These 15 budget-friendly vegan recipes from the Food Monster App are so good and so cheap! A big concern about transitioning to a vegan diet is the price of groceries and food, but these budget-friendly recipes prove that it’s so easy to eat well without spending a ton of money. Eventually, you will remember how to make these amazing dishes by heart and learn how to create your own budget-friendly dishes from scratch!
We understand the struggle, so we put together a list of the ultimate 15 plant-based budget-friendly recipes of 2021. Don’t forget to check out our budget-friendly recipe archives and also our top budget-friendly recipes from 2020!
1. Sweet Potato Lentil Stew
Source: Sweet Potato Lentil Stew
This Sweet Potato Lentil Stew by Nele Liivlaid is a delicious plant-based weeknight dinner that is ready in 30 minutes. It’s one of those delicious recipes that are perfect for meal prepping.
2. Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Ramen Noodles
Source: Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Ramen Noodles
This Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Ramen Noodles by Jenn Sebestyen and Kelli Foster Kelli Foster is everything: cozy, comforting, healthy, easy, and so delicious. Make it when you feel yourself coming down with a cold. It’s soothing and nourishing.
3. Veggie Packed Thai Pasta Salad
Source: Veggie Packed Thai Pasta Salad
This eggie Packed Thai Pasta Salad by Hayley Canning is a 20 minutes healthy dinner recipe full of flavor. It’s filling, incredibly satisfying, and healthier than you might imagine! Fresh veggies add that needed crispy crunch. The cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and green onions are all added to the salad raw which means less cooking time.
4. Turmeric Cauliflower Rice
Source: Turmeric Cauliflower Rice
This Turmeric Cauliflower Rice by Daphne Goh is a simple twist to the Cauliflower rice with aromatic fragrance from the turmeric powder and cumin powder. Easy to make and so delicious!
5. Crunchy Thai-Inspired Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
Source: Crunchy Thai-Inspired Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
This Crunchy Thai-Inspired Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing by Molly Thompson is packed with flavor (hello, red chile paste!), vibrant colors, and plenty of vitamins and nutrients to help fight inflammation. We love to make this on a Sunday and throw several portions in meal prep containers to take for lunch throughout the week. You can add fresh herbs to brighten it up—my favorites are cilantro and Thai basil.
6. Peanut Butter Bars
Source: Peanut Butter Bars
These Peanut Butter Bars by Harriet Porterfield are super delicious, loaded with protein and sure to please every peanut butter lover. Quick and simple to prepare with just five ingredients! These are a no-bake treat to so easy to whip up in a snack emergency.
7. Pumpkin Brownies
Source: Pumpkin Brownies
These Pumpkin Brownies by Kirsten Kaminski are super easy to make as you simply throw everything into your food processor and after 30 minutes of baking you have a tray of these delicious goodies!
8. Sesame Cauliflower Bites
Source: Sesame Cauliflower Bites
These Sesame Cauliflower Bites by Annie Kimmelmanare sweet, filling, sticky, and so flavorful.
9. Fruit-Sweetened Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins
Source:
Fruit-sweetened peanut butter & jelly muffins. These by Caroline Doucet are sweetened with bananas and jelly and are made with whole wheat flour for a nutritious snack!
10. Blueberry Chia Pudding
Source: Blueberry Chia Pudding
Chia seeds are a superfood, loaded with health-promoting omega-3 fatty acids—nearly five grams in a one-ounce serving! They are also an excellent source of fiber at 10 grams per ounce (about 2 tablespoons), and contain protein and minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Try out this Blueberry Chia Pudding by Helyn Dunn!
11. Mushroom Shawarma
Source: Mushroom Shawarma
This Mushroom Shawarma by Kirsten Kaminski is a combination of cuisines. In Thailand, I got inspired to use oyster mushrooms as a juicy meat alternative, and in Israel, I learned to love the smell of shawarma. Combining the two creates a mouthwatering dish that is one of my most popular recipes among family and friends. Take a bite of the warm pita filled with creamy hummus, tahini, salad, tangy amba, and crispy mushrooms, and fly to heaven! Reprinted with permission from The Traveling Vegan Cookbook by Kirsten Kaminski, Page Street Publishing, Co. 2021. Photo credit: Kirsten Kaminski.
12. Coconut Waffles
Source: Coconut Waffles
These Coconut Waffles by Rouxbe are fluffy and spongy and can be paired perfectly with fresh seasonal fruits and drizzled with maple syrup for the added kick of deliciousness.
13. One-Pot Barley and Potato Soup
Source: One-Pot Barley and Potato Soup
Veggie soup got an upgrade: this One-Pot Barley and Potato Soup by Katherine Vaught is hearty, comforting and flavorful!
14. Simple French Onion Soup
Source: Simple French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup is normally cooked with beef broth, but it can easily be made vegan with a combination of different sauces and spices! This Simple French Onion Soup by Sarah Ottino is super close to the real thing. I prefer using croutons in my soup since I’m not a fan of soggy bread. It’s also easy to make for anyone who doesn’t own French Onion Soup ramekins since this doesn’t require baking the bowls in the oven. This simple vegan soup can be whipped up in under an hour, making it a great option for dinner!
15. Cinnamon Turmeric Sweet Potatoes
Source: Cinnamon Turmeric Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes can be dressed up with all sorts of delicious things, from sweet maple tahini to fluffy marshmallows to cauliflower cheese. This Cinnamon Turmeric Sweet Potatoes by Holly Bertone for cinnamon sweet potatoes lets the natural flavor of sweet potato shine, elevating it with a few select seasonings: cinnamon, turmeric, thyme, salt, and pepper. Just a quick toss, some time in the oven, and voila! A delectable side dish you will use time and time again.
Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home
Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Unfortunately, dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer, and has many side effects.
For those interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend purchasing one of our many plant-based cookbooks or downloading the Food Monster App which has thousands of delicious recipes making it the largest vegan recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.
Here are some resources to get you started:
- Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
- Plant-Based Health Resources
- The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
- Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
- Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
- High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
- Plant-Based Meal Prep
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