One-Pot Vegan Dinners

Start with the clock and the cooking vessel. Veggie Yaki Udon takes 15 minutes and suits a pan with room to stir the noodles and vegetables. Have the cabbage, carrot and mushrooms ready before heating it. For a vegetable swap, try thinly sliced peppers in place of carrot, keeping the pieces small enough to cook alongside the other ingredients.

For a solo dinner, use the serving guidance for Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek), or make extra: it is tagged good for meal prep. Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate them and reheat thoroughly. If the lentils thicken the soup, stir in a little water while reheating. Add the lemon to taste rather than pouring it all in at once.

Cooking for two with different heat preferences? Weeknight Chana Masala has medium spice, so check the chilli quantities before starting and reduce them if needed. The person who wants more heat can add chilli at the table. For a mixed-diet household, this vegan chickpea curry can be the shared dinner rather than a separate plant-based portion; nobody needs a second main bubbling away.

For a family table that prefers mild flavours, Pasta e Fagioli brings beans, pasta, rosemary and garlic together in one pot. Let each person choose how much goes into their bowl. Small pasta shapes can replace one another, but check their cooking times and watch the liquid as they soften. This recipe contains wheat; a pasta swap alone does not verify a gluten-free version.

Give Gigantes Plaki (Greek Baked Giant Beans) the longer slot: it takes 50 minutes and uses both hob and oven. Check that your chosen pot is suitable for both before starting, including its handles and lid. If swapping the giant beans for another cooked white bean, expect a different texture and follow the recipe’s cues for the thick tomato sauce.