These quick, plant-based dinner ideas make vegan midweek cooking easy, from a one-tin aubergine dish to a speedy pasta recipe.
Mary Berry’s Aubergine Caponata
Mary Berry’s take on this Sicilian classic uses salty black olives, capers, and white wine vinegar. It’s a tangy and intensely flavoursome dish, requiring just some couscous, a jacket potato, or a loaf of crusty bread to transform it into a substantial midweek meal.
Mustard-Crusted Cauliflower Steaks
Simple yet delicious, this crispy breaded cauliflower with a side of new potatoes, spinach, and a yoghurt and dill dip comes together in just under 30 minutes.
Rick Stein’s Cauliflower, Chickpea and Coconut Curry
Hearty, warming, and perfectly spiced, this korma-inspired curry will be ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
Air Fryer Jacket Potato Boats with Harissa Beans
Crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, and topped with a smoky, spicy bean stew and cooling yoghurt – these air fryer baked potatoes are an ideal midweek meal for the whole family.
Ainsley Harriott’s Sweet Potato, Spinach and Peanut Stew
Infused with the fiery heat of a Scotch bonnet chilli and thickened with crunchy peanut butter, this plant-based stew from Ainsley Harriott is just thing to warm you up on a chilly evening.
Mob’s Aubergine Gochujang Noodles
Perfect for anyone looking to make dinner in a hurry or on a budget, these spicy peanut and gochujang noodles use just six ingredients but pack a punch.
Creamy Cauliflower Korma
Make your meat-free curry in a hurry with this one-pot korma, complete with a creamy sauce, cauliflower, sweet potato, flaked almonds and plump raisins.
Khao Soi with Green Jackfruit
This Thai-inspired recipe, fragrant with lemongrass and fresh coriander, can be on the table in just 30 minutes. The noodles are served in a warming, curried broth and sprinkled with a variety of tangy, pickled toppings.
One-tin Korean-style Aubergines with Spring Onions and Sesame Rice
This simple one-tin wonder takes its inspiration from punchy Korean flavours, using gochugaru, or red pepper flakes, to bring a smoky sweetness to the dish. With a bed of rice to add extra sustenance, the whole tin takes just 45 minutes to prep and cook.
Ainsley Harriott’s Squash and Sweet Potato Tagine with Lemon and Pistachio Couscous
Ainsley’s Moroccan-inspired root vegetable tagine is bursting with flavour thanks to a heady mix of spices. Serve alongside the recommended mint and pistachio cous cous for a hearty and fragrant midweek dinner.
Melissa Hemsley’s ‘Salsa Verde Style’ 12-Minute Courgette, Wild Garlic and Rocket Pasta
Melissa’s verdant pasta is a shining example of what you can achieve with a few hardworking ingredients and just 12 minutes of your time. Like many of the recipes in Eat Green, this dish is flexitarian, so you can opt to make it fully plant-based with extra capers and vegan cheese.
Dhal with Griddled Pumpkin Wedges
Vegan midweek cooking doesn’t get much more comforting than this. Make up a big batch at the start of the week and it’ll keep in the fridge for four days so you can enjoy bowl after warming bowl.
Potsticker Noodles
A brilliant vegan dish with plenty of flavour, this recipe from Vegan on the Go is designed to be quick, easy, and perfect for a lunch al-desko.
One Pan Mushroom and Spinach Pie
This easy one-pan pie recipe from Veganeasy is simple to make and is wonderfully comforting yet with a light, fresh feel. It’s full of nutritious veg to power you through the week, and leaves you with some delicious leftovers.
Rainbow Lentil Meatballs with Arrabbiata Sauce
This comforting recipe from There’s a Vegan in the Housefor lentil meatballs with a fiery arrabbiata sauce makes a simple go-to dinner, and with suggestions for how to adjust the recipe for meat-eaters too, it can be easily adapted to keep everyone around the table happy.
Vegan Cheese Sauces (Cacio e Pepe)
Perfect your vegan pasta game with three vegan variations on the Italian classic, cacio e pepe, made using just vegan cheese, pasta water and black pepper. Altnerative variations include cheesy basil and sun-dried tomato sauce and olive and grilled courgette sauce.
Vegan Enchiladas
Mexican night can be vegan-friendly too with Saskia Gregson-Williams’ enchiladas from her cookbook, Naturally Sassy. Filled with sweet potato and tomato and topped with an avocado cream, they are ready in under 45 minutes for an easy midweek meal.
Beetroot and Buckwheat Soup with Lemon Yoghurt Sauce
Brighten up your lunch or dinner with this recipe from There’s a Vegan in the House, topped with a deliciously fresh lemon and yogurt sauce. This winter warmer can be adapted for non-vegans by using milk yogurt for the sauce, so everyone around the table can enjoy the same meal whether they’re vegan or otherwise.
Tomato and Basil Silken Tofu
Another brilliant recipe from Buddha Bowls, this dish is full of Italian flavours and makes protein-packed silken tofu the star of the show. Perfect for a substantial dinner or for taking to work in a lunchbox.
Chickpea, Tomato & Spinach Curry
This incredibly easy vegan curry from Good Food Eat Well: Fasting Day Recipes can be quickly whipped up during the week and also works really well as leftovers.
Baby Aubergines Stuffed with Peanut and Coconut
Anyone claiming vegan food is boring should be served this beautiful and flavour-packed recipe from Meera Sodha’s Fresh India. Plump baby aubergines burst at the seams with a mix of peanut, coconut and spices making for a great vegan curry.
Beetroot, Chickpea and Coconut Curry
Ideal for a weeknight, this simple one-dish dinner from Rukmini Iyer’s The Green Roasting Tin combines earthy beets, chickpeas, warming Indian spices and coconut for a flavourful, filling supper.
Chickpea Tikka Masala
Made with chickpeas and aubergines, this twist on a much-loved classic is rich, creamy and filling. From The Happy Pear: Recipes For Happiness, this recipe will be on the table in just 15 minutes; a brilliant midweek meal that just happens to be vegan.
Courgette and Aubergine Curry
From the best-selling cookbook, The Art Of Eating Well by the Hemsley sisters, you can be sure that this is going to be a tasty dish. Red split lentils, coconut, fiery ginger and plenty of veg, this is a simple one-pot supper that’s perfect for midweek.
Cauliflower, Olive and Lentil Tagine
This slow-cooker supper is packed with veg, lentils and spice. Hearty comfort food that’s healthy, too.
Braised Sausage All-in-one with Cherry Tomatoes, Cannellini Beans and Cider
Veggie sausages with cherry tomatoes and cannellini beans cooked in cider, this recipe from Nick Knowles’ Proper Healthy Food is vegan comfort food at its best. Throw all the ingredients in a roasting tin and let the oven do the rest.
