These 10 Easy, Vegan One

Mar 18, 2024

Sam Dixon

byCharlotte Pointing

August 2, 2023

We all know the feeling: you’ve just cooked and eaten a delicious meal and now all you want to do is sit back and relax, but the kitchen looks like a disaster zone. There’s no doubt, cleaning up is the worst part of cooking. But it doesn’t have to be this way—at least not all of the time. When you’ve had a busy day and you can’t face a big clean-up job, opting for a one-pot meal makes things a heck of a lot easier. And you don’t have to sacrifice flavor or nutrition, either, so it’s a big win all around.

One-pot cooking makes the entire process of preparing dinner a lot easier. This way of cooking is also good for the planet. Firstly, it only requires energy for one heat source, but it also means you use less water when it’s time to do the dishes. And, as an added bonus, if you cook this way regularly, it may even save you money on energy bills.

Plus, because one-pot meals lend themselves well to batch-cooking (think pilafs, pasta, and stews), they also help to prevent food waste. You can cook everything at the beginning of the week, and then freeze portions ahead of time to reheat later.

Feeling inspired? Below we’ve gathered a few of our favorite vegan recipes, all of which are perfectly suited to one-pot cooking.

Broke Vegan One Pot

This easy, nutritious orzo dish makes for a great weeknight meal. It’s the perfect combination of zesty and tangy flavors, plus it’s ultra comforting without feeling too heavy on the stomach.Get the recipe

Katy Beskow

Pilaf is full of flavor, it’s easy to batch cook (yep, you can make lunch and dinner all in one go, using only one pan), and it’s loaded with goodness. You can choose your favorite vegetables and spices, but this tasty recipe calls for a mix of spinach, chickpea, and lemon juice.Get the recipe

Leslie Durso

Pasta is one of the easiest midweek dishes already, but this recipe takes things to the next level by narrowing everything down to just one pan. If you’re thinking, “Vodka?!” … bear with us: it’s actually one of the best ways to improve the texture and flavor of tomato pasta.Get the recipe

Sam Dixon

If you haven’t tried plantain, this is the perfect dish to give the savory, banana-like ingredient a whirl. It’s simple to pull together and has a deliciously sweet and spicy flavor thanks to the addition of Scotch bonnet peppers, plum tomatoes, and red bell peppers, too.Get the recipe

Rachel Ama

Moqueca, which is eaten across Angola and Brazil, is traditionally made with seafood, including shrimp and fish. But animal products aren’t necessary to make this dish delicious. Instead, you can use hearts of palm, which, when cooked, have a very similar texture to shellfish.Get the recipe

Moroccan tagine is one of the original one-pot dishes. In fact, the clue is in the name, because a tagine is the name of the hotpot dish the stew is traditionally cooked in. Again, this dish is usually made with chicken, but instead, you can just compile all of your favorite vegetables into one dish with spices and dried fruits (traditional tagine pot optional).Get the recipe

Rachel Ama

Taste the street food of New Orleans without having to leave the house, or make a big mess in the kitchen, by cooking up this delicious cajun, beer-battered oyster mushroom sandwich. For serving, tartar sauce is a must.Get the recipe

Broke Vegan One Pot

Congee is also known as Chinese rice porridge, and that’s all down to the similar texture between the two dishes. But unlike porridge, this dish is usually paired with savory ingredients and eaten at dinner time, rather than breakfast. You can choose any ingredients you like, but this shiitake, garlic combination is hard to beat.Get the recipe

Hannah Kaminsky

Stew is a hearty, flavorful, filling dish, best served when it’s raining outside and you just need something comforting and delicious to warm up your insides. And as an added bonus, it’s also super nutritious.Get the recipe

Desiree Nielsen

Most people associate Italy with dishes like pasta, pizza, and risotto, but peperonata is another traditional Italian meal that deserves your time. It’s usually made with sweet bell peppers and served with chicken or pork, but this ultra-tasty recipe swaps in cauliflower instead.Get the recipe

Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.

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