5 vegan comfort meals for when Valentine's Day is just another Tuesday and that's fine

I'll be honest with you. Some years, Valentine's Day feels like an event. Marcus and I will plan something, light candles, maybe open a bottle of wine we've been saving.

Other years, it lands on a random Tuesday when we're both tired, the fridge needs restocking, and the most romantic thing either of us can muster is agreeing to watch the same show without checking our phones.

Both versions are valid. Both versions are real life.

And if you're someone who finds yourself in the second camp this year, whether you're single, partnered, or somewhere in between, I want to offer you something better than a pity party.

I want to offer you five meals that feel like a warm hug, require minimal effort, and remind you that feeding yourself well is its own form of love.

1. Creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese soldiers

There's a reason this combination lives in our collective memory as the ultimate comfort food. The sweetness of tomatoes, the richness of a good grilled cheese, the simple act of dunking. It's childhood in a bowl, but better because you're making it exactly how you want it.

For the soup, blend canned San Marzano tomatoes with sautéed onion, garlic, a splash of oat milk, and a pinch of smoked paprika.

Let it simmer while you make your sandwich with whatever vegan cheese melts best for you. Cut the sandwich into strips, and suddenly you're not eating dinner alone. You're having an experience.

When was the last time you let yourself eat something purely because it made you feel safe?

2. One-pot coconut curry with whatever vegetables you have

This is the meal I make when I don't want to think but still want to feel nourished. The beauty of a coconut curry is its forgiveness. Wilting spinach in the crisper drawer? Perfect. Half a sweet potato from last week? Cube it up. That lonely can of chickpeas? Absolutely.

Sauté aromatics like ginger, garlic, and a spoonful of curry paste in a bit of oil. Add your vegetables based on cooking time, pour in a can of coconut milk, and let everything simmer until tender.

Serve it over rice or with crusty bread for scooping. The kitchen will smell incredible, and you'll have leftovers for tomorrow.

Sometimes the most generous thing we can do is make enough food to take care of our future selves too.

3. Loaded baked potato bar for one

I used to think baked potatoes were boring until I realized I'd been approaching them all wrong. A baked potato isn't a side dish. It's a canvas.

Scrub a large russet, poke it with a fork, and bake it until the skin is crispy and the inside is fluffy. While it bakes, gather your toppings: vegan sour cream, chopped chives, sautéed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, vegan bacon bits, hot sauce. Set everything out like a little buffet, even if it's just for you.

There's something quietly rebellious about making yourself a spread like this on a random weeknight. It says: I'm worth the effort. And you are.

4. Peanut noodles that come together in fifteen minutes

When I left finance, I had to relearn how to cook without feeling like every meal needed to be optimized. Peanut noodles taught me that fast doesn't have to mean careless. This dish is quick because it's smart, not because it cuts corners.

Cook your noodles of choice, whether rice noodles, soba, or even spaghetti. While they boil, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and a bit of sriracha. Toss the drained noodles with the sauce, add shredded cabbage or cucumber for crunch, and top with sesame seeds and green onion.

Fifteen minutes from start to finish. No reservations required. No expectations to manage except your own hunger.

5. A bowl of really good pasta with garlic bread on the side

I know this sounds almost too simple, but hear me out. There's a difference between throwing pasta together because you're out of options and intentionally making yourself a bowl of pasta because it's exactly what you want.

Choose a sauce you genuinely love, whether that's a rich marinara, a creamy cashew alfredo, or just good olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook the pasta until it's perfect, not a minute longer. Make garlic bread by spreading vegan butter and minced garlic on a split baguette and broiling until golden.

Eat it slowly. Maybe put on some music. Notice how it tastes when you're not rushing to get somewhere else.

Final thoughts

Valentine's Day carries a lot of weight in our culture. It can feel like a referendum on your relationship status, your romantic success, your worthiness of love. But love isn't just something that happens between two people over an expensive dinner. It's also something you can practice alone, in your kitchen, on a Tuesday night.

These meals won't solve anything. They won't make you feel less single if you're lonely or less tired if you're exhausted. But they might remind you that taking care of yourself, feeding yourself something warm and good, is a small act of resistance against the idea that you need external validation to matter.

So whatever this Valentine's Day looks like for you, I hope you eat something that makes you feel held. Even if you're the one doing the holding.