Even though I'm at home more because of the pandemic, I still like to meal prep because it makes things easier throughout the week. Sometimes by the time I'm hungry, I'm really hungry and don't want to spend a lot of time cooking. If I have food already prepared, I'm less likely to stuff my face with chips or cookies.
These 4 beginner vegan meal prep recipes are easy to:
- customize
- make in bulk
- store in the fridge and reheat
I've been making these plant-based meals a lot during quarantine because they're easy to customize based on whatever ingredients I have. They're more like non-recipes that are a guide to follow and don't need to be exact. Some can be made entirely with pantry ingredients, which has been handy so I don't have to go to the store as often.
1. Rice with Beans/Lentils
This is also one of my lowest cost meals at around $2 per serving. You could probably make it for less using dried beans. I usually use canned because it's more convenient.
One way I eat beans and rice is this easy Cajun-inspired dish that's sort of like dirty rice:
- I cook onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic until soft
- Add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, or your favorite spices
- Add a can of diced tomatoes and and a can of red beans
- Add rice and water to the same pot and cook until the rice is done (or use pre-cooked rice)
My other go-to combination is black beans with onion, jalapeño, and chili powder. I mix everything together, or you can also serve the beans on top of the rice like in this video.
A similar recipe I like that uses green lentils and caramelized red onion is a Middle Eastern dish called mujaddara.
2. Curry
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Curry is super versatile. Between Thai and Indian curries, I could eat a different curry every week and it would take a long time for me to get bored. I'm still learning about the different types of curry as it is one of the most popular dishes throughout the world.
Another reason I like making curry is it's forgiving for beginners. If you don't use the right blend of spices it might not be as authentic, but it should still taste good.
Lately my favorite is aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower). I use this recipe and bake the cauliflower and potatoes separately and add them at the end. It takes some of the stress out of coordinating the cook times of the different ingredients, and roasting the cauliflower gives it a better texture.
I eat this with rice and/or naan bread, and store it separately from the rice. I like to leave some room in the container to add the rice later. This also helps keep the lid from staining.
A simple curry recipe you can make entirely with pantry ingredients is chana masala, an Indian curry with chickpeas. I usually use Thai Kitchen red curry paste with potatoes, mushrooms, red bell peppers, green beans, and snap peas.
Thai curry is even easier to make if you buy a jar of curry paste:
- Combine 2 tablespoons of curry paste, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and 1 can of coconut milk in a pan
- Cook your favorite veggies directly in the sauce
I usually use Thai Kitchen red curry paste with potatoes, mushrooms, red bell peppers, green beans, and snap peas.
3. Pasta with Veggies
Pasta is another non-recipe that you cannot mess up. Take any veggies you like and mix with your favorite pasta shape. I use mushrooms and red bell peppers a lot because I usually have some left over from another recipe.
One combination I like that uses almost all pantry ingredients is bow-tie pasta with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto. I use Trader Joe's vegan pesto or you could also make your own.
4. Soup
When it's not too hot outside I love making soup because it's a great way to use up extra veggies I have in the fridge.
Last winter it rained a lot in San Diego and I made this red lentil soup almost every time. This is another recipe that uses mostly pantry ingredients that have a long shelf life.
Chili is another soup that's easy to make vegan. You can't go wrong with soup!