Cheap Vegan Dinners

Start with the ingredient you already have, rather than buying for several unrelated dinners. Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek) puts red lentils, cumin, mint and lemon to work. Check your spice cupboard before shopping, and buy only the missing ingredients. For this blended soup, keep the red lentils: swapping in whole green lentils would change both the cooking time and texture.

For a solo dinner, Veggie Yaki Udon is a 15-minute option that uses mushrooms, cabbage and carrot. Buy loose vegetables where available so you can choose quantities that suit you. If you have extra cabbage, use some in another batch later in the week. For two people, check the recipe's servings before shopping rather than assuming a whole packet of noodles is needed.

For a family table, Penne all'Arrabbiata needs a little planning around its hot spice level. If cooking for chilli-sensitive eaters, reduce the chilli in your version and offer extra flakes at the table. Another short pasta shape can stand in for penne; follow its packet timing. Keep any additions vegan if everyone is sharing the same sauce, and check the pasta ingredients too.

At a mixed-diet table, serve Miso-Glazed Aubergine (Nasu Dengaku) with its rice and cucumber in separate dishes, letting everyone choose their portions. Its sweet miso glaze offers a milder alternative to the collection's fiery pasta and tofu dishes. Check your cupboard for miso and sesame before adding them to the shopping list, and plan another use for any cucumber left over.

For planned leftovers, Mujadara (Lentils, Rice & Crispy Onions) carries our meal-prep tag. Set aside tomorrow's portion before serving if that helps you plan. Cool and refrigerate leftovers promptly, taking particular care with cooked rice and following local food-safety guidance. Keep some crispy onions separate to add when serving; they bring a welcome contrast to the lentils and rice.