45 Plant-Based Recipes Using Pantry Staples

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45 easy, fuss-free, and wholesome vegan recipes using common pantry staples. Soups, Pasta, Casseroles, Desserts, and more! 

Hey there, friend. I hope this blog post finds you healthy, safe, and sane. There’s a whole lot going on in the world right now, and it can be kind of overwhelming. I feel grateful to have a job that allows me to work from home, a loving partner, and two adorable pups who are available to snuggle 24/7.

In this midst of all the uncertainty and chaos, I hope you can find some solace in the routine of cooking and sharing a meal with loved ones and friends – even if it’s virtually. I decided to compile a list of my favorite pantry-friendly recipes that use shelf-stable goods, sturdy or frozen vegetables, or some combination of the two. Whether you’re down to the bare basics or are simply looking for some budget-friendly and accessible recipes, there’s something here for you!

45 easy, fuss-free, and wholesome vegan recipes using common pantry staples. Soups, Pasta, Casseroles, Desserts, and more! 

A final friendly reminder to make do with what you have. If a recipe calls for a fresh or frozen veggie you don’t have, swap it out for something you do. Let’s get into it…

SOUPS, STEWS, & BEANS

The following recipes use pantry-friendly goods such as canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, or hardy veg such as onions, celery, and potatoes.

vegan chili in white bowl topped with vegan sour cream and green onionsbowl of minestrone soup on marble background with grey napkincurried lentil soup in speckled white bowl on red striped napkin with silver spoonbowl of butternut squash & white bean chili on black striped cloth on wood serving platterwhite bowl with assembled smoky white bean bowl with glass tupperware container of quinoa, veggies, and beans off to the siderefried beans on white background with recipe ingredientswhite bowl of instant pot chipotle black beans on wood background

Coconut & Red Lentil Curry // Easy Vegan Chili // Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Cozy Spinach & Potato Soup // Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup // Green Pea Soup
Curried Lentil Soup // Hearty Cabbage Soup // Butternut Squash & White Bean Chili
Sweet & Smoky White Beans // Instant Pot Refried Beans // Chipotle Lime Black Beans

PASTA

Because a bowl of cozy noodles is basically a hug in a bowl. All of these recipes rely on shelf-stable goods and are easy to make!

bowl of cooked one pot pasta next to pan of pasta on marble backgroundOne Pot Mushroom Stroganoff Easy 20 Minute Vegan Recipewhite bowl of hummus pasta topped with fresh parsley on marble cutting boardwhite bowl of garlic sauce pasta with lemon on the sidebaked mac and cheese in white dish

One Pot Pasta with Vegetables // Roasted Red Pepper Pasta // One Pot Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Hummus Pasta // Garlic Cream Sauce Pasta // Baked Vegan Mac & Cheese

CASSEROLES & MORE

Dump & bake casseroles, saucy plant-proteins, and more!

chickpea rice casserole on white plate with fork on marble backgroundbuffalo cauliflower & chickpea casserole in white casserole dish drizzled with vegan ranchsaucy peanut tempeh in white bowl topped with sesame seeds and sliced green oniongrilled bbq tempeh on white plate with napkinslice of chickpea pot pie topped with fresh thyme on white speckled platecrispy tofu in white bowl with gold rim

Southwestern Black Bean Casserole // Chickpea & Rice Casserole // Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea Casserole
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole // Stovetop Peanut Tempeh (or use Tofu!) // Sticky BBQ Tempeh
Kimchi Fried Rice // Chickpea Pot Pie // Crispy Tofu

SAUCES & SPREADS

Adding a flavor-packed sauce is a really easy way to spice up an otherwise plain pantry meal. Here are a few of our favorites:

glass bottle filled with tahini dressing on white stone backgroundglass jar of curry tahini dressing on gray plate with navy napkin on white backgroundwhite bowl of peanut sauce topped with chili flakes with spoon mixingsesame miso dressing in small glass container with metal spoonglass jar of sundried tomato dressing with white spoon on stone cutting boardrosemary garlic cashew cream in glass jar with fancy knife on wood cutting board

Everyday Tahini Sauce // Curry Tahini Dressing // Easy Peanut Sauce
Sesame Miso Dressing // Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing // Rosemary Garlic Cashew Cream

DON’T FORGET DESSERT!

Because we all could use a little extra sweetness in our lives. Many of these recipes are kid friendly too, in case you have some extra helpers!

side view of sliced loaf of banana bread on wood cutting boardvegan blender waffles on small white plate with blueberries, banana, and maple syruptwo hands holding glass mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows and cinnamon stickclose up photo of white bowl of easy vegan granola clusters with serving spoon and almond milkwhite bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough on wood serving tray with teal tea towelstack of peanut butter brownies on white speckled platestack of almond flour cookies on white speckled plate with bite taken out of top cookie

Fluffy Vegan Banana Bread // Vegan Blender Waffles // Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Hot Chocolate Mix // One Bowl Pumpkin Muffins // Vegan Chocolate Donuts
Easy Vegan Granola // Chickpea Cookie Dough // Fudgy Peanut Butter Brownies
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies // Almond Thumbprint Cookies // No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

Learn More

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Comments

  1. oh my god i forgot to add that millets are a great source of protein; which is again the most discussed useless question ” where do vegans get protein from “

  2. hi Caitlin ,
    this is a great compilation no doubt. what i want to add is millets.
    since the time western world (please pardon stereotype) started going vegan , all good things are being added as chickpeas and lentils but Millets are nowhere to be seen.
    although , lentils too, are in very less variety in supermarkets outside indian subcontinent but there are still good number of them these days.
    millets are a grain type different from wheat and rice . there are number of different type of millets ( proso , kodo , banyard , foxtail etc) which can be eaten like rice or ground into flour per liking. millets are different because they are a whole food consisting of not only good carbs but a variety of nutrients vitamins including the b n b-complex (which is usually cried for when vegan talk is on) and many many other trace elementary nutrients. if you get time , please do explore.
    also i would add that no wonder the white chickpea is very versatile but there is black variety also which is more nutritious and unexplored .. just saying.

  3. Thank you for this post and your video! Your positivity is an absolute light! 😀

    Cooking is a big hobby of mine and I have so much time on my hands in between studying. I’m happy that I can actually try more of your recipes now! Have a great day and stay healthy!

    Lots of love from Alabama! <3

  4. Thank you thank you so much! I love all your recipes and most of the time I have lots of ingredients already on hand like the dump and bake chick pea casserole. I made it last night and it was soooooo good!