Pea & Potato Risotto from The Plant-Based 5-Ingredient Cookbook
Plant-based cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or full of endless ingredients. Using just five simple items, you can make meals that are easy, tasty, and good for you. Fewer ingredients means less time in the kitchen, less food waste, and meals that are straightforward to prepare every day.
This approach makes healthy eating feel less overwhelming and more doable. Whether you’re new to plant-based dishes or just want fuss-free recipes, these five-ingredient meals are designed to fit your busy life without sacrificing flavour.
Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets. It’s best to just bin allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives) along with rhubarb, tomato and citrus scraps, as acids may harm compost creatures.
The Basics of 5 Ingredient vegan Cooking
Keeping meals simple doesn’t mean sacrificing taste or nutrition. With just five ingredients, you can put together dishes that are fresh, filling, and packed with goodness. The trick lies in choosing the right ingredients and knowing how to bring out their best without adding extra complexity.
This section will help you pick ingredients that work well together and maximise flavour with the few items you have on hand.
Choosing Ingredients That Work Well Together
When you limit yourself to five ingredients, every choice counts. Start by focusing on whole plant foods like vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. These provide the foundation for a balanced meal. When selecting ingredients, think about how their flavours and textures complement each other.
Here’s a simple way to approach it:
- Combine different textures. Pair something crunchy (like toasted nuts) with something soft (like cooked beans or steamed veggies) to keep your dish interesting.
- Balance tastes. A little sweetness from roasted carrots or a fruity tomato can counterbalance bitter greens or nutty grains.
- Pick versatile staples. Ingredients like sweet potatoes, lentils, or brown rice work well across many dishes and carry flavours easily.
- Keep nutrition in mind. A good meal includes a mix of protein, fibre, and healthy fats. For example, beans add protein, whole grains supply carbs and fibre, and nuts or seeds offer fat and crunch.
- Ignore liquids and seasonings in your count. Oils, water, and common spices generally don’t count as part of your five ingredients, so you can use them freely to add depth without worry.
By combining ingredients that naturally complement each other, you can create meals that feel complete and satisfying, even with a short list of items.
Tips for Maximising Flavour with Few Ingredients
Since you’re working with few ingredients, how you prepare and season them makes a big difference. Simple techniques can transform basic foods into something rich and exciting.
Try these ideas to boost taste with minimal effort:
- Roasting: This simple method caramelises natural sugars in vegetables and nuts, bringing out sweetness and depth. For example, roasting chickpeas and sweet potatoes together adds contrasting textures and smoky notes.
- Marinating: Even a quick marinade with lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil can lift the flavour of tofu, mushrooms, or extra firm beans.
- Seasoning: Fresh herbs like parsley, coriander, or basil add bright, fresh flavours. Don’t underestimate citrus zest or a squeeze of lemon or lime; they brighten dishes instantly.
- Using pantry spices: Keep staples like smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and chilli flakes on hand. These small additions can change the character of your meal without adding bulk.
- Adding umami: Ingredients like soy sauce, miso, or nutritional yeast pack a savoury punch that makes simple dishes feel hearty and satisfying.
A little attention to technique combined with smart seasoning compensates for fewer ingredients. This way, every bite stays interesting and full of flavour, making plant-based cooking feel effortless and exciting.
5-Ingredient Plant-Based Recipe Books
The Plant-Based 5-Ingredient Cookbook is packed with easy recipes that only need 5 ingredients (excluding water, oil, salt and pepper). They don’t require a shopping list, as you can remember the ingredients in your head!
The recipes cut down on food waste and are super-affordable, made with everyday ingredients. Take five simple ingredients and transform them into delicious recipes for any occasion.
Most of the recipes feature Italian themes based around fresh vegetables and natural foods like lentils, and there are quite a few Asian dishes too (no desserts).
Base your meals around core ingredients like pasta, beans, legumes, mushrooms or squash. Each recipe has a beautiful colour photo. This is a real find! Recipes include:
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Corn
- Ravioli in Ginger-Fennel Broth
- Thai Basil Chickpea Salad
- Creamy Dijon Chickpeas & Mushrooms
- Saffron Butternut Squash Lentil Bowl
- White Acorn Squash in Charred Fennel-Tomato Broth
- Tahini-Miso Shiitake Broth
- Mango Cauliflower Curry
The first chapter begins with pasta dishes. As an example of what to expect, let’s take a look at the first recipe for sun-dried tomato pasta with corn.
It uses oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes for double-tomato flavour and lots of fresh vegetables (corn, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil).
You’ll already have your ‘base ingredients’ like salt, pepper and oil. And pasta is the main ingredient.
By making the sauce and drizzling over the pasta and serving with fresh herbs, you have a simple affordable meal that is more tasty, nutritious sand affordable than the same-old jars of pasta sauce.
This recipe for roasted gnocchi & onions (Exploring Vegan) is by the author from her recipe blog. It makes use of ready-made gnocchi (potato pasta) which you can find everywhere.
It’s much quicker to cook than spaghetti, around 3 minutes (done when the gnocchi rise to the top of the pan in boiling water). But for this recipe, the gnocchi are baked instead.
First roast the shallots (small onions) with oil and a little sugar, to caramelize in the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Add crushed red pepper flakes and optional capers. Then add cherry tomatoes, water and veggie stock. Simmer at a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bake your gnocchi (no need to cook) in a pre-heated oven, drizzled with a little oil, salt and pepper, again for around 20 minutes, turning once. Serve with the sauce (add some rocket for the last few minutes of cooking) and garnish with the wilted greens.
Kylie Perrotti was a ‘meat and potatoes’ girl, until she wrote a plant-based cookbook. Originally a challenge, she was so in love with the recipes created that she now eats them most of the time.
She believes the key to eating more plant-based meals is to use simple recipes with affordable ingredients (and not too many!) She posts more 5-ingredient recipes at her blog Exploring Vegan.
Liv B’s Easy Everyday Vegan Recipes
Liv B’s Easy Everyday Recipes is a lovely book of 5-ingredient recipes by a popular Canadian chef (with hundreds of thousands of followers and 1 million YouTube monthly views). You only get that with good recipes! This is effortless and inexpensive plant-based cooking.
Find over 100 recipes that are tasty and easy, baked on just 5 ingredients, or in one pot or baking tray. From meal prep to freezing instructions and from cooking tips to pressure cooker recipes, enjoy:
- One Pot Mac n Cheese
- Sheet Pan Pot Pie
- One Pot Mushroom Stroganoff
- Frying Pan Granola
- Chorizo Tempeh Breakfast Wraps
Also check out Liv’s other book: Liv B’s Vegan on a Budget. The author loves to share how easy it is to eat yummy plant-based meals that are fast and simple, with accessible ingredients that don’t break the bank. Recipes include:
- Homemade Smoothies
- Spicy Mango Salsa
- Lasagne Soup
- Ginger-Glazed Carrots
- Sweet Sriracha Cauliflower Wraps
- Tomato Fettuccini
Olivia Biermann is a recipe developer and photographer who posts (alongside her husband) popular vegan recipes from their home in Canada. One of their site’s most popular recipes is Big Mac Toast (healthy toast, that tastes like a McDonald’s Big Mac!)
A Book of Five Ingredient Vegan Recipes
Five Ingredient Vegan is just one of fab short-time cookbooks by Yorkshire’s Katy Beskow. As well as only having a few ingredients, most meals are ready in 15 minutes or less.
The 100 recipes all include simple affordable lists and a sweet little tip for each one. This is a real find. Even if you’re forgetful, you can remember the ingredients for each recipe in your head!
Recipes include:
- Carrot Cake Porridge
- No-Fish Fishcakes
- Spiced Parsnip Bisque
- Country Lentil Pottage
- Cauliflower ‘Cheese’ Soup
- Pantry Minestrone
- Spinach Pancakes
- Zesty Bread & Butter Pudding
I’m a firm believer that a few, simple good quality ingredients can make the most satisfying of home-cooked meals.
Buy the best that you can afford, particularly fresh ingredients such as vegetables, fruits and bread, and aim to buy ingredients in season for maximum flavour.
Easy Vegan Bible is another of Katy’s books, with 200 easy recipes, the chapters are divided into various types (one is 5-ingredient recipes, along with 15-minute, 30-minute or 1-pot).
Using quick-to-cook, affordable and easy-to-find ingredients, the book also includes details on useful kitchen equipment and common substitutions, plus demystifies common vegan ingredients like silken tofu, so you know what to do with them!
Plus there are recipes for special occasions. Learn to make:
- Breakfast French Toast
- Carrot Coriander Fritters
- Chickpea & Pesto Toastie
- Summer Punch
- Christmas Chestnut Cassoulet
Many of the recipes have international flavours:
- Creamy Coconut Noodles
- Panzanella
- Spring Risotto
Desserts include:
- Limoncello Panna Cotta
- Rhubarb & Orange Crumble
- Sticky Toffee Flapjack
- Lemon Drizzle Squares
Katy Beskow grew up in Yorkshire, and learned to cook while studying physiotherapy in London (inspired by the markets of fresh produce, while having to eat on a budget).
Returning to her home county, her blog led to a cookbook deal which led to another, and now Katy has many top-selling vegan cookbooks under her belt.
Conclusion
Simple 5 ingredient plant-based recipes prove that good food doesn’t need a long list of ingredients or complicated steps. They make cooking easy, save time, and reduce waste while providing nutritious and tasty meals. Trying these recipes can help you enjoy eating well without stress or fuss.
Give these ideas a go in your kitchen and see how enjoyable and satisfying minimal ingredient meals can be. Share your own quick recipes or tips to keep plant-based cooking fresh and fun. The best meals often come from simple choices and a little creativity.
