A list of vegan recipes that you can make, mostly from pantry staples when you are running low on fresh produce in the fridge. A well-stocked vegan pantry makes it easy to create satisfying meals from filling breakfasts to scrumptious desserts, easy lunch and brunch ideas to warm nutritious dinners, some hunger satiating snacks in between and a few basics.
Through the years of living in Canada, I’ve learnt that a well-stocked pantry is of prime importance. Not only is it essential to stock up on a little more than just staples to get through the sub-zero winter months, but even for the rest of the year, as the distance and time are other factors.
If you live in remote areas or far from the grocery store, then no matter the season, the time that each grocery trip takes, makes it desirable if not imperative, to limit frequent visits to the store. We don’t live in a remote area but we make our grocery trips on foot and sometimes take a taxi if weather conditions are really bad.
For the past year though, we’ve been relying a lot more on home delivered groceries and this has been working quite well. Still there are days where we do have to rely on pantry staples alone to make a warm satisfying meal.
A refrigerator full of fresh produce and veggie proteins makes it easy to create scrumptious meals. But on an evening when the fridge is low on fresh ingredients, it takes a little bit of creativity to come up with an appealing dinner. For days like these, a well-stocked pantry is our saviour, sparing us a trip to the grocery store. Plus with a little forward planning, you can often make good nutritious meals out of pantry ingredients alone.
How to stock the pantry with Vegan Staples – Vegan Grocery List
I shared some vegan food list ideas a while ago with our subscribed readers. It’s a free printable Meal Planner that you receive when you join our mailing list. Aside the cheery weekly/monthly meal planner sheets, there are also a vegan grocery list and pantry/fridge/freezer/spices inventory sheetsinthepack.
If you’d like to get organised or are looking for food ideas or essential pantry items, you might find it quite useful, just sign up to our mailing list and you will receive it in your inbox. I personally love it to keep track of pantry and spices inventory.
In the Meal Planner, you may take a look at the grocery list ideas and then browse our list of vegan pantry recipes below, which I’ve pulled from the blog.
Recipes you can make from Vegan Pantry Staples
This ever-growing list features vegan recipes that are easy and delicious meals, many of which are actually quite nutritious, ranging from breakfasts to desserts, including brunches, lunch ideas, dinners and not forgetting snacks along with a few basics, that you can create with pantry essentials.
You may find that some of these recipes might require a little more than just pantry staples alone. Stocking up the freezer does help tremendously. I sometimes buy a little extra fresh vegetables and freeze a portion, things like mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, yams, carrots, even onions… freeze well.
I’ve provided some notes on how to adjust the recipes so that you can make them mostly from pantry ingredients. Since each household has different staple ingredients, you may need to tweak these recipes based on how you usually stock your kitchen.
I will be updating this list as new recipes come up on the blog, so you may want to bookmark this page or the ‘pantry recipes’ category as a point of reference and check back occasionally.
40+ Vegan Pantry Recipes
A list of vegan recipes that you can make, mostly from pantry staples when you are running low on fresh produce in the fridge. A well-stocked vegan pantry makes it easy to create satisfying meals from filling breakfasts to scrumptious desserts, easy lunch and brunch ideas to warm nutritious dinners, some hunger satiating snacks in between and a few basics.
1
Vegan Cassoulet - French White Bean Stew
DINNER • If you stock your pantry with vital wheat gluten and make your own seitan sausages (coming soon on the blog), this is a very delicious stew that can easily be made with shelf stable ingredients and a couple of frozen vegetables and herbs.
Ingredients: dried white beans • seitan sausages (or other) • carrots • sun-dried tomatoes • tomatoes • herbs • onions • garlic • vegetable bouillon powder • spices • liquid smoke • oil •
Substitutions:
fresh tomatoes → canned diced tomatoes •fresh herbs → dried herbs (parsley can be omitted) •onions and garlic → omit or replace with powdered version •fresh carrots → frozen carrots or other veggies
2
Macaroni Fricassee
DINNER • Dried bean curd skin is a convenient pantry staple. It’s easily rehydrated and picks up flavours nicely to be used in a number of dishes.
Ingredients: dried pasta • dried bean curd (tofu) skin • tomatoes • soy sauce • onions • garlic • chilies • herbs • oil •
Substitutions:fresh tomatoes → canned diced tomatoes •fresh herbs → dried herbs •onions and garlic → onion and garlic powder or asafoetida
3
30-minute One Pot Vegetable Pulao
DINNER • Frozen vegetables macedoine work wonderfully in this easy one pot pulao dish. Using frozen veggies also saves some prepping time, so this is a perfect weekday dinner.
Ingredients: basmati rice • mixed vegetables • spices • tamarind paste (or tomato sauce) • onions • garlic • ginger • coriander leaves (cilantro) •
Substitutions:cauliflower → use frozen •mMixed vegetables → frozen mixed vegetables macedoine • onions / garlic / ginger → use frozen (or ¼ to ½ teaspoon of their powdered versions) • coriander leaves → dried mint leaves or omit
4
Creamy Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts
DINNER • Pasta and sauce seems to be our go-to dish when we’re running low on fresh veggies. But there are so many ways to add interest to this simple dish. Marinated mushrooms are one of the things that preserve for a long time. They are really tasty and add a lot of flavour to simple meals. Use frozen Brussels sprouts or other frozen veggies, some lentils for extra protein and you readily have a nutritious meal without much effort.
Ingredients: spaghetti • Brussels sprouts • marinated / pickled mushrooms • coconut milk • miso paste or nutritional yeast • cornstarch or potato starch • frozen green peas • herbs •
Substitutions:Fresh Brussels sprouts → frozen vegetables
5
Spiced Crispy Okra
DINNER • Frozen okra works well in this recipe. Do not completely defrost the okra. Allow them to soften just enough to slice them then proceed as per the recipe.
Ingredients: okra • coconut flour • chickpea flour • lemon juice • spices • oil •
Substitutions:fresh okra → frozen okra •lemon juice → bottle lemon juice or tamarind juice reconstituted from tamarind paste or amchur powder
6
Harissa Spiced Tomato Fried Rice
DINNER • This is another dish that you can make by substituting the fresh vegetables with frozen. It’s delicious and filling.
Ingredients: lentils • rice • sun-dried tomatoes • cauliflower • beet greens • tomatoes • oil • minced ginger • harissa spice • curry leaves (or bay leaves) • nutritional yeast • fresh parsley • lemon juice •
Substitutions: cauliflower → use frozen cauliflower/broccoli • beet greens → frozen spinach • fresh tomatoes → canned diced tomatoes • minced ginger → ½ teaspoon ginger powder • fresh parsley → 1 teaspoon dried parsley • lemon juice → bottled lemon juice or omit •
7
One-Pot Smoked Tofu Mushroom Stroganoff
DINNER • This tofu mushroom stroganoff can be adapted to what you have on hand. It’s a one-pot recipe that makes a very tasty dinner in little time and with few ingredients.
Ingredients: green beans • mushrooms • smoked tofu • vegetable broth • pasta • coconut milk • potato starch • soy sauce • paprika • thyme • parsley •
Substitutions:green beans → omit or use frozen veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots • fresh mushrooms → frozen/canned mushrooms or dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated •smoked tofu → shelf-stable tofu, lightly pan-fried separately then added at the end •fresh parsley → dried parsley or omit
8
Easy Vegan Pizza Recipe - No Yeast Pizza Dough
DINNER • Pizza is always a good idea when ingredients are scarce. Leftovers make great toppings along with classic ingredients like olives, mushrooms and basil. Here’s a quick pizza recipe that doesn’t require any rising time for the crust. The homemade cheese sauce doesn’t require any actual cheese and is rather convenient.
Ingredients: coconut milk • tapioca starch • nutritional yeast (or Marmite) • turmeric powder • tomato sauce • paprika • maple syrup • spelt flour (or all-purpose/plain flour) • baking powder • baking soda • spices • smoked tofu • broccoli • white mushrooms • oregano • oil • basil leaves •
Substitutions: broccoli → frozen broccoli • white mushrooms → frozen/canned mushrooms or dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated or marinated mushrooms • fresh basil leaves → dried basil • smoked tofu → shelf stable tofu, lightly pan-fried or baked •other toppings of choice
9
Harissa Tempeh Pizza with No Knead Pizza Dough
DINNER • The recipe for the crust takes the kneading part out and yield a delicious crusty base. For toppings use tempeh as per the recipe or other toppings of choice. There is no cheese on this pizza and it's lighter but just as delicious.
Ingredients: spelt flour (or all-purpose/plain flour) • yeast • maple syrup • tomatoes • tempeh • spices • white mushrooms • roasted red pepper • olives • oregano • arugula • oil •
Substitutions:white mushrooms → frozen/canned mushrooms or dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated or marinated mushrooms • arugula → frozen spinach before baking, or omit
10
Kalia Jackfruit Curry
DINNER / CURRIES • This is a delicious curry that is lovely served in a roti as a wrap.
Ingredients: canned/frozen young green jackfruit • coconut milk • spices • chillies • tamarind paste • onions • ginger • maple syrup • mint leaves • coriander leaves (cilantro) • frozen peas • oil •
Substitutions:green chillies → dried chilli flakes • onions → 1 teaspoon onion powder or ½ teaspoon asafoetida •ginger paste → ½ teaspoon ginger powder •mint leaves → dried mint leaves •coriander leaves → omit or add some frozen spinach
11
White Bean Curry
DINNER / CURRIES • One of our staple curries to serve with roti along with a couple other condiments like the rougaille sauce and coriander chutney.
Ingredients: dried white beans • curry powder • spices • curry leaves • minced ginger • onions • garlic • tomatoes • chillies • coriander leaves (cilantro) •
Substitutions:fresh tomatoes → canned diced tomatoes • fresh chillies → dried chilli flakes/powder to taste • onions → 1 teaspoon onion powder or ½ teaspoon asafoetida • garlic → ½ teaspoon garlic powder or omit • ginger paste → ½ teaspoon ginger powder • curry leaves → dried or frozen curry leaves • coriander leaves → omit or add some frozen spinach
12
Vegan Meatballs | TVP Meatless Balls
DINNER • Soya chunks or TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) is another great pantry staple for when you want something other than beans. They have a nice texture when prepared properly like in these veggie meatballs which are great to make ahead and kept frozen until needed. These vegan meatballs go really well with pasta and sauce or as a sandwich filler.
Ingredients: soya chunks (TVP) • spices • Marmite • soy sauce • brown rice flour (or other) • potato starch • oil
13
Vegan Tuna Mayonnaise
BRUNCH / LUNCH • This vegan mock tuna is made with soya chunks or TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) and is almost close to the real thing in terms of texture and taste. If you are out of potatoes, just serve it with bread or homemade flatbread as a wrap.Ingredients: soya chunks (TVP) • vegan mayonnaise (see below) • dried kombu • pineapple juice • soy sauce • onions• garlic • frozen sweet corn (optional) • toasted nori • spring onions • oil •
Substitutions:
onions → ¾ teaspoon onion powder •
garlic → ½ teaspoon garlic powder •
spring onions → dried chives
14
Smoky Tempeh Crustless Quiche
BRUNCH / LUNCH • This quiche uses shelf stable silken tofu which is another essential ingredient in my pantry. Shelf stable tofu doesn’t require refrigeration and keeps for a couple years. The eggplant ‘crust’ in this quiche can easily be replaced with a regular crust (see below). If you make your own tempeh and add in some frozen veggies, this delicious quiche is actually quite nutritious and filling.
Ingredients: eggplant • tempeh • liquid smoke • soy sauce • white mushrooms • arugula • silken tofu • plant-based milk • chickpea flour (or all-purpose flour) • nutritional yeast • kala namak (Indian black salt) • basil leaves • dried thyme •
Substitutions:eggplant → pie crust or shortcrust pastry (see recipe link below) •white mushrooms → dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and lightly pan-fried • arugula → frozen spinach or omit • basil leaves → ¾ teaspoon dried basil or omit
15
Tandoori Jackfruit Bao (Pao)
BRUNCH / LUNCH • Filled with tandoori spiced jackfruit, these baos make easy portable lunches. I stock my pantry with a few cans of green jackfruit and they do come in handy on many occasions. You can also find frozen green jackfruit sometimes if you prefer.
Ingredients: canned / frozen young green jackfruit • white mushrooms • tandoori masala • onions • garlic-ginger paste • green chillies • lemon/lime juice • coconut milk or vegan yogurt • maple syrup • coriander leaves (cilantro) • spelt flour (or all-purpose flour ) instant yeast •
Substitutions:white mushrooms → dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated • onions → 1 teaspoon onion powder • garlic-ginger paste → ¾ teaspoon garlic powder + ½ teaspoon ginger powder • lemon/lime juice → bottled lemon juice or amchur powder, or omit • coriander leaves (cilantro) → 1 teaspoon crushed dried mint leaves combined with ½ teaspoon dried parsley and ½ teaspoon dried basil
16
Pressure Cooker Black Bean Stew
SOUPS / STEWS • An easy flavourful black bean stew made in the pressure cooker (can also be made on the stove top). This is great to make a big batch of as it freezes well too.
Ingredients: dried black beans • minced ginger • asafoestida • onions • spices • dried oregano • crushed tomatoes • soy sauce • bay leaves • oil • frozen sweet corn / peas • fresh parsley •
Substitutions:minced ginger → ½ teaspoon ginger powder • onions → use frozen or 1 teaspoon onion powder • fresh parsley → dried parsley or omit (add frozen spinach if you want some greens)
17
Creamy Corn Pumpkin and Red Lentil Soup
SOUPS / STEWS • Canned pumpkin puree is a nice substitution in this nutritious wholesome soup and will save you time in cutting out fresh pumpkin.
Ingredients: pumpkin • red lentils • frozen sweet corn • garlic • ginger • vegetable broth • vegetable bouillon powder • spices • herbs • coconut milk •
Substitutions:fresh pumpkin → canned pumpkin puree or frozen butternut squash • garlic / ginger → omit or use ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
18
Mauritian Dal (Yellow Split Pea Soup)
SOUPS / STEWS • Another great pantry staple dish is dal. You may omit the eggplant altogether or substitute with some other frozen vegetable like cauliflower.
Ingredients: yellow split pea • ginger • spices • fresh herbs •
Substitutions:ginger → ¼ teaspoon ginger powder •fresh herbs → omit or add frozen spinach •
19
Mauritian Vegan Haleem - Spicy Curried Dhal Soup with Meatless Balls
SOUPS / STEWS • This is a very filling legume soup that can either be made with yellow split peas or brown lentils. This is the kind of soup that can feed a crowd; veggie meatballs add to the heartiness and make it a complete meal accompanied by some crusty bread.
Ingredients: soy meat (TVP) • vegetable broth • onion • garlic • oil • flour • spices • Tabasco or hot sauce • yellow split pea or lentils • cracked bulgur wheat • eggplant/aubergine • plant-based milk • Fresh herbs garnish - coriander leaves (cilantro), mint leaves, spring onions/scallions • lime/lemon wedge •
Substitutions: onion → 1 teaspoon onion powder • garlic → ½ teaspoon garlic powder • eggplant/aubergine → omit or use frozen vegetables like cauliflower • fresh herbs garnish → dried mint leaves, dried chives • lime/lemon wedge → 1 tablespoon vinegar to serve
20
BREAKFAST • Oats and lentils are a great combination for a savoury breakfast porridge that will fill you up for hours. And you get a generous serving of protein right from the first meal of the day.
Ingredients: red lentils • oats • spices • curry leaves • dried thyme • nutritional yeast • frozen peas •
Substitutions:fresh curry leaves → dried curry leaves or bay leaves
21
Savoury Oatmeal with Black Beans
BREAKFAST • When I used to be able to eat oats, I would often have this for breakfast and lunch. Black beans add protein and iron and the vegetables boost the vitamin content for a healthy start of the day.Ingredients: oats • black beans • carrots • sun-dried tomatoes • vegetable bouillon powder • frozen sweet corn and peas • oregano •
Substitutions: fresh carrots → frozen carrots or vegetables macedoine •
fresh oregano → dried oregano
22
Rice Pudding
BREAKFAST / SNACKS • During winter, a creamy rice pudding for breakfast are so warm and comforty. I often make it with leftover rice. I’ve used basmati rice in this recipe but you can also use jasmine rice or other starchier rice. Brown rice will work too but it will take a bit longer to cook and will not be as creamy although still very delicious.
Ingredients: rice • coconut milk • sweetener • spices • lemongrass • raisins • coconut flakes / nuts •
Substitutions: lemongrass → omit or use cinnamon. If you have dried lemongrass tea, you may infuse a tea bag and use the tea to cook the rice.
23
Mauritian Idlis - Sweet Semolina Steamed Cakes
BREAKFAST / AFTERNOON TEA • Instant idlis are so quick to make with just a few ingredients. From start to finish they only take 15 minutes and make a delicious breakfast or snack at any time of the day. If you don’t have any store-bought plant milk on hand, you can make your own coconut milk for this or just use water.
Ingredients: semolina flour • plant-based milk • baking powder • sweetener
24
Easy Plain Scones
BREAKFAST / AFTERNOON TEA • These scones are easy to make and can be enjoyed at breakfast time or afternoon tea time.
Ingredients: all-purpose/plain flour • plant-based milk • oil • sweetener • baking powder • baking soda
25
Olive and Herb Scones
BREAKFAST / AFTERNOON TEA • These savoury scones can sometimes make a light meal. The recipe calls for spelt and brown rice flour but you can also make them with all-purpose wheat flour.
Ingredients: spelt flour • brown rice flour • baking powder • baking soda • spices • nutritional yeast • vegetable bouillon powder • plant-based milk • oil • olives • spring onions • thyme • parsley or basil •
Substitutions: spring onions → dried chives • fresh thyme → 1 teaspoon dried thyme • fresh parsley/basil → 1 teaspoon dried parsley/basil
26
Vegan Custard Sauce
DESSERTS • Custard sauce is simple to make with just a few ingredients and makes a quick dessert served warm over cakes or cold with fruits.
Ingredients: coconut milk (or other plant-based milk) • cornstarch (potato starch or arrowroot) • sweetener • vanilla or other flavouring
27
Red Bean Mochi Balls
DESSERTS • Sweet rice flour or glutinous rice is a wonderful pantry staple. It can be used in many ways in desserts, as thickeners in sauces or as a binder in gluten-free baking/cooking. These delicious mochis are filled with red beans and make a delicious dessert or anytime snack with a few ingredients.
Ingredients: glutinous rice flour • coconut milk • sweetener • vanilla extract • adzuki or red kidney beans
28
Peach Cake with Custard Sauce
DESSERTS • This peach cake is a simple one to make and sometimes in the middle of winter if you are out of fresh fruits, canned peaches make a bright appealing dessert to boost the mood. Canned peaches actually pack a good amount of nutrients - vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients: spelt flour (or all-purpose/plain flour) • canned peaches • sweetener (or juice from the can of peaches) • coconut flakes • cornstarch • baking powder • baking soda • vanilla extract • coconut milk • oil •
29
Vegan Pear Custard Pie
DESSERTS • If you are looking for a simple pie to make out of basic cupboard ingredients, this pie is the one. Omit the pear altogether for a delicious plain custard pie or replace it with frozen pears or canned peaches.
Ingredients: pie crust (see below) • cornstarch • coconut milk • vanilla extract • sweetener • pears • turmeric •
Substitutions: fresh pears → frozen/canned pears or peaches, or omit
30
Vegan Cheesecake | Nut-free • Soy-free
DESSERTS • The yellow plums can easily be swapped with frozen berries or canned fruits to make this delicious cheesecake. The filling itself is made with millet and makes a surprisingly tasty vegan cheesecake with a wonderful creamy texture.
Ingredients: buckwheat flour • cornstarch • baking powder • baking soda • oil • maple syrup • vinegar • vanilla extract • millet • coconut milk • lemon juice • coconut flour • yellow plums (or other fruits) • sweetener •
Substitutions:yellow plums → frozen berries or canned peaches/cherries •fresh lemon juice → bottled lemon juice
31
Vegan Peach Lassi
DESSERTS • This is a refreshing yogurt-based drink that can be served as a light dessert or any time of the day.
Ingredients: vegan yogurt • coconut milk • canned peaches • dates / sweetener • spices
32
Mauritian Roti
BREADS & FLATBREADS • Roti and curry is one of our go-to recipes once every week. Pair this roti with any curry from this list and you have a delicious filling dinner.
Ingredients: all-purpose flour (or mix with half whole wheat) • water • oil (optional) •
33
Sweet Potato Flatbread
BREADS & FLATBREADS •The sweet potato roti that so many of you love and make over and over again can easily be made with canned pumpkin puree. You may need a little more flour in this case as pumpkin puree is slightly more watery than mash sweet potatoes. Make sure to reheat and slightly reduce the puree before using it. And it’s important to add it to the flour when it’s still very hot.
Ingredients: all-purpose flour (spelt flour is also good) • sweet potatoes •
Substitutions:sweet potato → canned pumpkin puree
34
Easy Sweet Potato Bread
BREADS & FLATBREADS • Similar to the sweet potato flatbread, you can replace the sweet potato with canned pumpkin puree. The recipe uses quick yeast which saves you time as the dough only requires a single rise, not double.
Ingredients: all-purpose flour • sweet potatoes • quick yeast • oil •
Substitutions:sweet potato → canned pumpkin puree •
35
Spelt English Muffins
BREADS & FLATBREADS • These are easy to make on the stove top and don’t require an oven. They are wonderful breads to make when you are out of power or are camping; you can easily make them on a griddle on a portable gas stove or open fire.
Ingredients: spelt or all-purpose flour • plant-based milk • yeast • oil • spices • raisins •
36
How to Make Tempeh - Easy Method
BASICS • Stocking on dry beans makes it convenient to make your own tempeh. Once you get the hang of it, it is really easy to make at home.
Ingredients: dried beans • starter culture • vinegar
37
Vegan Pie Crust - Shortcrust Pastry
BASICS • Pie crusts can be filled with anything, sweet or savoury. They can easily be made at home and this version uses oil instead of butter or margarine, which makes it a lot more feasible on many occasions.
Ingredients: all-purpose/plain flour • oil • baking powder • aquafaba / bean juice (or plant-based milk + vinegar)
38
Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe
BASICS • With dried white beans on hand, you can make vegan mayonnaise anytime you need it. You just need to remember to soak the beans the night before.
Ingredients: dried beans • kala namak (Indian black salt) • oil • lemons •
Substitutions:
lemon juice → bottled lemon juice or vinegar •
lemon peel → dried lemon peels
39
Homemade Soy Yogurt
BASICS • All you need for this delicious homemade soy yogurt is some dried soy beans and probiotic capsules. You may also use almonds in this recipe in which case you don’t need to boil the milk but heat it up to the required temperature.
Ingredients: dried soy beans • probiotic capsules
40
Homemade Coconut Milk
BASICS • While I do stock canned coconut milk, coconut flakes are easier to store and take less space. Making coconut milk at home also works out rather economical and can be a lifesaver if you’ve run out of store-bought plant milk.
Ingredients: coconut flakes • water
41
Homemade Oat Milk
BASICS • Similar to coconut milk, oat milk is very easy to make at home with rolled oats or quick oats. Nowadays, I don’t make oat milk since I’ve developed an intolerance to oats but if you are able to consume it, then this is a handy recipe.
Ingredients: oats • water • coconut flakes (optional)
More to come. Don’t forget to bookmark this page and check back often or pin it for later.
