My Top 5 Easy Vegan Recipes

If you are on a mission to eat more plant-based meals, then there is no better way to start than in your kitchen.

I love to cook vegan meals that are simple, affordable, that highlight local ingredients.

Here are my top 5 favourite healthy, vegan, plant-based meals that honestly you could enjoy at any time of the day.

I assure you that there are no animal products in these recipes and that they can be put together on a budget.

Let's start.

1. Avocado & Salad Sandwich

Ingredients

• Avocado

• Cucumber

• 1 handful of butter lettuce (or any greens you like such as baby spinach or arugula)

• Red onion

• Tomato

• 1 pinch of dukkah spice mix (optional)

• Wholegrain or Sourdough bread (swap out for what you have available or for gluten-free)

This meal can be served as a salad, a wrap or loaded up as a healthy and delicious sandwich.

Simply mash the avocado, add your seasoning and spread it over the bread.

Top it with fresh lettuce and greens, diced cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, and sliced tomato.

Sprinkle over the dukkah spice mix and top it off with a second slice of bread.

Quick, easily adaptable, and packed with nutritional ingredients and healthy fats that will give you plenty of energy. For something different, try lightly toasting the bread for that extra crunch!

Other ingredients that work perfectly are:

• Pumpkin hummus

• Sliced beetroot

• Vegan burger patty

• Vegan cheese

• Mashed chickpeas or tofu

• Sliced carrot

• Sprouts

• Sundried tomato

• Grilled tempeh

2. Vegan Pancakes With All The Toppings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 cup almond milk (you can use any plant-based milk)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use pink Himalayan salt)

• 1 tablespoon baking soda

Vegan pancakes are a delight anytime of the day - breakfast or as a midnight snack. This is a recipe I adapted so that I could make the batter without always having to add mashed banana (like many recipes for vegan pancakes require). So, if you want to eat vegan pancakes for dinner - try these with lots of fresh fruits!

This recipe does not call for any oil, and you can choose to use oil in the cooking process if needed. I use a non-stick pan and a little rice bran oil for cooking my pancakes, but I have also made them oil-free.

Start by adding all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl, and combine until you have a batter that is not too thick. It should be easy to ladle into the pan without any lumps of flour.

Ladle the batter into a non-stick frying pan on medium to low heat and wait for the pancakes to form bubbles. Then, flip the pancakes just once until golden brown. Stack them on the plate and serve them warm.

Topping ideas include:

• Vegan nutella

• Mixed stewed berries

• Banana

• Nut crumble

• Maple syrup

• Peanut or almond butter

• Vegan ice cream

• Lemon juice

• Coconut sugar

• Grated coconut

• Hemp seeds

3. Packet Noodle Soup & Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 packet of noodles (vegan noodles and vegan flavouring)

• Water

• A handful of broccoli, carrot and bok choy

• Chilli flakes (optional)

• A slice of lime

I promised these meals would be easy to make and affordable; introducing my take on the standard packet of noodles.

Being vegan does not mean you have to make everything fresh. It is perfectly okay to use premade spice mixes, curry pastes, soup mixes and packets of noodles. Check the ingredient list to make sure it is vegan and be on the lookout for non-vegan additives like egg or shrimp.

First, cook the noodles as instructed on the packet. Personally, I boil the water, then once it is bubbling, I add the noodles, and cook until they are nice and soft.

Drain the noodles and put them aside. Then, add fresh hot water to the serving bowl (it tastes better than the water the noodles are cooked in).

Mix in your spice mixes and add your noodles. Whilst my noodles are cooking I boil or steam a mixture of fresh vegetables; broccoli, carrot and bok choy are my favourite ingredients for this dish.

Add the vegetables to the bowl of cooked noodles, and top it off with a sprinkle of red chilli flakes and a dash of lime juice. Done.

Additional ingredient ideas:

• Tofu

• Tempeh

• Mock meat

• Gluten-free rice noodles

• Chilli oil

• Bean sprouts

• Spring onions
  

4. Spicy Vegan Burrito

Ingredients

• 1 block of soft tofu

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 red onion diced

• 2 cloves of garlic

• Pinch of salt & pepper

• 1 tomato diced

• 1 avocado sliced

• Hummus or vegan cream cheese

• Fresh salad greens

• Wraps of your choice

Use a fork to mash the soft tofu in a bowl. Add turmeric powder, salt and pepper. Finely chop the red onion and garlic. Next, fry the onion and garlic in a little oil in a non-stick pan. Add the tofu and keep moving it around the pan with a large spoon or spatula.

Add the diced tomatoes. The water and liquid will absorb and over time, the tofu will dry out and brown - take it off the heat and set it aside. The turmeric turns the tofu a golden yellow and it will soon resemble scrambled eggs.

Next, add a layer of hummus or vegan cream cheese to the wrap. Add your salad mix, sliced avocado and spoon on the scrambled tofu. Serve the burrito warm with a side of extra salad or salsa. To toast the wraps, you can always add the prepared burrito to a sandwich press until golden brown before serving.

Tofu has more nutritional value than eggs and it has 3.5 times less saturated fat than eggs, 47% fewer calories than eggs and tofu has more dietary fibre than eggs.

Try this vegan, highly versatile alternative today; I am sure it will fast become a staple in many of your plant-based meals. If you just don’t enjoy tofu or you can’t eat soy - swap it out for mushrooms or extra vegetables.

5. Healthy Tomato & Basil Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 packet of pasta

• Garlic cloves

• Red onion

• Fresh basil leaves

• Green peas

• Carrot

• Broccoli

• 1 jar of vegan pasta sauce (tomato & basil)

• Vegan cheese (optional)

Pasta is not something I eat often in Indonesia because rice is the staple ingredient in many local dishes. On days when I do crave something different a simple vegan pasta packed with vegetables and herbs and spices is a great weekend meal.

I prefer to use vegetable pasta, chickpea pasta or gluten-free pasta though you can use any type of pasta that you like. I have not included exact portions for this recipe because it is one of those dishes which is so simple to customise and it really depends on how you want to make it

I start by cooking the pasta as per the instructions on the packet, strain the pasta and then set it aside. Cook the vegetables of your choice until soft; I try to use at least three different vegetables. Fry the garlic and onion in a pan, add the jar of sauce, add your pre-cooked vegetables and simmer (don't forget to season). Mix in the pasta and sprinkle over the vegan cheese and fresh basil leaves. Serve it warm with toasty bread or a side salad.

You can always make fresh pasta and fresh sauce in replace of store-bought though I prefer to keep my meals simple and focus on adding in as many fresh vegetables, herbs and spices as possible.

Final Thoughts

• Vegan meals do not have to be complicated

• Vegan meals do not have to be expensive

• Focus on what you can eat rather than what you can't

All of the vegetables, fruits and much-loved carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice, lentils, beans and legumes are naturally vegan. Organic and healthy forms of protein are found in tofu and tempeh. Vegan meals are better for you and for the health of the planet.

Thanks to the rise of the vegan movement, there is an alternative option to every animal-derived ingredient on the market, including eggs, milk, yoghurt, cheese and meat.

In 2019 alone The Vegan Society registered an impressive 14,262 products with The Vegan Trademark.

You do not need to feel as though you are missing out on delicious, wholesome meals when you make a plant-based dinner.

One of the biggest misconceptions about the vegan diet is that it is a diet when in fact it is a lifestyle.