These vegan pantry recipes are made with ingredients that are accessible, affordable, customizable, and shelf-stable. Use the ingredients that you already have to make interesting, delicious plant-based meals.
If you’re like me (or everyone else in the world right now), you’ve probably stocked up on some pantry staples to avoid frequent trips to the grocery store. I’m talking about shelf-stable food like pasta, rice, beans, etc as well as long lasting fresh produce like bananas, carrots, onions, and potatoes. We all got ’em. Now what do we do with them?
Many of us will resort to having pasta with red sauce on repeat for the remainder of quarantine, spicing it up with a canned soup now and then. But our meals don’t have to be boring and repetitive! Think of this as a time to flex your creative muscles and come up with delicious meals that utilize your pantry staples in interesting ways.
To make your life a little easier in the kitchen, I’ve pulled together a round up of vegan pantry recipes that use shelf-stable pantry staples or long lasting fresh produce as the primary ingredients. Many of these recipes are easy to customize using what you have on hand, and act as a great starting point if you are feeling overwhelmed with your ingredients and don’t know what to make.
Vegan Pantry Recipes
I organized the recipes into categories to make it easier to search for the type of meal you’re searching for.
Pasta, Noodles, and Rice RecipesBeans, Lentils, and Plant-Protein Recipes
Soups & Strews Recipes
Breakfast Recipes
Dessert and Snack Recipes
Let me know which recipes you are going to make first!
I just ate my last two banana bread muffins for breakfast this morning, so I’m going to have to make another batch soon. Also, my mom just sent me a big container of fresh maple syrup from Pennsylvania, so I’ve been itchy to make these pancakes.
Pasta, Noodle, and Rice Pantry Recipes
Tahini Pad Thai
Don’t have tahini? Peanut butter or almond butter would also be amazing in this recipe. Use whatever veggies you have on hand to make this delicious veganized pad thai.
Vegan Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)
This Greek comfort food is made primarily with pantry ingredients: small noodles, an amazing tomato-based lentil sauce, and a creamy bechamel sauce.
Pineapple Fried Rice
Fresh pineapple is amazing in this recipe, but canned pineapple works just as well! Fried rice is the perfect way to use up any leftover rice you have (and any left over veggies you have).
Korean Kimchi Fried Rice from Emilie Eats
Kimchi is so bubbly, spicy, and nutritious – plus, it lasts forever in the fridge. If you have a jar in your fridge, whip up this super easy fried rice recipe. Another great way to use up leftover rice!
Vegan White Bean Mac & Cheese
This vegan mac & cheese uses cannellini beans as the base of the cheese sauce. It is high protein, full of fiber, and will keep you super satisfied. If you were lucky enough to pick up a can of cannellini beans, consider making this recipe.
One-Pot Taco Pasta from Sweet Simple Vegan
Spice up your pasta night and try something new – swap out the pasta sauce for salsa!
Koshari (Egyptian Street Food)
Sit down, because this is a good one. Koshari is King of Pantry Meals. Rice, macaroni, chickpeas, lentils, fried onions, and a tomato sauce? COME ON. So delicious, hearty, and the perfect comfort food.
Vegan Caramelized Onion Pasta from Rainbow Plant Life
Caramelized onion anything, and I’m all for it. This recipe is so easy to make and packed with flavor.
Beans, Lentils, and Plant-Protein Recipes
The Best Vegan Orange Tofu
Use freshly juiced oranges or orange juice to make a delicious, sticky orange sauce to coat some crispy baked tofu.
Vegan Burritos from Nora Cooks
The filling of these burritos is made with pantry staples and are very customizable. All you need in the tortillas – and if you don’t have those, you could use this recipe as the start for a nice burrito bowl.
TVP Meatballs
If you don’t have textured vegetable protein, I’d highly recommend grabbing some! This dehydrated soy protein is shelf stable and works to replace ground beef in so many recipes. These vegan meatballs are super satisfying and made primarily with pantry ingredients.
Spicy Baked Peanut Butter Tofu from Choosing Chia
Yum! Peanut butter sauce is amazing on everything, but especially tofu. I imagine this recipe would work with almond butter if you don’t have peanut butter.
Simple Vegan Tacos
TVP strikes again with these easy vegan tacos. All you need is tortillas and textured vegetable protein for this vegan pantry recipe – the rest is pretty customizable.
Soup & Stew Pantry Recipes
Easy 20 Minute Coconut Curry
Coconut milk, vegetable broth, a couple of spices, and you got yourself a dang good curry. Add whatever veggies you have on hand – fresh, frozen, or canned are all perfect. If you sub in canned veggies, be sure to add them last minute so they don’t get overcook and get mushy.
Vegan Tomato Soup with Giant Cheesy Croutons from Garlic Head
Who doesn’t love tomato soup? This recipe is made with canned tomatoes, as well as long-lasting veggies like cauliflower, peppers, carrots, and onions.
1-Pot Butternut Squash Quinoa Chili from Minimalist Baker
Butternut squash is a long-lasting veggie, so pick up a few. This quinoa chili looks delicious and is full of beans and canned tomatoes.
Vegan Tofu Chicken Noodle Soup from Veggiekins
This hearty soup is made with pasta and tofu, as well as long-lasting veggies like carrots, celery, and onions. It is a forgiving recipes with simple ingredients and is really easy to make.
Yummy Vegan Chili from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen
Of course we have to include a classic vegan chili! A really easy pantry meal full of plant protein.
Breakfast Pantry Recipes
Everyday Vegan Pancakes for One
My favorite and easiest pancake recipe – all you need is oats, bananas, non-dairy milk, and baking powder to make these. For real. It’s that easy. Top with literally anything you want and it’ll be amazing.
Carrot Cake Granola
Carrots last a long time in your fridge, and are super versatile. Sneak them into this easy granola, along with some other pantry-friendly ingredients.
Chickpea Flour Frittata from Vegan Richa
Make a nice, high-protein savory breakfast frittata using chickpea flour and whatever veggies you have on hand.
Banana Bread Granola
The perfect recipe to use up those overly-ripe spotty bananas you need to use up! All you really need is bananas, oats, maple syrup, nut or seed butter, plus some fun add-ins for texture and spices.
Vegan Blender Waffles from From My Bowl
These waffles are made with simple ingredients and the batter is super easy to make – just pop it all in a blender and you’re good to start cooking!
Dessert & Snack Pantry Recipes
Vegan Banana Bread Muffins
Another amazing recipe to use up your bananas before they go bad! My friend told me this vegan banana bread muffin recipe is the best recipe I’ve made. Go make these, you deserve them.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Cookies
Yet another recipe to use up your ripe bananas – these peanut butter chocolate oat cookies are the perfect dessert, but are healthy enough to eat for breakfast. Plus, you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry right now.
Chocolate Walnut Energy Balls
Three words: cacao powder, walnuts, dates. That is all you need to whip up these amazing energy balls.
Carrot Cake Bites
Make these easy, no-bake carrot cake bites with just walnuts, grated carrots, dates, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies from Meg Josephson
Chewy, sweet, tahini-packed cookies that are make with pantry staples!
Easy Pumpkin Hummus from Hot For Food
Got a can of pumpkin puree laying around? Chickpeas, too? You’re in luck! With a couple of extra spices, you can make this amazing pumpkin hummus.
Crispy Chickpeas
I love chickpeas because they are so versatile, but one of my favorite ways to eat them is baked to crispy perfection. This recipe is more of a base recipe for crispy chickpeas, but feel free to add any additional spices you’d like!
I hope you enjoyed this list of vegan pantry recipes! If you make any of these, tag me @Daughter_of_Seitan on Instagram so I can see your lovely food creations. XOXO