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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nOn nights like these, I don\u2019t want a complicated recipe or a sink full of dishes. I want an easy plant-based dinner my family will enjoy that uses familiar ingredients and doesn\u2019t require me to spend the whole evening in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
These easy plant-based dinners are made without added oil and use ingredients you can find at a regular grocery store. Many of these are ready in about 30 minutes, made in one pot or skillet, or require very little hands-on cooking. Those that need a longer cooking time have a \u201chands-off\u201d cooking time so I can get other things done while dinner cooks.<\/p>\n
And there\u2019s no meal prep required for the recipes on this list. You can decide what\u2019s for dinner at 5 p.m. and make the recipe from start to finish that evening. <\/p>\n
What Makes a Good Busy-Night Dinner?<\/h2>\n
For me, an easy dinner doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it has to be ready in 15 minutes. A recipe can still make my busy-night list if it saves time in other ways.<\/p>\n
I look for meals with:<\/p>\n
\n- Simple ingredients<\/strong> I usually have or can easily find at the grocery store.<\/li>\n
- Minimal prep<\/strong> so I\u2019m not spending half an hour chopping vegetables before I start cooking.<\/li>\n
- Easy cleanup<\/strong> because fewer pots and pans make the whole evening easier.<\/li>\n
- Little hands-on cooking<\/strong> so I can take care of other things while dinner cooks.<\/li>\n
- Family appeal<\/strong> because a quick dinner isn\u2019t much help if no one wants to eat it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
My family\u2019s favorite recipe on this list is the Plant-Based Tostadas. I make the base and get the toppings out, and everyone makes their own. It\u2019s a win-win and the fastest recipe on the list.<\/p>\n