25 Easy Vegan Pantry Recipes to Use What You Have

Are you trying to save money on food right now? I can relate! This collection of vegan pantry meals includes dinners, lunches, and breakfasts to help keep things fun while using what you have.

Oof, y'all. Food prices are no joke right now, so one of my goals lately has been to focus on cheap vegan meals and try to cook our meals using as many pantry and freezer items as possible.

Raiding the pantry and freezer can start to feel kind of repetitive after a while, though. These vegan pantry recipes will help you spice up your cooking even as you use what you have.

Vegan pantry dinners

These easy vegan pantry meals lean heavily on shelf-stable and freezer ingredients, so you can use what you have and save money at the grocery store!

Tofu Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Tofu ricotta stuffed shells are a vegan version of a comfort food favorite. They're rich, creamy, and so delicious!

Vegan Bean Chili Recipe

My family is obsessed with this flavor-packed, super-easy vegan bean chili! You can use any canned beans you like to make it. 

Cheesy Vegan Rice Casserole

Y'all, my family is obsessed with this cheesy, cozy vegan rice casserole! Packed with hearty lentils and spinach, it's a total crowd-pleaser!

Vegan beef stew recipe

This cozy vegan beef stew with tender carrots and potatoes is super simple to make in the Instant Pot or on the stove. It's a quick, easy, one-pot vegan dinner that you are going to love!

One-Pot Vegan Penne alla Vodka

Rich, creamy vegan penne alla vodka is a cozy comfort food meal. The pasta and vodka sauce come together in a single pot!

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Recipe

Creamy vegan spinach artichoke pasta is a 30-minute, one-pot meal. If you like spinach artichoke dip, you'll love this pasta!

Baked BBQ tofu recipe

Sticky-sweet baked BBQ tofu is perfect parked next to your favorite green veggie on top of a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes.

Quinoa Lentil Meatloaf Recipe

A hearty baked quinoa and lentil meatloaf smothered in sweet ketchup glaze is the easy dinner you need! This recipe is easy to make and a total crowd-pleaser!

Creamy vegan Instant Pot pasta

Tender pieces of penne in tomato basil cream sauce cooks up like a dream in your Instant Pot! This vegan Instant Pot Pasta recipe is bursting with flavor!

Vegan Pumpkin Soup (with Instant Pot and Stove Top Directions)

A cozy bowl of Vegan Pumpkin Soup with sweet corn and tarragon is perfect on a chilly evening. Make this healthy dish on the Instant Pot or on the stove.

Lentil Soup Mix in a Jar

Lentil soup in a jar with rice and deep, curry seasonings makes a great gift! It even comes with a free, printable recipe card.

Pantry breakfast ideas

Are you getting sick of cereal? These vegan pantry breakfast ideas have you covered.

Chai-spiced chia pudding

Rich, creamy, spiced chai chia pudding is a protein-packed, make-ahead breakfast. It only takes about five minutes to throw together!

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats with Apple

Make these nutty, hearty Instant Pot steel cut oats with sweet cinnamon apple in about 20 minutes. Your breakfast game just leveled UP!

Vegan Oatmeal Cups

Tender baked oatmeal cups are a perfect quick breakfast. They only take seven ingredients and about half an hour to make!

Birthday cake granola

Make your breakfast dreams come true with crunchy, colorful birthday cake granola! Serve it with your favorite plant milk or with yogurt, parfait-style!

Lemon chia pudding breakfast bowls recipe

Lemon chia pudding topped with Blueberry Muffin Lärabars and fresh blueberries is a filling, healthy, make-ahead vegan breakfast bowl!

Vegan Grits Recipe

Creamy vegan grits with plant-based cheese and crispy, smoky mushroom bacon is a hearty breakfast or brunch. And it's so easy to make!

One pot vegan breakfast casserole recipe

My family is addicted to this super easy vegan breakfast casserole topped with crispy tater tots. The best part? It all comes together in one pan!

Pantry-friendly lunch ideas

Of course, any of the dinner ideas above would make a great lunch, too, but sometimes you need something quicker at lunch time.

BBQ Soy Curls

Sticky-sweet BBQ soy curls are a delicious main dish or vegan sandwich filling. I love a BBQ soy curls sandwich with plenty of creamy vegan jalapeño slaw!

Vegan Lobster Rolls

Hearts of palm in a creamy old bay dressing are the stars of these easy, delicious vegan lobster rolls. You are going to absolutely love them!

Mashed Chickpea Salad Recipe

Weekday lunches are easy with a container of creamy, flavorful mashed chickpea salad in the fridge. This salad is seriously the BEST!

Tofu Egg Salad Recipe

This isn't your average vegan egg salad. This tofu egg salad is packed with flavor that will seriously up your packed lunch game!

Vegan pantry staples

What pantry and freezer staples do these meals use? Here's an alphabetical list! Of course, you don't need all of these items. This is the pantry items from all 25 of the vegan pantry meals below.

• broth cubes: vegetable or no-chicken broth. Broth paste is also fine.
• canned beans: black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans,
• canned coconut milk
• canned tomatoes
• canned vegetables: artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, and pumpkin
• crisp rice cereal
• dried fruit: dried cranberries
• dried herbs and spices
• dried lentils
• frozen vegan meats: vegan beef
• frozen vegetables: spinach, corn, cauliflower
• granola bars
• liquid smoke
• maple syrup
• nutritional yeast
• oil
• pasta: rigatoni, shells, and penne
• nuts and seeds: chia seeds, cashews, and walnuts
• sauces: applesauce, soy sauce, tomato sauce, ketchup, and BBQ sauce
• soy curls
• tater tots
• whole grains: grits, oats, quinoa, rice, steel cut oats
• vanilla and almond extracts

I'm really using the word "pantry" as a shortcut to mean "food that lasts a long time."

The recipes below definitely use canned and dried food. Some recipes will use plant milks, which you can get in shelf-stable boxes, if needed.

They also include frozen foods and produce that lasts, like onions and potatoes.

Wondering what produce or other fresh foods to expect? I'm talking about food that keeps for weeks or months when you store it properly, like:

• apples
• bell peppers
• cabbage
• carrots
• cauliflower
• celery
• garlic
• ginger
• grapes
• green onions
• onions
• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• tofu

Basically, if it's a food with a long shelf life, I consider it a "pantry item" in this context.

Because really, we're talking about stretching the grocery budget by using what you have. And that means making what you have last as long as possible, too!

Storing food to make it last

Wondering what's the best way to store fresh foods, so they last longer? I've got you.

• Store in a cool, dark place: potatoes (Keep them away from onions and garlic.), onions, garlic, uncut ginger, and sweet potatoes
• Store in the fridge: tofu, soy curls
• Store in the produce drawer: cabbage and carrots (Do not store carrots next to apples!)
• Store in a plastic bag in the produce drawer: bell peppers, cauliflower, cut ginger, grapes, celery, and apples
• In a jar with 1" of water near a sunny window: green onions