15 Easy Vegan Dinners for Beginners

The simple dinner formula

Pick one item from each group and you have a complete meal. Once this becomes habit, you'll rarely need a recipe on a busy weeknight.

• Protein: chickpeas, black beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, edamame
• Base: rice, quinoa, pasta, noodles, potatoes, tortillas
• Vegetables: whatever is fresh, frozen or on sale
• Sauce: peanut, tahini, curry, salsa, pesto, teriyaki

Curries and stews

• Chickpea & spinach coconut curry
• Red lentil dal with garlic rice
• Sweet potato and black bean chili
• Moroccan-spiced vegetable and chickpea stew

Bowls and noodles

• Peanut noodle bowls with crispy tofu
• Rainbow buddha bowl with tahini dressing
• Teriyaki tofu and broccoli rice bowl
• Sesame soba noodles with edamame

Pasta and comfort food

• Creamy cashew-free tomato pasta (uses white beans)
• Lentil bolognese
• Loaded baked potatoes with chili
• Mushroom and pea risotto

Handheld dinners

• Black bean tacos with lime slaw
• Chickpea 'tuna' salad wraps
• BBQ tofu sandwiches

Where to start

Choose two or three dinners for your first week rather than all fifteen. Our chickpea curry is a great first recipe — it's forgiving, uses pantry staples and reheats beautifully.