Easy Pantry Meals with 6 Ingredients or Less

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Use these recipes as a guide to learn how to make your own quick whole food plant-based meals using pantry staples. With minimal prep and 6 ingredients or less, you’ll have dinner on the table in less than a half hour!

These are very loose recipes meant to inspire you to cook from your pantry without needing to follow a recipe exactly. Feel free to add or remove ingredients to suit your own tastes. When you keep your pantry stocked with your favorites, a healthy meal is just minutes away. Check out my video on how to stock your pantry to get you started!

10 Minute Pantry Stir Fry

Ingredients

  • 2 10-ounce bags frozen Chinese stir fry veggies (or other frozen veggie blend)
  • 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 blocks millet and brown rice ramen noodles (or other noodles)
  • hot sauce or other condiment to taste
  • 1- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Directions

  1. Cook noodles per packaged directions.
  2. Meanwhile, warm up the frozen veggies in a skillet along with the kidney beans.
  3. Once the noodles are done cooking, add them to the skillet along with your vinegar and any other condiments of choice.

Veggie Lentil Soup

Ingredients

  • 10 or 12-ounce bag frozen mirepoix (carrots, celery, onion)
  • 1 cup dried french lentils (or another variety of lentils), sorted and rinsed
  • 5 or 6 ounces of frozen spinach
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of herbs and spices (such as a blend like herbs de provence or Italian seasoning, along with a salt substitute blend)
  • 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
  • cooked whole grain such as farro, rice, or quinoa

Directions

1. Add everything except the cooked grains to a 6-quart Instant Pot or a large pot along with 4 cups of water.

For the Instant Pot: Secure the lid in the sealing position and set to cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. When it’s done cooking you can do a natural or quick release.

On the stovetop: Cover and bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 15 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked, but cooking longer will enhance the flavor. Feel free to adjust the amount of water as needed to get to your desired consistency.

2. Once everything is done cooking, serve over your choice of whole grain.

Curry Sheet Pan Meal

Ingredients

  • 12-ounce bag of frozen broccoli
  • 16-ounce bag of frozen shredded potatoes
  • 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons curry powder or other spice blend

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  3. Spread the mixed ingredients onto two parchment-lined sheet pans.
  4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  5. Serve with your favorite condiment or my SOS-Free Garlic Ginger Tomato Sauce.

SOS-Free Garlic Ginger Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

  • 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 3 ounces (about ¾ cup) cauliflower, steamed
  • 2 to 3 large cloves of garlic
  • ½ to 1-inch piece fresh garlic
  • 2 dates (more or less to adjust the sweetness to taste)

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Pour into a small saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  3. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week.

Easy Spinach Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces whole wheat rotini (more or less depending on how saucy you want it)
  • 15-ounce can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 5 ounces frozen spinach
  • 1 batch of SOS-Free Garlic Ginger Tomato Sauce (or 15-ounce can no salt added tomato sauce)
  • Optional: Vegan Parmesan topping or chopped fresh herbs

Directions

  1. Cook pasta per packaged directions.
  2. Meanwhile warm up the beans, spinach, and tomato sauce in a large skillet.
  3. Once the pasta is done cooking, add it to the skillet.
  4. Serve with Vegan Parmesan topping or fresh herbs.

Vegan Parmesan

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds
  • 3 tablespoons rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions

  1. Add everything except the spices to a small blender with a grinding blade and blend until it forms a powder that resembles grated parmesan.
  2. Add the spices a pulse to combine.