Need a delicious meal in 20 minutes or less? From hearty salads to pastas, tacos, sandwiches, wraps, and more, these quick vegan meals can be prepared faster than the speed of takeout and are perfect for busy weeknights—or any time you need a satisfying meal, pronto. They also happen to be extremely healthy! For more quick-fix lunch and dinner ideas, check out these 30-Minute Meals and 29 Easy Plant-Based Recipes You'll Make Again and Again.
This oil-free twist on the classic three-bean salad makes an excellent grab-and-go lunch. A medley of chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans gives this protein-packed salad extra staying power. Crunchy celery, juicy apple, and sweet bell pepper add freshness to every bite, while a light Dijon vinaigrette peps things up. Make plenty, as the flavors are even better the next day. One commenter writes, “This salad is so good I eat it for dessert!”
Ready in just 10 minutes, these colorful, hearty tacos—filled with a lime-infused mix of mango, avocado, and black beans—are as scrumptious as they are speedy. Note: The recipe calls for fresh mango, but frozen will also work.
With pickled greens, green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and chili-vinegar soy sauce, this 15-minute noodle dish bursts with the intense flavors of Szechwan cooking.
Comforting and delicious, these Asian-style noodle bowls are perfect for when you want a quick meal and don’t want to sacrifice flavor. Chewy brown rice noodles are the mainstay of the dish, while Asian stir-fry frozen vegetables add color and heft, and a simple ginger-garlic sauce lends warmth to every bite. Feel free to use fresh veggies or another blend of frozen veggies. Serve warm or cold; it’s yummy either way.
Colorful and packed with goodies, these fruity mango smoothie bowls really hit the spot and are a cinch to assemble. Just blend frozen banana and mango in a high-powered blender until smooth—an immersion blender will work in a pinch. Orange juice provides a citrusy lift and makes blending more manageable, and turmeric deepens the yellow hue. The toppings are where the fun starts. Oats, chia seeds, fresh berries, pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs, and slivered almonds work well, but feel free to experiment!
This quick-as-a-flash quinoa bowl uses healthy convenience foods such as frozen peas, canned chickpeas, and store-bought slaw mix to create a satisfying salad in record time. Lemon juice brightens the flavors, and cherry tomatoes add spots of tangy flavor. If you don’t have cooked quinoa, get that going first. While the recipe provides instructions for heating the slaw-chickpea mix in the microwave, you could easily adapt this recipe for the stovetop—just transfer the ingredients to a pan and heat over medium until warmed through. A fan writes, “Easy, fast, tasty, and filling.” Another writes, “Just made this for supper. Easy and quick meal. Everything was in the freezer or pantry.”
This tasty oatmeal from Matt Frazier and Stepfanie Romine features carrot, marinara, kale, and pumpkin seeds and is ready in just 15 minutes. Once you get used to the idea of oatmeal being an anytime food, a world of easy meal options opens up!
Using pantry staples such as canned chickpeas and tomatoes, this rustic plant-based bolognese is seriously satisfying, without leaving you feeling stuffed. Pro tip: Make sure to get the pasta cooking first; then prepare the sauce.
Ready in about as much time as it takes to set the table, this veggie-forward one-pot pasta bowl makes great use of tasty quick-cooking ingredients such as vermicelli, finely sliced veggies, bok choy, and enoki mushrooms. Adzuki beans and tofu add extra heft while miso paste, fresh ginger, and Thai basil broaden the savory flavor.
In this mouthwatering gourmet sandwich, creamy (and colorful!) carrot hummus perfectly complements crisp lettuce, crunchy cucumber slices, and the sweet-spicy bite of pickled pepperoncini peppers.
If you like wraps as much as we do, you’ll love these! The combination of the whole grain tortilla, creamy bean spread, and crunchy, juicy veggies covers the gamut of flavors and textures. Let your taste buds enjoy the party!
Transform a can of chickpeas into a delectable meal with a few prime ingredients such as lime juice, cilantro, avocado, jalapeño, and red onion.
Lettuce cups are a fantastic vehicle for a satisfying, quick, and fun family meal. Their fresh crunch and mild flavor tastes great alongside a luscious filling of black beans, corn, jarred roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, and mango.
Let your taste buds savor this cool noodle salad that pops with spicy kimchi flavor, crunchy mung bean sprouts, refreshing cucumber, and soft noodles. The recipe calls for cold noodles, but you don’t need to wait for them to cool; just rinse them in cold water once they’re cooked.
Beat the heat with a bowl of sweet-and-spicy watermelon gazpacho, loaded with cubed jicama and cucumber for extra crunch. Make plenty: It’ll last in the fridge for a few days and tastes even better the second day.
This secret to this dairy-free fettuccine alfredo is the creamy sauce made from cannellini beans and almond butter, with sun-dried tomatoes and sugar snap peas lending tang and crunch. Note: If you don’t have fettuccine, any pasta shape will do.
The only salad dressing you need to turn this simple chickpea, cherry tomato, and spinach salad into a masterpiece is fresh mint, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
Dressed with cilantro, lime juice and zest, and balsamic vinegar, this easy black bean, tomato, and corn salad will keep you powered up for hours. As co-creators Ann and Jane Esselstyn write, "We could eat this black bean salad for every meal in summer, even breakfast."
Southwest flavors work beautifully to transform instant grits into a comforting savory bowl the whole family will enjoy.
Pre-cut frozen veggies are a life-saver when you’re in a hurry. Here, fresh ginger and garlic add sweet-tangy flavor while curry-infused quinoa adds heartiness. Note: Quinoa is gluten-free and cooks quickly, making it an ideal whole grain when time is short.
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