Whether you've been vegan for a long time and are just looking for some new inspiration in the kitchen, or are interested in becoming vegan, or adding plant-based meals to your diet, we could all benefit from trying out these easy vegan dinner ideas from Trader Joe's. It's good to know that we can trust TJ's vegan labels so that we don't have to spend time reading ingredient lists and researching everything that looks tasty. Relying on the store's vegan-marked items makes mealtime far less complicated and is always a delicious option even if you're not living a strictly animal product-free lifestyle.
After a long day, the last thing you want to do is throw together a complicated dinner that involves dirtying various pots and pans and utilizes too many ingredients. TJ's vegan meals are all straightforward, require few extra ingredients if any, and are simple to make without too many dishes. It's good to stock up on these items, especially the frozen ones, so that you're prepared to entertain guests with all dietary needs.
Here are a few items to add to your grocery list that will help you make a simple and tasty plant-based dinner, on the cheap:
1. Pesto Pasta
This vegan kale, cashew, and basil pesto sauce can be used as a dip, a marinade, or spread, but also try mixing it into a pot of freshly cooked pasta.
2. Rainbow Veggie Wrap
This veggie wrap is perfect for nights when you don't have time for a sit-down dinner or need to grab dinner on the go. It's packed with fresh veggies, featuring a perfect balance of nutrition in a simple ready-to-eat package.
3. Sesame Crunch Chopped Salad Kit
This classic Asian-style salad kit features savoy and red cabbages, sweet carrots, bok choy, cashews, nori flakes, sesame-spiked sticks, and a Toasted Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette. What's more is that it's the perfect light dinner or side that takes absolutely no effort to assemble.
4. Vegan Tikka Masala
TJ's makes a delicious Vegan Tikka Masala, just make sure you're getting the box that is marked "vegan" as they also sell a chicken option. It takes only five minutes to heat up in the microwave, and you can wrap it up in a tortilla or mix it in with a salad to enjoy it in different ways.
5. Hold the Corn! Appetizers
OK, it's technically an appetizer, but you can add these delicious sweet corn treats to any week meal to make it more substantial. Or, just eat the entire box like I do and call it dinner.
6. Vegan Veggie Stuffing
This stuffing makes a great side, but you can feel free to enjoy it as the main dish. Featuring cauliflower, carrots, dried-sweetened cranberries, leeks, onion, celery and a veggie stock broth, and makes Thanksgiving a year-round feast.
7. Turkey-less Stuffed Roast
This substitution meat dish pairs perfectly with the aforementioned riced cauliflower, but is a versatile dish that can be mixed with any other side.
8. Organic Thai-Style Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup
This rich and creamy soup is totally dairy free, featuring carrots, sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and red curry. You can heat it up and enjoy it on its own, or use it as a base and add more veggies into it.
9. Kale Gnocchi
These pillowy delicious pasta bites are made only with kale, potato starch, chickpea flour, salt and a drizzle of oil oil. You can enjoy them with vegan cheese, or mix them with the kale pesto sauce to a green explosion.
10. Chicken-Flavored Anything
This option might be most appealing to people who are newly vegan, or missing the flavors of meat, but this totally vegan chicken-flavored spice can turn any roasted vegetable into a meat-like dish. Here TJ's pairs it with cauliflower, but it also goes great with potatoes and all variations of stir fry.
11. Teriyaki Tofu
Trader Joe’s Organic Baked Teriyaki Tofu can be enjoyed solo as a main dish, or used as a meat substitute in a sandwich. You can get creative with this sweet and smoky ingredient by mixing it in with chopped salads or even stir fry dishes.
12. Miso Vegetable & Brown Rice Stir Fry Kit
Want a hearty and healthy stir fry but don't have time to clean and chop up a dozen veggies? No problem, there's a kit for that. Including Brussels sprouts, carrots, peas, red cabbage, and broccoli, as well as a miso-based stir fry sauce, and cooked brown rice, this dinner only takes a few minutes to warm up.
13. Thai Salad
This crunchy crispy salad includes romaine lettuce, cabbage, shredded carrots, chopped celery, green onion, and cilantro, plus a package of crispy rice vermicelli noodles, chopped peanuts, and a Thai-inspired peanut and lime dressing. If you want to make it more filling or hearty, consider adding in teriyaki tofu.
14. Organic Hearty Minestrone Soup
Perfect for the winter months, this warming Minestrone soup will hit the spot. Ingredients include carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and cabbage – in a tomato-based broth, with a large serving of cannellini beans, brown rice, and herbs and spices.
15. Jackfruit
Trader Joe's jackfruit comes in an easy to prepare package. You can warm it up, shred it and mix it in with your favorite vegan BBQ sauce to make sliders, you can add it to your salad to make it more filling, or have jackfruit tacos.
