The start of this uni term is the perfect time for you finally give vegetarianism a go. Alongside the increasingly heated debates on climate change and sustainability, you’ve probably been swayed by other reasons to try out the whole veggie thing. As a student, cutting meat out of your shopping list will leave you with more money left to spend on other things, lowers your cholesterol and reduces the risk of you getting food poisoning if your student kitchen’s cleanliness is a little questionable.
These recipes have been tried and tested both at home (by real adults) and in a campus kitchen. The great thing is that you can make multiple portions for the freezer to spice up your midweek lunchtimes in the library. Using plenty olive oil, garlic and chilli could make these dishes -dare I say- tastier than the meat originals.
The key recurring ingredient in all of these dishes (and in a veggie diet in general) is lentils and pulses, which are great sources of protein and sometimes iron. So, if you want to succeed in being vegetarian, and Quorn isn’t your thing, good news- lentils, beans and pulses are readily available and pretty cheap! So, here are six easy and good-value recipes to get you started that AREN’T pesto pasta, beans on toast or tomato soup.
- Puy Lentil Spag Bol
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This veggie take on the student classic uses puy lentils to keep the look and texture of a spag bol, and the tomato sauce recipe is unaltered, giving you all the familiar flavour.
You’ll need tomatoes, onions, carrots and puy lentils, as well as garlic, vegetable stock and balsamic vinegar from your cupboard. You can use your favourite pasta and preparation only takes 30 minutes.
Find the recipe here.
- Green Lentil Tuscan Stew
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This one is real simple comfort food, and you can just chuck everything in the pan! TIP: Adding a small handful of chopped black olives adds an extra bit of saltiness, if you like. You’ll need tomatoes, garlic and green lentils. You can make it without the vegetable stock to simplify things. Use a can of pre-cooked green lentils to cut the preparation time to under 10 minutes.
Find the recipe that inspired the stew here.
- Red Lentil Dhal
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Using a good quality, ready-made tarka dhal sauce means there’s always time for this veggie curry favourite. All you need to do is boil the red lentils for 10 minutes, and chop some red peppers and onions, if you want.
Here’s the recipe. Remember, you can avoid making the sauce from scratch; the dish will still be healthy!
- Chick Pea Tikka Masala
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If you’ve previously been a big meat eater or are trying to cut down your meat intake, then tikka masala has probably been a tough one to give up. Sadly, it’s not easy to come across a veggie tikka masala in supermarkets, so instead you can use chickpeas to bulk out a store-bought tikka sauce. The chickpeas replace the protein lost from the chicken version and there’s the option of adding sautéed red peppers and onions for even more tastiness.
Get creative with a ready-made sauce by taking inspiration from this recipe.
- Mixed Bean Chilli
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This one might just be more delicious than the original, plus you can keep all your favourite sides like rice, tortillas, guacamole, sour cream and cheese. Everyone has their own take on how to make the perfect chilli, so I’ll leave the specifics and seasonings up to you. For a straightforward veggie alternative, gently fry a red onion, followed by a diced carrot and pepper before adding some beans and half a can of chopped tomatoes.
These mixed beans in chilli sauce from Sainsbury’s have been well tried and tested.
- Puy Lentil Moussaka
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The great thing about puy lentils is that they are just as adaptable as the beef mince they’re replacing and so they are a real crowd pleaser. This veggie moussaka recipe is perfect for sharing with your flatmates as it uses simple flavours and is best served in a big oven dish.
You’ll need tomatoes, aubergine (optional), potatoes, onions, garlic and vegetable stock. If you don’t want to go all out with a creamy, cheesy topping, just sprinkle some grated cheese over the potato topping and you’re done.
Find the full recipe here.