Here’s a selection of easy vegan recipes to make in your college dorm kitchen, with options for every meal of the day. These tasty dishes use only inexpensive ingredients and need the most basic of kitchen supplies.
Being vegan in college can be a challenge. At some colleges, dining-hall food designates nothing more than a little corner for vegan options.
Back at the dorm, communal kitchens can seem barren and sad, with minimum supplies. Even in this day and age, with so much interest in plant-based diets, the college lifestyle doesn’t always cater to vegans.
With a little inspiration, basic equipment, and common ingredients, it’s not only possible to be vegan in school, but enjoyable! For every meal of the day, here are some simple, versatile, and tasty recipes you can make right on your communal stovetop or in the microwave.
Requirements for vegan college dorm cooking:
- Must be quick to make
- Simple ingredients and simple instructions
- Utilize only a stovetop, microwave, and refrigerator
- Can be easily meal-prepped, because finding time to cook every night can be hard, especially if you have a big exam or major paper coming up
Basic equipment for your dorm kitchen:
- Skillet – perfect for any stovetop recipes
- A fairly large pot for boiling pasta and making soups
- Medium saucepan
- Colander or strainer for pasta and washing veggies
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife for cutting veggies
- Spatula
- Ladle
- Wooden spoon
Breakfast
Apple Pie Oatmeal: Feeling like having breakfast and dessert all in one go? This simple and delicious oatmeal is the perfect route to take. A warm and filling combination of apple, cinnamon, oats, and almond butter will be sure to keep you satisfied.
Strawberry Almond Overnight Oats: Oatmeal that you can make the night before? Sign me up. This deliciously rich combination of oats, almonds, and strawberries (or any fresh or frozen fruit of your choosing) will allow you to snooze your alarm a few extra times and still enjoy breakfast.
Easy Vegan Fruit Parfaits: This recipe for vegan fruit parfaits is so simple that you hardly need a step-by-step at all! Layering vegan parfaits with plant-based yogurts with seasonal fruits takes almost no effort, resulting in a treat that looks as appealing as it tastes.
Peanut Butter and Jam Whole Grain Breakfast Bowls: Here’s a fun and warming way to start the day — whole grain breakfast bowls topped with apple, peanut butter, and jam. Whole grain breakfast bowls fall between an everyday breakfast and a weekend treat.
Deliciously Offbeat Ways to Make Avocado Toast: Avocado toast is the gold standard of breakfast foods. Small embellishments like crispy chickpeas, browned mushrooms, or even jalapeños will be sure to spice up your morning.
Peanut Butter Granola Energy Balls: A quick and easy grab-and-go breakfast. Enjoy with plant-based milk, coffee, or a fruit smoothie from your campus’s juice bar.
Lunch
These vegan lunch ideas also work as light, fresh dinners.
Easy Corn and Pinto Bean Salad: Packed with color and protein, this salad is a perfect side for lentil tacos, or it can stand on its own as a quick and refreshing lunch.
Chickpea Salad & Sandwich Spread: A high-protein tasty spread that goes well on anything — bread, greens, or even tortilla chips!
Ridiculously Easy “Tofuna”: This super-easy tofu salad or sandwich spread is as good as an at-home vegan lunch as well as a portable midday meal. Serve over leafy greens or spread on your favorite bread for a delicious tofu sandwich recipe that everyone will love.
Baked Tofu Wraps with Greens, Avocado & Apple: The title gives away most of what makes these fast and easy baked tofu wraps so good — baby greens, avocado, and the surprising pop of tart green apple. You can pack these sturdy wraps into a crush-proof container to take to school. You can also enjoy them as a quick at-home lunch, or serve for dinner with microwaved potato or sweet potato.
Crazy-Easy Vegan Hot Bean Dip: This vegan hot bean dip really is crazy-easy — you can enjoy it in 10 minutes total for a filling snack, instant appetizer, or an offbeat lunch served with tortilla chips and fresh fruit.
Tofu Vegetable Ramen Noodle Soup: Quick and colorful, this tofu vegetable ramen noodle soup will please anyone who loves Asian flavors. Simple to make and naturally vegan, it’s ready to eat in no time.
Dinner
Hot & Cool Layered Black Bean Taco Salad: A flavorful mix of beans, salsa, and your favorite vegan cheese. A close relative to nachos, but with a fresher and healthier vibe.
Jamaican-Inspired Rice and Red Beans: This traditional island dish is a warm, filling meal you can make in just 30 minutes. It’s crazy how delicious easy can be, and this hearty recipe goes a long way.
Vegan Mexican Rice Bowl is filled with fresh flavor and great texture. It makes an easy and affordable everyday main dish. Contributed by Toni Okamoto, author of Plant-Based on a Budget.
Vegan Hotdog Fried Rice: We’re not making this recipe up! Hot dog fried rice really is a thing, hailing from Chicago, as legend would have it. This plant-based version seems like it shouldn’t work — but does. Whether you use leftover cooked rice or cook it specifically for this recipe, this is a breeze to make. Tip: Carry-out Chinese food always comes with a lot of rice. This is a great way to use up leftovers.
Super-Easy Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala): A warm and comforting curry dish that is sure to leave you coming for second helpings, maybe even thirds!
Super-Easy Vegan Lentil Tacos: These simple, nutrient-dense tacos will be sure to fill you up, and all you need is a saucepan or microwave to make them.
Vegetable Tofu Scramble With Lots of Variations: There’s nothing better than waking up to a customizable, delicious breakfast scramble, though you may not have the few extra minutes when you’re getting ready to rush to a morning class. So how about breakfast for dinner? Leftovers can be a sustaining breakfast the next day, served with toast or wrapped into a breakfast burrito.
Spicy Peanut Noodles with Zucchini & Tomatoes: This meal is proof that a simple meal can be unique and flavorful. This recipe is absolutely worth putting on your rotation.
Vegan Smashed Potatoes: You can’t get any easier and more versatile than this. Use a microwave to soften potatoes, and add whatever toppings you want. Try the pizza potato variation! The bite-sized food of your dreams.
Classic Vegetable Chili (with lots of variations): A perfect recipe for meal prep. Warm, comforting, and savory; this easy chili will keep you cozy during study sessions.
Looking for more vegan recipes you can make in your dorm? Here are resources for vegan living in college:
- How to Be Vegan in College: The Complete Guide
- One Green Planet’s Favorite Tips for Eating Vegan in Your College Dining Hall
- The Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Campuses
College Vegan by Heather Nicholds is another helpful resource
Jess Mendes is 2021 graduate of SUNY-New Paltz with a major in Digital Media Management, and a minor in Creative Writing.
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