Vegan Fast Food [+ Recipes]
*all photos taken from my instagram (@blueollis)
Recently I've been getting comments from people saying that eating a plant-based diet takes time to prepare and cook and is something of a luxury. Well, I'm here to tell you that vegan food is simple, quick, and easy to prepare and can take as little as 3 minutes to get from fridge to plate (and that doesn't even include raw meals that take no time at all).
couscous salad
Probably the fastest meal I make taking a grand total of 3 minutes and leaving you with virtually no washing up. Couscous is a great one for quick meals as all you need to do is steep the grain in boiling water and cover for 3 minutes and voila it's done! Minimal cooking time and then you can add in whatever you like or have to hand. I like to finely chop up some fresh veggies and mix into the couscous with a little pesto for a super easy meal on a lazy day.
Hot For Food's recipe here.
buddha bowl
This is another one that's totally customisable. A buddha bowl is basically a fancy term for sticking a bunch of whole foods into a bowl. The base is usually made up of a grain, legume, or pulse (like rice, lentils, or chickpeas) topped with fresh or cooked veggies (think avocado, sweet potato, kale, cabbage, radishes, grated carrots), and a dollop of hummus, guacamole, salsa, or salad dressing.
Minimalist Baker's recipe here.
smoothie bowl
Super quick and easy... blend up some fruit and veggies and top with your favourite crunchy treats – chia seeds, goji berries, coconut flakes, cocoa nibs, seeds, oats.
With Food and Love's recipe here.
falafel and hummus
Really quick... just whiz up some chickpeas and herbs and you're away! Hummus is the easiest thing, too. I've always got a batch in my fridge because it's super simple to make a large batch and lasts a long time.
Minimalist Baker's recipe here.
quinoa salad
Just like the couscous salad, all you need to do is chop up a load of whatever veggies you like and add it to some quinoa (which takes minutes to prepare). You can make whatever type of salad you like, adding veg, fruit, grains, dips, pulses... the possibilities are endless.
Hot For Food's recipe here.
burrito bowl
This is a deconstructed burrito with all of the trimmings. Add rice (or cauliflower rice as seen in the recipe below), black or pinto beans, guacamole, peppers, onions and you're away! It couldn't be much easier than this and it's totally delicious and filling.
Minimalist Baker's recipe here.
stuffed peppers
This one's a great one for when you're wanting to whack something in the oven and be done with it (which is great for when you've got dinner guests). Slice some peppers in half and fill them with your choice of grain, pulse, legume, or nut, and veggies. Whack it in the oven and have a delicious and pretty meal in minutes.
Minimalist Baker's recipe here.
portobello mushrooms
Super easy (again). Whack your toppings onto your mushroom and bake until tender and juicy (around 15 minutes). I like to think of the mushroom as a pizza base so dollop some chutney or pesto onto it and top it off with nuts, veggies, and grains. Yummy!
Minimalist Baker's recipe here.
Something similar here.
There are so many delicious, nutritious, and quick recipes out there and it's super fun to muck in and make a few of your own (some of them happy mistakes). The great thing about the plant-based diet is that it's like a capsule wardrobe... everything goes with everything so you can't really mess it up!