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I'm looking for cheap food ideas! Preferably vegan but I can always modify recipes if I need to. Thanks! 
What is the cheapest meal you make on a regular basis?
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I love to make veggie-pot-pie! This is the recipe that I use: Veggie-Pot-Pie. Sometimes I'll cook it in a cast iron pan or skillet, either way it turns out good and it's both filling and tasty.
Home-made Chili is also cheap to make and very healthy. I use dry beans, soaked the night before because they are so affordable and substitute mushrooms for the meat a recipe calls for. It goes especially well with home made corn bread.
Vegetable stir fry is also one of our household favorites. When we catch a good sale we try to stock up on frozen vegetables that we want and cook them up with either rice or noodles.
Home-made Chili is also cheap to make and very healthy. I use dry beans, soaked the night before because they are so affordable and substitute mushrooms for the meat a recipe calls for. It goes especially well with home made corn bread.
Vegetable stir fry is also one of our household favorites. When we catch a good sale we try to stock up on frozen vegetables that we want and cook them up with either rice or noodles.
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1,017 Posts
All my food is cheap, cuz I'm poor. Check out the what did you eat vegetarian today thread. My last few weeks (towards the end of the thread) are vegan.
Basically- breakfast-toast or cereal, plus a fruit, and coffee
Lunch- carby stuff (rice, potatoes, or pasta) plus veggies
Dinner- lots of salads, and veggie stuffed sandwiches this time of year, (it's hot!)
Dessert- usually more fruit
Snacks- air popped popcorn, rice cakes, or cereal, as needed between meals.
Basically- breakfast-toast or cereal, plus a fruit, and coffee
Lunch- carby stuff (rice, potatoes, or pasta) plus veggies
Dinner- lots of salads, and veggie stuffed sandwiches this time of year, (it's hot!)
Dessert- usually more fruit
Snacks- air popped popcorn, rice cakes, or cereal, as needed between meals.
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1,017 Posts
Cheapest dish ever? Pasta salad.
I boil and drain pasta, rinse with cool water to chill it.
Add chopped veggies (or frozen veg if you add them to the pasta while the noodles are still hot) add mrs.dash and Italian salad dressing to taste, a bit of nutritional yeast if you have it.
Other cheapest dish-
Peanut butter sandwiches.
Other other cheapest dish-
Baked potato, top with whatever you got on hand. I've even used bbq sauce with good results.
Feeling inspired?
I boil and drain pasta, rinse with cool water to chill it.
Add chopped veggies (or frozen veg if you add them to the pasta while the noodles are still hot) add mrs.dash and Italian salad dressing to taste, a bit of nutritional yeast if you have it.
Other cheapest dish-
Peanut butter sandwiches.
Other other cheapest dish-
Baked potato, top with whatever you got on hand. I've even used bbq sauce with good results.
Feeling inspired?
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I think the cheapest meal I make is mac n cheese, using that potato-carrot cheese recipe. Soooo easy as well.
I also just like to have big plates of steamed or roasted veggies all the time. Nothing makes me happier than sweet potato.
I also just like to have big plates of steamed or roasted veggies all the time. Nothing makes me happier than sweet potato.
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3,793 Posts
Baked potatoes with steamed broccoli and nutritional yeast sauce (plant milk, nutritional yeast, pinch of flour or starch, spices like nutmeg, garlic etc). Sometimes I make a "cheese" sauce using steamed sweet potato, silken tofu, nutritional yeast, and plant milk blended together. I suppose plant milk and tofu aren't all that cheap but the sauce will work well even without the tofu, just less rich/creamy, and you only need a little plant milk and can use some water.
Oatmeal, banana, cinnamon
Sweet potato, black bean, kale with curry powder
Homemade whole wheat bread...toast with kidney beans and salsa on it for breakfast; peanut butter and banana sandwich; toast with pureed pinto beans and taco seasonings (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder)
Roasted chickpeas, yellow squash, fresh pineapple (or canned), carrots, brussel sprouts or broccoli all over brown rice
Oatmeal, banana, cinnamon
Sweet potato, black bean, kale with curry powder
Homemade whole wheat bread...toast with kidney beans and salsa on it for breakfast; peanut butter and banana sandwich; toast with pureed pinto beans and taco seasonings (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder)
Roasted chickpeas, yellow squash, fresh pineapple (or canned), carrots, brussel sprouts or broccoli all over brown rice
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Pasta, definitely. Sometimes we don't even have tomato sauce so we just drizzle olive oil and pile on the garlic and herbs, adding whatever veggies we have in the fridge.
All my soups and chilis are super cheap. I cook dry beans in a pressure cooker- I waited years to find a stainless steel one on sale! And of course I use a lot of lentils
Just about everything I make is cheap.
I have a soy milk maker and for about .33 cents get 2 quarts pure soy milk. I also get okara and from one batch of milk make 6 burger with okara, oats, all kinds of spices and condiments, beans and sometimes rice
I buy fresh veggies when they're on sale and stock up on certain frozen ones like broccoli, spinach, corn and peas
I buy the better canned beans on sale just to have some on hand. I try and put some cooked in zip bags to freeze
I like to have instant potatoes on hand for thickening soups, crusting tofu, adding to burgers or sometimes even just mashed potatoes.
I buy Better than Boullion no chicken from iherb.com because it's such a great flavoring and makes a quick gravy/sauce with cornstarch
I rely on the 'beans, greens, and grains' approach and will have things like lentils, rice, greens or peas, and a sprinkle of nuts.
I make seitan about once a month.
I use the marinades in things jarred jalepanos to flavor beans or burgers. Use pickle juice to pickle cucumbers in season.
Best advice is use what you have and don't ever waste. Don't overbuy.
I found my best advice was not clip coupons or read ads but buy what you need, be consistent, and know prices. Coupons and ads just made me want to buy more.
I shop Aldis and go to Trader Joes and Whole Foods about 4 times a year. WF's for bulk
Shop Asian -Indian stores
Just about everything I make is cheap.
I have a soy milk maker and for about .33 cents get 2 quarts pure soy milk. I also get okara and from one batch of milk make 6 burger with okara, oats, all kinds of spices and condiments, beans and sometimes rice
I buy fresh veggies when they're on sale and stock up on certain frozen ones like broccoli, spinach, corn and peas
I buy the better canned beans on sale just to have some on hand. I try and put some cooked in zip bags to freeze
I like to have instant potatoes on hand for thickening soups, crusting tofu, adding to burgers or sometimes even just mashed potatoes.
I buy Better than Boullion no chicken from iherb.com because it's such a great flavoring and makes a quick gravy/sauce with cornstarch
I rely on the 'beans, greens, and grains' approach and will have things like lentils, rice, greens or peas, and a sprinkle of nuts.
I make seitan about once a month.
I use the marinades in things jarred jalepanos to flavor beans or burgers. Use pickle juice to pickle cucumbers in season.
Best advice is use what you have and don't ever waste. Don't overbuy.
I found my best advice was not clip coupons or read ads but buy what you need, be consistent, and know prices. Coupons and ads just made me want to buy more.
I shop Aldis and go to Trader Joes and Whole Foods about 4 times a year. WF's for bulk
Shop Asian -Indian stores
Someone posted a thread on savory pies- can I link this recipe?
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Of course! The recipe is not actually my own, but it is delicious.
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pasta with jar sauce and frozen veggies, curry and veggies made with curry paste, bean burritos, enchiladas, stir fry noodles, fried rice, vegan banana muffins, peanut butter and jelly (whole foods has the cheapest all-natural pb around), baked potato/sweet potato, vegan "chili" or just multiple different dry/canned beans cooked together with onion, spices, tomato.
I'll post more if I think of them. I'm very low-income myself, so everything I make is cheap! haha.
I'll post more if I think of them. I'm very low-income myself, so everything I make is cheap! haha.
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2,095 Posts
Dried soya mince + pasta + herbs/ spices...Quick and cheap
Tesco whole foods soya mince = £1.90 for 375g...I would use this for 3 meals (it swells with water ++)...Tesco or Sainsbury's penne pasta is ~30p per 500g bag...Again lasts ~3 meals...I use Dunn's River all purpose seasoning (small pot ~£1 lasts for many portions)
Tesco whole foods soya mince = £1.90 for 375g...I would use this for 3 meals (it swells with water ++)...Tesco or Sainsbury's penne pasta is ~30p per 500g bag...Again lasts ~3 meals...I use Dunn's River all purpose seasoning (small pot ~£1 lasts for many portions)
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Thanks so much everybody! Tons of great ideas here, keep them coming!
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1,017 Posts
your hoppin john is totally different than mine! Mine is blackeyed peas, tomatoes, onions, and collard greens, served over rice. I use season salt and black pepper to taste.All my meals are cheap, but probably the cheapest is hoppin' john
Rice, some dry peas, and any random vegetable that happens to be available. Pre-soak the rice and dry peas, cook until chewable
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Yeah, sometimes I use blackeyed peas, and I'm growing whippoorwill cowpeas this year (an extremely close relative, same species) but any of the above including field peas still count as traditional and dried peas tend to be cheapest.
I've done it with collard greens and onions, they count as random vegetables Thats quite good.
Turnip greens also work if the weathers cold enough.
I've never tried tomato + onion in it tho. In my kitchen when a tomato touches a onion I just get all excited and the result is a big pot of gumbo.
I do realize my mint flavor is probably a big deviation from the tradition, but it fits quite well and it just amuses me that my urine smells like mint the next day.
I've done it with collard greens and onions, they count as random vegetables
Thats quite good.Turnip greens also work if the weathers cold enough.
I've never tried tomato + onion in it tho. In my kitchen when a tomato touches a onion I just get all excited and the result is a big pot of gumbo.
I do realize my mint flavor is probably a big deviation from the tradition, but it fits quite well and it just amuses me that my urine smells like mint the next day.
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431 Posts
Cheap (I think the whole batch of soup comes to about £3 - I'd say you get 8 servings from this)
2 medium to large onions chopped fine
1 clove garlic (optional) crushed
500g bag of red lentils
2 or 3 tins chopped tomatoes (really depends on what other veg you have lurking in the cupboard)
Lurky veg (you know that abandoned half a pepper or courgette - grab em all)
dried ginger
salt & pepper
Fry the onions, add the lentils, garlic (and any veg you have at the back of the cupboard) stir around for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes. Add water (1litre), salt & pepper (or stock cube) and ginger. Boil till ready. Mash all the veg up (or use a blender). Add water if it's too thick.
Cheapish (Puy lentils are almost 2x as expensive as green ones but they are very tasty)
Chop 2 carrots, 2 medium onions, 2 celery sticks & fry until translucent. Add green or puy lentils stir (about 500g). Add water (1litre) & stock cube if you have it (if not use salt & pepper). Boil till ready - add greens (spinach, cabbage, chard etc) and let putter for a few more mins.
I freeze this in small batches and use as a base for a variety of meals (it's adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe) but with some Indian spices you can serve it like a dahl with rice (with some green peas on the side).
It's also by far my most popular vegan dish - I serve it at dinner parties and everyone loves it (Last weekend the best comment, "I want to know what you have done to these lentils. You have done something to them I can tell!").
2 medium to large onions chopped fine
1 clove garlic (optional) crushed
500g bag of red lentils
2 or 3 tins chopped tomatoes (really depends on what other veg you have lurking in the cupboard)
Lurky veg (you know that abandoned half a pepper or courgette - grab em all)
dried ginger
salt & pepper
Fry the onions, add the lentils, garlic (and any veg you have at the back of the cupboard) stir around for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes. Add water (1litre), salt & pepper (or stock cube) and ginger. Boil till ready. Mash all the veg up (or use a blender). Add water if it's too thick.
Cheapish (Puy lentils are almost 2x as expensive as green ones but they are very tasty)
Chop 2 carrots, 2 medium onions, 2 celery sticks & fry until translucent. Add green or puy lentils stir (about 500g). Add water (1litre) & stock cube if you have it (if not use salt & pepper). Boil till ready - add greens (spinach, cabbage, chard etc) and let putter for a few more mins.
I freeze this in small batches and use as a base for a variety of meals (it's adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe) but with some Indian spices you can serve it like a dahl with rice (with some green peas on the side).
It's also by far my most popular vegan dish - I serve it at dinner parties and everyone loves it (Last weekend the best comment, "I want to know what you have done to these lentils. You have done something to them I can tell!").
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I make stir-fry with whatever veggies are on hand. Either from my garden, or friends, or on clearance at the grocery store.
Cucumber? Cut lengthways into fourths and slice out the seeds. Squash, zucchini, and such-lengthways strips. Hard root veggies like turnips, potatoes, and carrots- I cut into small chunks or grate. Any soft leafy veg goes in whole. Harder leaves (like collards) get sliced thin. Tomatoes and soft things, I dice and add right near the end of cooking.
I season with green onion, chive, basil, sage or garlic- which grow right by the front porch. Maybe liquid aminos, depending on the taste I'm going for.
Whatever veggies I use, I put over rice.
Or put the raw veggies,chopped, over cooked, chilled pasta. A seasoned vinegar and oil sauce is cheap to make, or silken tofu and spices blended together for a creamy dressing.
Cucumber? Cut lengthways into fourths and slice out the seeds. Squash, zucchini, and such-lengthways strips. Hard root veggies like turnips, potatoes, and carrots- I cut into small chunks or grate. Any soft leafy veg goes in whole. Harder leaves (like collards) get sliced thin. Tomatoes and soft things, I dice and add right near the end of cooking.
I season with green onion, chive, basil, sage or garlic- which grow right by the front porch. Maybe liquid aminos, depending on the taste I'm going for.
Whatever veggies I use, I put over rice.
Or put the raw veggies,chopped, over cooked, chilled pasta. A seasoned vinegar and oil sauce is cheap to make, or silken tofu and spices blended together for a creamy dressing.
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