What Can I Cook With Vegan Pantry Staples?

A vegan pantry of beans, lentils, rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes and tofu produces a month of different dinners. Almost every plant-based meal is a variation on grain plus legume plus vegetable plus a sauce with fat and acid.

Grains and legumes complement each other's amino acid profiles, so the combination is a complete protein. The formula also happens to be cheap, shelf-stable, and adaptable to any cuisine by changing only the spice profile.

Dishes you can make

• Chickpea curry with rice — Bloom the spices in oil first — the one step most home cooks skip.
• Lentil bolognese — Brown lentils, long simmer, plenty of umami from tomato paste and soy.
• Crispy tofu rice bowl — Press, coat in cornflour, fry, sauce off the heat.
• Black bean tacos — Mash half the beans so they hold together in the tortilla.
• Pasta e fagioli — Pasta and beans in one pot; starch from both thickens the broth.

Tips that actually matter

• Nutritional yeast, miso, soy sauce, tomato paste and mushrooms are the vegan umami toolkit.
• Fat carries flavour — plant-based meals fail most often from being too lean, not too bland.
• Toast whole spices before grinding for a noticeably deeper result.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get enough protein on a vegan diet?

Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, tofu, tempeh, edamame, seitan and peanut butter. Combining grains and legumes across the day covers all essential amino acids.

What are the best vegan pantry staples?

Tinned beans, dried lentils, rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes, coconut milk, tahini, nutritional yeast and a good olive oil.

Can Reciply generate vegan recipes?

Yes — set the dietary preference to vegan and it will only use plant-based ingredients, with full macros on every recipe.

Related guides

• rice and beans
• lentils and vegetables
• tofu and vegetables

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