5 Dinners You Can Make Using Just One Pot

If you’re a clumsy cook who doesn’t benefit from having to keep track of multiple pots on the stove, rest assured, you can make meatless meals without turning out multiple burners. Here are five dinners you can make using just one pot:

1. Gnocchi

You can buy gnocchi easily in stores, and some serve a whole wheat version. Use a large sautee pan and preheat 1 tbs of oil over medium heat. Start with these instructions from this recipe: “Let cook about 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside. Next, add more oil to the pan and fry whichever vegetables and spices you prefer. Choose Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper for this Crispy Gnocchi with Mushrooms, Asparagus, and Brussels Sprouts. Also, you can make a spicy tomato and olive oil-based sauce by sautéing onions, garlic, tomatoes, hot pepper or pepper flakes and olive oil in the pan to make the sauce, then stir in the gnocchi. Another simple recipe is this Gnocchi alla Genovese.

2. Soup

Soups are so easy to make since you throw items into a pot, and wait as the flavors merge together over the stove. You don’t have to use heat at all, if you don’t want. You can use one food processor in place of a pot to make several types of raw soups. Check out these 15 Fresh and Cool Raw Soups for the Summer, these other soup recipes here on One Green Planet, and this article on How to Make Creamy, Cheesy Vegan Soup.

3. Pot Roast

Pot Roast is a hearty, filling meal. Using a slow cooker can make pot roasts and hearty stews a breeze to make at home, since you put everything in a pot then forget about it for several hours until the rich aroma fills your house. You may have a hard time believing this Seitan Pot Roast is actually vegan. 

4. Mac and Cheese

Making vegan mac n’ cheese is much easier than some people may think. It’s a miracle what you can do with some non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, vegan butter and soy cream. The nutritional yeast helps you get a creamy, cheesy consistency and taste. Plus, those cheesy flakes provide some B12, as well. You can make the pasta in one pot, then transfer it to a colander to strain out the water, and mix the sauce in the same pot. Then, transfer the noodles to the sauce.  You can also mix in any other spices or vegetables you prefer. It’s easy to use one pot to get a creamy, cheesy saue without using dairy milk, cheese or butter. Check out these 5 Killer Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipes and this article on How to Make the Most Decadent Mac and Cheese.

5. Fried Rice and Rice Pilaf 

When you cook rice, you can then mix in so many different things. Try frying rice in olive oil, then adding in chopped onions, carrots, peppers and garlic. You can then add tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans or whatever protein you prefer to make the meal more hearty, Cauliflower Wild Rice Pilaf. For more inspiration, check out this Vegetable Fried Rice with Tofu recipe.

Lead image source: Crispy Gnocchi with Mushrooms, Asparagus, and Brussels Sprouts