The Best (Super Easy) Vegetarian Student Recipes

On the hunt for some vegetarian student recipes? Here are our favourites 🥘

There are LOADS of vegetarian student recipes out there (so many that it’s easy to get lost in them!). To make things easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of the best vegetarian nosh for students.

We know students are always looking for something cheap, quick and full of flavour. We’ve searched through ALL of the recipes on the web and put them in this list just for you (you’re welcome).

Here are the best easy vegetarian student meal recipes that are quick to make 👇

Hearty Dinners

Italian Veggie Cottage Pie

Ah, a classic. This scrumptious comfort food dish will make you feel right at home. Plus, you can batch cook this to freeze for later (it’s WAY better than a microwave meal, trust us).

Now, cottage pie can sound a bit complex, but we promise it’s not as hard as you might think. This dish has 10 ingredients (6 of which you probs already have in your cupboard), takes 10 minutes to prep and is super budget friendly.

Check out the recipe by BBC Good Food here.

Cauliflower & Chickpea Stew with Couscous

This easy stew only has a couple of ingredients which you might not have in your cupboards, so it’s perfect to throw together and impress your mates. It’s the perfect recipe for trying something outside of your comfort zone, without having to learn a hundred new cooking techniques.

Taking just 15 minutes to prepare, this stew can cook away while you get on with your uni work. (And who knew couscous was so easy to cook?!). 

Check out the recipe by Jamie Oliver here.

Roasted Aubergine & Tomato Curry

This simple vegan curry is an absolute winner. It’s the type of dish you can adapt pretty easily, so you can chuck in any leftover veg from your fridge and cook up a storm.

With just 8 ingredients (plus a few spices you’ll have lying around), this curry is SUPER easy to cook. Plus, it takes less that 15 minutes to pop together (and doesn’t use any fancy words). Student vegetarians rejoice.

Check out the recipe by BBC Good Food here.

Double Bean & Roasted Pepper Chilli

This healthy and hearty take on the traditional vegetarian bean chilli is a go-to for students. You basically shove a load of spices, beans and veg in a pot and let it simmer – great for popping on while you potter around your student home.

Despite being made with a number of cheap ingredients which you probably don’t have in your cupboards, the flavour in this dish is TOTALLY worth the trip to the shop. (It even has cocoa powder in?! Yes please!).

Check out the recipe by BBC Good Food here.

Comfort Foods

Hangover Cure Mexican Chilaquiles

This go-to comfort dish is MADE for hangovers. With just a 5-minute prep time, this chilaquiles recipe won’t take any energy to cook up (and we bet you already have the ingredients in your cupboard).

All you have to do is chop up some tortillas, shove in some veg and season with plenty of spices. We recommend lathering it with cheese to cure that headache even quicker.

Check out the recipe by The Happy Foodie here.

Vegan 'Tuna' Melt

This veggie take on the tuna melt is a must-have for any student’s recipe book. It’s super easy to whip up and store for when you’re in a rush too.

As long as you have chickpeas, you’ll be able to make this dish without a trip to the shop! Simply mash the chickpeas, add in the seasoning and combine with mayo and cheese to make a delicious sandwich filling for when you fancy some comfort food.

Check out the recipe by studenteats here.

Light Bites

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

This quick sarnie is a favourite for lunches on the go. Taking literally 10-minutes (if that) to prepare, you can shove this in your bag for a cheap snack between lectures. You could even batch make this at the start of the week and construct it into a sandwich before you leave in the mornings, making it perfect if you’re in a rush. 

Make it even tastier and butter your bread with hummus before lathering on your chickpea creation – who doesn’t love chickpeas and hummus?

Check out the recipe by A Couple Cooks here.

Easy Tomato Omelette

This 10-minute dish is the perfect answer when you want something short, snappy and delicious. With just 5 ingredients (you could probably get away with just using three) you’ll make the perfect breakfast or lunch option.

Omelettes can be tricky, and it’s easy to overdo them, so this recipe has a small twist to make the meal even better. Plus, the cheesy makes it super oozy – perfect for a quick pick-me-up.

Check out the recipe by hurrythefoodup here.

Super Quick Dishes

‘What’s in the Fridge’ Fried Rice

The clue’s in the name – this dish is MADE to be fast. All you need is some rice (even packet rice will do perfectly), vegetables and seasoning. Just chop them up, shove them in a wok and wait (it’s that easy).

This recipe mentions chicken, but we promise it’s even better as a veggie version. Sub in the meat for some chickpeas, beans, tofu or fake meat for a tasty alternative. It’s a great opportunity to use up some old veg.

Check out the recipe by Taste here.

Cheesy Pasta with Fresh Greens

Pasta is easy as it is, and with a few simple tricks you can level up your pasta game in no time. This dish calls for some easy seasoning and stir-frying to make it super cheesy (without even needing the dairy!). If you’re after something quick but don’t want to go for your usual, take some tips from this recipe. Thank us later.

Check out the recipe by the Student Food Project here.

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