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.
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What are the benefits of one-pot cooking?
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.
12 easy vegan one-pot recipes
Feeling inspired? Below we’ve gathered a few of our favorite vegan recipes, all of which are perfectly suited to one-pot cooking.
1 Vegan Lemon Zucchini Orzo
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.
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Katy Beskow
2 Spinach, Chickpea, and Lemon Pilaf
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.
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Leslie Durso
3 Creamy Vegan Tomato Vodka Pasta
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.
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Sam Dixon
4 Plantains With Spicy Red Pepper and Tomato Rice
If you haven’t tried plantains, 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.
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Rachel Ama
5 Brazilian Moqueca
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.
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Dustin Harder
6Vegan Cheeseburger Tater Tots With Cashew Cheddar Sauce
Cheeseburgers are a quick and easy comfort food, but this casserole-like dish takes the fast-food classic to a new level. Crispy tater tots are combined with all of the cheeseburger fixings (including vegan beef) for a new take that’s reminiscent of loaded French fries.
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Rachel Ama
7 Cajun Beer-Battered Oyster Mushroom Sandwich
Taste the street food of New Orleans without having to leave the house, or making a big mess in the kitchen, by cooking up this delicious cajun, beer-battered oyster mushroom sandwich. For serving, tartar sauce is a must.
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Broke Vegan One Pot
8 Shiitake Crispy Garlic Congee
Congee is also known as Chinese rice porridge due 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.
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Hannah Kaminsky
9 Moroccan-Inspired Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew
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.
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Desiree Nielsen
10 Cauliflower Peperonata Skillet
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.
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11Vegan Buddha Tofu and Roasted Vegetable Sheet Pan
Meal prepping doesn’t get any easier than this. Simply chop up your favorite vegetables and a block of tofu, toss them in olive oil and your favorite seasonings, and pop them all in the oven. It’s quick, easy, and healthy!
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Luce Hosier
12Easy Vegan Miso-Butter Sheet Pan Smashed Potatoes
Tender and crispy garlicky potatoes are infused with even more flavor thanks to umami-rich miso butter. Enjoy as a side or as a main course.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
