These super-easy vegan dinner recipes will take the minimum time and effort. What’s more, they will make your dinner look better and taste better. The combination of different flavours and textures will satisfy your eyes, mouth and guts.

My Top 5 Recipes for a Great Dinner

I enjoy cooking and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen. However, spending too much time there is not my cup of tea. Among many different vegan dinner recipes I tried, here are my top 5 picks. These healthy and easy dinner recipes always save me time. Over and above, the result is always satisfactory.

1 – Beet Balls

I found this full-of-protein recipe from an inspiring instructor and scientist’s blog from Turkey. It has been one of my stand-by meals.

The beet balls are made of these easy-to-find ingredients.

• 2 beets (raw, grated)
• 1 cup boiled bulgur or quinoa
• 1 cup of sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 onion
• 1/2 cup soaked and well-pressed bread (or breadcrumbs)
• 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 3 tbsp parsley
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup of liquid oil (optional)
• Chilli powder, cumin, pepper and salt

Start with tossing and mixing all ingredients except the flour in a bowl. Then add the flour and blend everything together until you get an incorporated mixture. Take a handful from the mixture and give it a ball shape using your hands. You will have around 10-11 beet balls. After that, cook the beet balls in the oven at 190 C for a total of 25-30 minutes. Around 15 minutes later, carefully flip them with a spatula. It will be much easier if you use a cooking paper. When it is cooked on both sides, take it out of the oven and serve hot.

Variations: You may use zucchini or potatoes instead of beets. Try also different spices.

2- Lentil Bulgur Pilaf

This is my favourite recipe as it is the easiest and tastiest. I found it while experimenting with lentils and bulgur. This is actually a common meal in Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cuisines. However, the way I cook it is super easy, quick and oil-free. Including three types of lentils (red, green and brown), this pilaf is full of flavours, proteins and fibre.

Here are the easy ingredients of this quick vegan pilaf:

• 1 medium-size red onion and a clove of garlic (chopped)
• 1 green pepper
• 1/2 cup red, 1/2 cup green and 1/2 cup of brown lentils
• 1 cup of bulgur (for pilaf)
• 1 teaspoon each: cumin, paprika, mint turmeric, salt

Instead of oil, cook the onion and garlic in a spoon of water in a pot. While they are cooking, chop the pepper and add it to the pot. Then rinse the lentils and bulgur well and transfer them to the pot. Simply add the herbs and spices. Lastly, pour (vegetable) water until it covers all the ingredients. Let it cook in low heat for 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the pilaf rest for 10 minutes.

Variations: I sometimes add spinach leaves, parsley and other greens to this pilaf.

3- Vitamin Salad

This is a type of salad I got used to in the Balkans. It has colorful vegetables, seeds and spices. It’s called vitaminska salad in Serbian.

The ingredients for this refreshing salad:

• 1/4 red/purple cabbage
• 1/4 green cabbage
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 peppers (green and yellow),
• 1 carrot and 1 onion
• 1/2 can corn
• A tablespoon of sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds (mixed)
• A tablespoon balsamico, vinegar
• Thyme, paprika, salt

The first step is to grate the cabbages and carrot. Then chop the onion, tomatoes and pepper. Bring it all into a bowl and add the spices and dressing.

Variations: It tastes even greater if you add spinach, rocket, even turnip to this salad.

4- Easy Turkish Borek

Borek might sound difficult to many people. However, it is one of the easiest vegan recipes I have. This easy and super-tasty vegan borek is made with either mushrooms or potatoes. You can also keep it the freezer.

Ingredients for this healthy pastry recipe

• 3 pieces phyllo rolls (white or whole-grain)
• 300 gr. mushrooms (or potatoes)
• 2 peppers
• 1 tomato
• 1 teaspoon turmeric, black pepper, salt, cumin

For the sauce:

• 2 bottles of mineral (sparkling) water

Saute the chopped mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes for the mushroom mixture of the pastry. Add salt, cumin, black pepper, chilli pepper, curry and turmeric and remove from the stove. Then cut the rolls into 8 pieces. Put some mound along phyllo edge nearest you. After that, fold sides of phyllo partially over mound; roll dough and filling, burrito-style.

Dip in and out each roll in a bowl filled with mineral water. Bake rolls at 180° for 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Variations: You may use plant-based milk and oil mix to apply to the rolls. Adding some sesame or flax seeds is also a healthy option.

5- Vegan Dessert – No Bake Date Balls

When I learned about this quick vegan recipe, I immediately got hooked. It makes you feel like a kid playing with playdough. That’s why this is a fun and easy dessert recipe you should try.

Ingredients of this time-saver and tasty vegan dessert:

• 1 cup dates
• 2 cups hazelnuts or almonds
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut and 1/2 cup cacao powder

I use a manual vegetable shredder but you can also use a food processor or blender. First, soak the dates in 1/2 cup hot water for 5 minutes. Then blend them in a shredder or blender until it gets smooth. Replace the batter with nuts and blend them until no big chunks remain. After that, mix them all and add the coconut oil. Then roll the 1 1/2 tablespoon scoops of batter into energy balls. Lastly, cover half of the balls in flaked coconut and the other half in cacao powder.

Variations: Feel free to add chocolate chips, peanut butter or coconut sugar.