Many people question why you would try to make a traditional ‘meat dish’ vegan. For a start, most vegans still like the taste of meat. But more importantly, we don’t have enough land in England for everyone (60 million people) to eat free-range. So if you want better animal welfare (vegan or not), it’s important for everyone to eat less meat.
This carrot potato mushroom stew (Broke Bank Vegan) shows how the most basic cheap ingredients, can make a stellar filling meal. Beginning with the classic Italian combo of celery, onion and carrots, the stew then adds in baby potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes and seasoning, along with good veggie stock.
Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (some ‘meat’ stews and casseroles contain garlic and onion, which are unsafe near animal friends. Just bin alliums (onion family) scraps (along with citrus and rhubarbs) as acids could harm compost bin creatures.
The flavour in this soup is amplified by adding two other ingredients. Tamari (like posh soy sauce) and balsamic vinegar (from Italy). Both are expensive. But if making your own food, you are saving money long-term. As you can then base meals around cheap ingredients like potatoes, tinned beans and vegetables, and use a tiny amount of quality flavouring ingredients to make the dish.
Root Veggie ‘Sausage’ Stew with Ale
This root veggie ‘sausage’ stew (Waitrose) makes use of ready-made vegan sausages (we like Moving Mountains). Root veggies are very filling and in season for most of the year, so this is a really good affordable winter recipe, for cold nights.
After frying your sausages, make a small paste with garlic and onion in oil, with a little flour. Then make the sauce with vegan ale, veggie stock, thyme and tomato puree. After simmering, you add in some pearl barley (very filling – man food!) and the root veggies and sausages.
Then it’s lid on, and cook it for a good 30 minutes, then break up the sausages. And serve the stew with vegan mashed potato.
A Hearty and Affordable Butter Bean Stew
This butter bean stew (Crowded Kitchen) is an ideal recipe to master, as it’s warm and filling, packed with protein and calcium, heaped with fresh vegetables and cheap to eat! Tinned butter beans are on sale everywhere, and with vegetables form a complete meal.
Ideal for cold autumn and winter nights, this is a filling meal on its own, or especially if served with good bread. Like all ‘bean stew’ recipes, you can just sub any canned beans leftover in the cupboard.
All you do for this recipe is fry onion and garlic in a pan, then add chopped vegetables (carrots, celery, peppers) along with herbs and spices, with tomato paste. When the vegetables are cooked, just whisk in some flour to good veggie broth, then add this with the tinned drained beans to the post, and cook for around 30 minutes. Add your fresh spinach right at the end, with fresh parsley if wished. Salt to taste, and you’re done!
Butter beans, also known as lima beans, are a kitchen staple with their smooth texture and mild flavour. They’re great for adding to soups, stews, or salads. Rich in protein and fibre, they’re a good choice for those aiming to eat healthier.
Butter beans are versatile and can be mashed, baked, or thrown into a curry. Got a tin of these in your cupboard? Why not try making a creamy butter bean soup or add them to a veggie bake for something different? With their ability to soak up flavours, they’re a simple way to elevate any meal.
One-Pot Sweet Potato & Lentil Casserole
This sweet potato & lentil casserole (Waitrose) is super-simple to make, and made in one pot with a few everyday affordable ingredients. After frying up some onion, garlic and ginger, you add lentils (cheap, tasty and nutritious!) with coconut drink (milk), good veggie stock (we like Nine Meals from Anarchy) and some vegan curry paste.
Simmer for 15 minutes, add some salt and pepper, then mix with with some chopped greens and sliced sweet potatoes, brush with a little maple syrup and bake in the oven for half an hour or so.
This is a good example of how ‘peasant food’ can be made good. No matter how far you live from a swanky health store or how tiny your kitchen is, this is filling and nutritious food, with some of nature’s cheapest ingredients.
Lentils (often used in middle eastern food) are super-tasty, and the orange ones are quick to cook (you can also buy tinned green lentils if you prefer). They are packed with calcium and protein, and combined with sweet potatoes (which are a bit more nutritious than white potatoes) and some greens, this is a health feast in a casserole pot!
It’s also a good recipe to start using up the shelves of half-opened spices. If you can’t afford maple syrup, you can omit it. But you only need a little anyway. Or look for agave syrup, which is slightly cheaper and will give a nice sweetness to the dish.
Your only issue is now, is what to drink alongside your filling casserole. May we suggest a chilled glass of Dunkerton’s organic cider? Cheers!
(Vegan) Cheese & Bacon Mash Casserole
This Vegan Cheese and Bacon Mash Casserole (Jessica in the Kitchen) is as near to comfort food heaven as you can get. Made with a vegan creamy mash (along with garlic and onion powder), it’s mixed with breadcrumbs and grated vegan cheese, then baked in the oven until golden brown. Top with chopped onions and vegan bacon.
Don’t feed leftover mash to pets or wildfowl (due to salt and fat – which can smear on feathers, affecting waterproofing and insulation). For mashed potato dog treats, just mash plain water with a little water (no butter, salt, onion, garlic etc – never use green potatoes.
To save on food waste, you can make your own breadcrumbs from leftover bread using this Doves Farm recipe. Cut sliced bread into chunks, then pulse in a blender, and bake for around 10 minutes, then leave to cool on a tray. They should keep in an airtight tin or sterilised jar for a few weeks.
A Recipe for (vegan) Lancashire Hot Pot
This recipe for vegan hotpot (The Veg Space) is the ideal alternative to the traditional Lancashire Hotpot. Now you can enjoy all the tradition and taste, but with animal-kind ingredients. This warming dish used to be a staple, in the days of the thriving cotton industry, when potatoes and lamb were cooked over a low fire, to eat after a hard day’s work.
This recipe uses Maris Piper potatoes for best results, along with tinned lentils for taste and protein. The ‘lamb replacement’ in this case are vegan sausages. We like Moving Mountains as they aren’t owned by a meat company (like Richmond) and very tasty, affordable and easy to find in supermarkets.
If you prefer not to use ‘fake meat’, you can sub with tinned borlotti beans instead. Serve this vegan hotpot with steamed green beans and broccoli or mashed carrot and swede.
While you boil the spuds, fry the vegan sausages and chunk, then add your sliced onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic and herbs. then add your lentils and a little flour, stock, soy sauce, tomato puree and seasoning, and layer up with the cooked potatoes and bake (after seasoning) for around 45 minutes.
Vegan Irish Stew
Irish stew (A Virtual Vegan) is a one-pot hearty meal that can be made on the stove, in a slow cooker or in an Instant Pot. Vegan-friendly Guinness gives an incredibly rich, deep flavour to the gravy that is loaded with chunky, sweet, tender vegetables. Make it with just the veg, or add some optional vegan “meat” or mushrooms to make it even more satisfying and flavourful!
Vegan Stew with Dumplings
These vegan dumplings (The Veg Space) are sure to impress your Eastern European guests (keep fresh dough away from pets). Very easy to make by steam-cooking in a pot, serve with Kate’s Vegan Stew with Pearl Ale & Barley. She also has a nice recipe for a vegan sausage casserole.
Pea, Potato & Carrot Stew
This pea, potato and carrot stew (Ela Vegan) is a quick and easy recipe, that is also comfort food delicious. This recipe has quite a few ingredients, but they are all easy to find and buy: carrots, potato, celery, garlic, herbs and coconut milk).
The creamy soup is also easy to make, and given extra flavour with good veggie stock. Season to taste, and blend half if you wish, for a creamier soup.
