• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

VegKitchen logo

  • Vegan Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Baking and Sweets
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta and Noodles
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches and Wraps
    • Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups, Stews, and Chilis
    • Snacks and Dips
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Canning and Preserving
    • Cheese-y Delights
    • Global Recipes
    • Raw Vegan
    • Slow-Cooker
  • Vegan Living
    • Vegan Substitutions Guide
    • Green Kitchen
    • Healthy Eating Tips
    • Food and Produce Guides
    • Vegan Food Hacks
    • Kid Friendly
    • Vegan Product Reviews
    • More Vegan Living
  • About
  • Shop Cookbooks
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Vegan Living
  • Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Freebie!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegan Living
    • Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Freebie!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegan Main Dishes

    5-Ingredient Vegan Recipes for Busy Days

    Published: Jan 17, 2014 · Updated: Jun 26, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Vegan black bean nachos

    We all have days when we just can't deal with making anything complicated for dinner. Or weeks when we didn't do much shopping and hardly any pre-planning. It happens to everyone from time to time!

    Those are the days when it's all we can do to stop ourselves from reaching for the take-out menus.

    There's nothing wrong with keeping a a meal really simple on busy weeknights—even when you're not super busy. Here are a few simple 5-ingredient vegan recipes (salt, pepper, and water don't count) that will make those "too tired to cook" days a whole lot better!

    Black Bean Nachos Grandes

    Vegan Black Bean Nachos

    Black Bean Nachos Grandes are not only a great appetizer or snack, but can also serve as a centerpiece in a pinch! This recipe calls for a big, colorful salad and some steamed broccoli or garlic-sautéed greens.

    Vegan Chili-Cheese Grits

    Vegan chili-cheese grits recipe


    Vegan Chili-Cheese Grits are great for breakfast or brunch. They can also be a fun change-of-pace dinner served with baked sweet potato and coleslaw.

    Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

    Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

    Vegan Macaroni and Cheese is not only super-simple to make—it's also somehow emotionally comforting. If you or someone in your family has had a tough day, this dish will come to the rescue! This 5-ingredient dish is great served with a carrot salad and green beans or broccoli.

    Baked Risotto

    Baked risotto with arugula recipe

    Baked Risotto, a creamy-textured rice dish, takes a bit more than an hour start to finish, but making it takes very little hands-on time.

    Traditional-Style Miso Soup

    Miso soup

    This Traditional-Style Miso Soup, though tasty, might not fill you up on its own. Pick up some ready made vegetable sushi from the supermarket, some sliced and ready-made baked tofu, and a steamed green vegetable—now you've got an emergency meal that looks more like a feast!

    More Vegan Main Dishes

    • Vegan Vodka Pasta
    • Farro Bowl
    • Sweet Potato Lentil Soup (Vegan & Vegetarian)
    • Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. edna says

      February 18, 2014 at 5:47 pm

      I am eating better and trying more vegetarian dishes thank you

    2. Cleópatra Paschoalatto says

      February 18, 2014 at 6:02 pm

      Fantástico!!!

    3. Pepita Jimenez-Jacobs says

      February 18, 2014 at 7:11 pm

      Very good! And after a while you can prepare delicious meals with almost any combination of fruits, vegetables and herbs and spices in your fridge, freezer or kitchen shelves. or come spring, in your growing places outdoors!

    4. Natalia says

      February 18, 2014 at 11:08 pm

      Thank you for sharing this! I've been living vegan since New Year's Eve and find it really tough to prepare something nice to eat quickly, right after work. However, these dishes sound delicious and I will give them a try this week!

    5. claudia howard says

      February 19, 2014 at 11:45 am

      I like your recipe ideas except none are diabetic friendly except the soup. I would like to see some fast vegan options without the intense amount of glucose raising starch.

    6. Nava says

      February 19, 2014 at 11:47 am

      Good point, Claudia. I'll work on that!

    7. oona cardozo says

      February 19, 2014 at 4:26 pm

      These look great anxious to try them

    8. Johnny says

      February 19, 2014 at 6:48 pm

      Sorry but can you explain to me how any of these recipes are even healthy? I see a vegan label widely slapped on poor quality food choices that lack the kind of nutrition real whole foods can offer... Grits, white rice, white pasta, processed vegan cheese - the list goes on - how are any of these things healthy. Sorry but things like this upset me if someone is trying to promote healthy eating while promoting unhealthy foods.

    9. Sharon says

      April 11, 2014 at 9:10 am

      Claudia you're so right, I struggle with that too, it would be great to have small meals that are easy for diabetics. I have that problem. I just came from reading this article: http://triggerbody.com/6-tips-to-control-snacking/

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    nicole malik from vegkithen.com

    Hi, I'm Nicole! I'm the creator behind VegKitchen, and the author of the popular cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. Learn more about me here.

    More about me →

    vegan substitution chart

    Featured Recipes

    • 25+ Vegan Valentine’s Day Desserts
    • 11 Best Vegan “Cheese” Recipes
    • Vegan Christmas Cookies
    • Vegan Jalapeno Poppers
    • Vegan Banana Cake
    • Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Shop Cookbooks
    • Free Vegan Cheat Sheet
    • About Us
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Still hungry? Check out our delicious family of blogs.


    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Hook & Porter Media