice your polenta into slices about 1/2 an inch in length. Fry those up on a pan until golden brown on both sides. Then grab a can of cannelloni beans, a bag of frozen mixed veggies, and a jar of tomato sauce (I like this Pizza Sauce from Amazon Fresh), and all them to the pan. Cook until the veggies are done!
Kabocha Squash with Chickpea Rice
For this simple staple, just chop a kabocha squash into slices (I like to microwave it for ~5mins to soften and make easier to cut), add oil and salt, and roast in the oven at 375F for ~30mins or until golden and starting to brown. About 5 mins before you want to serve, microwave a packet of rice (I like these!), a bag of frozen mixed veggies and a can of rinsed chickpeas. Mix and serve over the now soft and perfectly roasted squash!
WARMING BOWLS:
Pasta Bowl
Pasta night is always a good night. Simply cook up your favourite pasta (I like chickpea and lentil based pastas), add some fresh/frozen vegetables, and throw on a store-bought vegan tomato bolognese or pesto. I’ll sometimes add tinned beans for extra protein. If you have a bit of extra time you could make your own sauce as well! Here’s a recipe reel for my pesto pasta!
- Pesto Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash
- Instant Pot Lentil Bolognese
- Tempeh Mince Bolognese
- Avocado/Hummus Pasta
Tofu Bowl
Tofu is a main base of a lot of my meals. If I want to keep it simple, I’ll just fry up some tofu slices in tamari sauce on the stove. This hardly warrants as a recipe, but I also like to bake my tofu: just press the tofu (tempeh doesn’t need to be pressed); chop into pieces; marinate them in tamari sauce for ~15mins; bake at 375F for 30mins or until browned and firm! Then serve with rice and veggies.
If I have a bit more time, the teriyaki tofu recipe is one of my faves. Just crisp up the tofu, and then add a simple but delicious sauce – here’s my current fav. This recipe is what converted dad from tofu-skeptic to tofu-lover!
Bibimbap Bowl
Bibimbap bowls are one of my fav Korean dishes. There’s so much variety of flavors and textures, all mixed up in a bowl. I tend to get my bibimbap veggies pre-prepared for extra convenience, including:
- spinach, blanched
- beansprouts
- spiralized carrots
- spiralized zucchini
- fernbrake
- spicy radish
- lettuce
- white rice
- gochujang
Vegan Chilli
Chilli is quite a crowd-pleaser. It’s hearty, filling, and packs loads of flavour into a bowl. Plus, it’s such classic comfort food, and it pairs perfectly with my Golden Cornbread!
Curry Bowl
I love making a big batch of curry and eating the leftovers for days (or freezing them for the future). It’s perfect served with rice, quinoa, or just on its own.
*Post originally published 5th Jan, 2019, and updated on Jan 24th, 2023