My plant-based journey has been pretty smooth, but there have definitely been times when I just did not feel like going through the lengthy process of finding affordable recipes for the whole week, and then cooking them. There have been many days that I just threw in the towel and ordered some takeout. I really want to say that all the fried rice I ate was worth it, but truthfully, I broke the bank and really failed to nourish my body in the way I should have. Since then, I have made a discovery that has saved me hours of time, so much money, and has practically cured all my bad eating habits: bulk recipes! Cooking in large quantities only requires one or two nights of cooking, and can be super affordable if each recipe only requires a few basic ingredients. It is so easy to switch up how you serve these recipes, so you never feel bored with your food, and it really forces you to be more conscious of the ingredients you are adding. It is basically just meal-prepping for broke and lazy vegans. Here are some of the best recipes I make in bulk to make eating plant-based cheaper and easier:
Making your own pasta sauce can be a really effective way to cook in bulk, while still having variety in your diet. Of course, adding it over pasta is delicious, but you can also add it over battered veggies, or make a vegan chick’n or eggplant parm. A lot of store-bought sauces have cream or cheese mixed in, and honestly, they are just not as good as homemade sauces, so here are two easy recipes I love.
Classic Marinara Sauce (my favorite):
Chop one onion, three carrots, and two celery stocks into small pieces. In a large pot, simmer these veggies in some olive oil with garlic until cooked through. Add two cans of peeled tomatoes. Mix and crush the tomatoes with your spoon. Season with basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, red chili flakes if you want, and any other herbs to taste. If the tomatoes are too acidic, add a pinch of sugar. Lower the heat to a simmer and let cook for about thirty minutes with the lid on. Give it a little stir and mash if needed, then voila! The most delicious (and easy) marinara sauce that will last you all week.
Vegan Alfredo Sauce:
Mix ½ cup of flour and 6 tbsp of olive oil in a small bowl to make a lil roux. Set this aside for later; it will help thicken the sauce. Add 5 cups of plant milk into a pot and warm it up without boiling it. (I use oat milk because it is so cheap to make at home.) Slowly stir in your roux until it has thickened. You don’t have to use all of it if you don’t want to. Then, add garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme, chives if you want, cayenne pepper if you want, and even rosemary would taste good in this.
This is the best vegan alfredo sauce I have tried, and it gets bonus points for winning my dad over too.
Next, I have found that roasting a bunch of veggies at the same time and mixing them into different dishes saves me a lot of time and helps me eat healthier throughout the week.
Usually I will go for broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes (cut into small cubes to lower cooking time), brussel sprouts, red bell peppers, or anything seasonal I can find. To keep it simple, I chop all my veggies, and put them on parchment-lined baking sheets. I cover them in olive oil, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, and any herbs I have on hand. It just depends on what sounds best at the time. Then, I bake them at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for thirty minutes, or until they look done. While they are cooking, it is such a time saver to make rice or quinoa to go with it.
I keep all of my veggies in the fridge and add them to different dishes through the week. Most of the time, it is easiest to mix different veggie combinations in a buddha bowl with rice or quinoa, and serve with some greens/sprouts and a tahini dressing. (Mix some tahini, soy sauce, and water to thin it.) This is super easy, healthy, and keeps me from having to cook every night of the week.
Protein is always the number one concern that non-vegans ask me about, so I have really learned to be mindful of my protein intake. Sometimes it is easy to forget about it if you are not eating a lot of the expensive meat alternatives, so here are a few of the more affordable foods I cook in large quantities to mix into my meals.
Tofu: I know it gets a bad rap for being flavorless and mushy, but if you cook it correctly, I swear it isn’t so bad. If the texture is what gets you, I would suggest keeping some baked tofu on hand. It is much firmer, and so good to add into wraps, stir fries, buddha bowls, or anything you want. The sriracha one from Trader Joe’s is so yummy; but it’s expensive so I would suggest baking your own. I like to make my tofu crispy, so I take (pressed) extra firm tofu and cut it into cubes. I toss the cubes in a little cornstarch and fry in a neutral oil until crispy and golden. Then I have a huge batch to toss in any sauce and add to my meals for protein.
One of my favorite tofu sauces is peanut butter chili sauce:
Mix ¼ cup of natural creamy peanut butter (the runnier the better,) 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil, and 1 tbsp chili sauce until well incorporated. This is delicious in tofu lettuce wraps, and I also have used it in sushi!
Veggie Patties: These are much cheaper than impossible or beyond burgers, and can be delicious added to non-burger recipes. I personally never want to eat a black bean burger ever again in my life. I used to think this was the only way to get protein, and that’s just not true. If you like that, then by all means, go for it, but I find it way yummier to chop up black bean, chickpea, or any protein-rich patty and add to a salad or buddha bowl. (Wow, here I go again mentioning buddha bowls!) It makes salads way yummier to eat, and helps add more protein to my diet.
Chickpeas: Chickpeas can be used in so many dishes and they are way better than eating normal beans if you ask me. You can bake them so they are crispy, add them to soups, or even make hummus.
One of my favorite ways to eat them is in a chickpea salad—a tuna salad substitute that is way better than the original in my professional opinion. To make this, dice half a red onion and three celery stalks. Mash 2 cans of drained chickpeas. Add all of this to a bowl and mix in ½ cup of vegan mayo, the juice of one lemon, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. You can even add some hemp seeds if you want. This is another recipe that has won my family over. I usually serve it in a sandwich with toasted rye bread and some sprouts, but you can add it to lettuce wraps, or honestly, eat it alone.
I hope that some of these recipes and recommendations make it to your kitchen. They have definitely saved me a lot of time and money, and have proven to be crowd-pleasers in my non-vegan family. Just to simplify all of this, cook in big batches, prep your veggies, and don’t skimp on the protein. Happy eating!