25 Cheap and Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes

Are you looking some cheap vegan dinner inspiration? Here are 25 budget-friendly vegan dinner ideas that will help you save money. The best part of these frugal vegan dinner recipes is that they’re also easy to make, tasty and healthy. No more microwave meals please! These 25 vegan dinner recipes are my go-to favorites when I’m meal planning. They’ve stood the test of time (I’ve been plant-based for nine years), and they’re made from some of the most inexpensive items in the grocery store and are full of whole foods.

1. Garden Vegetable Quinoa Soup

I usually make a HUGE pot of this and enjoy it fresh with toast topped with hummus or avocado. While quinoa might not seem to fit well into a budget-friendly guide, this soup is a great way to make your quinoa meal last for many meals. There’s always many servings left to store in the fridge/freezer, which makes it’s price per serving very good. You can always opt for barley over quinoa or rice instead if quinoa is a bit too pricey. This soup is so nutritious, and once you’ve sauteed the vegetables all you do is leave it to cook. Easy, healthy, nutritious and tasty!

Find the recipe here.

2. Creamy Vegan One Pot Pasta (Asian Style)

Asian style… pasta? I was skeptical when my partner first found this recipe and wanted to make it. But after my first couple of forkfuls, I was sold. It’s loaded with many more vegetables than a pasta dish would usually have, and being a one pot meal it’s very easy to make. The priciest parts of the recipe are the curry paste and coconut milk, but you get a huge pot of pasta that will provide you with many servings – unless you live with a ravenous big Viking like I do 🙂

Find the recipe here.

3. Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

Leek and Potato Soup is one of my ultimate favorite winter recipes. It was a staple dinner in my Mum’s cookbook, so the taste and scent of it always evokes happy memories of cozy mid-winter family dinners. This recipe is a fantastic vegan version, I love the addition of rosemary and cashew nuts. You can also use vegan margarine or butter instead of olive oil to make it extra creamy. I sometimes garnish it with a swirl of coconut milk too. It’s lovely served with crispy brown bread.

Find the recipe here.

4. One Pot Chickpea Sweet Potato Spinach Curry

This curry is jam packed full of nutritious goodness, and will help you tick off a lot of Dr Michael Greger’s Daily Dozen checklist. (Check out this blog post to learn why I recommend using this app to improve your diet). I love the combination of sweet potato and chickpeas, and all the spices make this curry warming, flavorful and authentic. It only takes 45 minutes to make, and tastes just as good as restaurant bought. I love topping it with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and serving it with vegan naan or basmati rice.

Find the recipe here.

5. Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup

This soup is so simple and easy, yet packed with protein and wholesome goodness. It’s made from just eight ingredients, is ready in 30 minutes and only costs only $2.49 to make the whole recipe. It’s super easy to whip up when you get home late and want something hot and filling. I like adding in some kale or spinach to boost the nutrient profile even higher. It tastes awesome served with garlic bread or avocado toast.

Find the recipe here.

6. Curried Chickpeas with Fried Potatoes

Chickpea curry is a great healthy and cheap vegan dinner go to, and I like how this recipe serves it with the twist of potatoes instead of rice. I admit I actually boiled the potatoes first to cut down on frying time, but they were really great and the crispiness of the potatoes went really well with the spicy and hearty chickpea curry. It only takes 25 minutes to make and will keep you going for many hours. I liked having it for lunch the next day too.

Find the recipe here.

7. Smoky Potato Chickpea Stew

Soups and stews are my absolute favorite fall and winter recipes, and this smoky potato chickpea stew ticks all of my boxes. While it takes just over an hour to be ready, most of that time is just letting it cook. You can prep it in 10 minutes, set a timer and come back to a filling, nutritious and totally delicious stew that is amazing served with crusty bread or crackers. At just under $6 for six servings, this stew can keep you going for a few days of lunches or dinners.

Find the recipe here.

8. Sweet Potato Soup

Sweet potato is such a satiating food, especially in the chilly months of fall and winter. It’s deliciously sweet taste and vibrant orange is everything you need to uplift you after a dreary day. It takes just 20 minutes to make and I like to add in extra ginger and top it with a swirl of coconut cream. Just for your references, great northern beans are also called navy beans. I’ve used cannelini beans before too. Any white bean with work well 🙂

Find the recipe here.

9. Pan Fried Sesame Tofu with Broccoli

I’ve been actively trying to incorporate more cruciferous vegetables into my diet, and this broccoli tofu stirfry has become a staple recipe in that process. This is also a great recipe if you’re not a huge fan of tofu, the tofu in this recipe is SO good! I’ve added shiitake mushrooms to it before as well. This recipe does take an hour to make, but half of that time is leaving the tofu to press. Once your rice is cooked and the sauce is combined, all that’s left to do is fry 🙂

Find the recipe here.

10. Moroccan Chickpea Stew

I LOVE the addition of olives and black currants to this recipe. It adds a lot of dimension, it sets it apart from other chickpea stews. I’ve used raisins in a pinch, and a general spice mix that I already had instead of baharat spice and it was still lovely. It’s super filling and is a great way to add interest to your weekly menu if you’re feeling a bit tired of your usual recipes. It’s even better as leftovers, so you would do well to double the recipe and keep the stew in the freezer for a quick dinner since cous-cous is ready so quickly.

Find the recipe here.

11. Peanut Tofu Buddha Bowl

After living in Thailand for over a year, I developed a love for peanut satay and this recipe totally wins at satisfying that particular craving. It’s similar to the tofu broccoli stirfry at number 9, and you could use that method to prepare the tofu if you don’t feel like baking it. Having said that, it’s definitely healthier to bake it like described in this recipe 🙂 This recipe is a great weeknight go to as it’s ready in just over 30 minutes. I like squeezing a generous amount of lemon juice over it for extra zing.

Find the recipe here.

12. Basil Avocado Pasta

Pasta is my absolute favorite meal, and this recipe has got to be my favorite pasta meal. It’s so easy, so tasty and quite nutritious too! It has the creaminess that you get from pasta carbonara, but doesn’t leave you feeling ill. It only takes 15 minutes to whip together and you can make it gluten free as the recipe suggests, although I usually use regular durum wheat penne. Avocados don’t seem particularly budget friendly, but they are a great food to spend a little bit more on as they do you body a world of good. You can opt for chopping up regular tomatoes to save on cherry tomatoes if that makes sense for you.

Find the recipe here.

13. Black Bean and Quinoa Chili Bowl

As the recipe says, this is a beautiful hybrid of a burrito bowl and a warming chili. It says it’s vegetarian, but it’s actually vegan and packed full of protein that will keep you going for hours. You can definitely sub rice for quinoa to make it cheaper too. I like topping it with some homemade guac, a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped coriander.

Find the recipe here.

14. Simple Broccoli Stirfry

This is another super awesome broccoli stirfry recipe that is packed with flavor and whole-food goodness. I really like the idea of having this over noodles instead of rice, but haven’t tried this before. I used frozen broccoli florets, and the fresh snap peas really made the whole dish so good. It only takes 10 minutes to make (as well as cooking the rice), so you really can’t go wrong with this quick and easy vegan dinner.

Find the recipe here.

15. Thai Green Curry

This is like, the best thai green curry recipe ever. It’s made from five ingredients (plus rice to serve), and is ready in just 30 minutes. Just make sure you use a vegan green curry paste. This can be tricky to find sometimes, but you can often find one in Asian grocery stores. The recipe recommends a dash of fish sauce as an extra, but if you want to keep it vegan and add zing, opt for a squeeze of fresh lime instead 🙂

Find the recipe here.

16. Hummus Pasta

If you’ve never considered, let alone made hummus pasta before – you should. It’s like a super healthy version of pasta carbonara, although admittedly it’s not quite as creamy. With just five ingredients this recipe is ready in just 30 minutes. I’ve used fresh tomatoes instead of sun-dried and it was still just as good. I’ve also added in fresh spinach for an extra nutritional boost.

Find the recipe here.

17. White Bean Avocado Toast

I know toast doesn’t sound like particularly filling dinner, but this recipe is great if you’ve eaten too much during the day (like on Thanksgiving or Christmas) and just want something light and healthy to finish the day. I love this healthy protein packed version of avocado toast and it’s great topped with chopped parsley too.

Find the recipe here.

18. Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that I’ve been actively looking for great recipes to add into my diet. Cauliflower is so very good for you, especially if you’re a woman as it helps balance and maintain healthy hormones. You don’t technically need to roast the garlic as the recipe suggests, but if you do have the time it’s totally worth it for the extra dimension of flavor you get from it. With just five main ingredients, this recipe is a totally wallet friendly staple.

Find the recipe here.

19. Eggplant Curry

You can make this super tasty eggplant curry in less than 30 minutes. It’s packed full of veggies and made of only six ingredients. The eggplant’s texture is so incredibly satisfying, so it’s a great recipe to serve for non-vegan family or friends. I love all the variations that are suggested. I’m planning to try it over potatoes!

Find the recipe here.

20. Spicy Garlic Soba Noodles with Bok Choy

Bok choy is my favorite green of all time. I just can’t get enough of the crispy delicate deliciousness. This recipe is ready in just 20 minutes and is full of flavor. The only variation I made is that I preferred to chop up my bok choy, rather than have it whole. I just find it easier to eat that way!

Find the recipe here.

21. Vegan Curry Ramen

Is ramen really healthy? I hear you asking. This recipe is a great example of how you can make ramen healthier than it usually is, but you can of course opt for rice, udon or even soba noodles instead. This recipe is so tasty, ready in just 20 minutes and looks just as good as it tastes.

Find the recipe here.

22. Pasta Primavera with Asparagus and Mushroom

I tried to minimize the amount of pasta recipes I included in this post, as I do have a tendency to have it too often. However, I just had to include this recipe as it asparagus in it and I love asparagus! It’s a nourishing recipe loaded with veggies and is ready in under 30 minutes. This recipe does call for more specialty items, like vegan cream cheese, but I didn’t have any of that and it turned out just fine without it 🙂

Find the recipe here.

23. Easy Vegan Potato Curry

This potato curry is a great weeknight go-to as it’s ready in less than 30 minutes. It’s packed full of flavor and will keep you free from hunger pangs until your next meal. I liked having it with flat bread instead of rice, but both are great options. You can always leave a bit of coconut milk and use it to top the finished plate too.

Find the recipe here.

24. Creamy Broccoli and Wild Rice Casserole

If you’re craving a hearty casserole dish, you have to try this one. It lasts for many extra servings, this can keep you going for three days of lunch or dinner. If you plan to have it as leftovers, just keep the fried onions for topping after servings as otherwise they won’t retain their crunch. Also, I just used regular almond milk instead of creamer and that worked just as well.

Find the recipe here.

25. 10 Minute Sushi Bowl

If you ever have a craving sushi, but don’t have the time or patience to roll out perfect maki rolls, this is the recipe for you. As the name suggests, it’s ready in 10 minutes and is fresh, filling and full of flavor. I love the addition of radishes, and I like to add black sesame seeds as well. You can also chop up extra nori sheets into thin strips and use that as an extra topping.

Find the recipe here.

Thank you!

Thanks so much for checking out my 25 cheap and easy vegan dinner recipes! What are your favorite vegan dinner recipes? I’d love to know! Are you interested in going vegan? Check out my vegan lifestyle blog posts for nutrition guides and what I’ve learned after almost a decade of being plant-based.

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LESSONS FROM VEGANISM

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