Opinion Cheap dinner recipes: Nutritious vegetarian meals on a budget

Looking for cheap dinner ideas? Believe it or not, plant-based meals can be the most budget-friendly! Discover the best affordable vegan recipes that are as nutritious as they are delicious.

If the cost-of-living crisis still has you checking the unit price on literally everything you pick up at the grocery store (we feel you), here’s some good news: the recipe for planning your next cheap dinner or budget-friendly family meal is easier than you might think!

Research has found that the average Aussie household could save over $1800 a year simply by switching to plant-based eating.

And it makes perfect sense when you think about it. Many ingredients central to vegetarian and vegan cooking are low-cost whole foods like veggies, fruits, grains, and legumes, which are naturally much cheaper than meat, eggs, dairy, and other processed food products.

Pro tips for plant-based grocery shopping on a budget

Keeping an eye out for discounted bulk buys and championing seasonal produce are great ways to minimise grocery costs and plan cheap dinner ideas. Fruits and veggies are more likely to be on special when they’re in peak supply, so always try to beeline straight for whatever looks fresh, ripe, and abundant.

Specialty vegan meats like plant-based chicken, beef, and pork can be fun to explore as main meal elements, but we recommend waiting until they’re on sale if you plan on stocking up. And if pricier convenience products like these aren’t in your budget, don’t worry! You can still cook super satisfying meals without them, and sticking to whole-food ingredients will be kinder to your wallet in the long run.

Instead, opt for penny-pinching protein options like lentils, beans, edamame, chickpeas, tofu, or tempeh, or try our personal favourite ingredient: TVP. It’s highly nutritious, affordable, and cooks up just like beef mince – without the hefty price tag.

What are the best staples to buy for cheap dinner options?

The secret to low-cost meals is to build them around versatile pantry staples like fruits, vegetables, hearty whole grains, and nourishing proteins like legumes and nuts wherever possible.

Some of the most reliably affordable grocery items include onions, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, oats, rice, diced tomatoes, dried or canned beans, lentils, and pasta. And don’t shy away from bags of frozen veg! They’re typically just as (if not more) nutritious as fresh vegetables, and can be a great budget option. Plus, they keep for much longer! 

Once you’ve stocked up on the basics, building flavour is cheap and easy! With a good variety of spices and seasonings in your pantry, the possibilities are endless.

Check out our favourite cheap vegan dinner ideas below – guaranteed to keep your meals exciting without overspending.

Simple, soulful soups

If you’re craving something cosy yet cost-effective, you can’t go past a blissful bowl of steaming-hot soup and some crusty bread for dipping. 

These easy vegan recipes are quick to whip up, pack a range of plant-based goodness and nutrients into every bowl, and are easy to freeze and reheat. That way, no spoonful goes to waste, and you can stretch your fresh produce for the week even further!

• Classic Pumpkin Soup
• Hearty Veg & Pepper Soup
• Pasta e Fagioli Soup
• Curried Cauliflower Soup with Caramelised Onions
• Easy Vegan Phở
• Nonna’s Italian Chickpea Soup
• Middle Eastern Spiced Root Veg Soup
• Tortilla Soup 
• Hearty Corn & Potato Chowder

Cheap dinner ideas: Flavour-packed stews

Stews are another penny-pinching favourite for a cheap dinner – and since they’re usually one-pot meals, they cut down on clean-up, too. Load them up with cheap veggie staples like beans, lentils, vegan-friendly stock, and seasonal veggies, and let everything simmer into a rich, substantial meal. 

The stew recipes we’ve rounded up below are all low-cost and low-effort yet full of satiating flavours and textures. Your mouth will be watering before you’ve even picked up the ladle!

• Spinach & Red Lentil Dal (Masoor Dal)
• Dal with Tempered Spices
• Spanish Style White Bean Stew with Potatoes & Spinach
• Moroccan Lentil & Veggie Stew
• Mushroom Stroganoff
• Easy Vegan Shakshuka
• Spinach & Peanut Stew
• White Bean Stew with Crispy Roast Carrots
• Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chilli

Affordable vegan curries

There’s something wonderfully comforting about a humble weeknight curry – and the best part is, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Instead of splurging on vegan chicken or beef alternatives (although these make tasty additions if your budget allows), reach for affordable plant-based proteins like tofu, tempeh, or chickpeas, and pile in whatever seasonal veggies you have on hand.

These vegan curries are highly customisable, ideal for batch-cooking on a budget, and often taste even better the next day.

• Smoked Tofu Masala  
• Cauliflower & Turmeric Curry
• Simplest Weeknight Pumpkin Curry Ever
• Japanese-style Vegetable Curry
• Chickpea Massaman Curry
• Easy Thai Red Curry
• Tofu Palak ‘Paneer’
• Cauliflower & Turmeric Curry

Cheap pasta meals

Fear not, fellow pasta fiends: An inexpensive pasta night can be just as indulgent as you’re used to – and a few nifty swaps can help keep costs down!

Trade store-bought vegan cheese for homemade vegan parmesan, or invest in a bag of nutritional yeast to add extra protein and cheesy flavour. It’s a bit of an upfront cost to buy the packet initially, but even a tiny sprinkle goes a long way, so it’ll last forever!

Even garlic bread is still on the menu – just grab a discounted loaf of sourdough and layer as many slices as you need with minced garlic, herbs, and a generous swipe of vegan butter. 

• Fancy Béchamel-style Mac & Cheese
• Pan-fried Pesto Gnocchi
• Pesto Farfalle
• Spaghetti Bolognese
• Nanna’s Lasagne
• Spaghetti Bolognese using TVP
• Herby Olive Oil Pasta

Easy pies & oven bakes

When it comes to thrifty, feel-good food, there’s nothing more wholesome than a rustic veggie pie or a savoury oven-bake – the ultimate cheap dinner or budget-friendly crowd pleaser!

These quick, cost-saving recipes turn everyday staples into something special, without skimping on flavour. Just prep, pop in the oven, and put your feet up until it’s time to dig in.

• ‘Ricotta’ & Spinach Pasta Shells Baked in Tomato Sauce
• Chickpea Pasta Bake
• Creamy Roast Pumpkin Pasta Bake
• Easy One Pan Pasta Bake
• Lentil Shepherd’s Pie 
• One Tray Dinner Bake
• Cheesy Potato Bake
• Mexican Pot Pies
• Baked Sweet Potato with Red Pesto Chickpeas

Budget-friendly burritos, tacos & nachos

If you’re putting together a frugal feast, Mexican-style meals are an obvious choice! By switching up your proteins, spices, and seasonings from week to week, you can reinvent these lively dishes repeatedly without stretching your budget. 

For nourishing, low-cost fillings, try black beans, refried beans, jackfruit, shredded tofu, TVP mince, or tempeh. Then brighten the table with colourful, cheap, and cheerful sides like pico de gallo, corn ribs, guac, tostadas, quesadillas, stuffed sweet potatoes, and jarred salsa. Here are some variations to get you started:

• Shredded Tofu Tacos
• Cauli-mince Tacos
• Classic Black Bean Tacos
• BBQ Butter Bean Tacos
• Mexican Black Bean Burritos
• Nacho Fiesta Salad
• Spicy Four Bean Nachos
• Fully Loaded Nachos
• Burrito Bowls with Pickled Onion & Rice

Cheap dinner recipes: Stir-fries, noodles & cheap rice recipes

Asian-style dishes like tofu stir-fries, saucy noodles, and fried rice offer brilliant bang for buck – and they’re the ultimate proof that you don’t have to spend more than a few dollars per portion to fill your bowl with delicious, vibrant flavours and plant-based goodness. 

These recipes are also endlessly versatile and customisable, making it easy to use up whatever veggies you already have on hand rather than adding to your shopping list.  

• Sichuan Chilli Tofu
• Sweet & Sour Tofu Balls
• Easy Veggie Fried Rice
• Now That’s What I Call Veggie Fried Rice
• ‘Leftover’ Vegetable Stir-fry
• Zesty Lemongrass Tofu Stir-fry
• Easy Veggie Paella
• Easy Pad Thai
• Shredded Potato Stir-fry
• Veggie-packed Mee Goreng
• Soba Noodles with Smashed Cucumber & Sesame
• Pineapple Fried Rice with Tahini-Maple Glaze
• Tofu Pad See Ew
• Crispy Chilli Stir-fry with ‘Beefy’ Soy Strips

Savings-friendly side dishes

Round out your dinner spread with these back-to-basics sides, featuring inexpensive ingredients like veggies, greens, and beans. Potatoes are a particular favourite of ours for bulking out budget meals – they cost next to nothing yet are ultra-filling and versatile!

• Irish Minted Potatoes
• Olive Oil Mash with Herby Green Sauce
• Ethiopian Spiced Greens
• Garlic Roasted Potatoes 
• White Bean, Lemon & Dill Salad
• Roast Veggies with Garlic-Herb Chickpeas
• Caramelised Baby Carrots with Puy Lentils

Healthy, hearty, plant-powered meals – all comfortably below budget!

Who knew that saving money and eating well could be as easy as cutting back on animal products? Think of it like an all-round win that benefits your health, animals, the environment, and your bank account all at once.

So get creative, try out a few of these new recipes, and see just how flavourful (and affordable) eating plant-based can be. You might be surprised by how much value and deliciousness you can pack into even the simplest veggie meals!

Still hungry for affordable meal ideas? Check out our practical tips for planning veg meals on a budget, or explore even more of our favourite cheap vegan recipes.