People who've been vegan for some time will know that being prepared when it comes to meals is pretty much a must. Because while some food outlets have wholeheartedly embraced menus with vegan options, others remain resolutely vegan- un friendly.
To make sure you have delicious weekday lunches then, it's probably easiest to batch-cook on a Sunday and bring work lunches in from home. But how boring is that? If only you had some recipes that would taste just as good on a Friday lunchtime as they did on Monday.
Luckily, new book Happy Food from blogger and chef Bettina Campolucci Bordi is packed full of actually yum vegan recipes for all sorts of occasions. We picked our favourite lunch options from the book for you to try out – just choose the number of days you need each lunch for and make enough to cover you.
Click through for some delicious lunch options.
Pasta Pesto & Nut Parmesan
Serves 2
Ingredients
200g good-quality gluten-free pasta or your preference – such as spelt or wholegrain
1/2 courgette
4 tbsp Pumpkin Seed Pesto (see below)
4 tbsp Nut Parmesan (see below)
Handful of basil
Handful of rocket
Instructions
Cook the pasta following the packet instructions. While the pasta is cooking, cut the courgette into ribbons, either with a slicer or just roughly grate it, then set aside.
Drain the cooked pasta, reserving a tiny bit of the cooking water, then return the pasta to the saucepan.
Stir in the pumpkin seed pesto along with the courgette and give it a good stir until all the pasta is coated.
Ladle into bowls, top with the nut parmesan, some basil and peppery rocket and serve straightaway. This is one of my go-to quick meals, especially after a long day.
Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Makes 1 x 250g jar
Ingredients
250ml olive oil, plus extra for sealing
120g pumpkin seeds
Bunch of basil (30g)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 tbsp each salt and black pepper
Instructions
Simply add all the ingredients to a blender and blitz until you have a lovely pesto.
You can choose to blend until smooth or to a chunkier consistency, if you prefer.
Nut Parmesan
Makes 1 x 150g jar
Ingredients
60g almond flour
60g unsalted hazelnuts, or buy toasted if you prefer
1 tbsp salt
Add-ins
Chilli flakes – for the daring spice lovers
1 tsp nutritional yeast – for the fully fledged vegans
Instructions
If you don’t have pre-toasted hazelnuts, start by toasting the nuts in a hot frying pan until slightly brown and let cool.
Once cool, either crush in a pestle and mortar or whizz in a food processor or coffee grinder until you get a chunky consistency.
Simply mix the rest of the ingredients together and you have the perfect sprinkle for pasta dishes, salads and anything you would normally grate parmesan over.
One Pot Curry In A Hurry
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp good-quality yellow curry spice mix, plus more if required
1 carrot, chopped into small pieces
1/2 aubergine, chopped into small pieces
1 potato, chopped into small pieces
45g dried red lentils
400ml coconut milk
1 tbsp peanut butter
Big handful of spinach
Big bunch of basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
To serve
Pomegranate seeds
Chopped peanuts
Squeeze of lime
Coriander leaves
Edible flowers (optional)
Instructions
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and gently fry the shallot and garlic until transparent. Then add the curry spice mix, carrot, aubergine and potato and fry for another 5 minutes.
Stir in the lentils followed by the coconut milk and simmer over low heat, covered, for 25 minutes.
Remove the lid, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt or more spice mix, add a dollop of peanut butter and stir in a handful of spinach and basil. I also love to scatter over pomegranate seeds and peanuts for extra crunch and give it a final squeeze of lime to cut through the creaminess of the curry, then throw over a few coriander leaves and edible flowers, to add some colour.
Serve as it is or with some steamed rice, quinoa or buckwheat on the side.
My Mother's Comforting Bean Soup
Serves 2
Ingredients
Olive oil, for frying
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée or 3 tbsp chopped tomatoes (it’s just for taste)
1 tsp coconut sugar
400g butter beans, shop-bought or cooked
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tbsp chopped thyme
1 tsp dried mint
500ml water
Pink Himalayan salt and black pepper, to taste
To serve
Good-quality shop-bought bread, optional
A handful of rocket, optional
Instructions
In a medium pan, heat some olive oil and fry the onion, pepper and carrot until nice and soft. Next add in the tomato purée or tomatoes, coconut sugar, beans and all the spices and herbs and give it a good stir.
Add the water and gently simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
Ladle out one helping of the bean soup into a bowl and mash the beans until you get a fine paste. Return the bean paste back into the pan – this will thicken it up and make it nice and creamy – and warm through, stirring.
Ladle the soup into bowls, top with rocket and enjoy with some lovely homemade bread on the side.
Happy Food: Fast, Fresh, Simple Vegan by Bettina Campolucci Bordi, Hardie Grant, £20
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
London's Most Family-Friendly Restaurants
The Asian Restaurants Everyone In London Is Raving About
Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski Talks Cheese, Funny Food Memories & His Next Big Project