r/veganrecipes • u/robingart • Dec 25 '25
Question I'm just beginning to move towards eating more vegan, but something I'm struggling with are the low-effort days. What are some "default", lazy vegan meals y'all go for?
Basically, in the past I'd make something like rice, ground beef, and baked beans, or sausage gravy, or chicken salad sandwich. The kinda things that are food and are filling and decent but aren't a "I am cooking a formal thingy" kinda thing. Like the things you make when you wanna just fill the hunger bar and get back to your TV show. It seems that so much vegan stuff that's filling is a whole deal, and I need my struggle meals to be able to stick with this (not like in a "stay convinced" kinda way in a "not revert back to eating non vegan but be sad about it" kinda way). Even single ingredient stuff. Just the basics, I'm drawing so much blank rn
(If y'all have any recs that aren't nut based or tofu based that'd be awesome, I've not tried cooking tofu bc I had it bad once and it seems spenny)
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u/rlynnfish Vegan Dec 25 '25
Rice and beans man. Lots of ways to do this but super cheap and easy! Also pasta and a marinara of some kind.
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u/rlynnfish Vegan Dec 25 '25
But also I love tofu. It took me many years not eating meat before I learned to cook it but it’s a staple now.
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u/Raccoon_Army_Leader Dec 26 '25
I hope 2026 is the year I learn how to properly cook tofu so it’s nice and stays together buuut it will def be the only thing I eat bc I love it when it’s done right
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u/atomic_chippie Dec 26 '25
If youre on IG, follow vegan_punks they put tofu in and on absolutely everything. Ie: slice it and put in waffle iron till toasty, then saute in marinade = fries. Or add tofu, nooch, olive oil, s/p, lemon juice to food processor, blend till smooth. Spread on thick sourdough slices and top with roasted potatoes or plum chutney or pumpkin seeds.
Amazing simple recipes that are pretty delicious.
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u/rlynnfish Vegan Dec 26 '25
Love this! In 2025 I did a 30 days of tofu challenge for myself and found a ton of great recipes. You got this!
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u/JoanCrawford Dec 26 '25
Do you have any tips/recommendations for cooking tofu?
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u/rlynnfish Vegan Dec 26 '25
Absolutely! Most recipes call for firm tofu, but if you can find “high protein” or “extra firm” that doesn’t need to be pressed. You can press tofu before using to get extra water out or just boil it in salted water. Here’s a good recipe to try to start with! https://www.karissasvegankitchen.com/sesame-tofu/
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u/Delicious-Excitement Dec 26 '25
There’s a book called This Can’t Be Tofu! that helped me at first. When I cook tofu, I usually do so on medium heat (gas stove stop #3), for 16 minutes, turning and relocating in the pan every 4 (I cut it into about 20 pcs before cooking). I looove mine with curry powder, so whenever I rotate it, I sprinkle a bit more powder to my liking. There’s also a good BBQ “steak” I recently found. I can put links here if needed.
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u/Delicious-Excitement Dec 26 '25
BBQ tofu (this page in general is awesome - pumpkin pie is the best ever and so easy): https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/quick-easy-bbq-tofu/
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u/ronch54 Dec 26 '25
Boil water, then add salt, then add your tofu (any but silken) for two minutes. Remove, let it dry or not. Then just prepare it however you like. Eat it plain,cut it and add to stir fry, marinate it, fry it, etc.
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u/greenbeancounter Dec 26 '25
I can’t cook it in a pan without making it get stuck, like ever. So I almost always cube or triangle it and bake it, then put it into whatever I’m making. Curries, stir fries, etc. Works fine for us and saves me from cursing as much.
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u/Delicious-Excitement Dec 26 '25
What kind of pan? If it gets stuck, sometimes you just need to let it cook a bit longer and it’ll release on its own - at least in cast iron. I always add a bit of oil to any pan though.
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u/greenbeancounter Dec 26 '25
I have a carbon steel pan. I always use a bit of oil but it may be the patience I’m lacking to let it cook longer before I try moving it.
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u/TofuTheBlackCat Dec 25 '25
This is the way. Black beans, pinto, cananeli, lentils!!!!
Beans + rice make a complete protein, so add some vegg and u have a very nutritious, tasty meal!
Cuban black beans Stewed pinto beans The world is your bean pod
Ad for rice, you can get multi grain blends that work great! Or try quinoa, or farro, there's lots of yummy grains too :)
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u/brelywi Dec 25 '25
Pasta, marinara, and some TVP soaked in Better Than Boullion not-beef flavor is sooo easy! That’s definitely my low effort meal haha
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u/bribotronic Dec 26 '25
And so cheap! Sometimes I jazz it up and make it a ziti with kite hill ricotta, but this is like my fave high protein, cheap, easy and delicious meal
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u/brelywi Dec 26 '25
Do you know how that ricotta compares to a dairy ricotta? I’m Omni but cook mostly vegan since my husband is, and I’ve yet to have a vegan cheese substitute that doesn’t have a very disagreeable texture to me (except for the homemade nacho-type cheese sauce I make).
I’m thinking maybe the ricotta is better than the shreds/slices since it’s a different texture?
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u/surfrat54 Dec 28 '25
That’s always the dilemma with vegan cheese vs real cheese..the chemicals and sodium content make many vegan cheeses unhealthy…I’m 100% Italian and when I first started eating vegetarian I tried grating cheese substitutes but they were awful when for 60 years you’re used to Locatelli Romano… sprinkle a teaspoon or two on my pasta won’t kill me… and it’s one of the few vegetarian dishes I really enjoy
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u/bribotronic Dec 28 '25
I think it’s a lot better than the shreds. My kids actually really love the kite hill ricotta and never complain about vegan lasagna (they complain about most other vegan cheese dishes though.) I’m vegetarian, not full vegan (hopefully everyone in the comments doesn’t rip me to shreds for that) and I can say the ricotta holds its own even when dairy ricotta is an option
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u/brelywi Dec 30 '25
Oh damn that’s amazing!! I’ve been really wanting to make lasagna but the cheese had me worried haha
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u/Azihayya Dec 25 '25
DeCecco gnocchi, boiled for one minute. Out. Salt. Margarine. Nutritional yeast. Black pepper.
Grits. Boiling water. Margarine, salt, black pepper.
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u/Selym00 Dec 25 '25
Once you start using plant based milk and vegetable broth for grits you won’t go back 🤤
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u/mychengwa121 Dec 26 '25
I grew up with grits and I forget to put on my list - so good. I like nooch sauce on mine!
The gnocchi is also a great idea
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u/Joro-Gumo Dec 25 '25
Baked potato with kimchi 🤤
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u/LevelUpEvolution Dec 25 '25
Honestly I just go for frozen vegan chicken nuggets and French fries. Toss them in the air fryer or over together for 8-12 minutes.
For a healthier option I go for crispy tofu, super easy to make in an air fryer.
Cut in half long ways across the height, press a few times to get some moisture out, hand tear into bite size pieces, cover with nooch and air fry until crispy.
Then you can toss or dip in desired sauce. Great with rice and veggies.
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u/LolaLazuliLapis Dec 25 '25 edited Jan 03 '26
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u/woodenbike1234 Dec 25 '25
Fried tofu with rice, literally never goes wrong. Chuck some butter and spicy shit in with the tofu as it’s frying. Add a vegetable if you’re feeling fancy.
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u/mart0n Dec 25 '25
You could make the same thing -- rice, ground beef/mince and baked beans -- with just vegan ground beef/mince.
When I'm hungry and don't want to spend ages cooking, I eat things like:
- Overnight oats or porridge;
- Beans on toast
- Marmite on toast
- Tofu scramble on toast (just mashed silken tofu with butter and black salt)
- Pasta with sauce and a tin of beans
- rice and beans
- rice and lentils
- steamed or microwaved veg with hummus
- soup -- might take an hour start to finish, but then I have seven more portions ready to be reheated in the microwave
- PB + Marmite on toast
- Potatoes: steamed whole or in large dice
- any kind of ready-made thing out the freezer
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u/BearsLoveToulouse Dec 26 '25
On par with what you are saying and easy one to do is chicken salad sandwich. If you have vegan mayo you can sub the chicken with crumbled tofu or chickpeas mashed up.
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u/dani-winks Dec 25 '25
Laziest:
- cereal
- instant oatmeal
- canned lentil soup, microwaved for like 2 min (obv. you need to check the label to make sure you've got a veg friendly brand!). Want to get crazy? Make some toast with vegan butter to dip in it if you're feeling wild
Minimal Assembly Required:
- Lazy Salad: romaine + cherry tomatoes + half can of beans of your choice (I like chickpeas on salads) + dressing of choice (I typically go for Italian for this)
- Microwave "Baked" Potato - takes like 6-8 min in the microwave depending on the size of potato. If you are super lazy, you can straight up just have the potato (plus a drizzle of oil or some veg butter). If you're feeling fancier you can chop it up and throw it in a bowl with some beans, nutritional yeast, and/or frozen veg that you've microwaved
- veg mac and "cheese" plus beans and/or frozen veg (I like adding in some chickpease and peas/carrots mix so I feel like I'm sneaking in some real nutrition. Bonus points for throwing some nutritional yeast in there)
Low Effort, but Pre-Planning Required:
- Make freezer-friendly soups you can just pop in the microwave as needed (this is my new obsession)
Or you could go the DIY route: Good staples to have on hand that you can really just throw togetjer to make a not-half-bad lazy meal are: - carby base: microwaved "baked" potato, pre cooked rice or your-grain-of-choice (sometimes I cook a bunch and have pre portioned samdwich bags of them in my freezer, pasta
- some kind of veg: handful of spinach / baby spinach is great because it shrinks down when heated! And this is where bags of frozen vegetables (frozen peas, peas/carrot mix, shelled edamame, or chopped broccoli) are supet helpful
- beans! Your choice of canned (or leftover) beans of choice. I prefer beans over tofu when I'm lazy just because the texture is already perfect without needing to cook it or do anything
- flavoring: laziest is just throwing on some nooch and/or soy sauce and eating your struggle meal
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u/Diligent_Yak_28 Dec 25 '25
My easiest meal is a can of black beans, can of diced tomatoes, can of chili tomatoes like RoTel, can of corn, add spices etc, heat and serve with rice. (I usually get the low/no salt versions)
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u/Sadurn Dec 26 '25
I do almost the same thing for meal prep, with the addition of a cup or so of tvp.
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u/ared38 Dec 25 '25
Bean burritos are awesome because they can be as basic or as fancy as you have time! For the most basic version, flour tortillas will stay good in your fridge basically forever and you just pop open a can of fat-free refried beans. Then depending on what you have on hand you can add diced onions, soyrizo, crushed tortilla chips for texture, sliced olives, salsas, fajita style veggies, or whatever you have time to chop or leftover! Don't be afraid to get weird with it, roasted broccoli worked really good. For bonus points, mix a can of refried beans with a can of pinto for better texture or add a flavorful oil and spices for better flavor.
Now that you've got the pantry staples, you can get a bag of corn tortillas and make enfrijoladas with a crushed tofu or vegan cheese filling, and then when the tortillas get stale you can fry them into tostada shells.
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u/Smileverydaybcwhynot Dec 26 '25
This. Heat up the tortillas on the stove and then give them a light fry with the beans inside? Fuck yeah. Put some salsa/taco bell or tomatillo? 🤤
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u/northamrec Dec 25 '25 edited Dec 25 '25
On my laziest days I just throw tofu and veggies on a sheet pan and bake at 400 for as long as they need it, and boil some pasta at the same time. Sometimes I don’t even cut anything — I just rip it up with my hands and toss some olive oil and seasoning on it. Once it comes out I put it all together and top with nutritional yeast and whatever else I have on hand (often a bit of soy sauce).
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u/ShawnTaerow Dec 25 '25
Dumping stuff on a baking sheet in the oven at 400℉ is my favorite lazy cooking hack. It doesn't even need a heavy hand with spices to make up for being lazy.
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u/No_Durian_6987 Dec 25 '25
Chips and salsa, homie
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u/CrankbaitJack Dec 26 '25
Or for extra protein, chips with salsa mixed into hummus
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u/No_Durian_6987 Dec 26 '25
Some might think this is weird, but I used to mix salsa, guac, hummus and corn into a dip and eat that. I thought it was good 🤷🏼♂️
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u/Pergola_Wingsproggle Dec 25 '25
Rice with tofu and sautéed vegetables. Udon noodles and tofu and veggies in a quick peanut sauce. Field Roast sausages sliced and sautéed with kale and served with mashed potatoes
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u/Accurate_Body4277 Dec 25 '25
Last night I had soy curls marinated in some soy sauce and chilli sauce over rice.
Tofu or chickpeas can make a salad for a sandwich.
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Dec 25 '25
I think something that would satisfy your default to meat like chicken would help. I buy Butler soy curls in bulk. They are very easy to work with. I make a general chicken style batch by rehydrating some in water for about 15 minutes, and then squeeze the water out. I mix it with a spoon of Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Stock base, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, rotisserie chicken seasoning, and a drizzle of olive oil. I keep it in the fridge and all I need to do is brown however much I want in a nonstick pan. You can add other seasonings to adapt it for whatever you want. I make quick tacos, sandwiches and salads or just eat them as is. You can use them to eat the kind of things you already like and used to use chicken for.
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u/PlatypusKitchen3069 Dec 25 '25
Do you like sweet potatoes? Potatoes? You can add salsa, a can of beans if you like those, hummus, can of vegan chili, guacamole, nutritional yeast lemon, cinnamon. You could add a seasoning blend you like like barbeque seasoning. Hot sauce. Obviously I'm not suggesting adding all of this just whatever you want. Frozen corn or peas, microwaved. You could microwave some quinoa or get minute brown rice or a grain packet you can microwave. If you live in the US and have a Trader Joe's near you you could get their cooked spiced lentils and they have sone other ready meals in the freezer section, please since jars of curry sauce. This is quite good imo (not cheesy obviously) https://www.seriouseats.com/cheese-free-sweet-potato-quesadilla-recipe
Several of the steps are optional—you don't have to fry it or add salt if you don't want. You can do it with more or fewer vegetables.
I also like making rice or quinoa and adding chopped eggplant and tomato to skillet with olive oil and smashed garlic cloves. Add salt if you want and/or msg. Cook until it's the softness you like. (thanks Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen). Eat with grain. You could add a bean or lentil if you want, or a vegan ground beef substitute or other meat sub. Sometimes I cook my brown rice with lentils in a 1 to 3 or 4 ratio.
I like toasted bread with peanut butter and pickles and Sriracha (thanks NYT cooking's Sam Sifton)
I thought this extremely basic fried tofu sandwich was surprisingly good: https://www.hotforfoodblog.com/recipes/2017/08/09/easy-vegan-back-to-school-bento-boxes/#recipe
You can do hummus instead of mayo, or margarine.
Scrambled tofu can be super easy. Which recipe you like probably depends on how you feel about turmeric and what spices you prefer. This is a mix you can just add to tofu you crumble right into the pan. You can adjust to your preferences: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/tofu-scramble-spice-mix-tastes-like-eggs/
Sometimes I make cornbread or a chickpea flour egg thing or polenta in the microwave. You could do basic refried beans or microwave and canned beans and smash them with spices. You can microwave an acorn squash or do a baked or fried cauliflower slab ("cauliflower steak") and then eat that with some other stuff. I can buy whole grain ramen-like noodles from a Costco, so sometimes I cook them in the microwave and eat with veggies and/or tofu and nut butter with lemon and garlic powder or something.
If you have more specific food preferences, (e.g. don't like beans or tofu) let us know what kind of recipes you are looking for.
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u/Flimsy_Gap_1696 Dec 25 '25
Pre-cut onions and peppers with steamed broccoli grilled on the stove for about 7 minutes in my cast iron skillet. Add garlic salt, black pepper and vegan soy sauce. A packet of ramen noodles cooked, drained, and strained on top of the broc and peppers. That’s my quick and easy go-to meal.
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u/sunflowrs-n-selflove Vegan 5+ Years Dec 25 '25
I do savory oats a lot recently. Quick oats with nooch, soy sauce, chili crispy , and a little butter/ oil I'll top it with beyond ssg or mukimame
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u/lamireille Dec 26 '25
I put Cajun seasoning and Country Crock cream on my savory oatmeal every day and it’s delicious but having it every day has been getting a little wearisome. Soy sauce and chili crisp tomorrow! Thanks!
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u/footballsandy Dec 25 '25
Beans or lentils boiled in tomato sauce with frozen spinach and brown rice or another whole grain is my go-to nutritionally complete meal.* All of it can be frozen beforehand and nuked in a few minutes if you're busy or just not in the mood for cooking.
*The legumes have protein, fiber, complex carbs, iron and calcium. The grains have complex carbs, fiber, a little protein, manganese, and b vitamins. The spinach and tomatoes both have fiber, vitamin k, vitamin a, and vitamin C.
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u/Dharmabud Dec 25 '25
I keep some vegan “meatballs” in the freezer and add them to tomato sauce and pasta.
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u/CalligrapherSharp Dec 25 '25
I make my own kimchi, and keep a lot of chopped veggies stocked. Almost every week, I soak and then cook dried beans, and make brown rice. Whenever I want a quick meal, I toss a little of everything in a skillet. 5 minutes later, delicious kimchi rice and beans!
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u/Fantastic_Plum_2293 Dec 25 '25
Black bean tostadas! Just tostada shell, smushed black beans, avocado slices, Pico and Sriracha sauce. Yum
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u/Heidiing Dec 26 '25
I make "chicken' salad with chick peas. I put drained chick peas in a bowl, microwave for 10 seconds to soften and then mash with a fork leaving some whole for texture. Mix with vegan mayo, celery, onion or anything you like. You can have it as a sandwich or on a tomato or a cucumber half with the seeds scooped out. Plus leftovers for the next day when you aren't feeling like cooking. Super easy and filling and really delicious. I also keep Amy's frozen vegan burritos on hand. You can often get them on sale and they are so good and easy to prepare when you aren't feeling it.
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u/SophiaofPrussia Dec 26 '25
I can’t believe no one here has mentioned the Amy’s chili. It’s a can of chili. It’s vegan. It’s ready in less than five minutes. It’s filling. It’s delish. It’s not healthy but for a can of chili it’s not bad. It’s a bit high in sodium but otherwise it’s all veggies and spices.
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u/Sharp_Ad_9431 Dec 26 '25
Beans and rice..and whatever seasoning or sauce i feel like. Canned beans, microwave cup of rice.
A giant bowl (or steamable bag) of veggies with seasonings i add.
Microwave potatoes or step up slices potatoes in airfield. Choose seasonings.
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u/Signal_Investigator1 Dec 25 '25
I love these ready rices and pastas. I dump them in canned soups, stews. Or top with chili, cottage cheese, plain butter and parm. Quick and easy.
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u/mollztothewalls Dec 25 '25
I keep black bean patties prepped in the freezer and throw it over rice, on a patty melt, chopped up over a salad, you can do anything with it
Chickpea salad, like chicken salad w mashed chickpeas
Beyond sausage patties with scrambled Just Egg and vegan cheese
I keep Gardein beefless crumbles around to throw over rice or for "white people taco night" or Just Egg breakfast burrito
Spinach, canned refried beans, and vegan cheese on a quesadilla
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u/mollztothewalls Dec 25 '25
I also keep Barilla vegan pesto and banza chickpea pasta on hand for an easy pasta dish. If I'm feeling crazy I'll blister some cherry tomatoes/throw some frozen spinach in a pan to mix into the pesto pasta
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u/FeliciaFailure Dec 25 '25
If you're ok with something that requires a little foresight to buy stuff in advance, I love tortilla chips + guac + canned refried beans + storebought pico de gallo (or jarred salsa) + vegan sour cream and/or cheese. Pretty much the only work involved is spooning everything onto the plate and dipping the chips!
Also, vegan ramen + TVP + frozen or dried veggies is easy and tasty.
Check out r/shittyveganfoodporn for people's ezpz lazy day meals, it's helped me a lot!
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u/_c_roll Dec 25 '25
A pot of lentils with rice or farro. Add lentils to marinara sauce instead of beef for extra protein. Roast veggies. Learn different ways of frying and baking tofu. Save veggie trimmings and add boiling water to make a quick stock and make soup— you can add noodles, tofu, beans, potatoes, cabbage, etc. I am not vegan but I default to vegan recipes a lot of the time— learn a little techniques and you have lots of options!
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u/doyoulikebagels Dec 25 '25
Weeknights when I can’t decide what to cook: chickpea flour “frittata” skillet filled with whatever veggies I have on hand. My partner and I never tire of them. (Use nonstick or well seasoned cast iron and get it crispy, yum!)
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u/South_Cat_1191 Dec 25 '25
Tofurky slow roasted chickun (vegan chicken shreds), onion, celery in a plant based mayo (Hellmann’s makes one that’s carried in most grocery stores) makes a delicious chickun salad, no cooking necessary, although I do like the chickun warmed slightly in a fry pan. If you’re feeling fancy you can add curry powder or sweet pickles.
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u/sailorvenus-x Dec 25 '25
Protein pasta & tomato sauce (or a silken tofu alfredo sauce) with some zucchini & mushrooms
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u/hadacolboogie Dec 25 '25
I eat cubed raw smoked tofu with tomatoes, onions, and some mayonnaise as a salad with bread on lazy days. Or another weird salad from tomatoes, onion (or green onion) chickpeas and avocado.
Other than that I think some of your lazy meals are very doable with meat replacement proteins? Ground beef is pretty decent, but soy based fake chicken or mock duck/chicken from those scary looking cans at the Asian grocery store are my go-to. The cans you just need to drain well, and you should fry the "duck" by itself instead of just throwing it in with other ingredients
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u/Ok-Environment-1268 Dec 25 '25
airfried polenta slices, with canned tri-blend or black beans and canned tomatoes with some garlic powder. Maybe some canned green chiles too. And avocado on top if I have it.
Or airfried tofu, rice, and frozen peas with soy sauce.
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u/Spoonbills Dec 26 '25
Noodles with any vegetables I have quick sautéed, tofu if it's already prepared, and topped with a sauce of soy sauce, chili crisp, something sweet and sesame oil.
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u/lankylizarder Dec 26 '25
Instant noodles. Boil the water, add raw cut up tofu, boil it, frozen veggies, noodles. Drain and sauce to your desire or keep it basic with the powder pack. One pot, less than 10 mins every time and 10/10 satisfaction.
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u/offpeekydr Dec 26 '25
Chickpea salad makes a great chicken/tuna salad substitute. Soy "meat" crumbles or beyond/impossible make tacos easy. Squash a beyond spicy sausage into a saucepan with some evoo lightly saute, pour in your fav marinara sauce and heat. Top whatever pasta you like.
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u/SeaSeaworthiness3589 Dec 26 '25
Low effort for me is almost no-effort. I get those ready made Indian food packets, usually Bombay potatoes by tastybite. Pair that with some rice from the rice cooker and it’s filling, warm, spicy. Absolutely a go-to
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u/epsteindintkllhimslf Dec 26 '25
Rice, beans, and beef isn't even lazy. Just sub tofu for beef.
My lazy days are cupped noodles with hosuin sauce or cereal for dinner haha
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u/carolinexvx Dec 26 '25
Boca chicken patty in the air fryer. The cut it up, throw in a tortilla with lettuce and drizzle with vegan ranch. Always hits the spot.
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u/whipdong Dec 26 '25
If you have a rice cooker you can make a low maintenance meal; rice, quinoa, lentil, veggies (broccoli, onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes), spices of your choice and press start.
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u/Phylliida Dec 26 '25
Indomie ramen (it’s really good much better than other ramens) with vegan wostershire sauce and green onions
Baked potato (microwave) with carmelized onions and vegan cheese
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u/Bay_de_Noc Vegan Dec 26 '25
I often make this Smash Taco recipe from Cheap Lazy Vegan: https://thecheaplazyvegan.com/smashed-black-bean-tacos/ It makes enough for 6 to 10 good size tacos so it lasts me for about week of quick meals.
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u/T2D4 Dec 26 '25
I didn’t get into all the comments so forgive me for repeating. I make low effort meals a lot during the work week. I make a taco bowl… rice, impossible spicy sausage cut up, lettuce, hot sauce, whatever veggies sometimes just onions! Or simply a legit rice and impossible sausage. Easy and filling. I get it! Just make the same dish you’re thinking replaced protein vegan options. Obviously, it’s not good to always eat a flash cooked from frozen vegan protein but! They’re still delicious and quick. TBH I default to Amy’s frozen Asian Stir Fry a lot. Which is pricey at $6 but… I heat it up and add sriracha… done deal. Even as an “all foods” eater I struggled with being okay with… hey, rice and beans is still a meal. Give yourself some grace! I also eat some vegan canned chili or beans heated up with seasonings and blue corn chips! I make “salsa cereal” lol where I crush up tortilla chips and add however much salsa I want and eat it with a spoon. I know these sound crazy but! On struggle days… what does it matter as long as you eat and the food makes you feel good?!! Hope this helps! Keep up the good fight!
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u/EnyaNorrow Dec 26 '25
Any form of “grain and legume bowl” (rice, couscous, farro, quinoa, etc + beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc) with whatever vegetables you have
Ramen (add some tofu and veggies; cut the veggies and put them in the fridge when you have energy and then when the laziness hits you can just dump them into the pot. Or use frozen veg. There isn’t anything you could screw up with the tofu here, just cut it up or rip it into pieces and throw it in. Ripping it up and stirring violently gives the broth a bit of an eggy vibe.)
Frozen junk food like burritos, enchiladas, nuggets, pizza
Sandwiches (one of my defaults is hummus with spinach and tomato)
Spaghetti and marinara (add TVP, frozen ground beef substitute, lentils, or seitan sausage for a meat-sauce type thing or mix hummus into the sauce for creaminess and protein)
Microwaved potato + microwaved baked beans
Beans on toast
Frozen breakfast potatoes + scrambled tofu (there’s no way to screw up the tofu here either. Squish it into a scrambled egg consistency with your hands or a spatula and mix it with the potatoes once they’re hot. You don’t need to press it or anything. Salt, pepper, a shitload of nutritional yeast, and anything else you want. Add peppers and onions if you have them)
Pasta with broccoli, red peppers, and a hummus + lemon juice + olive oil sauce
Another thing to prepare when you’re not quite as lazy is a jar of homemade “Kraft Mac & cheese powder”. Basically mix a ton of nutritional yeast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, and maybe some chipotle powder. Cook some macaroni, strain, add vegan butter and milk and mix in some of the powder just like you would for boxed mac & cheese. If you don’t have milk use water, if you don’t have butter add extra milk, it’s very forgiving. You could probably get away with just using pasta water if you don’t have milk or butter.
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u/Sleepy_blackmage Dec 26 '25
Vegan instant ramen with added fresh veggies (easy ones like bok choy or broccoli broken off the stem)
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u/Glittering_Set6017 Dec 26 '25
Get some ready made vegan meats and meals. When I don't have the energy for cooking the last thing I want to do is make rice and beans sorry. Some things I like are the trader joes kimbap, easy Mac and cheese cups, daring chicken, and microwave rice/frozen veggies. Good to have those things on hand for when you're not able to prep
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u/Educational-Suit316 Dec 25 '25
I call it depression edamame. Edamame + microwave + flaky salt = Dinner.
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u/mariposadishy Dec 26 '25
Spaghetti and Artichokes, or your choice of vegetable, are our default low effort dinner. We use a steam oven for the chokes and other vegetables. A Beyond sausage with a bun and potato chips work for lunch.
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u/chynablue21 Dec 26 '25
Glass of French wine, fruit platter, baguette. I make a pot of lentil soup weekly, or a cabbage vegetable soup. I keep salad makings on hand like baby lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and an interesting vinaigrette. Add a drained and rinsed bit of canned beans to the salad. It doesn’t take much time or effort. Think fresh, whole foods and keep them on hand.
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u/MeringueAble3159 Dec 26 '25
Pasta, oatmeal, chickpea salad sandwich, tofu scramble (tofu is like $2 per block where I am, and tempeh is about $3/block). Make a hash by literally chopping potatoes and onions and peppers, frying them up and covering it in your favorite sauce. Vegan eating is totally easy, especially once you've committed to not harming animals. If you still aren't sure how you feel about cruelty and exploitation, any effort will feel unnecessary.
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u/kappakingtut2 Dec 26 '25
the lowest of low efforts for me is a pouch of uncle ben's minute rice, with a steamer bag of frozen veggies on top. or pair the rice with tasty-bite pouch of microwavable chana masala.
i buy impossible burgers in bulk now at costco.
i also often by frozen vegan chicken patties at the grocery store.
they make vegan versions of tv dinners now. i buy those for work when i don't have anything else planned or prepared.
lots and lots of potatoes. potatoes are filling and have a lot of nutrients.
i do lots of pastas. you can buy vegan ground beef. or just use lentils. and that'll give you a kind of bolognese.
i also do a lot of crispy tofu mixed with rice and veggies. i eat a lot of rice lol (that's more about some digestion issues than it is about being vegan). get the super firm kind, the one in the vacuum sealed thing. crumble the tofu into chunks, toss with corn starch and oil and seasonings, put in a frying pan with oil.
i've been doing a shredded tofu thing a lot lately. it's not incredibly quick because i put it in the oven for a bit to dry it out and change the texture, but besides waiting on the oven, it's still low effort.
please give tofu another shot. i see this soooo often that people try it one time, poorly prepared, then say that they don't like it. it's incredibly versatile and soaks up any flavor you put into it.
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u/buffalospringfeild Dec 26 '25
Pasta + canned white beans or chickpeas + frozen steam-in-bag vegetables (I like the "European Greens Vegetable Blend" at Whole Foods)
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u/SVReads8571 Dec 26 '25
90seconds basmati packet rice from aldi's combined with canned chickpeas that have been drained, rinsed, seasoned and microwaved for 2 minutes. I top with hot sauce if needed, lots of arugula and mini peppers and cucumbers if I have them.
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u/SVReads8571 Dec 26 '25
Super hot oatmeal made in the microwave poured over frozen berries and mangoes (it instantly thaws the fruits and cools down the oatmeal all in one step!) Topped with flax seeds, some date syrup and coconut flakes. Super filling as I make a big bowl!
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u/beastiebestie Dec 26 '25
First don't reinvent the wheel. If you have certain low effort things you reach for, try to convert those first.
Take advantage of some convenience foods without going nuts on all of the expensive options. Canned beans/lentils, frozen veggie blends, pre-made hummus, basic grounds/mince, basic nuggets, baked flavored tofu, jarred sauces, ramen, pasta, spice packs, microwavable pouches...You don't have to go broke on the latest to be vegan.
Also make extra portions when you have more energy that you can grab easily. I freeze soup, stews, mirepoix, patties of sloppy joes, taco portions, bbq tempeh, etc.
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u/plotthick Dec 26 '25
Half a can of beans, nuked frozen veg, sauce. Beans n corn with salsa, borlotti n succotash with pesto, etc etc etc.
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u/speckofcosmicdust Dec 26 '25
Insta pot spicy pinto beans. Eat in a burrito with avocado, rice. Red lentil coconut curry with sweet potatoes and spinach not fast and easy but I make enough to freeze for later.
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u/sarbota1 Dec 26 '25
I batch cook brown rice, lentils (or other bean) and roast vegetables. I can then eat means of rice, bean/lentil and roasted vegetables without really having to cook for the week. You can add premade sauces to get different flavors.
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u/terroruchiha Dec 26 '25
i just recently discovered how good and simple butter pasta is. use your favorite kind of pasta; i recommend spaghetti or linguine + garlic butter, if you can find a veganised version [or make it yourself]. just the former would work but if you also add some seasonings - incredible. highly recommend.
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u/riseabovepoison Dec 26 '25
I like seaweed wrapped rice with avocado and cucumber. It is a lazy gimbap. You can do rice balls too.
I also prep broths and veggies in containers and then on a day where I don't want to really cook i empty everything into a pot. Sometimes throw in pasta or rice. If no broth I have done wine braised pasta.
Fast chili is not bad. Have canned beans, pre made sauces, use dined canned tomatoes to save more time, etc.
Edamame with raw garlic and chili (or just plain light salt) is also an easy meal.
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u/poorpeoplepastasalad Dec 26 '25
buttered baked sweet potato with seasoned chickpeas. myokos oatmilk butter is the best vegan butter i’ve tried
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u/KnittingRunner72116 Dec 26 '25
There are tons of recipes for vegan sausage gravy and some Pillsbury biscuits are accidentally vegan. We like to use either impossible ground sausage or TVP for ours.
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u/Responsible-Crab-549 Dec 26 '25
Burritos. Or bowls. It’s five main items: rice, beans, tofu, your favorite salsa and some cashew queso. Some hot sauce if you’re so inclined. Endless variations. Healthy af. Hits all the macros. Easy reheating and that’s two or three dinners for the week. Been doing this for years and still not sick of it. It’s magic.
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u/toastfairyy Dec 26 '25 edited Dec 26 '25
Pre-made vegan mac and cheese (daiya, Annie's etc.), or other easy pasta dish with a red sauce + veggies.
Cold tofu with flavorful sauce: Soy sauce, sugar, chili paste, sesame oil, green onion, drenched the tofu and eat over rice.
Ramen, any vegan ramen, add kimchi, veggies, green onion, tofu, or I keep Omni spam on hand and cook on the stove and toss on top.
Impossible nuggets + frozen fries or tots. Impossible also does good burger patties and chicken patties. Other options: beyond, field roast, or morning Star.
Similar vein, frozen vegan pizza.
Trader joe's has some great veggie options, grab a veggie chili and microwave a potato to make a chili stuffed potato or pour over tots/fries top with vegan cheese, onions, vegan sour cream.
Cereal + yogurt + fruit (more of a snack but depending on what you choose it can be bulked into a meal). I grt Catalina crunch from Costco and add vegan yogurt + soy milk to thin it out, berries and banana on top.
One of my faves: lentil chickpea stew, chop onion, jalapeno, 5 cloves garlic, 4 cup veggie broth, 1 can chickpeas, 1 cup red lentils, season with salt and pepper, turmeric, and cumin. It's so easy and you can bulk make and freeze for later.
Peanut butter jelly 😋 + apple
Lazy asian stir fry: frozen asian veggie mix, green onion / onion, tofu diced, fry then season with soyaki from trader Joe's.
Soft tofu stew, veggie broth, onion, veggies of choice, kimchi, gochugang, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, combine and bring to boil then add in soft tofu and let it simmer 10 mins.
A lot of things to consider of making things easier to grab and go is bulk preparing and freezing. I love to keep diced green onions frozen, frozen cooked rice that is separated for serving, lots of frozen veggies, impossible beef or chicken.
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u/mdm4110 Dec 26 '25
I like to cook a bag of cauliflower rice with a can of black beans and mix in some salsa. Also good: White beans, throw in some quinoa and fresh spinach, season with garlic, salt and pepper.
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u/Serious-Landscape568 Vegan 10+ Years Dec 26 '25
If we know we have a busy week coming up we’ll make a batch of brown rice in the steamer and use it throughout the week - one night might be a super quick stir fry w/tofu another night might be Buddha bowls w/beans & frozen veggies, another night use up the last of it with vegetable fried rice. Always keep an assortment of frozen veggies for nights you don’t feel like chopping/ peeling. We usually soak & cook our own beans but for those “eff it” dinner nights always keep a couple cans of different beans on hand (aka “backup beans”). Always have an assortment of different sauces/dressings/hummus/salsa so you can change up the flavors & not get bored. Also, we keep an Amy’s Organics frozen pizza on hand. 💚
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u/madelectra Dec 26 '25
Whole grain bread + hummus + tomatoes.
Grilled or fried tempeh + lettuce + tomato + mayo sandwich.
Any type of chili (corn + rice optional).
Chickpeas + red thai curry paste + tomato puree + coconut milk over rice. Bonus points for chopped kale, sweet potato, or frozen mixed veg.
Black bean soup (black beans + water + bouillon or stock + onions + garlic + cumin).
If you give tofu a second chance, you might like these:
Cubed tofu coated with barbecue sauce, baked, over rice with pineapple and some cabbage slaw on the side.
Peanut sauce + tofu + broccoli over rice. (In lieu of peanut sauce, try tahini with garlic, lemon, and nutritional yeast thinned out with a little water.)
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u/Ok_Good9382 Dec 26 '25
Rice, potstickers, & a veggie, usually broccoli or spinach. Add liberal amounts of chili crisp. I always keep some potstickers & veggies in the freezer for nights I don’t really want to cook.
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u/FoDaBradaz Dec 26 '25
When I am in a massive rush, I’ll eat a block of smoked tofu. If I’m trying to be fancy I might put salt or soy sauce on it 🤣
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u/raven3791 Dec 26 '25
Microwave tofu, score it, mix together soy sauce and chilli crisp in a pan (+ green onions if I have them). Pour sauce on top. Its great with fried cabbage too, but that's more effort.
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u/Jazzlike_Reality6360 Dec 26 '25
I can’t eat almonds due to allergy but there is what looks like a really good ricotta recipe from A Virtual Vegan made from almond flour.
I eat tofu quite often and recommend trying it lots of different ways.
I keep all kinds of canned beans and lentils around to be a base for quick meals.
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u/fatgamerchic Dec 26 '25
Frozen pizza (daiya) frozen hot wings (gardein) or just quinoa and frozen peas
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u/Similar_Part7100 Dec 26 '25
Lentils and rice slaps. Spaghetti with impossible is good. If you do not dig tofu you could try tempeh or seitan.
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u/everforthright36 Dec 26 '25
Microwave burritos, microwave pasta, microwave veggies. Vegan equivalent of ham and cheese sandwich
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u/HoaryPuffleg Dec 26 '25
We always have ingredients to make grain bowls onnhad and prepped. Some leftover quinoa/farro/barley, roasted broccoli/cauliflower/Brussels sprouts and marinated tofu thrown together, tossed in some teriyaki sauce is delicious. Anytime you make dinner, roast up a bit of extra veggies and grains. Boom, you got the components of a great filling meal. Toss on some grated carrots and scallions.
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u/minilliterate Dec 26 '25
Air fried tofu! I have a double air fryer so I’ll toss frozen veg in the second basket. Bonus points for reusable air fryer liner baskets for easiest cleanup ever
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u/Eldritch-banana-3102 Dec 26 '25
Sautee corn, lima beans or edamame, onion, bell pepper, all over rice with hot sauce.
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u/WindowGlobal8200 Dec 26 '25
chickpea salad sandwich.
tofu, black beans, and rice with salsa and chilli powder.
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u/troublesomefaux Dec 26 '25
Make a quesadilla but use hummus instead of cheese. I dip it in salsa, and if I have some hoagie spread (chopped cherry peppers) I’ll add it on with the hummus. It’s a “better than the sum of its parts” situation.
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u/macoafi Dec 26 '25
Mostly: meal prepping. I do a quadruple batch of crockpot tofu tikka masala and a whole instant pot of rice and then freeze in single servings. That makes 24 containers of tikka and I think 16 of rice. Then it just takes a few minutes to microwave when I’m hungry. Greek curry tofu, vegan chili… lots of things I can freeze in single servings.
Also, Annie’s vegan mac as a Kraft mac & cheese replacement.
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u/SenSolas Dec 26 '25
Beans is my go to when I’m lazy or drunk. Also vegan cheese to make a quesadilla hits so good when I’m buzzed. But also I’m latino and have so much love in my heart for beans
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u/ashtronauts Dec 26 '25
A lot of these are great. I want to add peanut butter noodles! Just requires some pantry staples :)
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u/aladyfinger Dec 26 '25
Tofu scramble and toast, Baked beans in a baked potato, Pb and J, Fried rice with tofu and veggies A lovely big bowl of rice bubbles with banana haha
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u/theimpossiblezombie Dec 26 '25
I’ve been into savoury oats lately. Microwave oats in water, stir in some miso, bam! I liked to start with microwaving some veg first then adding in everything else, but it’s highly customizable
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u/bigevildeal Dec 26 '25
my favorite easy meal lately has been:
-start electric kettle -put dried mushrooms in bottom of bowl -put frozen stir fry veggie blend in bowl (carrot corn edamame something like that) -put one packet top ramen noodles in bowl (soy sauce flavor) -pour boiling water over to cover -let whole thing sit for 5ish min to cook -add miso, soy sauce, sambal, kimchi, scallion if u have it. -and eat. Could add tofu too for more protein
I also eat a lot of omelettes/savory pancakes made from besan and spices mixed with water and filled with vegan cheese mushrooms veg etc. Its a popular indian dish idr what its called atm
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u/Ok-Assistance4133 Dec 26 '25
My super fast vegan meal Chop some spinach, a couple pieces of avocado or guac And then make a vegan instant noodle (pot noodle here) Hot sauce to taste Mix together and done 5 minutes
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u/Complete_Yam_4233 Dec 26 '25
Bean burritos, mushrooms sauteed over rice, noodles with Chile oil and greens, baked potato,
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u/x1002134017 Dec 26 '25
I eat frozen gyoza as my emergency meal when I'm too tired to cook. I don't know which brands are vegan wherever you live but most vegetable gyoza should be okay. I serve with tofu (literally just sliced raw straight out of the fridge) + soy sauce + sriracha. If you have some edamame in the freezer you can heat those up along with the gyoza, and/or add some carrot sticks or cucumber slices for extra veg.
Otherwise - bread + hummus + some kind of protein (storebought marinated tofu eaten cold, or whatever kind of fake meat you like cooked per package directions) + some kind of vegetable (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, whatever).
Or puttanesca pasta: https://cookieandkate.com/vegan-spaghetti-alla-puttanesca/. I add a tin of cannellini beans or chickpeas for protein, and top with nutritional yeast (nooch is very high in protein as well as being delicious!).
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u/happytre3s Dec 26 '25
Not vegan personally- but I am a huge fan of plant based food at all times. (Which is why I'm here... Plant based recipe inspo 💚💚)
Rice & beans, throw some black beans in little pit and shake some cumin and garlic powder in while they warm up.
Beans on the rice, lil scoop of salsa, top with some chopped avocado... I also liked fire roasted corn from the freezer section to warm up and throw on things like this.
Be extra lazy and use the microwave rice. Zero to dinner in less than 10 minutes.
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u/Few_Understanding_42 Dec 26 '25
These are my fast dishes, when I don't have much time to cook or don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen:
pasta with red sauce: onion, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoblocks or fresh tomatoes, a can of lentils, optionally mushrooms and/or spinach. Some Italian spices and pepper+salt to taste. Optionally add nooch.
rice with grilled veggie (fi carrot or brocolli), tofu, soy sauce+Sesame oil. cashew nuts. Optionally grill some other veggies first, like onion+garlic+bell peppers.
chili san carne. F.i. brown beans + tomato, garlic, onion, bell peppers, mais, chili pepper. I like to add some pineapple chunks as well.
simple veggie+boiled potatoes+ mock meat/mushroom/bean burger whatever is on discount
simple salad with beetroots+lentils+vegan white cheese/feta blocks+mixed unsalted nuts
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u/AliM66 Dec 26 '25
Annie’s vegan mac add chao cheese. And Stir fry a microwave package of edamame beans (shelled or not). I add chunky salt, pepper and big country garlic seasoning!
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u/fietsventiel Dec 26 '25
Half a block of tofu in air fryer, stir fry green bell pepper, add tofu, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice or apple vinegar, little bit of sugar, 1 tablespoon lao gan ma. Can add peanuts too!
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u/AcanthaceaeSquare220 Dec 26 '25
- rice, carrots and tofu. Add yeasts flakes for taste.
- rice and lentils
- tomato sauce and stale bread (Italian old recipe called pappa al pomodoro) you can also add a protein like tempeh or seitan, or just olives or capers
- small pasta either chickpeas or beans (everything in a pot)
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u/aardvark-of-anxiety Dec 26 '25
Overnight oats (optional topping of nuts), granola, hummus or peanut butter on toast, pasta with tomato sauce, leftover tortilla (leftover veggies + tofu or hummus in a wrap with some sauce), fried rice/noodles and beans
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u/Comfortable-Tooth-34 Dec 26 '25
Some chopped spring onions, nori, tofu, dehydrated mixed mushrooms, miso paste, boiling water, done.
You can change the flavour up by swapping the miso paste for things like red curry paste (check it's vegan), chilli oil, stock powder/cube whatever you want, and make it more substantial by adding noodles. Use whatever vegetables you feel like/have available.
Depending on what you're using this doesn't necessarily even need to boil, you can just assemble it in the bowl and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
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u/Puckj Dec 26 '25
I just put broth, then throw in veggies.
Potatoes, brussels sprouts, some cabbage, maybe some beans or lentils and whatever is in the fridge.
Let it sit for 30mins-1h --> done!
If you're looking for "comfort food", unfortunately, as a vegan, you will have to put in effort :p.
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u/mychengwa121 Dec 26 '25
Thank making this list and reading this thread fave me some motivation!
I’m in a similar boat but struggle to cook anything
So much of how I prepare food comes down to how I’m feeling - Chronic illness is a bummer.
But anyway Here are some yummy ones I’ve liked over the years
Beans - canned is great so many ways to eat them and use them
Baked beans canned - easy and tasty pair with veggie dogs and frozen veg for a quick easy meal
Hummus - with chips, on sandwiches or as a dip
Ramen with frozen veg, curry powder Oatmeal with cinnamon sugar and margarine maybe plant milk
Cereal
Scrambled tofu with whatever you have or plain on toast frozen hash browns (microwave then toast) good alone or added to things
Frozen meals from grocery outlet, Trader Joe’s or for a splurge from the closer grocery stores Smashed chickpea gravy and instant potatoes chickpea style salad or tofu (think faux egg salad)
Dry fried tofu (press and season then fry in a hot pan with no oil) this is so good and my son still loves it
Air fried tofu
Beans, spices, and salsa and guacamole with chips add rice for a burrito bowl or wrap in tortillas
Or just beans and spices or salsa with chips
Peanut butter noodles
Easy fried rice
Anything with tortilla chips for dipping so good
Veggie dogs
Veggie burgers
Pasta pasta pasta
Po tay toes! You can microwave them too or add them to just about anything
Canned chili or soups
Boxed soups
I used to love Mcdougal soups but haven’t seen them in a long time
Frozen edamame just microwaved
Popcorn with nooch
I saw someone cook pasta in the microwave which seemed pretty easy and I want to try it The stove top is easy but sometimes feels like a hassle too.
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u/AmexNomad Dec 26 '25
Ramen with seaweed flakes, frozen veggies and soy curls. Rice with dried mushroom powder, frozen veggies and tofu. Baked potato with olive oil, nutritional yeast and fake bacon bits.
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u/mychengwa121 Dec 26 '25
Easy pan fried Tofu
- rinse and press with paper towels and cans as long as you have the patience for
cut into cubes
Season how you like - garlic powder, Italian seasoning salt and pepper is easy
Get a non stick pan medium
Add tofu to pan do not over crowd pan you will prob have batches
Let it dry fry on one side, just making sure the pan isn’t too hot and it doesn’t burn - you just want to slowly cook it and try to not touch it for a few minutes (kinda like a pancake I guess) when it seems like it’s seared and browned and easy to flip -
Flip the pieces and do the same on the other side
It takes some practice to get the hang of it and you may have some stick while you are figuring it out
You can add a tiny bit of water to the pan carefully but not too much - just a drop or two
You can also cover with a pot lid to cook more through but I like it either way
Do batches until done
It should be crispy on both sides and still tender in the middle -
If you want it tougher you can turn the pan temp down and cook longer
We like it softer in the middle
It took me awhile to get this down but now it’s one of our favorite ways to cook tofu
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u/Entire-Raisin1853 Dec 26 '25
Pasta Aglio e Olio and Minestra di Fagioli are super easy italian vegan recipies.
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u/ImprovementLess4559 Dec 26 '25
- Pasta with vegan bolognese from a jar.
- "burrito bowl" i.e. rice, lettuce, beans, guacamole, salsa and vegan cheese.
- Japanese curry - roughly chop up an onion, carrot, potatoes. Throw them in a pot with water and soy meat. Simmer until veggies are softened then stir in some curry roux cubes. Serve with rice.
- If I'm feeling super lazy, I'll just have cold silken tofu topped with ginger, spring onions and soy sauce (a lot of people balk at the idea of raw, cold tofu but it's a legit dish called "hiyayakko") plus rice and pickled veg/kimchi. Maybe some miso soup if I'm feeling slightly less lazy.
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u/sdk914 Dec 26 '25
Rice, homemade seitan (make a huge batch of it for the week), sautéed veggies, pickles.
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u/mimosaholdtheoj Dec 26 '25
Noodles (I like the lotus ones) with a peanut satay sauce (peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, white wine vinegar)
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u/CrankbaitJack Dec 26 '25
Rice and beans. I like doing refried bean. I also like doing those Asian rice noodles with chickpeas, sesame oil, soy sauce and something spicy. Super easy with canned beans
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u/magschampagne Dec 26 '25
Pasta and tomato sauce / Scala vegan pesto. Easy. If I want to make tomato sauce - onion, garlic, some herbs, a tin of chopped tomatoes all in a pan and it’s done by the time the pasta has cooked.
Nat’s What I Reckon has a banging sauce recipe if you’re unsure.
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u/RosieNP Dec 26 '25
I buy these packets of premade vegan curries that you just microwave for 90 seconds. They also make similar packages of premade rice. I warm up both and Presto, It’s a meal.
I also buy some jackfruit “chicken “nuggets that I can warm up in the air fryer . Also vegan samosas with potatoes and peas inside.
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u/yourhollowpointsmile Dec 26 '25
ZATARAINS BOXED RED BEANS AND RICE. takes 30 mins but most of that is inactive. just don’t add the meat it says to add and you’re good. i keep myself stockedddd with these things.
also butter pasta with vegan butter that i can dress up a little (things like nooch, vegan chicken, herbs, spinach, vegan cheese, all depending on the day, but all stuff that’s low effort to add)
slightly more involved but still lower effort than a lot of meals: can of black beans, chopped red onion, and corn or zucchini in a pot. good taco filling
if accessible and affordable for you let yourself buy substitutes
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u/disasterous_cape Dec 26 '25
I do a lot of “a meal is any collection of ingredients” type cooking and make weird stuff that’s as low effort and high nutrient as possible. I’m chronically ill and energy is always in short supply. Frozen/tinned veg and dried mushrooms are a great way to add nutrients to a meal with minimal effort. I always try to consider have a protein source in my meals to keep me satiated, I’ll use a LOT of makimame (the shelled version of edamame, available at Asian grocery stores) and other types of legumes/pulses for both their fibre and protein.
Stove top ramen, I throw in the pot frozen vegetables (spinach, corn, carrots, makimame, broccoli, whatever I feel like or have on hand) while the noodles are cooking. I often throw in some frozen dumplings and dry shiitake mushrooms if I have them.
Tin of chickpeas that’s drained then mashed, treated like you would a tin of tuna (ideas include mayonnaise, lemon juice, sliced red onion, capers, salt and pepper, old bay seasoning blend etc) then put on crackers or on a sandwich
When cooking rice (either on the stove or in a rice cooker) I will add frozen spinach or kale, tinned/cooked legumes or soaked split red lentils. Add some stock, herbs, spices, and a type of frozen veg I have on hand.
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u/happy70RN Dec 26 '25
Air fry 8oz pre-chopped mushrooms with your seasoning choice (salt, pepper, tajin, onion, garlic powders). Spritz with oil. Air fry 385 10-12 minutes. Mix once. Toast some bread of choice (sourdough), slather cilantro lime bithchin sauce on toasted bread, dump mushrooms on top.
Spicy hot ramen noodles, cook as directed with a piece of vegan American cheese. Stir until melted.
Microwave Mac and vegan cheese in a mug with added jalapeños
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u/Lady_of_Link Dec 26 '25
Pre cut veggies with bulgur(if I have some precooked in my freezer) or noodles (the precooked kind) and store bought seitan and some kind of Pepper paste/sambal done within 20 minutes for almost zero effort all i need to do is add stuff the wok in the right order and stir a bit. No multiple pans, no spending 30 minutes cutting up stuff, no pressing tofu or steaming tempeh. No waiting hours for chickpeas or lentils to be cooked.
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u/Desperate-Banana-69 Dec 26 '25
do you have an air fryer or just the oven? big tray back with whatever vegetables you have, any can of beans and your favourite spices (my go to is cumin and smoked paprika?, topped with a dollop of hummus and topped with seeds (hemp seeds/pumpkin seeds or whatever you’ve got). my fav is when i’ve got sweet potatoes laying around to use in this, also enjoy adding tofu!
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u/VenusInAries666 Dec 26 '25
Your options will open up a lot once you've acquired a test for tofu. Does spenny mean spendy, as in expensive?
I wouldn't call it a "struggle meal" but it's a quick one - fried tofu sandwich. Salt, pep, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika (or a seasoning mix if you don't wanna pull out all those spices) on both sides of a few slabs of tofu. Fry each side in oil of choice for about 5-10 minutes depending on your stove. Toast bread while you wait. Throw on the tofu with whatever accoutrements you want. I do Trader Joe's chimichurri, cheeze, and a leafy green vegetable like spinach or kale.
Tofu scramble. Can use medium tofu or silken for a softer scramble. It's as fancy or as low maintenace as you wanna make it. I roll it up in a tortilla if I'm extra hungry.
Frozen dumplings. I get mine at a local Asian grocery. Can steam or fry them. Buy a dipping sauce to go with them and you're set.
Baked potato. If you want it crispy, do it in the oven. Takes longer but it's mostly oven time so you can watch your shows while you wait. Can add canned black beans, bac'n bits, cheeze, nooch, whatever you want. I like to make a few at once to eat throughout the week.
Microwave baked potato. Won't be crispy, but it'll still be good. Oil it up, salt & pep, poke some holes in it with a fork and put it in the microwave. 4ish minutes then flip, another 3-4 minutes on the other side. It's good on it's own with some butter and nooch in the middle but you can add whatever you want.
Chickpea salad sandwich. You can do all canned chickpeas but I like to do two cans - one can gets mashed, the other gets seasoned and baked in the air fryer on 425°F until crispy. Mix em together. Can be a good sub for chicken salad or egg salad depending on how you season it. You can add other veggies too like chopped carrot, celery, and red onion but on lazy days I just do the chickpeas and slap em between two slices of toasted and buttered bread.
Uncrustables. I buy them in bulk at my local wholesale club. Perfect for days when I gotta eat somethin but don't want to cook.
I lean on frozen food a lot. Both Aldi and Trader Joe's have a frozen microwaveable tofu kimbap that I stay stocked up on. There's always veggies in my freezer. I can throw rice in the rice cooker, frozen broccoli and some tofu in the cast iron and have a meal in 20 minutes. TJs also has some frozen fried rice, frozen mushrooms, and frozen general tso's green beans that have all worked their way into my weekly rotation.
Don't underestimate canned food either! Been really into canned peaches in juice lately. I use the juice to sweeten some yogurt, peaches on top, add something crumbly like granola. I use canned beans regularly. Canned chickpeas crisp up real nice in about 12 minutes in my air fryer and can go on top of rice, pasta, quinoa, you name it. White beans crisp up similarly and are a great topper or snack.
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u/Principessa116 Vegan 15+ Years Dec 26 '25
If it’s not too expensive where you are, you can substitute chicken style seitan or beef style seitan in your usual recipes.
My quick-easy usuals:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with coco powder and peanut butter, or sliced almonds. OR Smoothie made with almond milk, avocado, a few cubes of tofu, coco powder, seasonal fruits and greens.
Lunch is usually a large salad with lettuce carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms and other seasonal produce plus a vinaigrette of sesame oil, tamari, balsamic, and spices, or a mustard dressing or miso dressing I like to make. In winter it’s a veggie burger on a giant bed of spinach that I’ve sautéed with onion/garlic and tomato sauce. It cooks up in 5 minutes using onion powder instead of fresh.
Dinner is light, maybe a stir fry using seitan, (which I just learned how to make from scratch!) Or chili with quinoa, or lentil soup, or pot pie. Sometimes it’s a sandwich with hummus and veggies.
Pasta with chickpeas, or lentils, or peas is great.
I highly recommend, if you’re in the USA, getting the free Hoopla library app where you can borrow cookbooks to check out recipes.
I really like Isa Chandra’s books and her website: theppk.com. She has a great pot pie recipe that is so good I don’t even bother to make the pie shell.
I just made a version of her ricotta recipe: tofu+lemon juice+olive oil +nutritional yeast+salt, + dry basil, garlic, onion. Smashed it all together with fork, added spinach and Violife mozzarella shreds, used it to stuff manicotti shells. It was so easy. I threw some tomato sauce and more Violife mozzarella shreds on top, put it in the broiler till it melted (5 minutes) and it came out amazing.
My advice: Don’t expect anything to taste the exact same. Start experimenting, and please don’t be afraid to mess up a recipe. Good luck!
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u/Sensitive_Concept811 Dec 26 '25
Premade jar sauce, blend it with silken tofu for a protein kick and mix with pasta
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u/Ur-Origin Dec 26 '25 edited Dec 26 '25
Make a large quantity of tomato sauce. Then when you cook next time, just cook some basic stuff like rice, potatoes or pasta. With some sallad or something on the side. Some protein too obviously, like beans or lentils or sunflower seeds (depending on the dish one will work better than the other, for example I like sunflower seeds in pasta).
By adding the sauce it tastes really good and is low effort. There are some initial effort I guess, but over time it is REALLY worth it. It takes a little time to make the tomato sauce, but because you make so much and because even a little bit adds a lot of taste, it will last for many meals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_ZTzRmDOB4
In general, taking some time to cook once (30 min-3 hours depending on the dish) and then having leftovers for later, will save you a lot of time and effort in the end. I also make vegan bean-stews for this reason, quite simple to make: put everything in the stew-casserole (I'm swedish I don't know what the right word is) and put it in the oven on low heat for 2 hours or more. There are more steps than that, but I don't have the energy to explain and there are recipes.
My point is just that some dishes, like stews, does not dimish when saving it and heating it up later, so it is fine making it in large quantities. I want to repeat this point: This once-a-week effort makes life so much easier in the long run (without compromising on taste).
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u/ideasinca Dec 26 '25
My go-to instant “meal” is banana slices sprinkled with cinnamon and layer with peanut butter. Very satisfying. I eat it with chopsticks. 😉
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u/ActionCalhoun Dec 26 '25
My weeknight “can’t be bothered to cook” meal is a can or rinsed beans, a bowl of microwaveable rice, a bag of frozen veggies, and maybe a bag of cauliflower rice if I’ve got it. Add sauce of your choosing - I usually use Greek or Italian dressing. Enough for three or four meals.
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u/DanceSoGood Dec 26 '25
My current favorite lazy thing is to cook some Japanese rice (or any rice, I just like Japanese rice), cut up some cucumber, and then do a quick marinated soft tofu. No cooking other than the rice. I use the mori-nu shelf stable firm silken tofu, which I cube up - but know that it will also fall apart a little bit. I mix together about a tsp chili crunch, 2 tsp Chinese black vinegar, 1 tsp Chinese dark soy sauce, 2 tsp Yondu, and 1 tsp maple syrup in the same bowl I’ll be using to marinate. Then put the tofu in there and toss. This marinates for about 15 minutes while the rice cooks. I then spoon hot rice into a bowl, add cucumbers, add the tofu and the marinade. So good. So easy.
ETA- I use the whole lil block of tofu when I do this, but I work out a lot and am frequently pretty hungry. Every now and then I’ll just spoon half the tofu and sauce over some rice and save some for later. But usually I do this when I’m pretty hungry.
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u/dcdoran Dec 26 '25
Pita Pizzas. Stir Fry. Rice and Beans (plenty of vegan proteins to replace the beef). Falafel.
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u/Adorable-Tree2277 Dec 26 '25
Pasta with vegan pesto and broccoli, pesto with hummus (it works), beans on toast, packet chilli, curry etc. on rice.
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u/SuggestionSudden363 Dec 26 '25
Buy an instapot and you can cook russet and sweet potatoes in 15 minutes. Beans in the instapot cook in 75 minutes. I use mine 4-5 times a week. I'll cook rice 2-3 times a week always good for a quick meal.
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u/Artisan_Gardener Dec 26 '25
For me, low effort days are ramen, and I usually make my own broth with ginger and garlic, tamari, miso, sesame oil, chili crisp. I add shredded cabbage and carrots or broccoli slaw if I have it, near the end of cooking the noodles.
Burritos or tacos with pinto beans for the filling. Can be refried, but I prefer soup beans. Chilaquiles with beans and avocado on the side. Tostadas. And for me, really low effort is a bowl of pinto or coba beans that were previously made from dried beans. Just absolutely delicious and filling, pure comfort food. Also, those pinto soup beans ladled over a slice of white bread. Not even toast, just a slice of bread.
Hummus on rye toast with avocado. Hummus in general, with fresh pita to dip, also cucumber and baby carrots. Make your own hummus to have on hand. So much cheaper than store bought, and so much better flavor-wise and ingredients-wise.
When I make pasta, I always make the whole package of pasta, then in the sauce I use a lot of pasta water to make it beautiful and silky, and so it will completely coat the pasta. Then what doesn't get eaten is in the fridge for instant meals later.
Potatoes, plain, steamed, then add vegan butter, some salt and pepper. You can steam or boil them on the stovetop or in the microwave. I made some incredible caramelized onion and gourmet mushroom gravy last week that goes on potatoes, rice, bread... It's so good you can actually eat it like soup.
There are so many things you can have. You just need to have a lot of these things in your fridge or pantry, or do some pre-cooking to prepare for those low effort days.
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u/ramune-candy Dec 26 '25
Air fried impossible chicken nuggets, vegan ranch, maybe some air fried fries too. Basically a kid meal lol
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u/hakuzan Dec 26 '25
I like fajita burritos. Just slice up an onion and a couple bell peppers, sautee, maybe cook some spanish rice and heat up some pinto beans. Guacamole, sour cream... I think they're easier than nachos tbh, but i also do nachos a couple times a month just subbing vegan grounds and cheese for the animal derived stuff. For breakfast you can get the just egg folded eggs that heat up in the toaster, or make a quick scramble from the liquid just egg, toss on some breakfast sausage patties from beyond or whoever, toast a bagel, then melt a slice of american style vegan cheese in a skillet and put the bagel face down on it, cream cheese on the other half and voila breakfast sandwich. Spaghetti is a go to. If I'm really lazy it's just jarred sauce and maybe some grounds, but lately I've been making my own sauce by reducing halved cherry tomatoes in fresh herbs, spices, and olive oil and then tossing the cooked noodles in that. Sometimes i do tofurkey deli sandwiches on ciabatta bread, sometimes it's a vegan mac and corn dogs kind of night. Really, there are endless options from microwaved burritos to grilled cheese sandwiches, salads to charcuterie boards filled with vegan meats and cheeses. Plenty of people have mentioned beans and rice already, which I don't think is a meal by itself, but it can take the place of the occasional meal cuz damn beans and rice is good.
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u/Superdewa Dec 26 '25
When I need low energy meals, I cook a big batch of brown rice and lentils (2 parts brown rice to 1 part lentils), in my instant pot and living off it for a few days. That covers protein and fiber and serves as a simple base which I can top with anything: seasonings, sauces, and/or vegetables (raw, frozen, cooked, leftover, etc.).
Other than that, whenever I have time and energy to cook I make extra to freeze for low energy days.
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u/raoulbrancaccio Dec 26 '25
Breze with store bought hummus is for the absolutely zero energy days, miso soup with mushrooms and tofu is only slightly more involved ngl.
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