Quick and Easy Vegan Recipes Everyone Will Enjoy

sweet potato taco salad served in pink bowl
Photo: Lennart Weibull

Plant-based cooking isn't just about eating healthy—it's also about getting meals and snacks on the table fast. Our quick and easy vegan recipes, including mushroom tacos, quinoa bowls, black bean salsa, and more, are delicious meals you'll make again and again.

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steamed-broccoli-squash-tahini-mbd108052.jpg
Bryan Gardner

Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or just looking to eat more delicious plant-based meals, the recipes here prove that meatless, dairy-free cooking has a place on any table. Smart combinations of plants, legumes, and grains come together to create rich, satisfying meals and snacks, making anytime the perfect time for plant-based eating.

These modern vegan recipes replace dairy and meat with bold craveable flavors like a creamy tahini sauce drizzled over steamed broccoli and squash for the irresistible salad, which is shown here. You could also create a rich miso-based broth filled with vegetables and noodles. Flavorful spices like chili powder transform roasted sweet potatoes into the highlight of a taco bowl and an Indian-spiced carrot stir fry becomes the perfect meal when paired with rice. Chipotle in adobo complements the meaty flavor of portobello mushrooms, adding a little smokiness in vegan tacos and roasted seaweed snacks make guacamole even more addictive than we thought possible.

Better yet, these dishes are fast, fresh, and filling. Each recipe balances plant-based protein and fiber sources leaving your body satisfied and nourished. Vegetables cook faster than meat (and are easier to cook), which means meals are on the table in no time. And vegetables add vibrant color to dishes, giving them major curb appeal—don't forget, we eat with our eyes first. Barley is enlivened with colorful carrots, preserved lemon, and cilantro in our Moroccan Barley Salad and frozen raspberries turn mixed grain porridge into a bright breakfast.

Click through for a curated selection of our favorite quick and easy vegan recipes. All are sure to become a part of your regular meal rotation.

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Rice and Bean Salad Bowls with Tahini Sauce

rice and bean salad bowl
Johnny Miller

Beans and rice come together as a healthy, fresh, and beautiful meal with this zesty bean salad that's complemented by a variety of delicious and colorful toppings. Tahini dressing and avocado slices add rich, creamy flavor without the need for any dairy.

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Soba and Sweet Potatoes in Miso-Lime Broth

noodle dish with cut limes
Marcus Nilsson

Here's an Asian-inspired soup that's packed with vegetables and nutty soba noodles. The rich, aromatic broth is made with miso, ginger, garlic, and mushrooms.

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Taco Salad with Sweet-Potatoes

sweet potato taco salad served in pink bowl
Lennart Weibull

Chili-spiced and roasted sweet potatoes are a satisfying meat substitute in this plant-based taco bowl that takes just 35 minutes to get on the table. Swap the goat cheese with crumbled store-bought vegan cheese—try one made from almonds or cashews.

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Tahini Banana and Maple Syrup Toast

tahini banana maple syrup toast
Ngoc Minh Ngo

Upgrade peanut butter and bananas by swapping the nut butter for tahini, a creamy nut free spread made from sesame seeds. Keep the necessary ingredients on hand and perfect for a fast breakfast or snack.

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Nori Guacamole

nori guacamole served with a rice cake
Kate Mathis

Naturally rich in umami, crumbled seaweed snacks accentuate the already irresistible flavor of avocados in this unusual, yet delightfully easy spin on guacamole. Get plenty of your favorite dippers—chips, vegetable sticks, or rice crackers work great—because you won't want to stop eating this one.

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Stir Fried Carrots and Coconut

stir fried carrots with coconut
Jake Stangel

Fast cooking dishes are key to getting vegan food on the table quickly, and this stir fry is a win with flavor, too. Mustard seeds, ginger, chilies, and urad dal, a type of lentil rich in protein, transform carrots into an Indian side dish; serve it all over basmati rice with a dollop of chutney for a meal.

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Kale and Lentil Bowl with Avocado Dressing

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Bryan Gardner

Fast and flavorful, this 30-minute dinner uses cooked lentils (we like the vacuum ones sold in the produce section) to cut down on prep time. And that creamy avocado dressing is sublime. (Skip the cheese used as a garnish or sub in slices of vegan cheese.)

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Moroccan Barley Salad

Moroccan Barley Salad
Petrina Tinslay

Serve this flavorful grain salad on its own or upgrade it to dinner by adding a heaping spoonful of roasted vegetables on top. The powerful flavors of preserved lemon, fiery ginger, coriander, and cured olives turn a typical barley salad into a lively Moroccan-inspired dish.

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Mushroom Tacos with Charred-Corn Salsa

mushroom tacos with charred corn salsa
Chris Simpson

Hearty portobello mushrooms stand in for meat in these 35-minute tacos that are served with an addictive charred-corn salsa. Sub the sour cream with cashew cream and you've got another vegan win.

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Herbed Spaghetti with Tomatoes and White Beans

vegan sweet potato chili
Bryan Gardner

Hearty and fresh, this quick and easy pasta combines cherry tomatoes with canned white beans, fresh parsley, and lemon juice and zest for a lively weeknight dinner.

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Coconut-Raspberry Breakfast Pudding

coconut raspberry breakfast pudding
Chris Simpson

Starting the day with fiber-filled whole grains cooked in creamy coconut milk keep you satisfied well up to lunch. Keep your pantry stocked with the ingredients for this recipe and frozen raspberries in the freezer and you'll always have this delicious breakfast on hand.

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Smoky Black Bean Salsa

black bean salsa
Chelsea Cavanaugh

Get a hit of protein at snack time with this super quick bean salsa that's ready in mere minutes. A touch of chipotle in adobo adds smoky flavor and mild heat waking up a can of beans, a must pantry staple for vegan eating. Try swapping black beans with anything you have on hand, such as chickpeas, cannellini, or pinto beans.

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