Student-Friendly Recipes to Try This Veganuary

Whether you’re committing to Veganuary or just want to consume less meat while you’re at university this January, we’ve gathered the top vegetarian and vegan student recipes to suit your student budget.

Not sure how to make the switch to a vegan or veggie lifestyle as a student? Read our blog post about how to go vegan at university to get started.

Cauliflower and chickpea stew with couscous

This easy stew mainly relies on store-cupboard ingredients that you probably already have at home, making it the ideal cheap meal for those days when your student bank account is looking a little thin. And with this vegan recipe also making enough for two people, it’s perfect for leftovers, too – meaning that you don’t have to buy an overpriced meal deal from your uni library for your lunch.

We can’t take the credit for this one, though. Check out the recipe by Jamie Oliver here.

Veggie cottage pie

A proper winter classic, you can’t go wrong with cottage pie. Especially if it’s veggie (or vegan).

BBC Good Food has a fab vegetarian version available, but for a vegan option give School Night Vegan’s recipe a go. It’s a little more hands-on than the BBC’s, but it’ll definitely give you the satisfaction of knowing you made the whole thing from scratch. Plus, it uses Sheffield’s own Henderson’s Relish; what’s not to love?

You can find BBC Good Food’s vegetarian recipe here, and you can find School Night Vegan’s recipe here.

Vegan ‘cheesy’ pasta with fresh greens

Who says that vegan meals can’t be cheesy? Thanks to the nutritional yeast and alternative milk in this dish, this vegan student recipe is somehow both dairy-free and super cheesy and creamy. This just might be a top contender for the ultimate comfort food, if you ask us.

Check out the recipe by The Student Food Project here.

‘Hangover cure’ Mexican chilaquiles

Got leftover fajita ingredients lying around? This vegetarian chilaquiles recipe is a great way to get in a hearty breakfast while repurposing those scraps and preventing food waste – and you only need to skip the eggs to make this vegan-friendly!

Read The Happy Foodie’s recipe here.

‘What’s in the fridge’ fried rice

Another dish that focuses on using the ingredients you already have, this recipe mentions chicken but we promise it’s even better as a veggie version. Just swap out the meat for chickpeas, beans, or tofu, and you’ve got yourself a cheap and easy vegetarian (and, in this case, automatically vegan) student meal.

You can find the recipe by Taste here.

Double bean and roasted red pepper chilli

Chillies are great because they’re so easy. You basically just chuck a load of spices, beans, and veg in a pot and let it simmer – giving you loads of time to relax in your student home while the chilli does its own thing. If you want your chilli to be vegan, just make sure you buy unsweetened cocoa powder, and that any red wine vinegar you use is vegan-friendly (or substitute for apple cider vinegar instead!).

Check out BBC Good Food’s recipe here.

Chickpea salad sandwich

It’s always good to have a solid sandwich recipe in your repertoire, which is where this chickpea salad sandwich comes in. Easily made vegan by swapping out regular mayo for vegan mayo, you’ll be thankful for this sandwich on those busy on-campus days.

Read A Couple Cooks’ recipe here.

Roasted aubergine and tomato curry

Another vegan winner, this BBC Good Food curry only takes 15 minutes to prepare and even makes enough for 4 (meal prep, anyone?).

You can find BBC Good Food's recipe here.

Got something simmering away on the stove? Now’s the perfect time to go and take your meter readings. It only takes two mins, and our handy guide to meter readings will walk you through everything you need to know, from where to find your meters to how to submit your readings – trust us, it’s super easy.