Gone are the days of eating the same dish every night for a week! Add variety to your meals with these recipes designed especially for singles.
If you dine solo, you know what we mean when we say cooking for one is no small task. You make a pot of soup. Then you eat that soup every night from Sunday to Sunday. But what if you like variety in your life? Do you freeze the extras? Maybe you don’t like frozen food. Or maybe those extras get shoved to the back of your freezer behind everything else. You forget they are there. Then … food waste. Or maybe you find a recipe that looks amazing, but it requires ingredients you cook with once and then never use again. More food waste! Arrgh! Well, not to worry, friend. We’re here to make cooking for one a breeze with these easy vegan recipes for singles.
Stock Your Single-Vegan Fridge, Freezer, and Pantry
Stocking your single-vegan fridge, freezer, and pantry is like setting up your own mini plant-based paradise! Nourish your body by making sure to have all the essentials on hand. We’re talking tofu, canned beans, and just the right amount of fresh and frozen veggies. Think spinach, kale, bell peppers, and potatoes. For snacks, keep some hummus and crackers on hand, as well as vegan cheese and fresh fruit for quick bites. Load your freezer with frozen berries (great for smoothies!), veggie burgers, and microwavable rice. These items are perfect for busy days. Plus, stock some pantry staples like lentils, pasta, quinoa, and a stash of your favorite plant-based milks. With these basics, you’ll be ready to whip up anything from hearty bowls to tasty sandwiches in no time!
Select Solo-Friendly Kitchen Equipment
If you're cooking for one in the kitchen, it's all about finding tools that make baking, sautéing, and grilling easy. Think compact but mighty. We’re talking a mini food processor for quick chopping. Or a single-serving blender for smoothies. A quality chef's knife is an absolute must and can serve multiple cutting purposes. Also, a smaller naturally non-stick skillet is a total lifesaver for everything from pancakes to stir-fries. Keep it simple, and you'll be whipping up delicious, no-waste plant-based meals with ease.
Cooking for One: Vegan Recipes for Singles
Cooking plant-based for one doesn’t have to mean boring or complicated meals! If you’re living the single life, tailored-for-one recipes can be a game-changer. And they can be easy to make, delicious, and packed with nutrients. Whether it's a hearty chickpea curry or a simple avocado toast, there are endless options to keep things fresh and exciting. The best part? You can whip up a batch without worrying about leftovers piling up. Just grab your favorite veggies, beans, or grains, and let your taste buds take the lead! You can also keep meals simple the next day by planning for one serving of leftovers. Stick these extras in the fridge and enjoy for tomorrow’s lunch or dinner. So without further ado, enjoy these simple-to-prepare meals designed especially for one.
Burrito Bowl
We like to keep things simple in the kitchen. This Burrito Bowl is a great example. It can be altered in any number of ways to suit your taste. Plus, you can change it up to work with the ingredients you have on hand. Make two bowls while you prepare this recipe. You can save the extra for a nutritious to-go lunch for work the next day.
Add the following ingredients to a dinner bowl in this order. Amounts can vary depending on your preference.
- Brown rice, cooked according to directions
- Black beans, drained, rinsed, and heated
- Corn, heated
- Roma tomato, diced
- Green onions, chopped
- Salsa
Notes:
- You can find frozen, microwavable rice at most grocery stores. Trader Joe’s stocks a nice selection, including brown, jasmine, and their Rice Medley. Save leftover grains in the fridge to combine with extra beans and greens for an easy lunch the next day.
- Canned beans are nutritious and a great way for singles to reduce waste. Cooking from dried might seem preferable. But canned beans are easy to work with and a good way to get protein and variety into your diet.
- We like Roma tomatoes for this recipe because they are just the right amount. One tomato should be all you need here.
- Enjoy your burrito bowl with a side of kale, tortilla chips, or both!
Courtesy of Pexels/Maarten van den Heuvel
Pasta Salad
Again, we love flexible recipes that are easy to alter. Especially when cooking for one. Have red peppers on hand? Throw them in! Wondering what to do with that leftover jar of artichoke hearts? Add it! Likewise, if you don’t have one of the following ingredients, no big deal. This one comes packed with protein, veggies, and taste. As usual, amounts of ingredients depend on your preference. Enjoy!
Add the following ingredients to a large bowl.
- 8.8 oz box pasta (cooked according to directions, drained, and rinsed with cold water)
- Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Red bell pepper, chopped
- Orange bell pepper, chopped
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- Sliced black olives
- Fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
- Olive oil, drizzled to lightly coat
- Salt, to taste
Notes:
- Up your nutrient power and visual appeal here by using a protein-packed pasta. We like Barilla Chickpea Penne. Or try their Red Lentil pasta. You could also opt for Felicia Oat Penne, Jovial Brown Rice Fusilli, or VeggieCraft Peas, Lentils, & Cauliflower Elbow noodles.
- This is a cold dish, so be sure to rinse noodles until they are completely cold.
- Have fun with the veggies here! Try adding artichoke hearts, thinly sliced red onions, steamed asparagus, and more. Or substitute the cherry tomatoes with sundried tomatoes. This recipe is super flexible and can be made differently every time.
- Instead of olive oil and salt, you could use your favorite plant-based Italian dressing.
- This one saves well for a couple of days. So, you’ve got tomorrow night’s dinner covered.
Courtesy of Unsplash/Engin Akyurt
Beans, Greens, & Grains Bowl
This is our go-to super-nutrient dinner. It’s quick to prepare and packs a nutritional punch. Also, it makes for a great lunch the following day. Be sure to use brown rice instead of white for extra gut-happy fiber. And don’t skip the homemade fries! They are the pièce de résistance. But more about this in the notes section. Let’s get cooking!
Add the following ingredients to a dinner bowl. Arrange artfully. Top with homemade fries. Amounts can be adjusted to your liking.
- Brown rice, cooked
- Quinoa, cooked
- Dark red kidney beans, drained, rinsed, and heated
- Kale, chopped and cooked
- Homemade fries, see below
- Salt to taste
Homemade fries:
- One small red, purple, or Yukon gold potato, cut into wedges (about 8 wedges)
- Cumin
- Salt
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Position wedges on the baking sheet with space between them. Lightly sprinkle with cumin and salt. (No need to oil.) Bake at 425° for about 35-40 minutes or until partially browned and crispy-looking.
Notes:
- We boil potatoes ahead of time and keep some in the fridge. This makes baking quicker at the time of meal prep.
- For easy dinners, prepare grain blends ahead of time as well. You can also store these in the fridge and use them for quick meals. Brown rice and quinoa make a great protein addition to any dish.
- Substitute beans of preference for the kidney beans.
- Likewise, you can swap out the kale for spinach or other greens. Steam these, boil, or sauté.
- If you like, drizzle tahini or your favorite dressing over the top.
Courtesy of Pexels/Arina Krasnikova
Spaghetti Marinara
Cooking for one? This one is a simple dinnertime favorite! But we’re going to go whole food plant-based with it and amp up the nutrition. This is so flexible that you can substitute any veggies for the listed ones, depending on your preference. Also, you can search recipes for homemade meatballs to sub in for the walnuts. But we like to keep it quick and easy. Bon appétit!
Cook spaghetti according to directions. Top with marinara. Cover with sautéed veggies, beans, and crushed walnuts. Add salt to taste. Amounts can vary depending on taste.
- Spaghetti noodles, cooked according to directions
- Marinara (whole food ingredients, no sugar added)
- Zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced, sautéed
- Yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced, sautéed
- Cannellini beans
- Crushed walnuts
- Salt, to taste
Notes:
- Health up your pasta by opting for VeggieCraft’s spaghetti made with cauliflower, peas, and lentils. You can also choose noodles made with chickpeas, whole wheat, yellow peas, and more.
- For a nutrient boost, choose a pasta sauce with whole food ingredients and no added sugar.
- Other good vegetables to add instead of (or in addition to!) zucchini and yellow squash include broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, and others.
Courtesy of Unsplash/Krista Stucchio
