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Home » Vegan » 27 Cheap Vegan Meals You Can Make on a Budget!

27 Cheap Vegan Meals You Can Make on a Budget!

By Stacey Homemaker on June 21, 2018, Updated December 15, 2019 12 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.
Cheap Vegan Meals

27 cheap vegan meals that are sure to please your taste buds and your wallet! These delicious recipes will fill your belly but they won't break the bank!

A collage of photos showing 27 delicious cheap vegan meals that you can make on a budget!

Want more cheap easy vegan meals? Join our vegan Facebook community below!

One thing that really bugs me is the misconception that it's more expensive to eat a vegan diet than it is to eat an animal-based diet. That's a big fat lie!

I don't spend any more money on our grocery budget now as a vegan family than I did when we ate animal products. If anything, I spend less money. I'm saving money by eating vegan! 

Meat is expensive, people! Beans, vegetables, tofu, and grains are extremely cheap! Making cheap healthy vegan meals is easy and you can do it too! Use the following techniques to get the most bang for your buck without having to sacrifice the quality of food that you're eating. 

Shop at These Grocery Stores To Save Money 

I definitely don't just buy whatever I feel like whenever I feel like it-- I make a budget-friendly meal plan, I make a grocery list, I shop the sales, and I shop at different stores to get the best price on products. I've found that that is the best way to save money on groceries. The following grocery stores are where I like to shop to save money on my groceries:

  • Farmer's Markets, Whole Foods, Sprouts - I buy fresh organic produce 1-2 times a week from these stores. Local is best and farmer's markets usually have the best prices. However, Whole Foods recently lowered its prices (it's very affordable now!) on fresh organic produce and they offer an awesome Amazon Prime discount on specific products. I've always found Sprout's to have great prices on their organic produce too. 
  • Costco - I buy most of my bulk grains, nuts, seeds, and frozen fruit from Costco. Buying in bulk saves so much money! If you don't have a Costco close to you, stores like Whole Foods and Sprout's both have bulk sections where you can find vegan pantry staples at great prices too! 
  • Trader Joe's - TJ's has low prices on fresh organic produce and lots of vegan products that I love! Some products that I can't find anywhere else like organic vegan wine and cheap coconut aminos. 

A collage of grocery stores (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Costco) that people can shop at to find good deals on vegan products.

Here are my personal vegan shopping lists for Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Costco. Each list contains my favorite vegan products at each store, I hope it helps you! 

Are There Coupons For Vegan Products? 

Yes, there are coupons for vegan products! They can be difficult to find but you can check this website for coupons, check the product website for a specific product printable coupon or you can email the company and ask if they have any coupons available because you want to try their product. I've reached out to company's before to see if they have any coupons they could send me and they usually do! 

Cheap Vegan Meals Staple Pantry Ingredients

The following shelf-stable items are inexpensive ingredients that I always have in my pantry and I recommend that you do the same! Many of these items (beans, rice, lentils) are my staples for when I do my weekly cheap vegan meal prep. I always food prep a big batch (2 dry cups) of beans or lentils + rice or quinoa on Sunday so I have an easy base to build on for quick lunches during the week. It really helps to have something already made when you're in a rush. 

I store all of my pantry ingredients in glass jars so it's easy to see what I have as soon as I look in the pantry. I got the really big jars from Costco but I also like these 1-gallon large glass mason jars or you could wash out and reuse any jars that you buy filled from the store (pasta sauce, pickles, artichokes, etc).


Two shelves of vegan products in glass jars (beans, lentils, oats) of a cheap vegan pantry. 

  • Black Beans
  • Chickpeas
  • Pinto Beans
  • Great Northern Beans
  • Kidney Beans
  • Black-Eyed Peas
  • Red Lentils
  • Green Lentils
  • French Lentils
  • Brown Rice (Buy the big bag at Costco and keep it in the freezer)
  • Quinoa
  • Pasta (I keep noodles in the freezer)
  • Oats
  • Oat Flour
  • Nutritional Yeast
  • Chia Seeds
  • Shredded Coconut
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Pumpkin Seeds

I buy most of these low-cost items from the bulk section at my local market or in bulk from Costco. Make sure you always check the price per ounce so you can figure out where to get the best deal.

I like to build cheap vegan meals around one of these staples and add whatever produce I found on sale that week. Lentil soup, roasted red pepper pasta with roasted tofu, and Instant Pot black beans with magic yellow rice happen a lot at our house, they're some of our favorite frugal vegan recipes! You can find all of these recipes for the meals below on my Instagram page @Stacey_Homemaker. 

A collage of photos showing three cheap vegan meals to make : lentil soup, red pepper pasta with tofu, or black beans and rice.

11 Ways to Save Money on Your Grocery Budget

  1. Check the sales flyer before you shop.
  2. Make a meal plan (Try this free monthly cheap vegan meal plan) and grocery list and stick to it while you shop. 
  3. Buy produce that's in season. If you want something that's out of season, look and see if your store offers it frozen because it's usually cheaper. 
  4. See if your store has a clearance table for produce that's a little bit past its prime.
  5. Buy frozen fruit from a bulk store.
  6. Check product websites for coupons (I've also had success emailing a company and asking them to send me coupons).
  7. Buy the store brand. Usually, it's just as good quality but it's a little cheaper.
  8. Look through your pantry and plan nutritious meals around the food you already have and want to use up.
  9. Only buy enough groceries for 2-3 days to reduce food waste.
  10. Shop around at different stores to find the best deals.
  11. If you find a great deal on produce, stock up on it, portion it out and freeze it for the future.
  12. Don't waste leftovers! Either eat them or freeze them for a future meal! 

If you incorporate all of these simple tips then I'd be really surprised if you didn't start saving money on your monthly grocery budget. 

27 Frugal Vegan Recipes You Can Make on a Budget

Want to see what delicious cheap vegan and vegetarian meals that you can make on a budget? The following list has 27 tasty options for you to choose from! These cheap vegan recipes are perfect for family's, college students, couples, beginner vegans-- pretty much anyone that wants to eat delicious food on an affordable budget. 

1 - 30-Minute Veggie Barely Soup

A green dutch oven filled with vegetable barley soup on a rustic background.

2 - The BEST Curried Lentils 

A white bowl filled with curried lentils and rice on a blue texture background.

3 - Lentil Sloppy Joes

A vegan lentil sloppy Joe sandwich on a piece of parchment paper on a light grey background.

4 - Curried Tofu Scramble 

Vegan curried tofu scramble with potatoes on a white plate on top of a wicker charger.

5 - Lentil Meatballs with Spaghetti

Vegan meatballs with fresh basil and spaghetti in a white bowl.

6 - Lentil Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed red cabbage rolls sitting in tomato sauce inside a white casserole dish.

7 - Hearty Cabbage Bean Soup

Vegetarian Cabbage Soup with Carrots and collard greens in a white bowl on a dark background.

8 - Southwest Quinoa Salad

Southwest Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, red peppers, and corn in a big mixing bowl.

9 - High Protein Tempeh Chili 

Vegan Chili with tempeh and corn in a blue dutch oven pot on a dark background.

10 - Oven Baked Garlic Mushrooms Rice by A Virtual Vegan

Mushroom and rice casserole in a blue casserole dish with a spoon scooping it out.

11 - Crispy Hawaiian Garlic Tofu by Rabbit and Wolves 

Crispy tofu tossed in garlic Hawaiian sauce over rice in a bowl with chopsticks.

12 - Santa Fe Quinoa Stuffed Peppers by Vegan Huggs

Vegan stuffed peppers topped with sour cream on a black platter on a rustic background.

13 - Vegan Jambalaya by The Stingy Vegan

Vegan jumbalaya with beans and rice in a neutral colored bowl on a grey napkin.

14 - Vegan White Bean Soup by Little Sunny Kitchen 

Two white bowls of vegan white bean soup on a light background next to a cutting board.

15 - Vegan Shepherd's Pie by Fit Foodie Nutter

Vegan shepherd's pie topped with sweet potato mash in a white casserole dish on a light background.


16 - Lemon One Pot Pasta by V Nutrition 

Three white bowls of lemon pasta with spinach and green peas on a grey background.

17 - Italian Inspired Tomato & Chickpea Stew by Sprinkles & Sprouts 

A blue bowl of tomato and chickpea stew with a ripped piece of bread on a blue background.

18 - Red Lentil Daal by I Knead to Eat 

A blue bowl of red lentil soup with a tomato and cilantro garnish on top of a striped towel.

19 - Spanish Beans with Tomatoes by Veggie Desserts 

A large skillet of tomato and bean stew on a rustic background.

20 - Easy Quinoa Tabbouleh by EAStewart

Vegan tabouleh quinoa garnished with mint on a white plate on top of a red and white striped towel.

21 - Whole Wheat Orzo Kale Cauliflower Soup by Cookin Canuck 

An orange dutch oven filled with kale cauliflower soup and a soup ladle.

22 - Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chickpea Lentil Soup by Supergolden Bakes 

Three garnished bowls of sweet potato lentil soup on a blue textured background.

23 - 5 Minute Vegan Lentil Salad by Delicious Everyday 

A white bowl filled with vegan lentil salad on a rustic background.

24 - The Best Black Bean Burger by We're Parents 

A loaded black bean burger on a fluffy roll that's resting on a picnic table.

25 - Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli by Ministry of Curry 

Two white bowls of pasta e fagioli next to a plate of bread sitting on a grey background.

26 - Quinoa Fried Rice by Happy Kitchen Rocks 

A white bowl of broccoli quinoa fried rice on a dark background.

27 - Vegetable Tofu Ricotta Lasagna by Healthy World Cuisine 

A large slice of vegan lasagna with tofu ricotta on a white plate.

I hope that you found a couple of cheap vegan meals on this list that you want to try! Enjoy! 


If you try any of these cheap vegan meals, please post a picture of it on Instagram and tag me @Stacey_Homemaker and use the #StaceyHomemaker so I can see your delicious meal!

More Cheap Vegan Recipes You'll Love!

Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup

30-Minute Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos 

Almond Butter Ginger Tofu

30-Minute Chickpea Curry 

What are your favorite cheap vegan meals that you make at home? Let me know in a comment!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Samantha

    December 08, 2020 at 7:23 am

    5 stars
    Although I have not tried the recipes yet, I just had to comment to say thank you for creating these plans & lists!! Our daughter's Neurologist suggested that a Vegan lifestyle will be best for her. We have shopped clean, organic, gluten free, & non-gmo for 10+ years. Long story, but it was a difficult transition because of how my husband & I were raised. We did it for our daughter & our health! I feared this transition to go vegan & didn't know where to start! It seemed so overwhelming. I've checked out 4 books @ the library & Pinterest board full of recipes-but no info to transition. I can't thank you enough for providing all of the info, plans, & lists. If you ever find a moment thinking "why am I doing this", please remember this comment. I greatly appreciate this!!

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      December 11, 2020 at 7:47 pm

      Samantha, your sweet comment left me in tears! I was having a tough day today and your comment truly made a difference to me. Thank you so much, I'm so happy to help. I hope your transition is easy and that you find the guides helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me at any time. I'd love to help!

      Reply
  2. Kathryn C

    July 18, 2019 at 4:08 pm

    I am just now getting into the vegan lifestyle and have been a little worried on if I would be able to make any meals that would be good. I just went through the list and 16 out of the list just from pics alone look great I cant wait to try them. Think i will try the black bean burgers this weekend.

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemake

      July 18, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      I'm so glad that you found some vegan recipes that look good to you, Kathryn! Let me know if you have any questions, I'm happy to help <3

      Reply
  3. Chris

    July 06, 2019 at 12:55 pm

    "Whole Foods is inexpensive" is something I have never heard anyone say before. It's not a place for people without a lot of money. They jack up their prices. The Prime discount usually amounts to a few cents.

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      July 06, 2019 at 1:39 pm

      Hey, Chris. Well, you didn't hear it from me either. I never said that everything at Whole Foods is "inexpensive", I said that their produce and some of their products are affordable-- you have to shop the sales and know your prices. In my opinion, they have good sales and their prices for organic produce are fair. Do they have expensive products? Yes. Do they jack up their prices on some products? Sure, but so do lots of stores. That's why I only buy specific products at Whole Foods and that's also why I made a shopping list of my favorite items to help you see which products are a good deal. As for the prime discount, I don't see any other grocery stores offering an extra 10% off their products. Do you? My grocery budget is limited so I'll take any discount I can get. We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one, thanks for your comment!

      Reply
      • Zoey

        August 04, 2019 at 9:14 am

        I think the problem is when people hear “Whole Foods”, automatically they think it’s expensive. I love Whole Foods. You just have to compare prices with other grocery stores(I compare with Trader Joe’s). In all truth, regular grocery stores can be expensive as well, it’s just expensive with cheap gmo ingredients in their products. I’m also on a budget as well, but when it comes to my health, I prefer to eat organic non gmo products from Whole Foods.

  4. Annie

    February 15, 2019 at 1:07 pm

    What a great collection!! Thank you so much for including my recipe!

    Reply
  5. Healthy World Cuisine

    December 06, 2018 at 10:22 am

    Delicious round up with so many new recipes to try. Thanks so much for including our Vegetable Tofu Ricotta Lasagna. Wishing you a super holiday season.

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      December 06, 2018 at 2:04 pm

      Thank you! Merry Christmas to you too!

      Reply
  6. Oleg

    June 25, 2018 at 7:08 am

    As I am a vegan. You know there is always a big problem which vegan face is Diet but when I read this article My problem is solved. I tried some of your recommended meals. But the flavor of this one is "Ranch Cauliflower Tacos" amazing. Thanks for sharing these nice meals with us.

    Reply
    • Stacey Homemaker

      June 27, 2018 at 8:50 am

      You're welcome!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Stacey! I veganize your favorite classic recipes and transform them into irresistible meals that are made entirely from plants! Want to know more? →

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