I’m often asked if I can share more budget-friendly vegan meals. So I’ve teamed up with Alyssia from Mind Over Munch YouTube channel to show you some of our favourite vegan dinner recipes. Our goal was to make the recipes as affordable as possible. In fact, each one of my recipes is less than $0.90 per serving! I understand that prices for food vary depending on where you’re from. My calculation was based on prices I paid at the grocery store closest to my house in Toronto (i.e. Metro). I actually used to work there during high school, making pizzas. But that, my friends, is a story for another time.
Let’s get back to our awesome vegan dinners.
1. Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Growing up in Russia, I’ve eaten A LOT of potatoes. Potatoes and mushrooms happen to be one of my favouritefood combinations. Add a side of pickled tomatoes and cucumbers and you’ve got perfection. In the past couple of years, I started adding cauliflower to my mashed potatoes to bump up total nutritional value of the dish. If you’re not a big fan of cauliflower, don’t worry, you can barely taste it.
2. Spicy Red Lentil Soup
If you’re new here, you might not know this, but I love, love, love soup. I eat it all year round at least 2-3 times a week. This Spicy Red Lentil Soup is one of my staples during colder months. Well to tell you the truth, I make it during summer too as per my family’s and my tummy’s requests. It’s full of rich flavours and has just a few simple ingredients.
3. Stuffed Bell Peppers
This is one of my favourite dinners to make for my family. I love how versatile and creative you can get with this recipe. I’ve made it with quinoa, brown rice and buckwheat before using many different veggie combinations.
4.9 from 7 reviews
3 Affordable Vegan Dinner Recipes
Print Recipe
Author: Fablunch
Ingredients
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (Serves 3)
- 6 medium size potatoes
- 1 large cauliflower head (about 1½ pounds)
- 4 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp grapeseed oil
- salt and pepper for seasoning
Spicy Red Lentil Soup (Serves 8)
- 1 tsp grapeseed oil
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 5 medium carrots
- 1 can (16 oz) diced tomatoes or 400 g fresh tomatoes
- 6-7 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups red lentils
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper for seasoning
Stuffed Bell Peppers (Serves 4)
- 1½ cups brown rice
- 4 red bell peppers
- ½ tbsp grapeseed oil
- ½ onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 20 green beans
- ½ broccoli head
- 2 small zucchinis
- 1 tomato
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- salt and pepper for seasoning
Directions
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
- Cut potatoes into chunks and cauliflower into small florets. Steam for 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a large skillet.
- Add diced onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Finally, add sliced mushrooms and cook for another 7-10 minutes. When mushrooms are almost ready, season with salt and pepper.
- Mash potatoes and cauliflower with a potato masher adding as much reserved cooking liquid as needed.
- Season potatoes with salt and pepper.
- Serve mushrooms on top of mashed potatoes sprinkled with fresh dill.
Spicy Red Lentil Soup
- In a large pot, heat grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add diced carrots to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add all of the spices except for salt and pepper and stir well. Cook for additional 2 minutes.
- Stir in the stock, tomatoes and red lentils. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stuffed Bell Peepers
- Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Lightly grease a baking tray.
- Cut peppers in half and remove the core. Place on the baking tray cut side down and roast for 25-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare brown rice according to the directions on the package.
- In a large skillet, heat grapeseed oil over medium heat.
- Sauté chopped onion and garlic for 5 minutes.
- Add diced zucchinis, green beans and broccoli and cook for 5 minutes over medium/high heat.
- Stir in diced tomatoes and spices. Continue cooking for a couple more minutes.
- Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and add the rice which should be cooked by this point. Mix well.
- Spoon the rice and vegetables into the pepper halves. Return to oven to to heat up if needed for 5 minutes.
