10 easy vegan meals for beginners
Ten simple vegan dinners for new vegans, built from familiar meals and everyday supermarket ingredients. No special equipment or hard-to-find foods.
The easiest way to start eating vegan is not to learn a whole new way of cooking. It is to take the meals you already make and swap a few ingredients. All ten of these use things from a normal supermarket shop.
1. Spaghetti bolognese
Use vegan mince or a tin of green lentils instead of beef. Brown the mince with onion, carrot and garlic, add chopped tomatoes, a spoon of tomato puree and a splash of soy sauce for depth, and simmer for 20 minutes. Most dried pasta is made without egg; fresh pasta usually is not.
2. Chilli
Beans do all the work here. Kidney beans, black beans and a tin of tomatoes with cumin, smoked paprika and chilli make a pot that tastes better the next day. Serve with rice, tortilla chips or a jacket potato.
3. Chickpea curry
Soften an onion with garlic and ginger, add a jar of curry paste or a couple of spoons of curry powder, then a tin of chickpeas, a tin of coconut milk and a handful of spinach. Ready in 20 minutes. Many curry pastes and jarred sauces are vegan, but creamy ones like korma often contain dairy.
4. Veg and tofu stir fry
Fry cubes of firm tofu until golden, then add sliced vegetables and a stir-fry sauce. Rice noodles and most dried egg-free noodles are vegan. Check the sauce for fish sauce or oyster sauce.
5. Fajitas or tacos
A boxed kit, peppers, onions and beans or mushrooms. Our lazy vegan tacos guide has the details.
6. Sausage and mash
Vegan sausages are in nearly every freezer and chiller aisle now. Mash potatoes with dairy-free spread and plant milk, and make gravy with granules: many popular brands of gravy granules are accidentally vegan, so check the tub.
7. Jacket potatoes
Cheap, filling and endlessly flexible. Here are ten vegan jacket potato fillings to start with.
8. Red lentil dhal
Red lentils cook down in 20 minutes with coconut milk, garlic and turmeric. Serve with rice or a warm flatbread. It costs very little and freezes well.
9. Pasta with roasted vegetables
Roast courgette, pepper, red onion and cherry tomatoes with olive oil, then toss with pasta, a spoon of pesto (look for a vegan one, as most contain cheese) and a squeeze of lemon.
10. Burger night
Bean burgers or plant-based patties in a bun with oven chips. Most supermarket burger buns are vegan, but brioche buns usually contain egg and butter.
Three tips that make it easier
- Learn the labels. Look for "suitable for vegans" on the pack, and read the allergen list in bold for milk and egg.
- Batch cook. Chilli, curry, dhal and bolognese all freeze well, so a few spare portions save you on busy nights.
- Use accidentally vegan staples. Lots of everyday foods are already vegan. Browse our listings by supermarket to see what is in your usual shop.