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Enjoy only the most tasty and nutritious plant-based meals at home with this list of more than 51 Incredibly Easy Vegan Recipes! This collection of vegan main dishes, side dishes, soups, lunches, and desserts will equip you for healthy mealtimes the whole family will love.
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If the idea of cooking plant-based or vegan food conjures up images of complicated recipes and expensive ingredients, this collection of the best easy vegan recipes will be a breath of fresh air!
One of my missions here at Sweet Potato Soul is to demystify the vegan lifestyle. It is my intention to show how accessible, doable, budget-friendly, nutritious, and (dare I say) easy it can be to adopt. Having the right recipes is a big part of making a smooth transition. Today I share all my best easy vegan food.
This collection has everything you need for tasty, nutritious, doable, and affordable easy vegan dinners: mains, pastas, side dishes, soups, pastas, and desserts! I also throw in a few of my top lunch recipes, because you can’t survive on dinner alone. 😉
Whether you have been a vegan devotee for years, are just getting into the plant-based lifestyle, are new to healthy cooking, or simply want to eat more veggies, this list is for you!
If you’re looking for breakfast, check out this roundup!
If you need more meal ideas and nutrition tips, please check out my Vegan 101 archive and my cookbook, Vegan Vibes. Or check out my Vegan 101 playlist over on my YouTube channel––where you’ll find even more amazing vegan food.
The 51 Incredibly Easy Vegan Recipes
Getting hungry already? Me too! Let’s dive right in! All of these easy recipes are ready in beginner-friendly steps and are made with everyday ingredients and kitchen tools.
Vegan Main Dishes
The Easiest Lentil Tacos
These easy lentil tacos take just 10 minutes to make. They're delicious, nutritious, and perfect for Taco Tuesday and Meatless Monday.
Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
Hearty, rich, and bursting with warm and fragrant spices, this Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry with coconut milk is a satisfying and nutritious meal that's guaranteed to delight your taste buds! It's ready in a few simple steps and 100% plant-based, making it a fantastic pick any night of the week.
Vegan Lentil Meatloaf
This Vegan Lentil Meatloaf is the ultimate healthy comfort food! Made with hearty and nutritious lentils, savory mushrooms, veggies, seasonings, and a tasty balsamic and ketchup glaze, it’s satisfying yet simple to make. Serve it with vegan mashed potatoes for a complete and comforting plant-based meal.
Vegan Burrito Bowl (Better-Than-Chipotle!)
Enjoy your favorite better-for-you fast casual food without leaving the house by making this Vegan Burrito Bowl! Featuring lentil taco meat (recipe below), this is one of my go-to easy vegan dinner recipes. It’s fresh, wholesome, and delicious!
Lentil Taco Meat
Save money and know what you’re eating by passing on the faux meat and making this Lentil Taco Meat instead! It’s easy to make, rich in plant-based protein and fiber, and perfect for all your taco needs: adding to bowls and burritos, scooping into tacos, and sprinkling on nachos.
Tempeh Tacos
Transform taco night with these colorful Tempeh Tacos! Made with smoky-sweet marinated tempeh and topped with purple cabbage slaw and guacamole, these tacos are a festive and easy-to-prep meal to add to your repertoire.
Flaky Vegan Mushroom Empanadas
Do you love empanadas but think they’re only for omnivores? Think again! These Vegan Mushroom Empanadas feature a buttery, flaky crust and savory and rich mushroom filling while being made with all plant-based ingredients! Enjoy them as a light, yet filling main dish or special appetizer!
Instant Pot Cauliflower Piccata
Tender and naturally sweet cauliflower shines in a lemon caper gravy, making this Instant Pot Cauliflower Piccata a fantastic veggie-forward main dish. Serve it with pasta, toasted bread, or vegan mashed potatoes for a complete meal.
Mushroom Carnitas Tacos
Not only can you enjoy carnitas on a plant-based diet, but the dish is totally delicious and surprisingly simple to prep. Mushrooms are simmered with aromatics, jalapeños, and citrus until tender. Give them a quick shred and enjoy the carnitas on tortillas with your favorite toppings. Talk about tasty Mushroom Carnitas Tacos worthy of dreaming about!
Vegan Meatballs
Make a large batch of these Vegan Meatballs and enjoy them as you would traditional: on pasta, in subs, or as a toothpick appetizer! They are hearty, savory, cheesy (with no dairy or animal ingredients, of course), and one of my top-rated vegan recipes for beginners!
Vegan Fish Tacos
These Vegan Fish Tacos have a solid 5-star rating for a reason. They’re easy to make, topped with a creamy slaw, and great for family meals, entertaining, and more.
Hearty Tofu Chili
Tofu is one of my favorite budget-friendly plant-based proteins because it is adaptable to nearly any flavor, incredibly budget-friendly, and contains complete protein. Whether you’re a tofu convert or new to the protein, Hearty Tofu Chili is a great way to enjoy it. It’s hearty, nutritious, zesty, and comforting!
Vegan Chicken Nuggets
These Vegan Chicken Nuggets taste just like the classic version — crispy, savory, and meaty — while being 100% plant-based! Serve them with your favorite dipping sauces for a family-friendly main dish or healthy appetizer!
Hearty Zucchini Burgers
If you like vegan burgers, you’ll adore these Hearty Zucchini Burgers! Made with zucchini, toasted pumpkin seeds, beans, and quinoa, they make an easy vegan meal you can enjoy year-round.
Vegan Crab Cakes
Enjoy a remake of a classic seaside meal with these Vegan Crab Cakes! These tender and flaky cakes are made with hearts of palm and chickpeas, two easy-to-find ingredients that are good for you and easy to work with. When served with vegan red pepper aioli, these crab cakes take the cake!
Vegan Fried Chicken
Growing up in the South, fried chicken was a must. So, naturally, I created a vegan alternative when I transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle! With a double batter, classic seasonings, and a crunchy exterior, this Vegan Fried Chicken is made with a surprising ingredient that the whole family will devour.
Black Bean Hemp Burgers
Packed full of good-for-you black beans, nuts, and seeds, these Black Bean Hemp Burgers are a nutritious, feel-good meal that nourishes you from the inside out. They’re made in a few simple steps and store well, making them also great for meal prep!
Vegan Nachos
Treat your crew to a playful but secretly wholesome dinner with these Vegan Nachos! Topped with lentil taco meat, vegan sour cream, avocados, beans, salsa, and more, they are tasty, quick, filling, and beginner-friendly.
Easy Vegan Pasta Dishes
Creamy Pasta with Seared Mushroom Scallops
Bring a restaurant-quality meal to your home kitchen with this Creamy Pasta with Seared Mushrooms Scallops. Bucatini pasta is tossed in a creamy and cheesy garlic sauce and topped with seared mushrooms, making a surprisingly easy dinner that is great for Sunday supper, dinner parties, and hungry weeknight meals.
Arrabbiata Sauce
Add some fiery flair to your favorite pastas with this Arrabbiata sauce! It’s ready in a few simple steps and made with everyday ingredients like garlic, tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, and pasta. Serve it with a vegan Caesar salad for a full spread dinner.
Mushroom Alfredo Pasta
Satisfy Alfredo cravings, vegan style, with this Mushroom Alfredo Pasta! Al dente noodles are tossed in a better-for-you plant-based pasta sauce and topped with meaty seared oyster mushrooms for a comforting and classic meal you’ll want to make again and again.
Creamy Vegan Carbonara
Designed after the classic Roman pasta dish, this Vegan Carbonara Pasta will transport your taste buds to the Italian capital city. No egg yolks or pasta are used here — a creamy and cheesy soy milk sauce coats the noodles, and smoky tofu bits add smoky, meaty flavor. It’s so good you’ll think it’s traditional! Buon appetito!
Instant Pot Vegan Sausage Pasta
Featuring vegan sausage, hearty pasta, and vibrant veggies, Instant Pot Vegan Sausage Pasta is ready in a snap, ultra-tasty, and wholesome. Serve it on busy weeknights and for Sunday supper and dinner parties!
Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
If salty and briny flavors are your jam, you must try this Vegan Pasta Puttanesca! Made with sliced kalamata olives and dulse flakes, this traditional-turned-vegan pasta recipe is always a winner.
Vegan Side Dishes
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
The BEST Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries are perfectly crispy and tender, thanks to my super easy, no-fail method. They’re ready in less than 30 minutes and make the dream side dish, great for pairing with everything from veggie burgers to “chicken” nuggets!
Corn Ribs
The Best Corn Ribs, with 4 easy cooking methods: broiling, baking, air frying, and grilling. These corn ribs are smoky, sweet, charred, and buttery — guaranteed to be your new favorite summer corn side dish!
Grilled Eggplant
Tender and meaty Grilled Eggplant is one of my favorite grilled veggies! It's simple to make, incredibly flavorful, and not soggy at all, thanks to a few no-fail tips and an easy olive oil seasoning blend.
The Best Sweet Potato Hummus
This delicious Sweet Potato Hummus is savory and bold, with the perfect amount of sweetness. Slow baked sweet potatoes give it rich flavor and extra creamy texture. This recipe also appears in my cookbook, Sweet Potato Soul.
Vegan Mashed Potatoes
No vegan side dish repertoire is complete without Vegan Mashed Potatoes! These fluffy and buttery smashers are a tasty favorite comfort food classic, minus the animal ingredients. They’re so good that even meat-eaters love them!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are kind of a big deal around here, and these perfect Roasted Sweet Potatoes are no exception! They are tender, caramelized, and seasoned to delicious perfection. Serve them with vegan burgers, tacos, bowls, and more for a versatile side!
Air Fryer Green Beans
If you’ve never made Air Fryer Green Beans, consider this your sign! They’re exceptionally tender and sweet, so good that picky eaters may even forget they’re gobbling up veggies.
Air Fryer Broccolini
Made with a handful of pantry staples and broccoli’s tender, peppery cousin, this Air Fryer Broccolini is an easy and quick vegan side dish you can count on any day of the week.
Za’atar Roasted Cabbage
Cabbage is an affordable, easy-to-prep, and delicious veggie. This recipe is seasoned with the savory Middle Eastern spice, Za’atar, making it a flavorful but seriously simple side.
Instant Pot White Beans
The pressure cooker cooks dried beans into tender perfection in less than 45 minutes, making it one of my favorite ways to prepare this incredibly budget-friendly legume. In this Instant Pot White Beans recipe, the white beans are seasoned with garlic, onions, rosemary, and lemon juice. They’re downright delicious!
Air Fryer Carrots
Don’t sleep on humble, but oh-so-tasty carrots! You only need a handful of common seasonings and 15 minutes to make this Air Fryer Carrots recipe. Serve it with all your favorite vegan main dishes for rave reviews!
Vegan Salad Recipes
Vegan Caesar Salad
Nothing hits quite like a classic Caesar, and this Vegan Caesar Salad is no exception! Made with sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, lemon, and capers, the vegan dressing is an easy-to-prep and better-for-you option. Crispy chickpeas top the salad, adding a delightful crunch and extra nutrition. Do yourself a favor and make a double batch of this salad. It’s great for meal prep!
Baby Kale Salad
It’s always a great time for this Baby Kale Salad! Topped with a delicious maple mustard vinaigrette and beans, fruits, and veggies of choice, it’s easy to adapt this to the ingredients you have on hand.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
This crunchy and zesty Black Bean and Corn Salad is plant-based perfection! It’s ready in a few beginner-friendly steps and is a nutritious side dish, perfect for your favorite Mexican-inspired meals.
Watermelon & Peach Salad
Reimagine your favorite summer fruit with this Watermelon & Peach Salad! Tossed with a lime vinaigrette, it is fresh, cooling, vibrant, and rated 5 stars for a reason.
Edamame Salad
Crunchy, wholesome, and brimming with complete plant protein, this Edamame Salad is always a great idea! Enjoy it as a side or top it with stir-fried or roasted tofu for a lip-smacking, powerhouse meal.
Mango Avocado Salad
Curly kale is massaged with mango guacamole before being tossed with shredded carrots, red cabbage, and black beans. It makes an easy and ultra-nutritious main or side salad, elevating any mealtime!
Black Eyed Pea Salad
Also known as Texas or Harlem caviar, Black Eyed Pea Salad is a protein-rich bean salad. It gets more flavorful by the day, making it great for meal prep and make-ahead entertaining.
Easy Vegan Soups
Red Lentil Carrot Soup
Warm up from the inside out with this Red Lentil Carrot Soup! Its ultra-nourishing combination of carrots, lentils, tomatoes, spices, and vegetable bouillon delivers healthy carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and more. Best of all, it’s ready in a few easy steps and 30 minutes.
Collard Miso Soup
If you think miso soup is just for Japanese restaurants, think again! It’s surprisingly simple to prep and made with pocketbook-friendly ingredients like miso paste, collard greens, tofu, and red chili flakes. A must-make!
Sweet Potato Soup
Vegan Sweet Potato Soup is ultra creamy and dreamy thanks to a surprising ingredient: white beans! Additional beans are roasted until crisp, topping the soup and providing a satisfying crunch. Make a large batch to enjoy throughout the week — it’s great for meal prep.
Vegan Lentil Soup
This Vegan Lentil Soup is an essential addition to any cold and flu season soup repertoire! Green lentils simmer in vegetable bouillon with diced veggies until tender, making a hydrating and wholesome soup you can count on.
Vegan Lunches
BBQ Tempeh Sandwich
BBQ tempeh elevates your lunchtime sandwich from okay to yay! It adds sweet zest, complete plant protein, and serious staying power. Add creamy sliced avocado, juicy tomatoes, and romaine lettuce to complete the experience. It’s totally tasty!
Vegan Pasta Salad
Easy roasted vegetables and creamy avocado dressing shine in this Vegan Pasta Salad, making a satisfying, tasty, and wholesome lunch or potluck addition. Even meat eaters will ask for the recipe!
Chickpea Tuna Salad
This 100% plant-based Chickpea Tuna Salad is creamy, hearty, and briny, with all the flavor and satisfaction of classic tuna salad. Scoop it with crackers, spread it on a sandwich, or fold it into wraps!
Easy Vegan Desserts
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Classic, comforting, melty, and Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies?! Sign me up! These buttery, chewy, gooey cookies are simply exceptional. Dip them in plant-based milk for a nostalgic sweet treat experience!
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Treat your chocolate cravings and taste buds to an indulgent but better-for-you dessert with this Vegan Chocolate Mousse. It’s easy to make with common and budget-friendly ingredients like avocados, dates, and cacao powder.
Nana’s Vegan Pound Cake
This Vegan Pound Cake proves that this classic baked good doesn’t need to be made with butter and eggs to be exceptional. Top it with fresh berries and whipped coconut cream for a memorable experience!
Avocado Pineapple Popsicles
Save money and eat better with homemade Avocado Pineapple Popsicles! These naturally-sweetened cooling pops feature fresh fruit, creamy avocado, lime, and agave. Enjoy them poolside in the summer for a sweet snack the whole family will swoon over.
Vegan Rice Crispy Treats
Chewy, sweet, and crunchy, Vegan Rice Crispy Treats satisfy cravings for the classic treat while being 100% plant-based. Perfect for healthier lunchbox treats, after-school snacks, and late night dessert!
Strawberry Sorbet
Though it may appear intimidating, this Strawberry Sorbet is made with everyday ingredients in a few incredibly easy steps. Just add frozen strawberries, agave nectar, and lemon to a food processor, blend, freeze, and enjoy! It’s delightful, refreshing, and family-friendly.
