15 minute vegan on a budget cookbook: recipes from rainbow noodles to Lebanese lentils

Do not be fooled into thinking a vegan diet means your food shop will be more expensive. It's easy to create delicious and affordable meals, says Katy Beskow

Budget-friendly comfort food in minutes... what more could you ask for? (Dan Jones)

Monday’s root vegetable bhuna

I always roast up too many vegetables to go with Sunday lunch. Sometimes accidentally, sometimes intentionally; either way, they make a perfect addition to this simple and spicy bhuna.

Serves 2 generously

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp medium curry paste (ensure dairy free)
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 handfuls of fresh or frozen spinach
½ roasting tray of leftover roasted root vegetables, including carrots, parsnips, red onion, and butternut squash, roughly chopped
Juice of ½ unwaxed lemon
Pinch of sea salt flakes

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat and cook the onion and red pepper for 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, and chilli flakes and cook for a further 1 minute.

Stir in the curry paste and chopped tomatoes, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 8-9 minutes, then stir in the spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Stir in the leftover roasted root vegetables and squeeze over the lemon juice. Season with sea salt.

For the perfect roasted root vegetables, drizzle sunflower oil over peeled carrots, parsnips, quartered red onions, and butternut squash, then roast at 200°C/Gas mark 6 for 35-40 minutes, turning once. Allow the leftovers to cool fully, then refrigerate for use the following day. Suitable for freezing.

(Dan Jones)

Lebanese lentils, rice, and caramelised onions

Simple, delicious, budget-friendly comfort food that will become a classic in your kitchen. This dish is also delicious served chilled as a sharing pilaf.

Serves 4

180g basmati rice
2 tbsp sunflower oil
3 large red onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 tsp soft brown sugar
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp mild chilli powder
400g can green lentils, drained and rinsed
Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp unsweetened soya yoghurt
Juice of ¼ unwaxed lemon
Generous pinch of sea salt flakes

In a large saucepan, add the basmati rice and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed and the rice appears fluffy, then set aside.

In the meantime, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and cook the onions for 5 minutes, then add the brown sugar and cook for a further 5 minutes until caramelised, stirring frequently. Add the cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and chilli powder to the onions, then cook for a further minute.

Tip the spiced onions and any remaining oil into the rice, along with the lentils. Return to the heat and stir through for 1 minute.

Scatter over the parsley and divide into warmed bowls. Spoon on the soya yoghurt, squeeze over the lemon juice and season with sea salt.

(Dan Jones)

Five-minute rainbow noodles

Cook up a rainbow in the kitchen with these 5-minute noodles. If you have time earlier in the day, finely chop the vegetables and keep them chilled before cooking them up for dinner. Younger eaters will love these speedy and colourful noodles; simply omit the red chilli to reduce the heat.

Serves 2 generously

2 tbsp sunflower oil
¼ red cabbage, finely sliced
1 carrot, peeled and very finely sliced
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and very finely sliced
2 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
300g (10½oz) ready-to-wok soft noodles (ensure egg free)
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (ensure vegan)
Juice of ½ unwaxed lime
1 tbsp salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Handful of coriander leaves, roughly torn

Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat, then stir-fry the cabbage, carrot, yellow pepper, spring onions, and chilli for 2 minutes.

Add the noodles, then stir through the sweet chilli sauce and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. Squeeze in the lime juice and sprinkle with the peanuts. Scatter with the coriander leaves just before serving.

‘15 Minute Vegan: On a budget’ by Katy Beskow (Quadrille £15) Photography: Dan Jones