Quick & Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes EVERYONE Should Know

In today’s video, we’re making 3 vegan dinner recipes that are perfect for beginners AND budget friendly. These are perfect for …

Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Creamy, savory Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff is the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Enjoy with pasta or over rice or potatoes.

Ingredients
▢3 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
▢16 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
▢1 small onion finely diced
▢2-4 cloves garlic minced
▢1/2 cup dry white wine can sub water or extra veggie broth
▢2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
▢1 ½ cups beef-style vegetable broth see notes for brand recommendations
▢1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
▢1 tablespoon soy sauce
▢1 teaspoon paprika
▢salt and black pepper to preference
▢1/2 cup vegan sour cream I like Simple Truth or Forager brand; or make your own with the recipe below
▢10-12 ounces dry campanelle, rotini, or other pasta
Vegan Cashew Sour Cream
▢3/4 cup raw cashews soaked 4+ hours or overnight
▢1/2 cup unsweetened plain plant milk or water
▢1 tablespoon lemon juice
▢2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions
Make Cashew Sour Cream (optional)
Add soaked cashews, plant milk (or water), lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar to a high-powered blender. Blend until as smooth as possible. This makes more than is needed for the recipe so you’ll have some leftover!
Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook your pasta according to package directions while you’re preparing the sauce for the stroganoff. After draining my cooked pasta, I like to place it back in the cook pot and stir in some vegan butter to keep the noodles from sticking together until they’re ready to serve.
Sauté onions: Melt vegan butter or in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add in diced onions and sauté for another 3-5 minutes, or until onions start to brown.
Cook down the mushrooms: Stir in sliced mushrooms and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt to draw out moisture. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the extra moisture from the mushrooms cooks off. Then add in minced garlic and sauté for just another minute.
Cook the flour: Sprinkle flour over the mushroom mixture and stir until there is no more dry flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute to cook out the raw taste of the flour.
Deglaze: Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up anything that’s sticking to the bottom. Simmer for a few minutes until the wine is reduced to almost nothing. (If you don’t want to cook with wine, you can do the same with a splash of water or extra veggie broth.)
Make the sauce: Pour in beef-style veggie broth, then stir in Dijon mustard, paprika, and soy sauce. Stir thoroughly to make sure flour dissolves. Bring this mixture up to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3-5 minutes to thicken and reduce slightly.
Finishing touches: Stir in the vegan sour cream. Taste and add salt and fresh-cracked black pepper to preference.
Enjoy over buttered pasta. I love to garnish with fresh chopped parsley or dill. This stroganoff also tastes delicious over rice or mashed potatoes.

Notes
Beef-style veggie broth: Edward & Sons and Better Than Bouillon both make vegan beef-style bouillon. These pack a lot more savory flavor than regular veggie broth. If you only have regular vegetable broth available to you, I recommend adding in an extra tablespoon of soy sauce or vegan Worcestershire sauce, and maybe a tablespoon of nutritional yeast, to add that umami element.
Vegan sour cream: As far as store-bought options, my favorites are the ones from Simple Truth, Forager Project, and Kite Hill. There are many other options, such as Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream or Follow Your Heart. I think certain brands of unsweetened, plain vegan yogurt could also be utilized in a pinch — for example, Culina Plain & Simple.
Mushrooms: The recipe calls for cremini mushrooms because they are widely available and an affordable option, but feel free to use a variety of mushrooms! Shiitakes and oyster mushrooms add extra flavor and some textural variation to this vegan stroganoff.
Gluten-free: You can use white rice flour instead of all-purpose as a thickener, and serve with gluten-free pasta. Our favorite is the brown rice pasta Jovial. Fusilli works great for this recipe because the shape really holds the mushroom sauce!
Revision history: Recipe updated 1/25 for better flavor and more precise instructions. Added dry wine to deglaze, increased Dijon mustard, and added paprika.

Vegan Stir Fry Noodles

Ingredients
▢8 oz rice noodles or other noodles; see notes
▢1 tablespoon vegetable oil
▢1 small white or yellow onion, sliced
▢1 cup broccoli florets
▢1 red bell pepper sliced
▢1 large carrot julienned
Stir Fry Sauce
▢4-6 cloves garlic minced
▢1 teaspoon minced or grated ginger
▢3 tablespoons soy sauce (more to taste)
▢2 tablespoons rice vinegar
▢1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup, agave, or other sweetener
▢1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
▢1 tablespoon chili paste such as Sambal (optional)
▢1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot or tapioca starch
Pan-Fried Tofu
▢1 block firm or extra-firm tofu drained and pressed
▢1 teaspoon vegetable oil
▢salt and pepper to taste

Optional Garnishes
▢scallions thinly sliced
▢toasted sesame seeds
▢sriracha or chili crisp
Instructions
Pan-Fry the Tofu
Once tofu has been drained, pressed, and cut into small cubes or strips, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium high heat.
Add tofu and arrange in one layer in the pan. Season it with salt and pepper and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes on one side, until golden brown.
Give the tofu a toss in the pan. Allow them to cook for about another minute, then toss again. Repeat until most of the sides of tofu are golden. If the tofu starts browning too fast or the pan starts to smoke, you can lower the temperature to medium.
Remove tofu to a plate. We will prepare our stir fry in the same skillet/wok.
Make the Vegan Stir Fry Noodles
Begin preparing noodles of choice according to package directions. Cook or soak until they are slightly undercooked/very al dente. (They will finish cooking in the sauce.) Some brands of rice noodles will only require presoaking in hot water.
When noodles are almost done precooking/presoaking, mix together ingredients for sauce in a small bowl or measuring cup.
3 tablespoons soy sauce,2 tablespoons rice vinegar,1 tablespoon brown sugar,1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil,1 tablespoon chili paste,1 teaspoon cornstarch
In the skillet or wok you used to pan fry your tofu, heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Stir fry onions for 1-2 minutes, until they start to become slightly translucent.
Add in broccoli and a small splash of water and cover the pan to trap the steam. Steam the broccoli for about 3 minutes, or until it is *almost* cooked to your preferred level of doneness. Add an extra splash of water if the pan dries out. (If you are adding in any additional veggies that have a longer cook time, e.g. cabbage, kale, green beans, mushrooms, you can add them during this step too.)
Remove the lid and add in your sliced red peppers and julienned carrots. (This is also where you would add in any other veggies that have a shorter cook time, or things you want to keep slightly crisp.) Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until they are almost cooked to your preferred level of doneness.
Give the sauce a stir (the cornstarch tends to settle to the bottom), then add it to the pan. Reduce the heat a little if the pan is too hot and the sauce starts to spatter.
Add in the noodles along with the pan-fried tofu. Toss to coat everything evenly with the sauce (tongs are useful here). Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 1-2 minutes, until the noodles are cooked through and the sauce has thickened. If the noodles seem a little dry or the sauce is not coating the noodles, you can add an additional tablespoon of water at a time and stir to combine, until you have the right consistency.
Taste and adjust your noodles to preference. Depending on the variety and exact quantity of noodles you used, you made need to add an extra splash of soy sauce (or you can simply use salt) so they’re perfectly seasoned.
Serve with any toppings you like. My favorites are fresh sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and a little extra sriracha or chili crisp. Enjoy!

Notes
Gluten-free. Make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or substitute in liquid aminos.
Protein. If you don’t like tofu, you can substitute in any plant-based protein you like. Edamame or pan-fried tempeh are good whole foods plant based options. For vegan chicken stir fry noodles, you can try Daring Foods Plant Chicken Pieces, Morningstar Farms Meatless Chicken Strips, or soy curls.
Veggies. Feel free to add in or substitute any veggies you enjoy. Add in veggies that take a bit longer to cook (e.g. cabbage, kale, green beans) in step 4 so they can be steamed in the pan. Add in veggies with a shorter cook time (e.g. spinach) in step 5 and stir fry.
Storage and reheating. Vegan stir fry noodles can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated stovetop or in the microwave. You may need to add a small splash of water when reheating as the noodles will absorb all the sauce in the fridge. Reheated noodles (especially rice noodles) also have a tendency to break, which is why I think this dish is best enjoyed on the day it’s cooked.

Homemade Yondu-Style Umami Sauce
Ingredients
– 1 cup water
– ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
– ½ cup dried shiitake mushrooms
– ¼ cup chopped onion
– 3 cloves garlic, sliced
– 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
– 1 tablespoon white miso
– 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
– 2 teaspoons brown sugar or maple syrup
– 1 teaspoon sea salt, optional
– ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
1. Combine the water, soy sauce, shiitake mushrooms, onion, and garlic in a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 20–25 minutes, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced slightly and developed a strong savory flavor.
3. Remove from the heat. Stir in the nutritional yeast, miso, rice vinegar, and brown sugar.
4. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then blend until smooth.
5. For a thinner, more Yondu-like seasoning sauce, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer.
6. Taste and add salt if you want a stronger, more concentrated seasoning.
7. Transfer to a clean bottle or jar and refrigerate.
Yield: About 1–1¼ cups.
How to use it
Start with 1–2 teaspoons per serving. Add it to vegetable soup, ramen, fried rice, stir-fries, gravy, beans, lentils, marinades, salad dressings, roasted vegetables, or anywhere you’d normally use soy sauce or vegetable bouillon.
Quick vegetable trick: Toss broccoli, mushrooms, cabbage, green beans, or Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon of the sauce and a little oil before roasting.
This is a Yondu-style homemade substitute, rather than the proprietary commercial formula. The fermentation process used to make commercial Yondu isn’t easily duplicated with ordinary pantry ingredients.