Cheap Gluten-Free Dinners

Start with the staple you have, then match it to your time and equipment. This collection ranges from hob-friendly lentils to oven-baked stuffed vegetables, so check the method before deciding. Build your shopping list around overlapping ingredients such as onions, tomatoes and potatoes rather than buying a separate set of extras for every dinner.

For solo evenings, Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek) is a useful meal-prep choice. Make the recipe, set aside your dinner and portion the rest for another day. Cool leftovers and refrigerate promptly, then reheat until steaming hot. Its cumin, mint and lemon bring flavour without needing a cupboard full of garnishes. Use dried mint instead of fresh if that is what you have, adding a little and tasting.

For two, Weeknight Chana Masala gives you a vegan, one-pot option in 25 minutes. Check the recipe’s chickpea preparation before starting: dried chickpeas are not a straight swap for ready-cooked ones. If using dried pulses to plan several dinners, allow for their separate soaking and cooking time.

For a family table, Gschwellti with Cheese Platter carries our family-favourites tag. Put the potatoes, cheeses and pickles out separately so people can choose their combinations. For mixed diets, remember that this recipe contains milk; the vegan chickpea option above may suit a shared main better than trying to make cheese work for everyone.

With Weeknight Shakshuka, choose gluten-free flatbread if you want something for scooping the sauce. Check stock, spice blends and accompaniments for gluten-containing ingredients too; for allergies, check labels and the recipe’s allergen list.

Save Gemista (Greek Stuffed Vegetables) for an evening with oven time: it takes 70 minutes and needs confident cooking skills. It is tagged for meal prep, so plan those herby rice-filled vegetables into tomorrow’s dinner rather than expecting a speedy meal tonight.