Life

15 Vegan One-Pot Meals That Are Beyond Simple

by Meghan Bassett

Cooking is fun, but I always have a huge mess of pots and pans to look forward to after I am finished with dinner. The one-pot cooking phenomenon used to pose a problem for vegans everywhere because of the lack of recipes. Now there are vegan one-pot recipes everywhere, so vegans can finally rejoice and bring out their inner lazy cook.

If you’re anything like me, the lazy cook in you comes and goes. However when it comes, it’s like a screaming banshee banging on the walls, trying to get out and make your life that much easier.

Vegan recipes can get pretty drab and boring when it comes to one-pot meals. There are only so many nights a week you can eat tomato soup, right? When it comes to the right recipes and the right ingredients, nailing a flavorful dish vegan-style isn’t the easiest task. This roundup of vegan one-pot meals proves that the lazy cook in vegans everywhere doesn’t have to be denied. Shove a bunch of ingredients in one pot, and you’ll be able to enjoy dinner in peace, without a sink full of dishes to conquer at the end of the night. Get your comfort meal on with these delicious home-cooked one-pot wonders that’ll lift all the stress of the day right off your shoulders.

1. One-Pot Thai Peanut Pasta

Craving a little Asian food but don’t want to dive into a complicated recipe? This Thai-inspried pasta dish from Your Cup of Cake will leave you happy and satisfied, with only one dish to clean.

2. Creamy Polenta & Mushrooms

A dish like this may seem like it would normally be off the menu for vegans, but if you substitute vegan butter and cut the cheese, you can indulge in this comforting recipe from Love & Lemons.

3. One-Pot Mushroom & Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Get your vegetables in with this delicious, health-conscious meal from Damn Delicious. You can either substitute the cheese for vegan cheese or nutritional yeast, or omit it entirely. Either way, you’ll be getting your carb-loaded fix in every bite.

4. Mexican Ranchero Amaranth Stew

Head south of the border with this stew from Making Thyme for Health that uses amaranth (a protein-packed seed that’s similar to quinoa); it’s about time you shook up your normal quinoa and seitan routine, isn’t it?

5. Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili

Cuddle up with this vegan version of the ultimate comfort food in my book — chili. Cookie & Kate makes a sweet potato version that takes chili to a sweet and savory level that’ll blow your mind.

6. 20-Minute Vegan Chili

Don’t want to sit around waiting for that steaming bowl of comfort for long? Not to worry, The Scrumptious Pumpkin has you covered with this one-pot miracle that’s ready in only 20 minutes. Hello, new weeknight favorite.

7. Easy Creamy Tomato Barley Risotto

The weather is still a little chilly while we wait for spring to roll in. With only a few weeks left until the warmer weather is here to stay, dig into this rich, comforting risotto recipe from Oh She Glows.

8. Linguine with Roasted Red Peppers & Tomatoes

The roasted red peppers in this one-pot pasta dish from The Kitchn really bring out new levels of flavor. Simply skip the brie to make it vegan — you won’t even miss the cheese, I promise.

9. One-Pot Lemon Pasta with Greens and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

If you’re really over winter and the cold temperatures, dive into a bowl of Making Thyme for Health’s one-pot lemon pasta. The bright colors and flavors are like a bit of glorious spring in every bite.

10. Vegan Tofu and Vegetable Pot Pie

Who says pot pie has to have chicken in it? This vegan tofu version of a true classic dish from The Kitchn will take you right back to your grandmother’s house.

11. Vegan Masala Basmati Casserole

This casserole from Healthful Pursuit might take a little bit of time to cook, but the Indian-themed one-pot dish is packed with intense masala flavors. Who knew you could make Indian food so easily in your own home?

12. Vegan Chili with Homemade Sour Cream

Not only is this bowl of vegan chili from Oh She Glows a godsend after a long, rough day at the office, it also features a homemade sour cream that is vegan — talk about having the ultimate experience. I’ll wait for you to pick your jaw up off the floor.

13. One-Pot Zucchini Pasta

You’re only 20 minutes away from getting almost all of your servings of vegetables in for one day, in one dish, made in one pot. Making Thyme for Health makes a flavorful and easy version of pasta that will even appeal to any little vegans you have running around your house.

14. Creamy Vegan Cabbage Potato Soup

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up and vegans everywhere will be skipping the corned beef, but not the cabbage. Fo Reals Life’s cabbage potato soup will make you feel downright lucky to be alive after the first filling bowl.

15. One-Skillet Mexican Rice Casserole

You can get the true Mexican experience with Making Thyme for Health’s rice casserole, even as a vegan. You may see some cheese there, but Making Thyme for Health adds a recipe for vegan queso in the recipe that you can use instead. When vegan queso exists in the world, you know it’s a better place.

For more ideas, check out Bustle on YouTube.

Images: Your Cup of Cake; Love & Lemons; Damn Delicious; Making Thyme for Health; Cookie & Kate; The Scrumptious Pumpkin; Oh She Glows; The Kitchn; Making Thyme for Health; The Kitchn; Healthful Pursuit; Oh She Glows; Making Thyme for Health; Fo Reals Life; Making Thyme for Health