I made 12 one-pot dinners in two weeks—these 3 are accidentally vegan and my new weeknight go-to

The experiment started because I was tired of my kitchen looking like a small explosion happened every time I cooked dinner. Twelve different one-pot recipes over fourteen days seemed like a reasonable way to figure out which ones were actually worth the hype. Three of them turned out to be accidentally vegan, which I didn't plan for but wasn't surprised by—some of the simplest dishes just happen to skip animal products without making a big deal about it.

1. Coconut curry lentils with spinach

This one surprised me by being the kind of meal that tastes more complex than the effort required. You're basically simmering red lentils in coconut milk with curry powder until everything gets soft and slightly creamy, then wilting in whatever greens you have around.

The ratio matters more than precision: roughly one can of coconut milk to one cup of dried lentils, plus enough vegetable broth to keep things loose. I start with onions and garlic in oil, add curry powder to bloom the spices, then dump everything else in together. The lentils need about 20 minutes of simmering to get tender.

The texture lands somewhere between soup and stew depending on how much liquid you use. Add the spinach at the very end—it wilts in about thirty seconds, and overcooked greens turn that unfortunate khaki color nobody wants to eat.

2. Tomato and white bean skillet with crusty bread

Sometimes the best recipes are just assembling good ingredients in the right order. This one starts with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a wide pan, then a can of crushed tomatoes and a can of white beans get added with some dried oregano. That's essentially it.

The technique that makes it work: letting the tomatoes simmer down until they stop tasting raw and start tasting concentrated. That takes longer than you think—maybe fifteen minutes of actual bubbling. You can tell it's ready when the sauce clings to the beans instead of pooling around them.

I tear up crusty bread and use it to soak up the sauce directly from the pan, which saves a dish and feels more satisfying than using a spoon. The bread turns soft where it touches the sauce but stays crispy on top. Fresh basil makes it better if you have it, but the dried oregano does enough work that it's not necessary.

3. Ginger-soy noodles with whatever vegetables

This started as a way to clean out my vegetable drawer and became the meal I make when I can't decide what I want. Rice noodles get soaked in warm water first to soften them, then finish cooking directly in a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and grated ginger, with vegetables added based on what needs using up.

The order matters: harder vegetables like carrots or broccoli go in first with a splash of water to steam slightly, then the soaked noodles and sauce, then softer things like mushrooms or snap peas at the end. Everything finishes cooking together in about five minutes once you add the noodles.

I've made this with cabbage, bell peppers, green beans, bok choy, and frozen edamame at various times. The ginger-soy base stays consistent, but the vegetables change the texture and flavor enough that it doesn't feel repetitive. Add chili oil for heat or cashews for crunch, but the base version works fine on its own.

Final thoughts

The pattern across all three: they're forgiving about measurements and timing, which matters when you're cooking while doing three other things. None of them require constant attention or precise technique.

What made these stick was the cleanup as much as the taste. One pot means one thing to wash, which sounds minor until you're doing it five nights a week. The meals were good enough that I kept making them, but the ease was what made them actually sustainable. I'm still working through the other nine recipes to see if any earn a permanent spot. These three already have.