Why people love it

Pantry staples are cheap: a bag of lentils and a can of coconut milk feed four for a few dollars.
Dried beans, grains and spices keep for months, so there is nearly always a dinner in the cupboard.
It pushes you to cook with spices and vegetables you would never have tried.
Most lentil and bean dishes taste better the next day, so one pot covers several meals.
It feeds everyone at the table, including friends who avoid dairy or meat.

Two wooden spoons heaped with dry split red lentils on weathered boards — Split red lentils: no soaking, soft in about 20 minutes

Your first week

Tested first recipes

BBC Good Food: One-pan coconut dhal Tested vegan red lentil dal. Besides the kit you need 2 onions, 4 garlic cloves, a thumb of fresh ginger and cilantro to serve; curry leaves are optional.
BBC Good Food: Tofu scramble Quick breakfast scramble. Needs a block of extra-firm tofu, an onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes and parsley, plus turmeric, ground cumin and smoked paprika.

What you can cook in your first month

Coconut red lentil dal

A one-pot curry that teaches you to bloom spices in oil and simmer lentils until creamy.

Tofu scramble

A ten-minute breakfast that shows how turmeric and cumin turn plain tofu savory.

Crispy pan-fried tofu with a soy glaze

Practice pressing, cubing and browning tofu properly.

Cashew cream sauce

Soaked cashews blended with nutritional yeast and broth into a dairy-free sauce for roasted vegetables.

Whole and ground spices in silver spoons on a black table

Skills to learn first

Flavor, tofu, legumes and creaminess

Building savory depth

Browned tomato paste, soy sauce and nutritional yeast stand in for the richness meat and cheese usually bring.

Blooming spices

Heat whole seeds in oil until they crackle before anything wet goes in, which brings out most of their flavor.

Handling tofu

Press out the water, cut even pieces and let them sit undisturbed in a hot pan until a crust forms.

Cooking legumes

Red lentils need no soaking and collapse in about 20 minutes; rinse them until the water runs clearer.

Making creamy without dairy

Coconut milk for curries, and cashews soaked in hot water for 15 minutes then blended for pasta sauces and dressings.

Nutrition basics

Vitamin B12 is the one nutrient plants do not reliably provide. Get it from fortified foods eaten every day or from a supplement.

Protein comes easily from lentils, beans, tofu, nuts and seeds; include one of them in every main meal.
Iron from plants is absorbed better alongside vitamin C, so add tomatoes, peppers or a squeeze of lemon.
Iodine, calcium, vitamin D and omega-3 fats are worth checking too: fortified plant milks, iodized salt and ground flax or hemp seeds help.

This page is about cooking, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, feeding a child or have a health condition, plan your diet with a doctor or registered dietitian.

Free nutrition guidance

Which direction to take

Everyday plant-based cookingCurries, stews, stir-fries and pasta built on the base pantry. Most people start and stay here.

Start here

Cook the coconut dal and the tofu scramble this week, then repeat them with a different spice each time until you can make both without the recipe.

One-pan coconut dhal

Gluten-free cookingThe same food, with gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce and certified gluten-free pasta for pasta nights. People with celiac disease should follow their doctor's or dietitian's advice.

Start here

Swap soy sauce for tamari labeled gluten-free and read every label for wheat, barley and rye. If you have celiac disease, follow your doctor's or dietitian's advice on cross-contact first.

Celiac Disease Foundation

Keto cookingVery low-carb vegan meals built on tofu, nuts, seeds and greens, with almond flour for baking. It is restrictive, so anyone with diabetes or another condition should follow medical advice before trying it.

Start here

Build one low-carb plate this week: pan-fried tofu, a big pile of greens and a hemp-heart topping instead of rice or lentils. If you have diabetes or take medication, talk to your doctor before cutting carbs.

American Diabetes Association

Adding a direction switches its swaps into the pantry kit; you can still drop single lines there.

Golden pan-fried tofu with scallions in a white bowl — Pan-fried tofu, the base of a low-carb plate

Guidance for special diets

What trips beginners up

What to expect

Expect bland early dishes. Plant food needs more salt, acid and spice than you think; taste and adjust at the end.
Expect tofu to stick or go soggy at first. Press it, dry it and leave it alone in a hot, oiled pan.
Expect to feel hungry if meals are just vegetables. Every plate needs a protein and some fat.

Habits to drop

Stop copying meat recipes line for line. Cook dishes that were plant-based to begin with, like dal, chili and stir-fries, first.
Stop relying on processed meat substitutes for every meal; they are pricey and teach you little about cooking.
Do not skip B12 because you feel fine. A shortfall builds slowly over months or years.

About the shopping list

This list assumes you already own a knife, a cutting board, a pot and a pan; the general cooking guide covers those. Everything here is pantry food plus one optional tool, and the essentials double as the shopping list for the coconut dal. Fresh ingredients (onions, garlic, ginger, tofu, vegetables) come from your regular grocery store each week. The gluten-free and keto add-ons swap or add a few ingredients and need no new equipment. Buy spices in small jars first and move to larger bags for the ones you use every week.

A bowl of tempered red lentil dal beside a pan of herbed basmati rice — Red lentil dal with rice, the first recipe the essentials cover

Fill the pantry

Every line below is something you buy online. Compare the options and set your tiers in the pantry kit. Clicking a card selects it there, and clicking the selected card again takes that line out of the kit.

Dried red lentils

Essential · Pantry staples

Red lentils are the fastest plant protein to cook, need no soaking and are the base of the first recipe.

budget

Sadaf Red Lentils - Domestic Red Lentils for Cooking & Food Flavoring - Nutritious and Flavorful Lentil - Kosher - 24 oz Resealable Bag

4.6(158)

$6.96

Vegan Cooking

Why people love it

Your first week

Skills to learn first

Nutrition basics

Which direction to take

What trips beginners up

About the shopping list

Fill the pantry

Dried red lentils

Canned coconut milk

Ground turmeric

Cumin seeds

Mustard seeds

Ground coriander

Tomato paste

Neutral cooking oil

Vitamin B12 supplement

Nutritional yeast flakes

Soy sauce

Raw cashews

Vegetable bouillon base

Gluten-free tamari

Certified gluten-free pasta

Blanched almond flour

Hemp hearts

Tofu press