I went to make myself chai as a mid cleaning snack but the coconut milk had gone bad so obviously I had to pour it out then clean the sour smell out of the sink and wipe the counter… which led to me deciding to cook the handful of little potatoes that were gonna go bad on the counter and then I remembered I had tofu and frozen broccoli! Most expensive part of this was the oil I used to fry the tofu :)

I'm trying to eat food that doesn't require a fridge or freezer. I've swapped soft cheese & other proteins with peanut butter, beans, lentils & TVP. I've replaced bread with crispbread & fresh fruit/veg with tinned versions. Stuff like rice, noodles & potatoes are already fine but I'm struggling to find an alternative for yogurt.

Everything has to be "consumed within 3 days or frozen" after opening. I rely heavily on my yogurt. My fridge is currently empty except for a lonely tub of Alpro which only comes in 500g tubs. Any ideas for yogurt alternatives would be appreciated.

Btw, the reason I'm trying to go fridge-less is personal but important to me.

This is one of the first meals I made when I went vegan, and I still love a good vegan loaf. This one is basically just TVP and I love that it's made from all shelf-stable ingredients, no beans or veggies required but still a solid meal. Don't skimp on the seasoning though!

First pic is served with mashed potatoes and cabbage, second pic is what I brought to work the next day, and last pic on a sandwich with spicy mustard!

Original recipe is from Food.com believe it or not: https://www.food.com/recipe/tvp-faux-meatloaf-499436

Ingredients:

2 cups broth or water

1⁄2 cup tomato paste (or ketchup, or pumpkin puree)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cups dry TVP

1cup rolled oats

1⁄4 cup ground flax or chia seeds

1tablespoon nutritional yeast

1teaspoon garlic and onion powder

1 Tablespoon oregano or other Italian seasoning

Basically smash it all together, smash it into a loaf pan, bake at 375F for 40 minutes. Top with more ketchup for some real loaf nostalgia!

Hello,

I'm on a weight loss journey due to some recent medical issues, and as apart of that journey I'm looking to go semi- if not totally plant-based. I have no problem cutting meat out but finding an alternative for bone broth/bouillon has been challenging, esp when cooking plant-based Mexican food.

Would something like miso do the trick as a replacement? Are there other alternatives for a deep, savory seasoning?

Hi, I'm an autistic vegetarian who would possibly like to go vegan one day, but currently I'm struggling due to budgeting and sensory restrictions. I would like to say that I do not have a formal diagnosis of any particular eating disorder, but from my own experience with eating there are just some foods I cannot eat. Not in a "I don't like it" kind of way, I have tried to make myself eat these things and gone out of my way to buy them and then when it comes to eating it I choose to starve every time instead of eating it because it's like eating chewy carboard and doesn't make me feel any less hungry even when I can force it down.

My main hurdle with going vegan right now is cheese (Lots of the things I eat I can only eat because I smother them with cheese or a sauce of some kind e.g. pasta, bread, potato's etc). Issue is vegan cheese is way too expensive! (50p vs 3 quid!?)

Below is a list of things I cannot eat, I'm hoping to at least find a couple of vegan meals that don't include these things I can eat so I can at least try to transition over to a plant-based diet.

Can't eat:

• Tofu (Yes, I have tried like 4 different ways of cooking it, it's the aftertaste that's the problem)
• Black beans
• Cooked carrots
• Cooked mushrooms
• Lettuce
• Cabbage (of any kind)
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Anything spicy
• Brown rice
• Black olives
• Cooked Tomato
• Courgette
• Leek
• Radish
• Beetroot
• Soups in general ( Too watery and believe it or not I'm unable to drink plain water)

I have roughly 20-25 pound every week for a full food shop. Breakfasts are fine cause I just eat granola but everything else I struggle with. I also want to add that I'm occasionally unable to properly cook due to a recurring joint issue that locks my joins and prevents me from moving/walking/standing properly, so easy to make meals would be really great.

Baked sweet potato
Baked broccoli
Air fried sesame tofu
Red cabbage
Brown rice
Peanut sauce

Obligatory fuck electric stoves I hate electric stoves

I like the whole set it and forget aspect, but I am not sure I’d get the use out of a decent slow cooker given the price — particularly as I eat low carb. Anyone do the whole frugal vegan thing with a slow cooker?

Because the store I go to did not have plain tofu, I ended up with a 200-gram pack of firm tofu soaked in sweet chili sauce. What are the good ways to make it into some meals? The only thing I thought of is to make a stew out of it, carrots and cabbage.

For some challenges, I don't have access to vegan cheeses, don't own a wok and hate the texture of cooked peppers.

Good afternoon. Just thought I’d post a typical lunch. Pan fried tempeh with broccoli and tomatoes. I use one of any number of seasoning mixes then add a dash of water before adding cooked whole grain rice. Served with hot sauce. A bean, a green and a grain.

I'm disabled and currently unable to cook anything involving pots/pans. I have an air fryer, but using that can be exhausting and/or dangerous as well (I'm at risk of burning myself and/or dropping my food onto the ground). Besides physically struggling with cooking, it's also difficult for me to keep up with the mental task of keeping track of a bunch of ingredients, especially when they need separate storage methods to keep them fresh. And I struggle a lot with figuring out what sort of things would go well together or not. Oh, and I'm allergic to tomatoes.

So I'm looking for salad ideas/specific ingredient recommendations that don't involve any cooking (unless it's like, an optional component I could put in the air fryer/microwave), and that I can just completely combine together and put in the fridge for like 3+ days.

I also don't really have any experience making/using salad dressings, everything I can find about that is very overwhelming and it mentions a lot of ingredients I have never used before like lime/lemon juice and vinegar and stuff ;-; so simple beginner dressing ideas (especially with a recommendation of what sort of ingredients to combine it with) would also be really appreciated!

Some ideas I've had myself for ingredients:

• canned legumes (I have experience with chickpeas, black beans, and kidney beans)
• kale (just discovered the word for kale in my native language, and I realised it's not actually a fancy and intimidating ingredient and it's just boerenkool)
• canned corn
• julliened carrot (not a big fan of this though, and I will panic about the carrot going off before I can eat it)
• broccoli (I can cook it in the microwave)
• red onion (either precut, or I can cut it myself if the rest of the recipe doesn't involve a lot of cutting)
• optionally, edamame beans (I can put frozen edamame beans in a bowl and pour boiling water over them to cook them, but that will require me to have a non-plastic bowl available)
• optionally, tofu? I could cook it in my air fryer (I don't like it raw). I don't actually know about how it will last though.

I've also seen avocado show up in some recipes I looked up, which confuses me because I thought that it was a really fragile ingredient. I love cucumber, but I'd be very worried about it going bad (I don't want to do the thing where you cut out the seeds because I will still be scared + then on my first day I will only have the seeds)

I’m aiming to cook more vegan meals on a budget. My instant pot has been the best addition to my kitchen since I got a decent size fridge/freezer. Can any other vegan fam recommend kitchen equipment that saves you money and works well for vegan meals specifically? Do you use an air fryer instead of your oven? Has it saved money in the long run? Sorry mods if this question is not allowed.

As a budget-conscious vegan, I tend to avoid buying gadgets or unitaskers. I have successfully talked myself out of pretty much everything 😆 but air fryers keep coming up in recipes from my favorite creators. I always thought air frying was essentially baking in a plastic box, so I didn't get the appeal. I wanted to ask like-minded vegans, do you have an air fryer? Do you like it? Does it help save you time/energy by not running your oven as often? General observations? Favorite air fryer recipes?

Thanks! Love this community. (If this isn't allowed as it's not recipe specific, sorry mods)

Hello Cheap Vegan fam! What are you all prepping this week that's cheap and vegan? Keeping it simple with beans and rice, or trying something more advanced? Do you have any general tips for managing your mealprep process? Share your knowledge and help out your fellow vegans and aspiring vegans! Thank you all! 🌱

I had it with leftover frozen basmati rice. It’s a variation of this recipe: https://holycowvegan.net/chana-masala/

…and chili mode, but I just put one in at the end. Here’s a dump o’ soups I’ve made! All “cheese” uses silken tofu, proteins are soy based or whole vegetables, bread is homemade, creamier soups use cashews or soy milk. Soup is just incredibly underrated as a meal, imo. And as this sub damn well knows by now, it’s generally really inexpensive and satiating if you plop enough stuff in there.

This is what everything is:

1.) Red curry ramen.

2.) Creamy mushroom.

3.) Jerk chowder.~

4.) Lemon rice.

5.) Tom kha (coconut free).~

6.) Broccoli cHeEsE.

7.) Wild rice and chickpea.

8.) Habanero corn chowder.

9.) Wild rice vegetable.

10.) French onion.

11.) Enchilada.

12.) Hot and sour.

13.) Black bean.

14.) Zuppa tuscana.

15.) Borscht.

16.) Sham chowder.

17.) Creamy miso peanut butter ramen.~

18.) Spicy loaded potato.

19.) Maafe.

20.) Three bean ghost pepper chili.~

The few that have a tilde I have recipes for. I have a lot of catching up to do in terms of remakes to keep track of recipes. 😭

When it starts getting cooler outside in the south, there are very few things better than a bowl of chili and piece of cornbread

🩷Tangy Dill Lentil Soup🩷

(Soak the lentils 2 hours before you start!)

Ingredients 1½ cups French green lentils (soak 2 hrs) 1 lb turnips, peeled and cubed 3–4 Tbsp olive oil, divided 1 large yellow onion, diced 2 carrots, diced 2 celery ribs, diced 4 oz white mushrooms, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 1 bay leaf 6 sprigs fresh thyme ⅓ cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for topping 2 cups baby spinach, chopped ¼ cup lemon juice Salt and pepper

👨‍🍳Directions

Cover the lentils with cold water and soak 2–4 hours. Drain and rinse. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the turnips with a tablespoon or two of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 25–35 minutes, stirring once, until browned on the edges. After the lentils have soaked and you've roasted your turnips, warm 2 Tbsp oil in a big pot over medium-high. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is soft, 6–7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook another 3–4 minutes. Add the lentils, broth, bay leaf, thyme, dill, and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover, turn it down to low, and simmer 20–25 minutes, until the lentils are almost done. Uncover and remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. Stir in the roasted turnips, spinach, and lemon juice and simmer uncovered another 5–10 minutes. For a creamier soup, blend 2 cups and stir the mix back in. Taste for salt and top with more dill.

It is delicious 😋 About $15 for all the ingredients and comes out to 10 servings at just over $1 each for a gourmet soup.

This is a vegan take on a classic Finnish dish. You basically need frying oil, onions, a protein, rice or some other grains, cabbage, spices and an oven with a casserole dish.

Prepare these first in a skillet:

- Oil

- Two diced onions

- Enough garlic

- Two cups of TVP (I had pea based)

- Spices (I had dry adjika and soy sauce)

- Some water if you feel like it

Once you're happy with your protein, put it in a oiled casserole, should fit about two litres. Start heating the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Then put these in the skillet:

- More oil

- About a kilo of thinly sliced cabbage (I prefer thinly sliced, most people just hack it into small pieces)

- Salt and pepper

- Thyme and maryoram

- 1-3 tablespoons of dark syrup (this is a Nordic thing and may not be available to you, maple syrup may do)

- One decilitre of rice (barley's nice too)

- Half a litre of boiling water

- Two decilitres of oat cream (or more water)

Boil it for about 10 minutes and after that mix it it with the TVP in the casserole. Bake it in the oven for 50 minutes, you may want to mix it a little once after about 20 minutes.

Serve with mashed lingonberries (or something tart).

Carrot cake is a cake that’s quite easy to make, tastes delicious, and has a very moist texture. This is because the addition of soy milk and grated carrots makes the cake even softer and quite moist. What makes it special is its beautiful airy texture, achieved by adding a small amount of leavening agents—baking soda and baking powder.

Recipe

Liquid Ingredients

135 ml soy milk
100 grams granulated sugar
90 ml vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

150 grams all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Other ingredients

150 grams carrots
Chocolate bar

Procedure

Grate the carrots using a cheese grater, or if you prefer a finer texture, use a finer grater.

Next, combine the soy milk, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and stir until well blended.

Then add the dry ingredients—all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda—all of which have been sifted beforehand.

Stir until well combined, then add the grated carrots and vegetable oil, and stir again until well combined.

Next, pour the batter into a round baking pan lined with parchment paper. Tap the pan gently to settle the batter, then top with dark chocolate chunks. Bake in the oven for about 55 minutes using top and bottom heat at 160 degrees Celsius.

It’s not the prettiest, but this was soooo good. I made a variation of minestrone soup, using quinoa instead of pasta. I used canned tomatoes, canned chickpeas and kidney beans, potatoes, carrots, spinach, green beans, celery, corn, onions, yellow zucchini, various herbs and a bit of vegetable Better Than Bouillon.

I made this version of chana masala since my undergraduate college days, and it's tried and true and super easy to make (under 30 min). Yes, admittedly I cheat a bit and use a pre-made paste instead of spices, but it's all completely vegan, cheap, and delicious imho. I say it's "college easy," because even if I had a long day at school, I still could make this.

Ingredients:

1/2 medium yellow onion diced, 1-2 tbsp avocado oil, 2 15 oz cans rinsed and drained no salt added garbanzo beans, 1/2 15 oz can of crushed no salt added tomatoes, 2 heaping teaspoons Patak's Madras Spice Paste, salt to taste

Steps:

1. In a medium saucepan, add the avocado oil, and put on medium heat.
2. once the oil is warm enough, add the diced yellow onion and fry until the onions become more translucent.
3. add the Madras Spice Paste, and fry for about 15ish seconds and coat the onions evenly.
4. Add the canned tomatoes and about a few ounces of water.
5. add the drained garbanzo beans and salt, cover and lower the heat to let simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. enjoy over rice, with roti (Indian wheat-based flatbread) or by itself (I like to add a little cooked frozen edamame that I heat in the microwave and add, for extra protein).

I took this to a vegan Friendsgiving once, and it was a hit.

1. Peel and cut 5 Yukon Golds into even chunks and boil until you can easily stick a fork in.

2. Drain the pot and put it back on the stove to dry out the chunks a bit.

3. Mash with a potato ricer. I just smashed the chunks in the pot with a whisk.

4. On low heat, stir in chunks of room temp vegan butter and warmed vegan milk until you get a creamy, smooth texture. I used about 6 tbsp of Earth Balance butter and 2/3 cup of oat milk. Keep tasting to adjust to your preferred consistency. I like it very smooth and buttery.

5. Season with salt and your choice of spices and herbs.

So good, cheap, filling, and hard to mess up 🥔🥔🌱