Hello 2021, I hope you’re much kinder to us than your predecessor, and hello to Veganuary! I’m kicking off 2021 over here on The Accidental Chef with 31 Easy Vegan Recipes to help get you through the next 31 days. These quick vegan meals have been flown in from all over the world. You truly are spoilt for dinner options, shall we?
1. Satay Sweet Potato Curry
This recipe falls firmly into the Comfort Food category for me. Sticky, slightly spicy and a little bit sweet, this vegan curry is ultimate “bowl food” as Nigella might say. Big chunks of sweet potato, rich flavoursome sauce served atop a pile of super fluffy rice. Roast the sweet potatoes whilst you get on with the satay curry sauce for loads of flavour and texture.
2. Shittake Ramen
We head over the Happy Veggie Kitchen next, for a this mad speedy, Shiitake Ramen. Noodles smothered in a garlicky, mushroom broth and ready in 20 minutes, topped with Kale. Perfect for when you’re in a rush, feeling lazy, or as Christine says, wondering if your baby is about to wake up from her nap.
3. Vegan Carbonara
Carbonara in 15-minutes!! That’s a whole extra 45 minutes in front of the TV – that’s my definition of a quick vegan dinner! Silken tofu gives this recipe that carbonara creaminess and the smoked tofu brings, well the smoke! Top work from Vegan On Board!
4. Zero Waste Quorn Veg Jalfrezi
We’re heading over to the VeganPunks now for this Zero Waste Quorn Jalfrezi. This blog post not only contains this awesome Jalfrezi recipe that will be on your table in just 30 minutes but also offers tips on how to waste less when you’re cooking. That’s a double whammy of top information from Dan & Jess!
5. Chickpea + Spinach Curry
We’re following Jess & Dan’s curry with my very own chickpea + spinach curry. This one is ready in 15 minutes and can be made using either a homemade curry paste or whatever store-bought goodness you have to hand.
6. Thai Massaman Curry
This is one of the recipes you’ll require an Instant Pot for, but I had to include it because a whole Massaman curry in 9 minutes? What is that kinda magic?! Honestly, check back on The Accidental Chef soon, because I need to get in on the Instant Pot HYPE. Anyway – Soniya over at The Belly Rules The Mind does suggest you can skip the potatoes and make this on the stovetop, so lets us instantpotless folks do that.
7. Red Lentil Penne alla Puttanesca
Red Lentil Pasta??? Whatever next! One look at Emily’s ingredient list here had me salivating, olives and capers pack a whole bunch of flavour into this speedy pasta dish! Thanks to the red lentil penne (honestly, GENIUS) addition, this dish from A Mummy Too is gluten-free.
8. Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
This recipe singlehandedly made me want to commit to Taco Tuesday every week for the next year, and if you can get quick vegan tacos in just 30 minutes why the hell wouldn’t you?! Sweet smokey Cauliflower, paired with crunchy chickpeas, Alena and Mars you’re spoiling us! I spend a good 30 minutes scrolling and browsing through their site Nutritiously, what an awesome place on the internet.
9. Vegan Pumpkin Curry
Firstly, and I think I speak for everyone here, DIANA, WHERE did you get those dishes??? They’re AMAZING. If all future vegan dinner ideas can please be submitted in a pumpkin pie dish that would please me immensely. Anyway, Diana from Little Sunny Kitchen has this awesome Vegan Pumpkin Curry over on her site packed with ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass. Yes, please.
10. Kung Pao Vegetables
The very epitome of a quick vegan dinner next, Kung Pao Veggie’s from Wow, It’s Veggie. These flavour-packed dudes are ready in just 10 MINUTES so you’ll have time to doom scroll through social media whilst you wait for the rice! Soy Sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, chilli paste and more, bring all the flavour to this easy vegan recipe! Stunning.
11. Beetroot Curry
We’re showing off now, courtesy of Forkful of Plants – we’re not only going to whip up a delightfully quick beetroot curry, but we’re also going to whizz together the curry paste too, all in half an hour. Veganism really is that gal! This stunning pale pink curry is awesome to look at, and the perfect vegan midweek meal.
12. Artichoke Pasta
Back to me now – with this quick and easy store cupboard-ish pasta. This pasta dish is fresh and vibrant owing to the lemon and the utilisation of wonderful canned artichokes. Tinned and canned goods really are the one for quick and easy vegan dinner recipes. This pasta dish is awesome for using up any vegetables looking like they are about to be lost forever in the back of the fridge.
13. Instant Pot Vegan Chilli
We’re heading to The Fitchen next, with another Instant Pot recipe. This vegan chilli appears to have been the first Instant Pot recipe Jordan & Clark shared on their blog, and their minds were blown. All I’m hearing as I’m typing this is “JOHN GET AN INSTANT POT”. This chilli is ready to serve in just 15 MINUTES. Lovely.
14. Indian Styled Scrambled Tofu Curry
Yamini from Simple, Fresh n Yum up next with a masterclass in packing tasteless tofu with a tonne of flavour. This 30-minute recipe calls for you to scramble the tofu, which not only gives this dish a creamy texture but ensures the spices sing through. YUM.
15. Vegan Butter Cauliflower “Chicken”
We’re heading back to Diana in the Little Sunny Kitchen now – I’m hoping that including her twice in this easy vegan recipe list will get me the name of her pumpkin casserole dish supplier from recipe 8. Only KIDDING both recipes are here because they look and sound absolutely scrumptious, This one is a 30-minute Vegan Butter Cauliflower dish making my mouth water.
16. Detox Soup
Had I heard of a Detox Soup before this? No. Am I going to try one? HELL YEAH! The goodness in this soup is insane. It hydrates you. It reduces inflammation AND it breaks down toxins. Holy moly! I’ll take the lot. This recipe comes from Lo, a food scientist over on the Zestful Kitchen. The whole post was a truly fascinating read – I’m learning things today you guys!
17. Mushroom Stroganoff
We’re over halfway now, how’s your shopping list coming along? Well, you’re going to need more space on that list cause there are plenty more vegan dinner ideas to come! This Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff from Stephanie over at Plant Prosperous layers all the classic meaty version flavours into a TWENTY MINUTE dish. That’s magic.
18. Thai Buddha Bowl
Up next there’s a whopping great list of ingredients that come together in 15 minutes to create this mouthwatering bowl of food. I imagine the crunch of those peanuts, against the softness of the tofu and then the sweet-salty zing of that dressing – omg salivating over here, go check it out on The Stingy Vegan.
19. Broccolini & Shallot Vegan White Pizza
A confession before you click the link on this one – it’s a 35-minute job. We can all spare an extra 5 minutes if there’s pizza involved though, right? Thought so. Vegan cream cheese replaces tomato as the base, hence white pizza I assume?? From This Savory Vegan, this pizza is topped with tenderstem broccoli (or broccolini for those in the USA) and soft, slightly crispy shallots. Oooh yeah!
20. 15 Minute Vegan Sloppy Joe
It’s treat yourself time! Sloppy Joe’s in 10 – 15 minutes according to Lorie from Lemons + Zest. Ketchup + maple syrup amp up the flavours in this lentil-based meal. Quick. Easy. Vegan. AND it comes in bread – CARBS LETS GO!
21. Lazy Falafel
Lazy falafel just speaks to me – who has time to be making whole damn falafel balls. In this economy? I don’t think. With this recipe from Rhian’s Recipes, you get all the flavour with less of the fuss and all in just 25 minutes. Thank you Rhian, thank you!
22. Cauliflower Steak
Please let the record show that I once said I wasn’t about that cauliflower steak life, but people can change. I’ve changed. Cauliflower Steaks are super quick, easy and tasty – and if you’ve been around my blog, you’ll know I love a cauli recipe. Do you know what else I love? The Simple Vegan Blog – this blog is a must-read for vegans (or meat-eaters looking to change their ways) and is full of amazing recipes including these 30-minute cauli steaks.
23. Buffalo Tortilla Tofu Bowl
Another bowl for you now – and a bowl with TEXTURE. Crunchy tortilla’s layered with soft tofu and fluffy rice, or quinoa (or another grain that takes your fancy.) Renee from Veeg suggests serving this tortilla tofu bowl up with creamy cardamom rice, which you can find linked in the recipe post. Please go check it out.
24. Vegan Caesar Salad
Vegan Caesar time – ready in just 23 minutes. Paleo friendly, with a creamy sauce, whipped up using cashews, olive oil, and lemon. There haven’t been many salads in this list intentionally, it’s January 1st at the time of writing, but a good caesar salad is a year-round affair in my eyes. Head on over to Kitchen of Youth to check it out.
25. Vegan Pad Thai
We’re nearing the end of our 31 Quick and Easy Vegan Recipes round up. There’s still so much good stuff to come – including THIS 10 MINUTE Vegan Pad Thai. That’s right, 10 minutes. Packed with lemongrass, tamarind and chilli paste and on the table in less time than it would have taken you to read this far down the page – good job Rebecca.
26. Noodle Free Pad Thai
The 26th recipe on our list of vegan dinner ideas comes from one of my favourite food blogs on the internet, The Minimalist Baker. These folks are AWESOME. These Noodle Free Pad Thai uses ribboned carrots in place of the noodles, along with peppers and red cabbage. The pictures of this inspires me. Honestly, I’m INSPIRED.
27. Vegan Mongolian “Beef”
We’re having Tofu tonight kids! This take on Mongolian Beef (it’s not from Mongolia apparently – more on that by clicking the link) involves crispy tofu and a whack of flavour from Chinese five-spice, chilli flakes and orange zest.
28. Vegan Burritos
Comfort food is so in right now! These hearty burritos are packed with lentils and nutty brown rice – along with olives, chickpeas and corn encased in a tortilla wrap, obvz. These burritos will be ready to scoff in just 15 minutes. Proper in front of the telly food, right?
29. Vegan Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms
I think I’ve only ever eaten polenta once, but this recipe is going to make me think again. This creamy polenta is topped with oven-roasted oyster mushrooms. There’s even the suggestion of chucking in some oven-roasted garlic. I’m on board Emily, serve it up.
30. Winter Salad Power Bowl
You’ve heard of the Detox Soup, and now it’s time for the POWER BOWL. This powder bowl comes courtesy of Christine over at Jar of Lemons. It’s packed full of all the goodness you need to make you feel like you again.
31. Sesame Kale Noodles
The final stop on our tour of vegan recipes is The Kitchen Girl – for a big bowl of steaming sesame kale noodles. I feel warm and fuzzy already. The sauce is made from lemon, tahini and soy sauce. Accompanying the noodles and sauce are sprouts, kale and some red onion. This sounds like a winter warmer with my name on it.
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I hope you’ve enjoyed this whistle-stop tour and our 31 quick vegan meals. I’ve had an absolute blast compiling this list of recipes (and being nosey at other peoples blogs, it really is fun). If you’ve enjoyed it too, please consider pinning the image below to your favourite Pinterest board, tell your friends and family over on Facebook, or tweet all about how excited you are to make your way through this epic list of vegan recipes.
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I’m off to buy an Instant Pot.
Happy Eating! John x
