Budget Vegan Recipes — Under $5 a Serving
Eating vegan is one of the cheapest ways to eat well — when you skip the speciality cheeses and pre-made everything. These recipes lean on the pantry staples that have fed people for centuries: rice, beans, lentils, pasta, oats and seasonal vegetables.
3 recipes · Updated June 2026
#1 · dinner · 20 min
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta (20 minutes)
A silky, savoury weeknight pasta made with cashew cream, garlic and a mountain of mushrooms. Ready in 20 minutes — dairy-free.
#2 · dinner · 30 min
30-Minute One-Pot Chickpea Curry
A pantry-friendly chickpea curry with coconut milk, tomatoes and warming spices. One pot, 30 minutes, naturally vegan and gluten-free.
#3 · dinner · 25 min
Crispy Tofu Stir-Fry with Garlic-Ginger Sauce
Restaurant-style crispy tofu tossed with crunchy vegetables in a savoury-sweet garlic-ginger sauce. Ready in 25 minutes.
FAQ
- How do vegans eat cheaply?
- Buy beans and lentils dried in bulk, build meals around seasonal produce, freeze leftover bread and tofu, and skip pre-packaged plant meats.
- What's the cheapest vegan protein?
- Dried red lentils — roughly $0.20 per 20g of protein when bought in bulk.
More collections
15-minute meals
Vegan dinners on the table in 15 minutes or less. Tested, simple and weeknight-proof.
High-protein dinners
Vegan dinners with 20g+ protein per serving. Tofu, tempeh, lentils, seitan, beans — done right.
Meal prep starter
Beginner-friendly vegan meal prep — make once, eat all week. Practical, fridge-stable recipes.