No-Cook Vegan Travel Recipes

 

Sometimes it’s hard to find vegan options when traveling. And if you want to travel on a budget, it helps to make your own food. But sometimes you don’t have access to a kitchen, or even a fridge. 

Some grocery stores, like Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, will have ready-made vegan options available. But if you can’t find anything, you can make your own. 

Here are some vegan foods I eat while traveling that don’t require a kitchen. Most can be made without a fridge as well. 

1. Spread with hummus, veggies, crackers, olives 

I love to try the local olives and bread with some wine. You can make it a fuller meal with a spread of hummus or other dip, veggies, olives, crackers, and bread. 

If you don’t have access to a fridge, get any cold items you want right before you’re going to eat. Maybe stop at the store on the way to a picnic spot. 

2. Salad

This works better if you have a fridge. I like to mix any lettuce and other veggies I can find, plus beans or nuts for some protein. It can be hard to find American salad dressings in other countries, but most stores have oil and balsamic vinegar. 

3. Sandwiches or wraps 

If you don’t have a fridge, you can make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. These are good snacks for on the go too. 

If you have a fridge, you can buy more veggies and hummus or other spread. 

4. Granola and soy milk

I like to eat granola with milk like cereal. I noticed what I call granola in the US is called Muesli in Europe. 

Some countries don’t have a wide variety of vegan milk options, but I’m usually able to find soy milk. If you don’t have fridge, you might be able to find small bottles of shelf-stable soy milk. 

5. Nuts and dried fruit 

I like to have nuts and dried fruit with me as a backup in case I can’t find other food I can eat. It doesn’t really feel like a meal but will have enough calories and a range of nutrients. 

6. Try local snacks

I like to pick at least one new local item every time I go to the grocery store. For example, in Mostar I found ajvar, a delicious red pepper dip. 

Vegan Meal Prep for Beginners

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

I usually make some type of beans or lentils and rice every week. It's easy to mix it up by using different types of beans, veggies, and spices. I love that I can usually make this almost entirely with pantry ingredients.

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:

1. I cook onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic until soft
2. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, or your favorite spices
3. Add a can of diced tomatoes and and a can of red beans
4. 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

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:

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of curry paste, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and 1 can of coconut milk in a pan
2. 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!

How to Make Vegan BBQ "Pulled Pork" Style Jackfruit

Have you tried jackfruit yet? It's the ultimate vegan substitute for shredded pork. I was so surprised by how similar the texture is to pork. And even though it's a fruit, it doesn't have a strong flavor by itself and will take on the flavor of the sauce or seasoning you use.

I love finding fruits or vegetables like this that make perfect vegan alternatives for meat. (Oyster mushrooms is another example worth checking out.) While I love the Beyond Burger and how popular faux meats are becoming, it's nice to have less processed options too.

I'll walk you through how to make bbq "pulled pork" style jackfruit. It's also great in tacos or other recipes that would use shredded pork or chicken. I want to try tamales or enchiladas next.

You can buy the whole fruit at some grocery stores, but it's easier to buy it canned. You can find it at Trader Joe's. One can made four sandwiches for me.

Drain and rinse the jackfruit and pat it dry with a towel. It will look like triangles.

Shred the jackfruit pieces. It's easiest to use your hands. You can also use a fork or knife. Now it should look more like shredded pork.

Saute the jackfruit with a little bit of oil, salt, and pepper. You can also add garlic and onions or other seasoning at this stage if you want. Cook it on medium-high heat until it starts to brown a little bit, about 10 minutes.

Add your favorite barbecue sauce. If you're cooking for other people who are vegan, check that the barbecue sauce is vegan because not all of them are. Lower the heat and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes (15 is ok if you're really hungry).

Now it's time to build your sandwich. This is good by itself or you can also top with vegan coleslaw.
It's good leftover too, just reheat in the microwave.

Making Pasta Sauce in Bulk

I love making pasta sauce from scratch, but it can be so time consuming! There is an easy solution - making large amounts of sauce in advance and canning them. I do this with my spaghetti sauce and red pepper sauce. This makes for an incredibly easy meal down the road, all you have to do is cook the pasta and add sauce. 

For this batch, I added more vegetables to the spaghetti sauce to add more nutrients and natural sweetness (a red pepper has more vitamin C than an orange!) 

I do not have a canner so I froze my jars. There are guides on how to can without a canner, but just to be safe I froze mine. To defrost, I move one jar to the fridge at least a day before I want to make pasta. 

I used the giant cans of crushed tomatoes from Costco. I used one 106 oz can for each recipe, and each recipe made 5 batches of about 24 ounces each. 

Vegetable Marinara

Ingredients

• 4 onions (I bought a 3 pound bag of yellow onions and used half in each recipe)
• 2 red peppers
• 4 carrots (or half of a 1 pound bag)
• A whole head of garlic (ok to skip some of the smaller cloves)
• About 1 cup of red wine, I used 1/3 of a bottle of Cabernet (optional)
• 106 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• About 1 tablespoon each, or enough to sprinkle over the entire top of the sauce
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• oregano

Directions

1. Chop the onions, red pepper, and carrots. 
2. Add oil to a very large sauce pot, enough to coat the bottom.
3. Add the vegetables and salt. Saute until the onions are clear and the peppers are soft ~15 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and simmer for ~5 minutes.
5. Add the wine, simmer for ~5 minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes and other seasonings and stir to combine.
7. If you are blending do that here.
8. Simmer for at least 45 minutes, I did for about an hour and a half. 
9. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
10. Let cool until no longer steaming before you start canning to avoid hurting yourself (speaking from experience).

Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 onions (I bought a 3 pound bag of yellow onions and used half in each recipe)
• 4 red peppers
• 2 jars of roasted red peppers
• A whole head of garlic (ok to skip some of the smaller cloves)
• About 1 cup of red wine, I used 1/3 of a bottle of Cabernet (optional)
• 106 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• About 1 tablespoon each, or enough to sprinkle over the entire top of the sauce
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• oregano
• cayenne pepper (I used 1 tablespoon for 5 batches of sauce, the overall spiciness was about a 3 on a scale of 1-10)
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

1. Chop the onions and raw red peppers. If you will be blending the sauce like me, you can use a rustic approach when chopping. They do not need to be the same size. If you will not be blending, I think thin, julienne strips would look best. 
2. Add oil to a very large sauce pot, enough to coat the bottom.
3. Add the onions, red peppers, and salt. Saute until the onions are clear and the peppers are soft ~15 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and roasted red peppers, simmer for ~5 minutes.
5. Add the wine, simmer for another 5 or so minutes
6. Add the tomatoes and other seasonings and stir to combine.
7. If you are blending do that here.
8. Simmer for at least 45 minutes, I did for an hour and a half. 
9. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Vegetable Fried Rice

This vegan fried rice is inspired by food court style fried rice that typically has peas, carrots, and eggs. This version obviously removes the eggs, but also pumps up the protein by adding edamame. Broccoli and peas are a good vegan protein source too. 

You could easily customize this recipe by adding different vegetables or tofu.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients

• Oil for cooking - I used canola
• 1/2 cup white rice plus 1 cup water
• Vegetables, about 1/2 cup of each, chopped into small pieces
• Carrots
• Onion
• Broccoli
• Edamame - I used frozen shelled edamame
• Peas - I used frozen
• Seasoning
• Garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Soy sauce

Directions

1. Cook rice separately by boiling with water and salt. When the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and cover. 
2. Saute the onions and carrots in cooking oil. 
3. When the onions are clear, add the garlic and broccoli.
4. When the broccoli starts to get soft, add the edamame, cooked rice, and seasonings. You may need to add more oil. 
5. Stir to combine and continue to stir occasionally until some parts of the rice start to caramelize. Adjust seasonings to taste.
6. Add the frozen peas last so they don't get mushy. Stir them in until they are evenly mixed. 

Note: Chopping all of the vegetables can take a lot of prep time. You can save time by prepping the vegetables in advance and freezing them, or by using store-bought frozen vegetables. 

Easy Linguini with Cherry Tomatoes

This is a quick pasta dish you can throw together when you have minimal ingredients on hand. I made this when I had just bought fresh cherry tomatoes from the farmers market, but hadn't gone grocery shopping yet.

When cherry tomatoes cook the flavor becomes more complex. As they heat up, the juice inside expands and they explode. This turns the tomatoes into a light sauce. I use the same method with my tomato and asparagus pasta.

Easy Linguini with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients

• 1/2 pound linguini
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook the pasta separately and set aside.
2. Saute the cherry tomatoes until some of them pop open from the heat. Gently "pop" the rest with the back of your spoon or spatula. 
3. Add the garlic to the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes. 
4. Add the cooked linguini and stir with tongs. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Vegan Tacos with Beyond Meat Beef-Free Crumbles

The vegan beef crumbles made by Beyond Meat are better in recipes where they can be complimented by other flavors and textures. Of course I thought of tacos first. 

This is an easy taco recipe my boyfriend uses for regular beef. Use the measurements as a guideline, not a rule, and adjust to your taste. 

Vegan Tacos with Beyond Meat Beef Crumbles

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Beyond Meat Beef-Free Crumbles (or another faux beef)
• 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa
• 1/2 packet of your favorite taco seasoning
• Juice from 1 lime
• Tortillas
• Avocado
• Tomato
• Lettuce

Directions:

1. Saute the crumbles until warm. Add salsa, taco seasoning, and lime juice. Stir and cook until heated through. 
2. Add to tortillas and assemble tacos with your favorite taco veggies and toppings. I used iceberg lettuce, tomato, avocado, and a taco sauce packet I stole from taco bell. You could also try rice, beans, bell peppers, onions, or vegan sour cream. 

Roasted Gold Potatoes

I love just about any kind of potatoes, but there's something special about the Yukon Gold variety. They're golden in color, hence the name, and they also have an almost buttery flavor to them. 

For this recipe I cooked the potatoes twice - first in the microwave and then in the oven. This makes them soft and fluffy on the inside, but crunchy on the outside. 

I got this recipe from one of my college friends. Her mom made them one night and I was instantly hooked. Whenever I make them I always make extra to have as leftovers, but still end up eating them all right away.

Roasted Gold Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Yukon Gold potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Oregano

Directions:

1. Place washed, unpeeled potatoes on microwave safe plate. Poke holes in the potatoes and microwave on high for 20 minutes.
2. Peel the potatoes. I used a fork, but they are easy to peel by hand if you can wait for them to cool.
3. Place peeled potatoes in an oven safe dish and add seasonings and olive oil. Stir until the potatoes are evenly covered with oil. 
4. Bake 20-30 minutes, stirring half way in between. The potatoes are already cooked, so you are just getting them crispy in the oven. If it is taking too long, you can use the broiler. If you do use the broiler, be very careful to set a timer or keep an eye on them - it is really easy to accidentally burn food under the broiler!

Mushroom Goulash

Goulash is a Hungarian tomato and meat stew served over pasta. I used mushrooms instead to make a vegan goulash. This can also be made into a more soup-like consistency by thinning it out with vegetable broth. 

I'm still learning how to make the most out of my spice rack. For this recipe I used paprika, cumin, and oregano. I would say the paprika is really important here. But if you are out of cumin or oregano, you don't need to run to the store just for those. You could also use garlic powder if you don't have any fresh garlic.

 

 

Mushroom Goulash

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 cups of baby bello or white button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 pound of pasta such as elbow macaroni or shells
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter such as Earth Balance (or olive oil)

Directions:

1. Boil water for pasta 
2. Saute vegetables and garlic until soft
3. Add tomatoes and seasonings, cover and simmer until pasta is ready
4. Drain pasta and add butter to keep noodles from sticking
5. Serve goulash over pasta

Puppy Chow

If you haven't heard of puppy chow before, don't be thrown off by the name. This treat is not for dogs. Puppy chow is a delicious mix of chocolate and peanut butter poured over Chex cereal, all covered in powdered sugar. I'm not sure where the name came from, I've also heard it called muddy buddies. No matter what you call it, you won't be able to stop eating it. This is a crowd pleaser and is sure to impress your friends. This is my grandma's recipe and has been a family favorite for generations.

Puppy Chow

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons vegan butter such as Earth Balance
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 6 oz (half a bag) vegan chocolate chips such as Chocolate Dream
• 5 cups Chex or Crispix cereal
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar (divided into 2 parts)

Directions:

1. Melt butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave. If microwaving, heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. 
2. Add Chex and stir until fully covered with chocolate mixture. Stir as gently as possible to avoid breaking the Chex. 
3. Take half of the powdered sugar and pour over Chex. Stir until evenly coated. (Alternate method: add chocolatey cereal and powdered sugar to bag and shake until coated.)
4. Wait 30 min or until completely cool and add rest of powdered sugar. Adding the powdered sugar in 2 steps helps to better cover the Chex and prevents the sugar from melting into the chocolate. 

Easy Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti is a classic comfort food, it's always been one of my favorite meals. It was the first dinner I ever made when I first started cooking in middle school. For a while, I used pre-made sauce. My old roommate and unofficial big sister, Maria encouraged me to try making my own. This is her recipe, and it's been a stand by in my repertoire ever since. 

Before I made my own sauce, I wasn't sure if it was worth the time. Let me tell you, it definitely is. Like most food made from scratch, making your own sauce tastes better than store bought. Plus, you have control over what goes in it. 

It takes at least an hour to make, but you can make it ahead of time and freeze or can it. Sometimes I buy the giant can of tomatoes at Costco to make a big batch. Then I freeze it and have sauce for months! 

This is a versatile recipe, feel free to adjust the spices or add different vegetables. If you're a mushroom fan, those would work well here. I use this recipe as a base for other sauces like my red pepper sauce. You can also use it to hide vegetables from picky eaters. Carrots are a great addition, especially if you are blending the sauce. 

Ingredients

• medium yellow or sweet onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• salt, pepper, italian seasoning (or fresh herbs like basil if you have them)
• 1 tbsp sugar to taste (optional)
• 1 pound of spaghetti

Directions

1. Saute the onions and garlic with salt in olive oil until the onions are clear, about 10 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and seasoning. If you are blending for a smoother sauce, this is a good time to do that.
3. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, stir occasionally. Be careful because the sauce will splatter.
4. Taste test and add more seasoning or sugar if necessary. When adding sugar use 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stir thoroughly, and taste again before adding more. 
5. Serve over spaghetti or your favorite pasta. 
6. Great leftover!

Red Pepper Sauce

I got this recipe from my roommate a few years ago, before I even thought about vegan cooking. I tried it with chicken or other add-ins and discovered it really doesn't need anything, it's delicious and filling on its own. This is my go-to example of a full meal that doesn't need meat.

This is one of my favorite foods because it combines two ingredients I absolutely love: pasta and red bell peppers. It's a variation of classic marinara sauce. The intense red pepper flavor comes from using two types of peppers. Fresh red peppers add texture and canned roasted red peppers add depth to the flavor.

My boyfriend likes a smooth sauce, so I use an immersion blender. Because I'm blending the sauce, I chop the vegetables in large, uneven pieces. If you are not blending, you can chop them for your desired texture. I recommend thin, julienne slices. Saute until the peppers are soft and the onions start to caramelize. It's ok if there is excess liquid.

Next, add the tomatoes and roasted red peppers. If you are not blending, chop the roasted red peppers as finely as possible. At this point I blend the sauce because I don't like the idea of putting my immersion blender in boiling liquid.

Simmer for at least a half hour, I usually do around 45 minutes. The longer the better, because the flavors develop and get sweeter the longer they are cooked. This is especially important if you are using cheap canned tomatoes like me. Stir occasionally, and be careful because it will be very splattery.

You can use whatever spices or herbs you like for Italian food. I used garlic powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper because I put that on almost everything. I don't know where that came from, but it works for me as an all purpose seasoning mix. I also used red pepper flakes here because I like this dish spicy.

The sauce will be very thick, if you want to thin it out you can add some water from the pasta.

Serve with your favorite pasta shape. Shapes with lines are best because they will hold onto more of the  thick sauce. I used to use Barilla Cellentani, but then this happened so I don't want to buy Barilla anymore. I haven't found a replacement yet, so I used penne.

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 yellow or sweet onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (whole tomatoes would also work if blending)
• 1/2 jar roasted red peppers
• salt and pepper
• Italian seasoning (I used oregano, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Your favorite Italian seasoning or fresh herbs would also work)
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

1. Add chopped peppers, onions, and garlic to pot with enough oil to cover the bottom. Add salt. Saute until the onions being to caramelize, about 10 minutes. 
2. Add tomatoes and roasted red peppers. If you want a smooth sauce, you can blend it now. 
3. Add seasonings and simmer for at least 30 minutes, the longer the better. Stir occassionally.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
5. Serve over pasta.