By Lisa Esile, MS,
Need a delicious meal in 20 minutes or less? From hearty salads to pastas, tacos, sandwiches, wraps, and more, these tasty vegan meals can be prepared faster than the speed of takeout and are perfect for busy weeknights—or any time you need a satisfying meal, pronto. They also happen to be extremely healthy! For more quick-fix lunch and dinner ideas, check out these 30-Minute Meals and 29 Easy Plant-Based Recipes You'll Make Again and Again.
Dan Dan Mian Noodles
With pickled greens, green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and chili-vinegar soy sauce, this 15-minute noodle dish bursts with the intense flavors of Szechwan cooking.
Mango and Black Bean Tacos
Ready in just 10 minutes, these colorful, hearty tacos—filled with a lime-infused mix of mango, avocado, and black beans— are as scrumptious as they are speedy. Note: The recipe calls for fresh mango, but frozen will also work.
Quick Chickpea Bolognese
Using pantry staples such as canned chickpeas and tomatoes, this rustic plant-based bolognese is seriously satisfying, without leaving you feeling stuffed. Pro tip: Make sure to get the pasta cooking first; then prepare the sauce.
Rice Vermicelli Bowls with Bok Choy and Adzuki Beans
Ready in about as much time as it takes to set the table, this veggie-forward one-pot pasta bowl makes great use of tasty quick-cooking ingredients such as vermicelli, finely sliced veggies, bok choy, and enoki mushrooms. Adzuki beans and tofu add extra heft while miso paste, fresh ginger, and Thai basil broaden the savory flavor.
Greens and Things Sandwiches with Carrot Hummus
In this mouthwatering gourmet sandwich, creamy (and colorful!) carrot hummus perfectly complements crisp lettuce, crunchy cucumber slices, and the sweet-spicy bite of pickled pepperoncini peppers.
Penne with Butternut Squash and Fresh Fennel
Ready in a jiffy, this scrumptious pasta pairs the silky, subtle anise notes of fennel bulb with walnuts, earthy whole grain pasta, and sweet butternut squash. Bonus: This is a one-pot meal, so no messy cleanup!
Spinach-Tomatillo Wraps with Hearty Tahini Spread
If you like wraps as much as we do, you’ll love these! The combination of the whole grain tortilla, creamy bean spread, and crunchy, juicy veggies covers the gamut of flavors and textures. Let your taste buds enjoy the party!
PLT (Green Pea, Lettuce & Tomato) Sandwich
Looking for a tasty oil-free alternative to hummus? Try this vibrant green pea spread. Peas give it a bright green color, and sunflower butter adds a subtly sweet depth of flavor. As one reader writes, “This is a go-to quick and easy meal for me. I make it all the time!”
Chickpea Avocado Salad
Transform a can of chickpeas into a delectable meal with a few prime ingredients such as lime juice, cilantro, avocado, jalapeño, and red onion.
Quick Hummus and Quinoa Wraps
Black Bean, Corn, and Roasted Red Pepper Lettuce Cups
Lettuce cups are a fantastic vehicle for a satisfying, quick, and fun family meal. Their fresh crunch and mild flavor tastes great alongside a luscious filling of black beans, corn, jarred roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, and mango.
Kimchi Noodle Salad
Let your taste buds savor this cool noodle salad that pops with spicy kimchi flavor, crunchy mung bean sprouts, refreshing cucumber, and soft noodles. The recipe calls for cold noodles, but you don’t need to wait for them to cool; just rinse them in cold water once they’re cooked.
15-Minute Watermelon Gazpacho
Beat the heat with a bowl of sweet-and-spicy watermelon gazpacho, loaded with cubed jicama and cucumber for extra crunch. Make plenty: It’ll last in the fridge for a few days and tastes even better the second day.
White Bean Fettuccine Alfredo with Peas and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
This secret to this dairy-free fettuccine alfredo is the creamy sauce made from cannellini beans and almond butter, with sun-dried tomatoes and sugar snap peas lending tang and crunch. Note: If you don’t have fettuccine, any pasta shape will do.
Mint Lemonade Chickpea Salad
The only salad dressing you need to turn this simple chickpea, cherry tomato, and spinach salad into a masterpiece is fresh mint, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
Tartines with Wasabi-Ginger Beet and Avocado
Up your avocado toast game with a mix of grated beet, fresh ginger, and wasabi-infused avocado. Who needs butter when you’ve got toast toppers like this?
“No-Tuna” Salad Sandwich
Ready in 10 minutes, this finger-licking good chickpea salad sandwich filling is loaded with palate-pleasers including capers, red onion, tahini, pickle, and mustard. It has consistently been one of our most well-loved recipes. As one fan writes, “This is unbelievably delicious.”
Fresca Bean Salad
If you've got a can of beans, you're halfway to whipping up a quick and wholesome meal, as this scrumptious bean salad proves!
Easy Black Bean Salad
Dressed with cilantro, lime juice and zest, and balsamic vinegar, this easy black bean, tomato, and corn salad will keep you powered up for hours. As co-creators Ann and Jane Esselstyn write, "We could eat this black bean salad for every meal in summer, even breakfast."
Savory Tamale Breakfast Bowls
Southwest flavors work beautifully to transform instant grits into a comforting savory bowl the whole family will enjoy.
Summer’s Best Avocado Toast
The fresh flavors of tomato and cucumber perfectly marry with creamy avocado and the earthy goodness of whole grain toast. For more butter-free toast topping ideas, check out Beyond Butter: 8 Healthy Ways to Top Your Morning Toast.
Vegan Quinoa Curry Bowl
Pre-cut frozen veggies are a life-saver when you’re in a hurry. Here, fresh ginger and garlic add sweet-tangy flavor while curry-infused quinoa adds heartiness. Note: Quinoa is gluten-free and cooks quickly, making it an ideal whole grain when time is short.
Savory Oatmeal
This tasty oatmeal from Matt Frazier and Stepfanie Romine features carrot, marinara, kale, and pumpkin seeds and is ready in just 15 minutes. Once you get used to the idea of oatmeal being an anytime food, a world of easy meal options opens up!
Red Lentil Rotini with Silken Leeks and Shiitakes
In this satisfying one-pot meal, red lentil pasta, mushrooms, fresh rosemary, and leek are the perfect companions—and it’s ready in 15 minutes.
This article was originally published on July 15, 2021, and has been updated.
About the Author
About the Author
Lisa Esile, MS
Lisa Esile is an author, illustrator, blogger, vegetable gardener, and whole-food enthusiast with a special fondness for potatoes. She has a master’s degree in human nutrition and is passionate about showing people how to live happier, healthier lives. She is the author of Reach Your Big Calm and the co-author of Whose Mind Is It Anyway? Find her on Facebook.
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