French
Smooth courgette soup
A light, fragrant, smooth courgette soup with coconut milk.
Vegan meal plan
Seven vegan dishes, made without animal ingredients.
Au Menu helps you choose meals and plan your shopping.
Your vegan week
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Shopping for the week
Fruit and vegetables
- onions · 75 g
- red pepper · 125 g
- aubergines · 125 g
- mint · 8 g
- peppers · 100 g
- garlic · 5 g
- deseeded red kuri squash · 400 g
Pantry
- ground cumin · 4 g
- tinned kidney beans (drained weight) · 300 g
- olive oil · 45 ml
- tinned sweetcorn (drained weight) · 125 g
- paprika · 2 g
- long-grain rice (dry) · 245 g
- chopped tomatoes · 300 g
Frozen food
- frozen shelled edamame · 100 g
Au Menu suggests: starter, main, dessert
Plant-based ideas to round out your meals.
Starter
See all recipes- Mediterranean
Einkorn salad with olives
An einkorn salad with olives, dried tomatoes and basil.
- North African and Middle Eastern
Beetroot salad with cumin
Cooked beetroot seasoned with cumin, lemon and parsley.
- Asian
Quinoa and edamame salad
A quinoa salad with carrots, cucumber and edamame, with lime and peanuts.
Main
See all recipes- American
Chilli sin carne
Kidney beans, sweetcorn and peppers simmered with tomato, served with rice.
- Asian
Stir-fried tofu with green beans and chilli
Golden tofu cubes, crunchy green beans and dried chilli.
- Mediterranean
Spelt with asparagus and peas
Spelt with asparagus, peas and lemon.
- North African and Middle Eastern
White beans in tomato sauce
White beans simmered with tomato, garlic and paprika.
Dessert
See all recipes- Mediterranean
Lemon granita
Refreshing lemon granita made without an ice cream maker.
- North African and Middle Eastern
Orange salad with cinnamon and mint
Fresh oranges flavoured with cinnamon, orange blossom water and fresh mint.
- French
Apple compote with cinnamon
Apples gently cooked with cinnamon and lemon.
- Asian
Sticky rice with mangoes
Sticky rice with coconut milk, ripe mango and sesame seeds.
Tips for planning your week
Build meals around pulses
Lentils, chickpeas and beans make a base for curries, thick soups and substantial salads. Add vegetables and a grain to suit the meal. Tofu and tempeh offer other textures alongside whole pulses.
Replace cream, butter and eggs according to their role
Oil can replace butter for frying vegetables. For a sauce, choose an unsweetened plant-based alternative with a suitable flavour. When baking, start with a vegan recipe: an egg does not play the same role in a cake as in a meringue.
Vary textures and seasonings
Combine soft and crisp textures: browned chickpeas, tender vegetables, raw vegetables and creamy sauces. Change the flavour with lemon, ginger, cumin or fresh herbs. The same pulse can become a stew, a spread or a salad.
Think beyond seven main dishes
A vegan diet also needs a reliable plan for vitamin B12. Vegetables and pulses alone cannot provide this. Ask a health professional about suitable fortified foods and supplements; these dinner ideas are not a complete nutrition plan.
Your questions about these meals
What are good vegan meals for beginners?
Start with familiar dishes: bean chilli, lentil curry or tomato pasta with chickpeas. You can explore tofu, tempeh and plant-based sauces as you discover what you enjoy.
Can I cook vegan meals without meat substitutes?
Yes. Pulses, grains, vegetables and preparations such as hummus provide plenty of options without plant-based burgers or imitation cold cuts.
How can I make tofu tastier?
Drain firm tofu, dry its surface and brown it before adding a sauce. Delicate silken tofu is better suited to blended preparations or recipes designed for its soft texture.
Can plant-based drinks replace milk in every recipe?
Flavour and cooking behaviour depend on the recipe; an unsweetened drink usually suits savoury dishes better. Their nutrient content also varies, so they are not all nutritionally equivalent to milk.
Further reading: Pulses — Manger Bouger (French) · The vegan diet — NHS