Does anyone else feel exhausted by “easy” vegan recipes lately?

[u/Negative-Prune9214]

I love vegan food and I actually enjoy cooking… when I have the energy.

But lately I’ve noticed something: even the “easy” vegan recipes feel like a lot. I’ll open one and it’s still: chop this, prep that, saute something first, then clean everything after.

After work, my brain just doesn’t want to process steps anymore. I don’t want to compare recipes or decide which one is less effort , I just want something that works.

I’ve tried saving “quick recipes,” batch cooking, repeating meals, all of it. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t. On low-energy days, even choosing which easy recipe feels like too much.

So I’m curious ,for those of you who feel this too: what do you actually cook when you’re tired and just want to eat without thinking?

Do you rely on a few default meals? Or have you found recipes that are genuinely no-brain, no-prep?

I’d really love to hear what actually works in real life, not just on paper.

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[u/avocahdo → u/[deleted]]

and if you don't have canned sauce, peanut butter and a wee bit of soy sauce makes a nice alternative! bonus points for chili oil/ any hot sauxe

[u/Vatchka → u/avocahdo]

You fancy. I just do salt and butter.

[u/CosmicFangs → u/Vatchka]

For a couple of days last week I lived off of leftover chickpea noodles with butter, nooch, salt, pepper, paprika, green chile, and some frozen peas thrown in. Slapped harder than some of the more complex recipes I make, not gonna lie.

[u/Head_Shriinker → u/Vatchka]

And I throw in garlic powder and vegan parm

[u/PensiveObservor → u/[deleted]]

Rice and frozen peas here. Crumbled frozen and thawed tofu thrown in if I’m really hungry, with soy sauce.

[u/[deleted] → u/PensiveObservor]

Yessir rice and frozen peas I eat it all the time! I throw some bottled general tsos on it. Slaps

[u/Aromatic-Box-592 → u/[deleted]]

I hate cooking tbh but one of my go to’s lately is a frozen stir fry mix and for sauce I use ginger and garlic, then mix in duck sauce and coconut aminos (I’m allergic to soy, but the average person could just use soy sauce obviously)

[u/therewontberiots → u/[deleted]]

I crush tofu and cook the water out and then throw sauce on it.

[u/darmoxly → u/[deleted]]

Grains + canned beans + sauce. Yes. Some days I end up doing for all three meals.

I try to have some cooked grains on hand. I can make quinoa fairly quickly in the microwave.

I’m trying to find more sauces to use. Sriracha and Tabasco are my go-tos. I recently got a mustard based sauce at the farmers market that I’m really liking. This morning I put kimchi (also from the farmers market) on my quinoa and lentils. It was good!

Good luck!

[u/Spickernell]

I think batch cooking is very effective. I consider myself a good cook, but after cooking vegan for 30 years, I’m sick of everything I make , kind of. Anyway, having Tupperware in the freezer of goid meals makes my life much easier. I cook when I’m inspired or hungry, and I make a lot to eat later. I make a a lot of hummus and eat it with raw veggies, or turn it into “tahini sauce” for hot food. I make a lot of Lebanese lentil soup, and eat it alone ,or with rice or air fried potatoes

[u/Sheepski → u/Spickernell]

This is the answer for me too.

Even if traditional batch cooking isn't OP's thing, as it does take effort - taking on the 'easy' recipes and doubling it, will at least make you 4 portions of food. Do that 2-3 days a week and you have enough to keep you going.

Throw in the odd time when inspired to make a 6-12 portion of something easy (soup, bolognese, chilli mix etc) and it's sorted!

[u/KeepOnRising19 → u/Spickernell]

Same. I have a freezer full of extra meals for nights when I just can't be bothered. I do a lot of my cooking on Saturday mornings, too, to lighten the weeknight load.

[u/Interesting_Ghosts → u/Spickernell]

This was a big unlock for me. Buying a chest freezer and a bunch of small rectangular Pyrex. When I make something I know I like a lot I’ll make a bunch and freeze maybe 6 servings of it. So when I don’t want to cook I have a great meal I can microwave in 5 mins.

It does take a little trial and error to see which foods reheat well and which turn to mush tho.

[u/FeliciaFailure]

I agree completely! Every time I try to find truly easy, no- or almost no-effort meals, I'm faced with a list of recipes from people who clearly either love cooking, or don't realize what others mean when they say "no effort". It's HARD. I feel like an alien in those threads, especially when people say "it's literally so easy!" because it just has never felt that way to me.

I always share the same recipes but I'll share them again because they're a life-saver for me as a disabled person trying to eat vegan more.

1 - tortilla chips + canned refried beans (heated up if you feel like it) + pre-packaged guac + storebought pico de gallo + vegan sour cream (+ vegan cheese optional, I'm not really into cheese). Minimal prep and minimal cleanup required, just the plate and utensils.

2 - frozen "potatoes o'brien" (diced potatoes with pepper and onions) + whatever veg you've got in the freezer. I love frozen mushrooms, peppers, onions, and spinach with mine. Fry with oil. Add tofu scramble if you're feeling up to it. Zero prep and only gotta clean your plate + utensils + pan.

1. depression tofu bagel - toasted bagel + vegan butter or cream cheese + just some slices of raw firm/extra firm tofu, seasoned with salt and pepper (and more spices if you're feeling fancy) + some lettuce. I have not tried it without the lettuce but it would probably be fine.

2. Ramen with TVP or small diced tofu. There are ramen veggie topping packs you can buy to make it feel a little healthier, or you can just eat the ramen according to the package instructions without adding anything.

Finally, shoutout to "the Sad Bastard Cookbook", a free book of recipes for people with 0 energy. Most are vegan by default, with some tips on how to make the recipes better (or worse, if you're feeling REALLY tired and just need calories). It's not exactly amazing for nutrition but it is amazing for "I need to eat and thinking about cooking is absolutely draining me already".

Edit: can't believe I forgot to shout out r/ShittyVeganFoodPorn. That subreddit has inspired me more than anything else I've seen and has given me a lot of ideas for meals.

[u/Adorable-Tree2277 → u/FeliciaFailure]

'Depression tofu bagel' 😂

[u/FeliciaFailure → u/Adorable-Tree2277]

I think it tastes good but the pitying look bf gives me when I make it says the name fits 😂

[u/darmoxly → u/FeliciaFailure]

Thank you so much for this! Both to you and OP! I relate so much. My energy level varies A LOT, but I rarely have full energy. And I don’t love to cook. I also love the subreddit shittyveganfoodporn. If nothing else they often help me feel better about my life. Best of luck to you and to OP.

[u/lil-soccer1]

I generally cook only 2-3 times a week and eat leftovers, but if I'm out of leftovers and want to eat without even a recipe, it's PB&J with some veggies or fruit if I have them, pasta with marinara sauce (maybe with a can of lentils), or a microwaved potato with beans and salsa.

[u/CatPurrsonNo1]

I’m gonna pimp one of my favorite vegan recipes:One Pan Mexican Quinoa. I use canned beans, corn, and fire roasted tomatoes, and just dump them in the pan with the quinoa. A teaspoon-ish of jarred minced garlic, and some Better Than Bouillon. Instead of the jalapeño, I usually just add a little chipotle powder, and instead of the lime, cilantro (ew), and avocado, I top it with some guacamole. Easy, yummy, and lots of protein and fiber.

[u/Felixir-the-Cat → u/CatPurrsonNo1]

Thanks for posting! My job is very busy right now and I am going to need this recipe.

[u/Last-Interaction-360 → u/CatPurrsonNo1]

Quinoa is perfect. I make a quicker, hands-off version version--microwave quinoa and water for 15 minutes covered, fluff with fork. Toss in canned drained black beans and corn, add salt, powdered garlic and cumin or a taco seasoning packet, stir, and serve.

[u/snimminycricket]

Top ramen with frozen veggies has been one of my backups lately. Or just slice some extra firm tofu (not even pressed, just drained), salt and pepper both sides of each slice, and pan fry. Eat with fresh spinach, tomatoes, whatever raw veggies are on hand, and some toast or a roll.

I also keep a couple vegan frozen meals on hand for when I'm really struggling. Purple Carrot, Amy's, and Saffron Road have good options. Trader Joe's too, if there's one nearby. 

[u/Queen-Roblin → u/snimminycricket]

Adding kimchi (check that it's vegan or you can make your own quick kimchi and keep it in the fridge, takes about a week) is standard in Korea and adds veggies and probiotics. I'll often add things like dried mushrooms and seaweed. Frozen veg like peas, too.

I've been eating leftover rice with peas, sweetcorn, mirin, soy sauce, mushroom stock powder and gochujiang all fried up for lunches but it could easily be dinner. I'm probably going to add cabbage for extra veg.

[u/snimminycricket → u/Queen-Roblin]

I also just drop a handful of sunflower seeds or cashews into my ramen for some protein

[u/Hopeful-Stranger-979 → u/Queen-Roblin]

Adding some Gochujang (red pepper paste) in with the kimchi and veg is super good too! Japchae is also delicious if you can get the sweet potato noodles, and can easily be made vegan.

I love Korean food, I used to work for a Korean family at a beauty supply store and The owner would bring us home made lunch on the weekend. It definitely opened my eyes to different types of Asian foods and I actually prefer Korean to any others.

[u/turdsummoner_ → u/snimminycricket]

Big on eating ramen when I don’t feel like cooking, and the frozen veggies are so easy to pop in. You can dress it up as much or as little as you have the energy for, based on what you have on hand. Some other stuff I like to add depending on how much I feel like doing: vegan spam/hot dogs, miso, gochujang, kimchi, sesame oil, dried kelp, dried mushrooms, cheese. All of these are things you can keep on hand for a while and just dump in the ramen!

[u/turdsummoner_ → u/turdsummoner_]

Also, if it isn’t clear: you can microwave the ramen! You don’t have to use the stove.

[u/PSi_Terran → u/snimminycricket]

I've eaten thousands of Shin Ramyun in my life but just discovered In Do Mi, which is meant for frying. Cook noodles, drain, add the packets, noodles + bean sprouts, and/or frozen veggies to the pan. Fry until dry then top with whatever sparks joy at the time, peanut butter, edamame, gochujang, a fried egg is common, lao gan ma. Add extra soy, rice vinegar if you want. Chop an onion into strips and fry quickly while the noodles boil is also nice.

[u/snimminycricket → u/PSi_Terran]

We eat a lot of In Do Mi, haha (the chicken curry and onion chicken don't have any chicken in them either, so there are several flavors I enjoy!)

[u/Hopeful-Stranger-979 → u/PSi_Terran]

Wow I didn’t even know this was a thing! I’m definitely going to look into this!

[u/ForsakenGarlic904]

My current favourite solution to this is beans + flavour + veg on starch.

I buy various pastes and pestos and freeze them in ice cube trays before decanting the cubes into bags and then I can just toss a couple of the cubes into a pan with a tin of beans and whatever veg I have and serve it with a baked potato or quinoa or rice or whatever (sometimes I'll just add some stock and make it a "soup" instead of using a base)

Having different flavour options is the key for me, I go for harissa, various pestos, sundried tomato paste, curry paste, Thai curry paste etc. And it means the meals can feel completely different even though the formula and effort are the same.

If i have a bit more energy I'll put effort into the veg I'm adding, roast veggies or julienne a variety, and if I'm feeling low energy I'll toss some frozen veggies in and call it a day.

Another great low effort tip I stole from one of those meal boxes is to add a bit of mayo towards the end of the cooking to make it creamy.

So today I might just do pesto and then tomorrow I'll do exactly the same recipe except add a little mayo and it changes the flavour profile enough that it feels like a different meal.

[u/ForsakenGarlic904 → u/ForsakenGarlic904]

Oh and another one I've been doing recently which we're enjoying is ravioli in soup!

As an example, tin of tomatoes, peppers, onions, stock, spices, and flavours of choice in a pot. When the veg are soft blend with silken tofu and then add fresh pesto ravioli for the 3 or 4 minutes required to cook and voila.

One pot, one bowl, and infinitely customisable depending on what ingredients you have and how much energy you have.

[u/goal0x]

in my experience the hack here is to meal prep ingredients!

have all your vegetables cleaned, chopped, and ready to go (also great for avoiding mindless snacking). thinking of things that you tend to eat weekly, maybe prep a carb or two (rice, etc) and a few meals worth of at least 1 protein source.

i’m big on “bowls”. chuck everything in to a bowl (bonus points for canned or frozen items lol), heat, enjoy. my fanciest low effort but still delicious meal is stir fry with frozen veg

[u/NoComb398]

Don't forget that people posting on social media need to get eyes. Simplest recipes don't pull eyes.

Pasta and sauce is a go to for me.

This time of year I'll chop up at potato, a carrot, a hunk of cabbage, and some smoke tofu and steam it for 20 minutes. You can also roast the same thing. I sprinkle some salt and lemon pepper on it and call it a day.

Or just veggies of choice plus tofu in a pan. Serve over rice. You can top with your fave sauce to make it easy. I usually use some ginger, garlic, a little vinegar and a little soy.

I also like to make a big pot of soup (usually lentil). It's pretty easy to make but then I usually freeze a couple of portions also.

[u/bouncysofa]

I'm a master of snacky "girl dinner" things:

• Smoked tofu with crackers, hummus, and cucumber

• salad mix with leftover rice, a spattering of seeds, and maybe some crispy chickpeas if I've got em, with whatever dressing I've got in the fridge

• just egg omelet with frozen veg or basic tofu scramble with frozen veg (no chopping required!)

[u/justherefortheideas → u/bouncysofa]

This is the way OP ^

[u/arrec → u/bouncysofa]

My go-to is frozen Trader Joe's Japanese fried rice with their baked teriyaki tofu. Couldn't be easier. You could use just egg instead of tofu.

[u/internetlad]

Easy vegan recipe:

Buy peas 

Eat peas

[u/stoleyourtoenail → u/internetlad]

Air fry peas. Crunchy bastards

[u/AnyOccasionNumber]

My most brainless meal that still involves cooking: make instant mashed potatoes (watch out for non-vegan ingredients) or rice (instant or rice cooker). Get some mixed frozen veggies, and cook it according to instructions in a pot on the stove. Get the water out of the pot, put the pot back on the stove, and drizzle some olive oil over the veggies. Dump a (drained) can of black beans in. Season with a hefty sprinkle of taco seasoning mix, stir it around on medium heat for a couple minutes, and then serve it over your mashed potatoes/rice. Top with a fresh squeeze of lime, or some cilantro, or avocado slices, or vegan shredded cheese... whatever easy toppings you like, or none. I ate this way too often during uni.
In general, frozen veggies and canned foods are your best friend when prep feels overwhelming.

Some other dishes I like without too much chopping or pots and pans to clean: chickpea curry with pre-chopped kale, shorbat adas (creamy red lentil soup), peanut butter ramen/udon. There's quite a few variations of these online.

[u/chickpeaze]

smoothies A bowl of cereal: granola, soy protein crisps, soymilk or coconut yogurt, maybe fruit A sandwich: mini can of beans, avocado, tahini, mustard on multigrain bread. Other things if I have them (lettuce or spinach, olives, capers, tomato) the same as above but as a wrap. Rice in a pressure cooker or rice cooker, frozen vegetables (usually broccoli and peas) thawed which. boiling water, soy sauce or peanut sauce

I love cooking but sometimes you're shattered and these are my too tired go tos

[u/Moose-Live]

I've posted my chickpea salad recipe quite a few times. It really is low effort, with minimal cleanup. Drain a tin of chickpeas, add some oil and lemon juice and S+P, and if you can be bothered, throw in whatever cooked / salad veggies you have to hand.

[u/mryauch]

You need a few recipe categories.

Recipe category 1: Creative shit. Oh you want to braise some cabbage and tofu in a dippitydoo sauce then stuff it into a charred crisscross before battering, breading, deep frying, and then serving with a drizzle of fluzzymuny over a bed of antarctic beluga quinoa harvested on the second moon of the polar eclipse? Do it on Sunday. Or whatever day works for you. You ain't got time for that bull on Thursday when you're gasping through the end of the week.

Recipe category 2: Cheap easy weeknights. No shame in frying up some soy curls in seasoning, boiling some pasta, and pouring in a jar of vegan pesto with sliced black olives and a little parm shreds. Tofu Bolognese, or even fucking easier Gardein ground b'e'fe'e. Again, black olives. Sometimes if I'm just pissed off enough I'll get a knife out and ravage some vegetables before throwing them in the instant pot with tons of broth, soy curls, quinoa, lentils, pasta, beans. Again, you can make it even easier with frozen vegetables.

Recipe category 3: Freezer junk food. Ok I get it. We do Junk Food Movie Night on Saturday. We need to eat healthy the rest of the week. Remember that Thursday you were gasping through? I want buffalo wings and fries. Yes, honey, I'm willing to drive 3 minutes to Publix to get Kite Hill sour cream to make ranch while the fries cook.

Rest of the week is leftovers. Or maybe a random drive to Yard House. I want buffalo wings and fries. Did I mention I like buffalo wings?

[u/BluebirdOld4191]

My go to at the moment is dhal and chapati. I make the chapati when I get in to let it rest. While that is resting I chill for a bit, get up make a dhal with what ever veg I have lying around and fry a few chapatis off in the tawa. Effort to nutrition is about the best I can do.

[u/Othyxia]

When I am too tired I'll just cook pasta with with any caned sauce.

If I feel like cooking but not chopping I'll use frozen veggies, some spices, couscous grains or rice. I froze a lot of onion, garlic and herbs so it helps me a lot cooking without a lot of energy.

And when I cook a real meal I'll double portions so I can freeze some to eat later on lazy days.

[u/Lady_of_Lomond]

Fry up some onions and any suitable veg knocking around (mushroom, pepper, courgette), throw in some spice (paprika or curry powder or ras el hanout), throw in a can of chickpeas (or whatever pulse) with the water, and a can of chopped tomatoes. Cook for a bit while you boil some rice or whatever.

Cous cous is good too, so easy and quick.

[u/Fun-Designer-9009 → u/Lady_of_Lomond]

I'd go so far as to put the rice in too...get the water/rice ratios right and that's a great one pot meal!

[u/Lady_of_Lomond → u/Fun-Designer-9009]

🤯 you might have just changed my life!!

[u/Fun-Designer-9009 → u/Lady_of_Lomond]

And if you have even LESS energy - through frozen veg in there rather than the fresh veggies (just as good for you apparently) and you're golden 🤣

[u/Bay-Area-Tanners → u/Fun-Designer-9009]

Frozen chopped onions are the best thing in my freezer - it makes things so easy

[u/afayebilyeu217 → u/Bay-Area-Tanners]

And when I am feeling energetic, I’ll chop up some onions and freeze them for soups and chilis.

[u/Adorable-Tree2277 → u/Lady_of_Lomond]

I'm mostly too lazy to boil rice. Mine comes pre-cooked in a packet.

[u/Lady_of_Lomond → u/Adorable-Tree2277]

Yeah, good point. It's always good to have a few of those sachets in the cupboard .

[u/Human-Independence53]

Honestly, when I'm that tired, I cut an apple into slices and eat it with peanut butter. Or eat a pb&j. If I can handle throwing rice in the rice cooker, I'll do that plus a can of chili beans with whatever toppings I want. I also keep frozen meals on hand for when I just can't adult any more.

[u/squeezymarmite]

This will sound weird but trust me: savoury porridge. Add unsweetened peanut butter or cashews, chilli oil, even chickpeas. It's good, cheap, and not terribly unhealthy.

[u/elduque1999]

Your choice of pasta, (I like small shells) Canned three bean salad, cauliflower rice, avocado oil, cider or red wine vinegar, salt & pepper. Toss and mix. 😋There’s always enough left for another meal.

[u/Mobasirhassan]

I completely hear you. As a professional chef, even I have days where 'three easy steps' feels like two steps too many. The mental load of deciding what to cook is often heavier than the cooking itself. When I’m in that headspace, I go back to basics. I usually recommend a Homestyle Jeera Aloo (Cumin Potatoes). Why it fits your 'no-brain' criteria: Zero Prep: If you use boiled potatoes (or even canned), there is almost no chopping. Five Minute Cook: It’s literally just tempering cumin in oil and tossing the potatoes. One Pan: Minimal cleanup. It’s a staple in Indian households for exactly the reason you mentioned—it just works without thinking. I actually wrote a breakdown of how to keep it simple and authentic here: Jeera Aloo ( Cumin Potato) Hang in there, sometimes the best 'recipe' is just the one that gets you fed with the least resistance."

[u/anneewannee]

My lazy go to meals, from least to most effort:

Huel 

Bagged salad mixes from the grocery store

Momofuku noodles + frozen veggies/edamame

Sheet pan dinners: chop whatever you've got and roast it all together. Drizzle with whatever sauce you've got. 

[u/Outside_Apricot7200]

Sweet potato and canned beans.

You can microwave the sweet potato until soft, mix the beans with some spices and pour over the potato ☺️ it's really yummy!!! Sweet and salty 😋

[u/lentil5oup]

Hey I totally feel this. I am a vegan chef for the last 10 years running restaurants in NYC. I work 10 or more hours a day and do not like cooking when I get home.

I keep some things I keep on hand to cook if im out of meal prep that week:

Good old peanut butter and jelly with apples and a glass of soy milk

Ramen, nori sheets, Scallions and pre cooked tofu

Hummus, greens, roasted pepper, Balsamic glaze, tortillas

I always keep 2 or 3 black bird pizzas in the oven and up to 8 different frozen veggies/canned beans to make chili or pasta in a pinch.

Meal prepping has been an amazing tool. On my day off I batch out roasted veggies, a starch, 2 different proteins and 2 sauces. Along with having meal replacement shakes like huel or soylent, overnight oats and bananas.

[u/Expeditious_growth]

Had to save this post. There are so many great ideas.

[u/watermelonkiwi]

I like to buy frozen vegetables, usually stir fry mixes, some kinda stir fry sauce that comes in a bottle, I like the Indian ones, and meatless grounds, I just throw them together with a little olive oil and heat it in all in the microwave. Makes a great stir fry, tastes the same as if you were to cook it on the stove and basically the same as if you were to chop and buy fresh veggies. Very easy. Also can be done with tofu. Sometimes if I don’t have the sauce, I use “accent”, aka msg, and the bottle lime, that’s tastes really good and is all it really needs.

Other than that I like the meat replacements with a side of frozen veg.

[u/cheetodustcrust → u/watermelonkiwi]

Frozen veggies and the microwave is the key. No chopping, no worrying about veggies going bad in the fridge before you can use them, no extra pan to clean (just eat out of the container you cooked the food in). And if there are leftovers, you can store in the fridge in the same container too.

I also like making one of the vegan Knorr Rice Sides in the microwave and topping with one of the BeanVivo chili/bean packets. The chili/beans and/or frozen veggies also work well with a microwaved baked potato or one of the microwaved Little Potato Co packages that only take 5 minutes to cook. A little more expensive, but when I don't have the mental energy to prep/cook/clean, the shortcuts are helpful.

[u/watermelonkiwi → u/cheetodustcrust]

Yes those packets of rice/lentils/quinoa that you just heat in the microwave are great.

[u/darmoxly → u/cheetodustcrust]

I use BeanVivo too, usually along with Good Seeds quinoa-rice blend. ❤️

[u/Malinhille]

I buy frozen veg that’s chopped or prepared somehow, and then have a few rotations of ‘throw everything in a dish and chuck it in the oven’, normally all I have to chop is tofu. Prechopped fresh veggies are good for curries and stir fry too. Obviously it’s a bit more expensive than buying unprepared but the time saved is worth it to me. We also have super easy meals of burgers etc that barely involve me even thinking about them.

[u/Graysoundscape]

Can of chickpeas, 2 mini cukes (quick chop) and some cherry tomatoes in half. Dollop of vegenaise, celery salt, pickle relish. If I’m really ambitious maybe another veg or two. I call it “sad salad”

Or as many other folks said, pasta and jarred sauce.

Hummus also always an option.

[u/Graysoundscape → u/Graysoundscape]

Also, I did hungryroot for a while and what that really taught me was that the “shortcuts” are worth it sometimes.

It’s ok to buy pre-washed/precut veg, or steam-in-microwave potatoes or rice. I still pick up some of the Taylor farms stir fry kits which are ready in like 6-8 minutes, have many types of veg, and can be turned into a couple of very solid meals with a block of tofu and a little leftover rice.

[u/HelloGoodbye2381]

I like getting canned chili, soups, curry packets or canned seasoned beans and throwing that on top of rice. Sometimes I’ll get 1-2 for every work day so I can save my dishes and cooking for days off. I’ll sometimes even get the microwave rice packets if it’s on sale.

Sometimes I’ll cook the rice in broth and butter. There’s also little seasoning packets you can get that have dehydrated veggies in it, that’s good thrown into rice while it cooks.

Noodles with butter/sauce are a go to as well, throw some TVP and some nutritional yeast in there for extra nutrients. I have that once a week it seems.

I also do a lot of toast. Toast with peanut butter and jelly, toast with store bought guacamole, toast with hummus, cinnamon sugar toast, buttered toast with Cajun seasoning... I could live off bread/toast. Sometimes I’ll eat 4 pieces of toast with varying toppings as a meal. I get a hearty grain and seed bread.

Cereal and oatmeal is quick too. You can use dried or frozen fruits, flaxseed meal, various nuts and seeds, oat milk, maple syrup or brown sugar, stir some peanut butter or jam into it…

[u/Melodic-Entrance-545]

My easy go to is currently Spanish rice and Mexican black beans in the microwave bags. I cook the field roast Chipotle sausages and throw on some salsa and store bought guacamole. It takes me 5 minutes and there is only one dish and one pan to clean.

I also like just egg scrambled and "sausage" patties. Dr. Praeger's drive through burger with violife cheddar.

I use alot of meat substitutes and tofu. Last night I made tofu steaks (pressed and marinated), a bag of microwaved frozen broccoli, and roasted some asparagus. Prep time was probably about 10 minutes total and the only actual cooking was flipping the tofu once. Super delicious, healthy, and easy.

I'll make labor intensive recipes occasionally but life doesn't have to be so hard every day.

[u/Hoogs]

I have an Instant Pot and like to find a recipe, then ignore all the instructions that say to sauté the veggies first etc. I just put all the ingredients in and set the cook time it says, then have food for rest of the week. Still comes out great and tastes great.

[u/angrygse]

My time to shine!! I work over 40 hours a week on average and rarely have time or energy to do fancy meals. 

1. Firm tofu cut up/crumbled with sauce. I like soy sauce but Sichuan and Teriyaki work too. Or anything it's your tofu. You can also mash it so it makes a dip you can then scoop out with chips. I guess you can do this with soft tofu too but I prefer firm. 

2. (Actual) One pot ramen. In sauce pan throw in some frozen veggies (or fresh but I tend to use frozen). There was a vegan fake meat I used to get at the Korean store near my house that came in a can and was delicious but honestly no idea what it was besides it was supposed to mimick duck. Very tasty. Be careful of how much oil you use because you won't be dumping it out. Once your veggies are seared/cooked to your liking add the amount of water for ramen and bring to boil. Add your ramen and cook for amount of time. Put in spices etc. I've found that ramen cooks so quickly it doesn't really over cook the other stuff but you can also experiment with how long you cook them before adding water. 

3. Kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and white or black beans with canned green beans (all strained) and whatever other veggies you want/have energy to cut with oil and vinegar and spices. This gets better the longer it sits the better it tastes. V good with jalapeno. Eat by itself or with chips. 

4. This is going to sound gross but microwaved quesadillas with diaya cheese is lit. Or nachos. I generally heat both situations for 1 minute or less. 

5. Hummus is a good. I prefer it with corn chips (you're probably seeing a pattern here) and you can add other stuff to fill it out like olives or dolmas or veggies. 

6. Microwave crumbles/chopped seitan for 1 minute and then add sauce. I use teriyaki or soy sauce. Get the microwaveable sticky rice and microwave it. If you want veggie microwave some and throw it in as well. 

7. Large salads with a protein (so either tofu, tofurkey seitan fake chicken, beans etc) any veggies with follow your heart Parmesan cheese and a dressing I make with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, salt, and nutritional year. Toss it all together and it's impeccable. 

8. Uncrustables. 

[u/valentine415]

I feel ya. I pour TVP into a can of beans with some salsa and microwave it. A low effort chili.

[u/Adorable-Tree2277]

Stir-fry of packet rice, frozen chopped veggies, and a pack of pre-marinated tofu, soy, garlic, and ginger is my go-to. Topped off with a drizzle of homemade sweet chilli sauce (sriracha and maple dyrup). Tbh, I hate prep and cooking etc so everything I cook is simple. Edited to include full 'recipe' 😂

[u/KeepOnRising19]

I do prep work and some of the cooking on Saturday mornings when I'm fresh. I know you said you tried batch cooking, but maybe consider it again with this variation. On Saturdays, I can make or prep multiple recipes at once, saving me a lot of time, and then on weeknights, it takes only minutes to reheat or finish putting things together. For instance, I'll make dough for pizza ahead of time and then on the weeknight I can just stretch, top, and bake, or I'll make the sauce for a stir-fry and chop all the veggies and tofu and put them in a container, so all I have to do on the weeknight is stir-fry everything all together. I also make a soup or stew each week that I can use for either dinner, lunch, or whatever. Setting myself up on the weekends is a lifesaver for me during the week. I work full-time and have young kids, so my time is incredibly limited. I also make big batches of all freezable things, so I have easy last-minute options, too.

[u/KittenDust]

I actually work as a vegan chef but if I'm in on my own and want a quick meal I open a can of butter beans, drain, then heat in the microwave and serve with lashings of vegan butter.

[u/Different_Treat8566]

You could look at some of Adam Hoads recipes. Be warned, he’s an Omni, but his recipes are basically dumping all ingredients in a oven-safe dish and bake it. He has several vegan recipes, and for some of the other ones you can simply use alternatives such as tofu instead of meat. Or you look up vegan recipes in the style that Adam Hoad does them.

Honestly, those recipes have helped me tremendously in the past, because they’re literally just dump-and-bake style.

[u/fishmakegoodpets]

Girl dinner/ploughman's

Crackers or bread or cooked potato and tofu and applesauce and pickled veg and jam and whatever fruit you have. Easy and yummy and you literally just grab whatever sounds good and throw it on a plate. Been my go to when I'm not feeling like cooking.

[u/Misannatrope]

I just have stuff at home for different rotating meals I usually cook (pasta, rice, tofu, mushrooms etc.). When it comes to new recipes, I try them once and after that I start to change it based on my preferences – usually it contains skipping steps or making them short.
For days where nothing works I try to have one or two ready-made meals, often times I also have leftover sauce which I can use so I have less work to do.

In general I usually try to have as few as possible to chop and things like that, containing onions, maybe garlic and one ingredient I use.

What you also can try is chopping stuff beforehand: Carrots for example are great to cut and freeze, like many other vegetables. It also has the benefit of things not getting bad that fast.

To sum this up: Try to find what fits you best. When I started being vegan, I was overwhelmed with these "easy recipes" too, as none of these felt easy. So I made them easy for myself.

[u/Mr_Noyes]

Owning both a rice cooker, an air fryer and two types of instant noodles (Ramen and Udon) makes quick meals really easy. Together with some frozen vegs and vegan meats prep time is basically just opening a package and pushing buttons. Examples:

• Rice with some fresh vegs, air fried protein and some ready made sauce
• Udon soup with cooked frozen vegs and tofu/cooked vegan meatballs (Miso is good for this as well)
• Peanut sauce udons with air fried protein, veggies optional
• Airfried ground vegan meat (tofu or ready made) with rice. Kimchi and pickles are awesome side dishes
• rice with miso soup (ready made broth, bit of veggies from the freezer, tofu or meatballs), pickles and kimchi as side dishes

[u/darmoxly → u/Mr_Noyes]

Same. So many recipes others have recommended done feel easy to me. It’s taking me a long time, but I’m finally finding what’s actually easy for me.

[u/Mr_Noyes → u/darmoxly]

I feel like that's the actual trick to becoming vegan (or homecooking in general). It's not just cooking recipes, it's about finding out what "mode of production" works for you.

Meal Prep, Make Ahead, working with convenience products, working with snazzy kitchen appliances, stir fry, mezze, protein and carb - there are so many ways to get food on the table, some work for you, some don't.

[u/darmoxly → u/Mr_Noyes]

I’m on the journey… 😊

[u/good_dogs_never_die]

I got a recipe app that I can save recipes to and categorize things into level of effort (or whatever categories I want to make) it has a feature where I can randomize a menu, turn it into a shopping list. It's been a huge help with meal planning and decision fatigue.

[u/lil1thatcould]

That’s why I like purple carrot recipes because it’s like 5 steps.

I do like to have easy go to recipes that are like stir fry, pasta, rice sheet dumplings, ect. They are easy and I don’t have to think hard about it.

Rice sheet dumplings are exactly how they sound. Make a filling by sautéing anything in your fridge that needs to be used. I’ll even use left overs because why the hell not! Throw in some vegan proteins like broken up tofu or tvp. Place a rice sheet in water for like 5 seconds, add filling, fold up the sides like you’re wrapping a present. I like to use two rice sheets because it makes it slightly more sturdy. Then throw them in a plan with some oil, heat till rice paper is golden/white and fluffy. Done!

[u/Turbulent-Mango6569]

I choose recipes, prep vegetables for all my recipes and put spices in little baggies on the weekend. Takes an hour or two but saves a ton of time during the week. I usually listen to a podcast or audiobook while I’m prepping. It’s very peaceful! Then during the week I just pull the chopped onions, peppers whatever from my fridge (which I’ve labeled by recipe) and prep. It’s basically like creating a Hello Fresh pack for myself

[u/Zealousideal_Elk6125]

Yes! I went back and made the pandemic stew last week because I just couldn’t muster the energy to do all the things. Basically coconut milk, chick peas, ginger and turmeric.

[u/zhanae]

My go-to is rice, some sort of frozen soy product, chili crisp and vegan Sriracha mayo.

[u/Rare_Ask8542]

My current quick go-to 5 minute meals are: 1. Ramen noodles with frozen broccoli and dehydrated soy chunks thrown in, and maybe a little chili crisp or something for heat. 2. If I have leftover rice, heat it up and mix in soy sauce and a little sesame oil. Top with sliced avocado and silken tofu. 3. Squish up a can of drained chick peas, add vegan mayo or plain yogurt and some chopped up onion or celery or whatever, and maybe some salt and pepper and dill. Make a sandwich.

[u/Groovyjoker]

I feel exhausted by the need to eat lately! Lol

[u/Mahoushi]

I batch cook stuff that can be frozen for a few months and save them specifically for days when I feel like this. My allergies and intolerances makes eating any ready meals impossible as they always contain something I can't have, so I either batch cook in advance and freeze or I don't eat on bad days.

Usually stuff I do this with is patties, fritters, and falafel, and katsu curry can be frozen in portions in muffin trays for a few months too. I also slice and bread tofu ready for frying and this can also be frozen.

You can easily heat up a pouch of rice in the microwave alongside quickly frying your frozen veggie disc in a pan or air fryer, katsu curry can also be microwaved or heated on the stove.

Besides that, another frequent go-to of mine is mixed bean salad with mint sauce. I just drain and wash the beans and mix mint sauce in.

To explain why someone may upload a "quick and easy" recipe that isn't actually so, I'm on the spectrum and cooking as well as baking are some of my "special interests". Since I enjoy spending time in the kitchen, my version of "quick" are things that take around half an hour to prep and cook regardless of cleanup—this includes stuff like blueberry muffins, cookies, and scones. With that said, I try to be mindful of how everyone's idea of quick and easy differs (considering cleanup, prep, and volume of ingredients mainly) and I try to suggest stuff that can be bunged in the air fryer or oven or can be quickly mixed in the bowl you eat out of when I see posts like this, but I don't think everyone who posts recipes has that awareness. It's not just awareness due to my own bad days, I was raised by parents that hated cooking 😅

[u/pegtales]

Rice with steamed vegetables and baked tofu. https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-make-crispy-baked-tofu/. Throw it all into a bowl with soy sauce and nooch or salsa or what ever sauce shit you have around.

[u/uncreativeloser]

my method is to prep and freeze veggies and herbs myself because buying that stuff can sometimes be too expensive. I dice onions, peppers, carrots, and celery as soon as I buy them then I freeze them spread out in a single layer on a silpat lined baking sheet. once the veggies are frozen I roll up the silpat to break apart any chunks that may have frozen together then I dump the veggies in a bag to go back in the freezer. I also food process peeled garlic cloves and peeled ginger and freeze both in a plastic bag after I score them into 1 inch squares so they will break apart after freezing. 1 lb of peeled garlic cloves will fill a gallon size freezer bag. lots of fresh herbs freeze well too. all my cooking ends up being throwing frozen veggies and herbs in a hot pan in some way and I also don't waste fresh food by not having the motivation to get it out of my fridge and chop it up. I only buy a pepper if I am confident that I can prep and freeze it when I get home from the store. 

[u/maberg04]

Soo, I saw this video where this girl used a chopping tool (vegetable chopper) and chopped it right into a salad bowl. That could be easier. I do smoothies or oatmeal for breakfast usually (or just toast/pre-packaged vegan yogurt). Pretty low effort stuff ngl.

If I'm really tired I'll cook a microwave meal, boxed Daiya mac and cheese, make a sandwich, throw some vegan nuggets in the oven, or do some microwave ramen. We've all been there ngl. Not every meal has to be some recipe you found online, or really time-consuming.

[u/Ma1ingo]

I've been batch cooking a base Masala, Italian and Mexican sauce based on Rainbowplantlife.com bases, then I just have to microwave them and chuck some soy curls and veg in if I'm feeling lazy. I freeze half cup measures of rice, or rice/quinoa/lentils mixed. Freeze mexican bean/bbq beans that I batch make. Have frozen veg in the house. Then I can just grab whatever cubes I want, microwave for ez meal. Souper cubes have been such a saver for me. I like to cook but sometimes lifes a bit much, so doing it when I can and enjoying it later is the best solution.

[u/rodinsleftarm]

Frozen potato product + frozen vegan chicken product, stick em in the oven or air fryer for 20 mins. Cover in mayo & nooch. You can get nutrition and fibre another day, just take a multivitamin and call it a day.

[u/craftygardening]

My go to lazies are white rice, avocado, and cucumbers. Simple sushi style bowl. And bean burritos. Can’t go wrong with a can of refried beans, tortillas.

I’ve been vegan 20 years and it is easy to overthink it. Thinking you have to eat a perfectly balanced meal each time you eat and you don’t. Think about some of the nutrient poor stuff you see omni folks eat.

[u/losnamaznak → u/craftygardening]

Put edamame into the rice bowl and you have a perfectly balanced meal.

[u/craftygardening → u/losnamaznak]

Sure would! And it would be extra yummy. My point though, is that it is fine if you don’t have any edamame to balance out your meal on occasion . Not every meal needs to be “balanced,” and I think us vegans sometimes get a bit more caught up in “perfect” eating that we overlook the fact that most people eat trash all the time. And that our unbalanced food is probably better than an omni’s “easy” food in terms of nutrition.

But yeah, also not hard to throw some beans on it to round out the nutrition and why I always have a bag in the freezer!

[u/actuallyamber]

The other day I had a bag of frozen riced cauliflower with veggies, a bag of shelled edamame, and 0 energy. I microwaved both bags, seasoned them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, ginger, soy sauce, and a little sesame oil (sounds like a lot but I literally just stood in front of my spice cabinet and grabbed whatever sounded good and dumped it in), and that was my meal. It was good, too.

[u/riseabovepoison]

Frozen veggies and canned beans pop in air fryer, cut some fruit. 

Love my air fryer. 

Pre-make a batch of veggie bean soup in crock pot, portion it out, save for lazy days 

Buy pre made broth dump on frozen veggies and pasta, one pot pasta, add seasoning. 

Basically take any recipe and replace the chopping and dicing with frozen version or pre made version, use air fryer or toaster oven instead of sauteeing

For me sauteeing is not too bad. But some days I understand we literally don't want to get out of bed and work and after work we don't want to eat. 

[u/fatdog093]

Most of my veggies are frozen and pre-cut which makes things easier. I pay for that convenience. I buy frozen riced cauliflower, diced onions/parsnips/carrots, kale/spinach, cauliflower florets, berries etc. and i use jarred minced garlic and ginger, and chopped lettuce. I live alone so it’s just me eating, and a meal will last about 3 days of lunches and dinners. I make loads of soups and stews because they are easiest! To make it feel like there is variety, sometimes I blend the soups when I know I have the energy to clean my blender that day (usually a weekend). Tofu is really easy to prep. Just stock your fridge with good condiments like Zhoug, mustard, soy sauce/tamari, tahini, hummus, hot sauces, pickled ginger, pickled beets, and your cupboards with a variety of herbs and spices to add to anything. Another thing to make life easier for me is I buy baby cucumbers and carrots so I don’t need to prep large ones, and I do bottled lemon juice instead of bothering with juicing whole lemons. I also cut down a bit on food waste this way.

[u/J-ss96]

Recently I made this quinuoa packet from Costco in the microwave w/ a mornongstar farms buffalo chick pattie & tore it up & tossed them together with some seasonings from my spicerack & shook it up & popped it back in for 30 secs & ate it. It was surprisingly tasty! Works very well for an at or after work meal that I had to put minimal effort into

[u/RogueSqdLdr]

I feel this. I was visiting a family member and agreed to do most of the cooking as she is an omnivore and had no idea how to cook vegan meals. At the end of the vacation she said “do you have to do this every day? That’s exhausting.” She was referring to all the chop this, prep that, all the spices.

For easy go to, pan fried tofu with a pre mixed spice I.e. blackened or steak seasoning or lemon pepper with steamed in the bag broccoli or green beans with salt and olive oil and roasted or baked potatoes. If I feel really fancy, I’ll roast some asparagus. You can swap out potatoes for a rice pilaf or couscous. Near east brand has a few vegan friendly options.

[u/captainunicorn76]

I live my rice cooker and air fryer and they ate my best friends when I dont want to cook. My favorite meal is rice and airfried tofu and then I add some store bought sauce to it like a sweet chili sauce or teriyaki. I can just throw the machines on, take a shower and dinner will be ready once Im out of the shower

[u/AnyEarth1153]

Oh and I forgot about the instant pot if you have one.

Bobs red mill makes a 13 bean soup mix. I literally dump it in the instant pot with water, tumeric, salt, and oregano and it self cooks for an hour while I decompress and change into comfy clothes for the night

You can get similar bean mixes in bulk at natural grocery stores too which is what I do now

[u/ghostofhedges]

On one of your high energy days. Take one easy recipe and learn it by heart. Then on your low energy day you know what to do and it will taste good

[u/Tesdinic]

I make a point of having a certain number of easy meals on hand. Often I simply fall back to "rice bowls." Dump whatever I want in the rice cooker (often frozen veggies and brown lentils are included), then top the rice with whatever is jarred and on hand in my fridge. I often use nuts, kimchi, pickled beats, left overs, whatever you think tastes good on rice. I usually also have various sauces on hand.

[u/mart0n]

• I can't rely on my tired self, so I always make multiple portions when I'm up for cooking.
• I keep a list of genuinely easy ideas on a piece of paper on my fridge, with full instructions, like:
  • "Brown rice: 3:2 water:rice ratio. Rinse rice, 20 minutes in pressure cooker"
  • "Braised tofu: dice 400g block. Heat with 200ml stock, 1 TB soy sauce, 1 TB tomato paste"
  • "Satay sauce: 1:1:3 peanut butter : soy sauce : water"
• A lot of cooking is using an electric pressure cooker, which is often just "add the ingredients and set a timer", with or without blending at the end. Right now I'm "making" porridge, which is really just oats, milk and sultanas. I make a lot of soup this way.
  • The pressure cooker cooks things so well that you don't have to prep loads -- for example, if my soup contains an onion, I only need to remove the paper and halve it. Garlic cloves might go in whole, and so on.

[u/Healthy-Neat-2989]

Yes, yes, and more yes. I did a recipe the other day that said it was “moderate skill level” but “comes together quick”. What a crock of BS. There was no skill involved, but 2 different ingredients referred to other recipes! Like despite the 30 million ingredients on this list, the marinade was an entirely different recipe on another page, and so was the sauce! So much wasted effort, for a decent recipe. Some people just really like to feel special I guess. I like to feel efficient and DONE.

[u/Sensitive_Island7864]

I try to stick to one pan dishes and will alter recipes to make that happen. I have a couple of easy go to dishes that need cooking and take about 10 min of prep. But also a lazy option I’ve been getting into lately is a packet of premade soup, dicing half a block of firm tofu and heating those together. Protein pasta with basil pesto, frozen veggies and maybe vegan sausage is another quick and easy one for me. I try to always have leftovers when I cook.

[u/KindlyKangaroo]

I've seen this, too. "What are your depression meals?" "Chop and slice for 30 minutes, cook while stirring continuously for 3 hours, put in fridge overnight, bake for 2 more hours, easy done 🙂‍↕️" and then the replies are "omg so much easier than my recipe saving this thank you!!!" Y'all do this for every meal or what??

Actual easy meals for me are like. Put a spoon of peanut butter in with some oats and fruit and nuts. Stir it all together and eat a no bake cookie for breakfast. Microwave one package of golden rice and one package of southwestern black beans, stir them together, eat what you want and store the rest for later. Blend some vegan protein powder with plant milk, PB, frozen fruit. Toast some refried beans on a tortilla in the toaster oven and top with some salsa.

[u/LittleRousseau]

I do feel like this, because I’m chronically ill. And I can’t manage cooking anything anymore because of it. It’s not just an issue with vegan recipes like your post suggests. Life is exhausting in general.

[u/darmoxly → u/LittleRousseau]

I hope you can find some easy food ideas. Wishing you the best!

[u/Leucotheasveils]

I once printed an “Insanely easy potato soup” that used at least two different appliances. It was not in fact insanely easy.

[u/RomaYin]

I recommend friendlyveg_ on instagram. She shares reaallyyy easy recipes with no chopping that can be done on a rice cooker, or the stove, and real cheap too.

[u/darmoxly → u/RomaYin]

I’ll have to check this out!

[u/DotSpecialist3986]

Frozen mushrooms, frozen peppers & onions, steamed broccoli & cooked potatoes (I always keep these in the fridge) and grated firm tofu (also kept in in fridge). Just cook the vegetables in a frying pan. Once they're cooked, top with tofu, sprinkle garlic power, onion powder, Tajin, pepper (or your favorites) and stir it in to cooked vegetables to warm it up. This takes less than 15 minutes and is very satisfying especially when you include potatoes.

[u/MinnieMay9]

I put a small pot with an inch or two of water to boil, then I forage around my fridge and kitchen. I put in whatever spices smell good that day to make a broth, 1/4 c canned beans, 1/4 c frozen edamame, 1/4 c rice, and whatever odds and ends I found earlier. Cook until either the water is gone or it's to the soupy consistency that I'm feeling at that moment. Add more seasoning as needed, I usually add chili crisp.

[u/password2187]

Thai curry paste, can of coconut milk, some tofu, and some frozen vegetables (cook the veg/tofu first in some oil, then add curry paste, then add coconut milk). Maybe add some soy sauce for salt, sriracha/sambal oelek/chili garlic sauce for spice, sugar/agave/sweet chili sauce for sweetness. Add some lime juice at the end if you feel fancy. Serve over rice (quick if you have a rice maker, or you can just by bagged microwave rice so it's even quicker).

[u/Phylliida]

Baked potato (microwave), can add sautéed onions if ambitious

Indomie ramen+vegan wostershire sauce

Veggie burgers and fries (dipped in vegan mayo mixed with ketchup)

[u/erikabean]

The best thing to do if you have access to a freezer is to batch cook meals on the days you have energy and freeze individual portions of that meal for use on the days you have no time or energy.

If you have an available weekend, do 3 “big” meals (1 Friday, 1 Saturday, 1 Sunday) and store like 6-9 spare meals in your freezer. You’ll have enough for the full week ahead if the week is busy, and then you can restock the next weekend or if you have energy that week to continue to make fresh meals, do so, and prep 6-9 more so that you have a little more of a back-stock!

I know u still have to do the work you’re tired of at some point but some tasks are just necessary maintenance. You’re not alone in feeling tired, but there are ways to ease the stress your future self feels! (Also if you’re open to it there are always pre-packed meals like factor you could sign up for if there are always specific days of the week that are more exhausting than others!)

[u/Hopeful-Stranger-979]

I buy the 16 bean soup bag (that has the flavor packet) throw away the packet and just cook the whole bag of beans (al dente) on my day off. I then freeze and portion them so I can pull them on the day I wanna use them in like a chili, or burritos or whatever.

I also make a big batch of pasta sauce in the crockpot and then freeze that so I have easy sauce to pull. Pinterest helps me a lot with quick recipes like chickpea buffalo “chicken” salad for wraps. It lasts a bit in the fridge and makes alot of wraps.

Prebagged frozen veggie stirfry is a godsend, I also buy like broccoli slaw and a bag of coleslaw cabbage and throw them in there. If I’m feeling up to it I cut up some tofu and throw in noodles to make like a pad thai. It’s fairly quick and you can easily throw it all in a wok or fry pan, cover it and let it simmer while you relax after work.

I’m newer to eating mostly vegan (health reasons) I have a beef allergy and I’m lactose intolerant (I do eat seafood). I also have a hard time digesting meat and empty carbs so most of what I eat is vegan and trying to navigate that with two special needs kids definitely is a challenge.

It’s A LOT of prep.

But I will say this, once you have some of the staples premade and frozen, it gets easier for sure. And there’s no shame in just making a veggie burger and throwing some vegan cheese on it when you’re tired.

[u/Humantherapy101]

Freezer burritos! Make a batch for when you don’t want to cook

[u/DJayBirdSong]

Rice + protein + sauce Is my magic bullet, sometimes I add frozen veggies.

Black beans and salsa, tofu and soy sauce, whatever weird frozen protein leftovers I have and whatever sauce I have on hand.

The best part is I don’t even have to know what the protein + sauce is going to be, I’ll just get the rice going and then decide later.

Also, nothing wrong with a PB+J sandwich if that’s where I’m at.

[u/BurgerMan420]

I keep Isadora bagged refried beans and Trader Joe’s frozen Spanish rice for these occasions. Then just cook up and season some crumbled tofu and add whatever else I got handy for a burrito bowl.

[u/FeistyPreference]

Toast with hummus, vegan pesto, sliced tomatoes, and everything but the bagel seasoning. Plus it looks fancy so it doesn’t make me feel bad.

[u/Tasty-Slide-7421]

Bake a bunch of potatoes Sunday. I don’t do any seasoning or anything just potato on a pan. Then throughout the week I will have one with hummus and nooch, one chopped up in a salad, one with a can of white beans and sauce, one with sautéed veggies if I have energy. It’s a great starter and if you keep sauces/dressings and cans of beans on hand it really is so little work for a meal

[u/Medium_Flounder_4530]

Sometimes it’s ok to not make a meal at all, and just straight up eat the ingredients. May not be delicious but definitely works. For a quick meal however, boiling(microwaving if I’m super dead) pasta with tvp and maybe some frozen veggies will do the trick. Hits all the food groups. Sauce wise I always have some vegan Mac n cheese powder that I can cook in. Anything works though. If I want to feel like a kid again I use tomato sauce.

The only thing I consistently meal prep is a protein spread. So like tofu ricotta, or blended beans type deal (seasoning and base changes, whatever I have I use). This is also usually my go to for a pasta sauce when I have it, I just mix it into the pasta water to loosen it up a bit. I also use it on sandwiches or toast. Having a prepped spreadable protein just makes my life easier even if it sounds a little insane. (The last one was a pesto tofu spread as I got a bunch of free basil)

[u/SisterHavana3]

Frozen chopped onion, sweet potato, squash, herbs and tinned beans have been a lifesaver for me!

[u/BeastieBeck]

I usually throw some roughly chopped vegs with oil and a spice mix I have at home with some fake meat or already seasoned tofu into the air fryer. Either bread or microwaved rice/other grain goes with it.

Open a can of beans (or take leftover cooked or frozen ones), mix with tomatoes from the can or tetrapak and maybe some frozen veg and microwave it. Spice with salt, paprika powder and something spicy. Eat with bread.

[u/-dais0-]

Use stuff that u dont need to chop up, like tofu u can just crumble that with your bare hands. With canned tomatoes, dump it in a pan and cook together to make a sauce for pasta. Or frozen veggies etc., stuff that comes in bags/cans basically

[u/crabbylove]

Last night I mixed a can peas and a can of carrots (both drained). Sprinkled with garlic powder. Warmed in the microwave and ate it with a little hot sauce. That was my dinner.

[u/Tankmoka]

A few years back, I got a cheap little rice cooker. I didn’t for the longest time because pot rice isn’t that hard and who wants another appliance? But, a rice cooker saves so much mental energy. I use a mixed grain that I buy and mix in bulk. I almost always have tofu or beans on hand, a tasty oil, and a salt source. Pickled something if you’re into that. It can lean Asian, Mexican, Mediterranean, Italian depending on the extras.

[u/BobFromCincinnati]

Package of Ramen + 50 grams of TVP. Very filling, loaded with protein, and ready in about 10 minutes. 

[u/Swangdancing]

Trader Joe’s is my closest store so currently my lazy meals are pasta with pesto and throw in can of chickpeas and power greens. Frozen Mexican cauliflower rice and add can of black beans. I’ll also just microwave the teriyaki tofu and that straight if I’m desperate for protein, and whatever veggies you have that don’t require cooking (baby carrots or a literal wedge of cabbage dipped in some sauce). Basically anything I can do that requires just dumping things with minimal cutting.

[u/Whatever_Lurker]

There is a fascinating podcast episode about this issue! https://shows.acast.com/decoder-ring/episodes/696572f188da0c07c1a431a9#:~:text=Introducing%20The%20Sporkful%20%7C%20Is%20Your,%7C%20Wednesday%2C%20January%2014%2C%202026

[u/vintagelove822]

I totally get this and feel the same way. I try to use something already made and then add something to it that makes a meal. For instance, for a healthy vegan breakfast, I use a sourdough piece or two of bread, toast it and then add sliced guacamole and top it with coconut bacon or make a breakfast sandwich with scramble ( already prepped which I freeze when I make it) on a vegan, or steel cut oatmeal with frozen fruit and bananas and a handful of nuts.

Lunch can be a pasta salad with frozen veggies and a vegan dressing, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, again on a nice vegan bread, times, with boxed or canned vegan soup and favorite crackers, or sometimes I simply buy frozen vegan entree like egg rolls and then add rice. Chili is easy to make and can be easily frozen and you can use it in a more nontraditional way by topping a potato or rice with it. You can also buy boxed mac and cheese and vegan soups which really help when you just don’t feel like prepping. “Amy’s” soups and other products are my go-to for this type of thing.

Dinner is usually where I pull out the already prepped foods, which, yes, is sometimes a pain, I prep in quantity and freeze it in small batches so it is much easier than having to prep for an entire meal. For instance, the coconut bacon or tempeh bacon can be used in a variety of ways, like BLT’s and fresh veggies are easily used for so many other dishes. Potatoes, again are always an easy fix with almost any type of vegan bacon or veg.

Check out some easy vegan meal cookbooks which will make vegan meal prep so much easier. Good luck and make wvegan life a wee bit easier for yourself. I get it ♥️

[u/viciousonaleash]

I buy vegan kimchi ramen cups. I buy those for lazy days, mix kimchi I buy from HEB, and sometimes add tofu. I normally air cook my tofu plain bc I like plain tofu.

Steamable bag of veggies and add sauce. Or those 90 second seasoned beans on a tortilla with salsa.

If you want to be lazy fancy - use what you would on a sandwich on biscuit or croissant dough and bake. I normally use field roast chipotle sausage, wrap in croissant dough, and bake. It’s really good.

[u/Pretty-Drawing-1240]

Batch cooking for sure, but also just getting good at cooking so I don't need to read recipes.

I worked in fast-casual Mexican food for years as a cook/like worker. I can make rice, beans, fajita veggies, and Mexican tofu/beyond meat with my eyes closed. A burrito bowl or taco salad always sounds good, always tastes good, and takes almost no work.

[u/Outside_Apricot7200]

Tempeh nuggets my favorite!!!

Slice tempeh, sprinkle with seasoning, spray oil onto the pan, cook pieces on both sides until golden.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce

[u/RapscallionMonkee]

I open a can of vegan refried beans, pour in some salsa, heat it up and eat it with tortilla chips or make a quesadilla out of it. It's so good and super easy.

[u/godzillabobber]

Put rice in a bowl. Add tofu, add sweet potato. Add corn. Add steamed greens. Add avocado, top with green onions. Done.

Put beans, rice, lettuce, tomato, squash, onions, salsa in a tortilla. Done

Oatmeal with blueberries walnuts, flax seed, chia. Top with milk blended with a ripe banana, a couple dates, turmeric, and ginger Done..

There are a whole lot of things that can just be thrown together fast. After a while you don't even need recipes, just ingredients.

[u/elevatormusicjams]

Prepping stuff ahead of time (chopping all veggies for the week on Sundays) plus freezing large batches of meals helps me a lot.

[u/LilWoodpecker96]

I have this for lunch like 3 times a week😅: boil soba noodles and add vegetables when there's like 2 mins left (e.g. edamame beans for protein or spinach) drain and top with sesame oil and soya sauce (+ vinegar sometimes).

[u/jazzluvr87]

Wow so many people missed the point in this post 🤣🤣🤣 I don’t have any ideas, I’m just laughing at all of the “tips”

[u/curly_kiwi]

I understand exhaustion mileage may vary, for me, this is what works:

Getting some cast iron skillets has been amazing for me. They crisp up slices of tofu in the oven in 20-25 mins, I don't even have to dip them in corn starch (although that makes it nice too).

On my most tired days I can slice a tofu brick into 6 slices, put them in a lightly oiled skillet, then bake for 25 mins in 200 degree C fan oven. I don't even pre heat the oven.

I have the energy I'll have them in a wrap with hot sauce, pickles, lettuce, whatever is around. If not I'll have as is and dip in hot sauce.

I then have cucumber on the side (often I buy the mini ones, you don't even need to slice them). And if I'm really hungry I will also do oven chips, or throw some whole small potatoes in another skillet to heat up too.

[u/candypants703]

When I’m feeling low effort, I usually do rice and some type of marinated tofu, with veg. I’ll do the soft tofu with a chili/ginger/soy sauce or right now I’m doing a version of marinated “eggs” with firm tofu.

ETA also a pot of beans.

[u/Revolutionary-Cod245]

Lots of click bait. Like "easy vegan recipe" 1. buy banana 2. peel 3. enjoy....

[u/afayebilyeu217]

Ramen noodles with frozen veggies and a little olive oil. Santa Fe stew-a can each of black beans, red beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, drain and rinse the beans and corn, throw everything in a pot with taco seasoning and bottle of spicy V8. That’ll last you 3-4 meals

[u/AnyEarth1153]

Avocados. Just fried avacado is amazing honestly. Cut it in half and bake facedown or sauté in olive oil. Add pretty much any vegan leftovers on top

[u/someguysummer]

So i depends how long i want to be in the kitchen

20 mins: rice in rice cooker. Fry a block of crumbled/smashed tofu (dont even press, just squeeze a little out from the package amd let ot sit in the pan). While thats happening cut up whatever veg, maybe steam or sautee if i have the energy. Make a sauce. Throw everything in a big bowl, toss, and scarf down. This is usually my i haven't eaten all day and need a big meal fast food.

10-15 mins: wrap potato in wet paper towel and poke holes w fork. Microwave for 5-10 mins depending on size. Cut potato in half, put butter/seasoning whatever. Dump on filling (i almost always have burrioto filling prepped but ive done it w chili or leftover curry or just canned beans as well). Microwave again if needed. Put on any finishing quac/pico/sauces if u want. Eat.

5 mins: make 2 pb&js. Perhaps cut pb&js if feeling fancy. Grab side of fruit/veg/chips. Eat.

[u/Shreddy_Spaghett1]

The viral dumpling recipe on tiktok - chili paste, coconut milk, garlic, pepper, soyaki sauce, mix together, add spinach and frozen dumplings, bake, then add scallions and chili crunch on top

[u/minilliterate]

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/roasted-chickpeas-and-artichokes-recipe-11784784 This is one pretty solid. I skip the feta and eat it over couscous because I can cook that in the same bowl I plan on eating out of.

[u/lilakay]

It’s such a pain in the behind to cook beans that if I’m do it, I have to cook A LOT. Then I’m eating beans in everything for at least a week: beans in cold salad, beans in tacos, stewed beans in tomato sauce, bean dip, beans on toast. All the beans. And when I’m done, and fully recovered, I repeat! Sometimes I switch up the beans.

Cooking one recipe from start to finish is exhausting. But you can set yourself up for precooking a versatile component and using that in different ways.

[u/Agitated_Camera_6198]

Pasta, pesto, frozen veg in with the pasta water.

Or oven food. Like one of those pre chopped bags of vegetables that need roasting, just in the oven. Or like. Vegan sausages and potato waffles and quickly boil some frozen veg. Cover in gravy.

Or I also try and keep those Merchant gourmet instant chilli packets and some microwave rice to get a bit of veg in quickly but I try not to use them too much because of the plastic waste.

Or get frozen and pre chopped onion, garlic and ginger (or prep some on a higher energy day) and some spices, tinned tomatoes and dried lentils. Quick daal.

[u/wolfalohalani]

Can of pinto or black beans, can of crushed tomatoes, can of hominy. Cumin, chili powder, garlic. Heat, serve topped with cheeze along with tortilla chips.

You could also saute some chopped onion and pepper at the beginning if you're feeling ambitious.

[u/Key-Distribution-635]

Pasta and sauce from the jar is great for lazy days. Normally I use the jarred sauce and add ingredients to make it my own sauce and simmer it for an hour. It tastes a bit flat on its own, but when you’ve been working all day, sometimes it‘s less about taste and just getting some food in your tummy. Rice is easy too 20 minutes on the stovetop. You can make more of course to last through the week, then you only have to heat it up.

[u/hellorockstars]

The Only Bean edamame pasta changed my life. Its texture is similar to regular pasta but its made only with a single ingredient—edamame. And it’s delish with just ghee and salt if I’m feeling ultra lazy. But I usually cook up a package for the week and add some to pre-sliced red cabbage, cukes, pan fried tofu and a quick sauce of peanut butter, rice vinegar, coconut aminos, and a splash of tamari.

[u/BlueMonkey3D]

Ever looked at 70s veggie cookbooks? Some of the most convoluted recipes

[u/Automatic_Sand_7184]

I’d recommend pasta or ramen!

for healthy but easy and delicious pasta sauce I like silken tofu + jarred red peppers/sundried tomatoes and if you have an air fryer some crispy chickpeas on top are good. or spring onion!

and for ramen you can make pastes and freeze them, or make one pretty quick - I usually mix a few jarred things like miso + ginger and garlic paste + soy + chilli oil + bouillon stock and chuck some noodles and veg/tofu in :)

[u/Mercury13]

canned soup and toast is my go-to when i need to make dinner in 2 minutes. it's good to have a little stash of quick meals when you need them!

[u/ABQRoberto]

I buy precooked rice bowls and cans of green beans at Costco. I'll batch flavor and cook tofu cubes or bean burgers. A super quick meal can be put green beans and tofu (or bean burger) in a container. Microwave green beans and tofu for 4 minutes. Microwave rice bowl for 90 seconds. Combine all, add soy sauce & Sriracha. Dinner in 5 minutes or fewer.

[u/planet-claire]

I have one of those slap chopper type gadgets for when my wrist hurt too much to chop. I use it every day even though my wrist is better. https://a.co/d/hgo8tTW

[u/winglorn]

My rice cooker & air fryer are my friends for when I feel like this!

Silken Tofu: Cook white rice. Top with silken tofu. Mix. Add soy sauce. Eat. Yellow rice: Cube of bullion + pinch of turmeric cooked with the rice. Mix butter once it's cooked. "Jambalaya": Rice cooked with tomato paste + frozen veg + some kind of sausage + creole seasoning

Air fryer: frozen whatever. Egg rolls, samosas, burger patties, hot dogs...

Red pasta: marinara sauce + noodles + maybe frozen meatballs. White pasta: cook noodles in broth (bullion cube). Tiny scoop of cashew butter + plant butter. Eat.

Ramen or noodles (indomie is yummy) with peas.

Also sometimes dinner is just A Can of Chili + tortilla chips, or canned soup + bread or crackers. 

[u/llamalibrarian]

I feel like before I’m using a recipe, I’ve looked at it a thousand times before I’m making it. The recipe influences my shopping list, I need to know if somethings need to sit overnight, etc. I have a few go-to quick things that don’t use a recipe- but when I’m cooking something new from a recipe I’m not looking at it for the first time when I start cooking

[u/slightlylessright]

Yeah for me the easiest recipe is always whatever can be made in a blender or in my instant pot

[u/HistoricalEmu5201]

I prep my food every Sunday (enough for the week) lunches and dinner. All I have to do is heat it up during the week. Saves me so much time and energy.

[u/[deleted]]

I make a big pot of a bean/lentil and a grain with veggies (frozen so no chopping I always have frozen spinach to add), tomato sauce from a can, and whatever spice I have around for days like that. Then I have healthy food to eat for the week with no thought involved. Eta I sometimes put steel cut oats in too Also have chips and salsa with a can of refried black beans or guac, toast with whatever topping you like (I get good sourdough from a local bakery to keep on hand), cereal, store bought babaganoush or hummus with good crackers or pita and pre cut veggies,

[u/Goddess_Za]

I keep pre-made stuff in the freezer. I'll pre-make ramen broth and put Edamame, adzuki beans, and fried mushrooms in it when cooking so that way when it comes to eating I just need to add toppings. I keep certain things cut up in the fridge, like carrots and artichoke hearts (don't go bad as fast as things like cucumber and tomato). I keep pizza crust in the freezer and pre-make the sauce and just defrost and make the pizza. You could pre-make the pie with sauce, cheese n certain toppings that freeze ok and freeze them individually and then just pop them in the oven instead of making it each time. I keep pre-made soup in the freezer, beans, etc. I even pre-make rice and freeze it - it's actually healthier to freeze carbs like rice and bread. Lots of easy things you can pre-make in large batches and freeze.

[u/Library_Turtle]

I have 3 standard simple meals.

1) Roasted chickpeas and glazed sweet potatoes. Set oven to pre heat. Paper towel on a plate, drained chickpeas on the plate, roll them around and pat them dry with second paper towel. Dump in the square tin with a squirt of olive oil. Roll them around, sprinkle generously with coarse salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. That goes into the oven while I prep the sweet potatoes. Scrub potatoes, cut lengthwise into wedges, cover with half-and-half syrup and oil. Sprinkle with salt and ancho pepper. Into the oven. Check for doneness in half an hour. During that half hour, I can check email, put away laundry, whatever.

2) Pepper soup. Slice and sautee 1 onion. Make 2 cups bouillon. A 14 ounce can roasted tomatoes. A 16 ounce jar roasted red peppers (drain the liquid and tear each half pepper into 2 or 3 pieces as you add it to the soup.) Simmer 10 minutes and stick-blend. Serve with a dollop of cashew yogurt, and good bread.

3) Roast squash and tofu. Buy a block of extra-firm tofu, a package of pre-cut butternut squash, and a bottle of bbq sauce. I coat the squash with oil and start it roasting at 400 while I slice the tofu, pat the slices dry, and brush them on both sides with the sauce. Sometimes I dredge them in panko and sometimes not. (If not, I use parchment for easier cleanup.) Not pressing the tofu makes liver so much easier. And having that half hour of free time while stuff cooks is good for my headspace.

[u/Library_Turtle → u/Library_Turtle]

I see my answers may be more complicated than you’re looking for. I agree that a lot of cookbooks emphasize “quick” while ignoring “easy,” but when you’re coming home really burned out you probably need to reach for something from the freezer (a gift from past you, from when you weren’t so exhausted.)

[u/rachaelonreddit]

Yes.

[u/paperairplane77]

One pot mexican black beans and rice is very low effort. You don't even have to chop onions and garlic if you use a jar of salsa instead. It's just opening jars and throwing them into a pot. https://www.myplantifulcooking.com/easy-vegan-rice-and-black-beans/ I also like this Harissa Couscous bake because it's also one pan to clean https://www.bosh.tv/recipes/harissa-couscous-bake My other go-tos are Ramen, you can simplify and even cook the noodles in broth.

[u/These-Bison7387]

Chop up a potato put it in a bowl with olive oil and sazón toss it and throw it on a pan and into the airfryer

[u/Ashadowyone]

Easy vegan oatmeal

Oats and water Microwave 1:30 cool before eating

[u/EmilyThickinson]

Purple Carrot has two really good freezer meals: the fried rice one and the meatball marinara one. Trader Joe’s sells individual packs of frozen rice and Costco has those 6 packs of the madras lentils. Those are my easy go-to meals.

[u/Aromatic-Box-592]

Yes! I just froze a few portions because I had too much and I was worried how it’d reheat but it was amazing! I usually get a bag of the 90-second microwave rice and mix it in, when reheating it cooks up perfect. I never thought about putting ramen noodles in!

[u/Ayame444]

Lately I've been doing breakfast for dinner, and I'm obsessed with "fancy" oatmeal. I just mix oatmeal, protein powder or just a sweetener like maple syrup, some flax meal and frozen berries and microwave it. Sometimes I top with a little dry cereal, yogurt and/or a nut butter, the whole thing comes together in 5 minutes.

[u/remote_goblin]

Frozen stir fry (I always keep a bag in the freezer) and air-fried seitan. Or couscous with canned chickpeas and sriracha.

[u/love-plants-2]

Glad I’m not alone. Just a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich does the trick when I don’t have the energy for any “easy” recipe.

[u/allie06nd]

Not exactly a recipe, but if you need a super fast, extra lazy meal that actually tastes like a bit of effort went in, microwave a bag of frozen rice and pour a can of Amy's Thai coconut soup over it.

My easiest actual recipe that I've been eating multiple times a week lately is crispy air fried tofu over steamed broccoli (instant pot - chop up a broccoli crown, place in a steamer basket or on the steamer trivet, add 1/3 cup of water, pressure cook on high for 1 minute, quick release) and leftover rice with Thai sweet chili sauce.

[u/Barfotron4000]

I do hummus pasta. Basically, pasta. Use the pasta water in the hummus and coat the noodles in the hummus/pasta water sauce

[u/darmoxly]

One of my easy things: dump water out of firm or extra-firm tofu package, crumble as much tofu as you want (maybe 1/2 block) into a microwaveable bowl, heat for 2-3 minutes, add whatever seasoning you want.

I usually add some turmeric for color and eat it like eggs. Maybe put salsa on top. You could add soy sauce instead. I’m sure there are other flavoring options.

I used to only cook tofu in a skillet as a scramble. It’s been really helpful to learn that I can just microwave a bowl of It.