Three 30-minute vegan recipes you’ll actually want to cook

Think vegan cooking means hours of prep and soaking nuts? Think again. These three 30-minute recipes are fast, flavourful and perfect for busy weeknights

Fast, flavour-packed and fuss-free: these 30-minute vegan recipes prove you don’t need endless prep time to whip up meals that actually impress (Sorted)

Who says vegan cooking has to involve 12-hour cashew soaking marathons or almond milking that makes you question your life choices? These 30-minute recipes from Sorted Food are here to save your sanity – and your stomach.

Creamy tomato pasta, salt-and-pepper tofu and a cauliflower curry with crisps (yes, crisps!) prove that fast, plant-based meals can be packed with flavour and a bit of fun.

We’ve even included a handy shopping list for all the ingredients, so all you have to do is grab what you need and get cooking. Maximum taste, minimum effort – no pretentious food prep required.

Creamy vegan tomato pasta recipe

We use blended cannellini beans to get a cream-like texture in this recipe, but butter beans also work well.

Ingredients:

5 cloves garlic

200g dried pasta

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp tomato purée

400g tinned cannellini beans

10g fresh chives

Method:

1. Fill the kettle with water and put it on to boil - this will be for the pasta later.

2. Peel and mince 5 cloves of garlic.

3. Add 200g of dried pasta to a large frying pan, season with salt and cover with boiling water from the kettle.

4. Place the pan over a high heat and boil for 8-10 minutes, until soft but still with a slight bite. Reserve a mugful of pasta cooking water for later. Get on with the rest of the dish while you wait.

5. Add the garlic to a medium saucepan along with 4 tbsp of oil. Place the pan over a medium high heat and fry for 2-3 minutes, until starting to colour.

6. Add 2 tbsp of tomato paste to the pan. Fry for a further 3-4 minutes, until darkened and sticky.

7. Add 1 400g undrained tin of cannellini beans and 100ml of the pasta’s cooking water. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the beans are piping hot. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.

8. Finely chop 10g of chives crossways. We will use this for garnish later.

9. Once the beans are ready, take the pan off the heat and blitz until smooth and loose mashed potato-like with a hand blender. Season to taste with salt.

10. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta into the sauce. Give everything a good mix and loosen with more pasta water if necessary. We are looking for a light, creamy sauce that coats the pasta.

11. Divide the pasta between plates, top with the chives and serve.

Salt and pepper tofu with avocado dressing recipe

We use pre-cooked microwave brown rice in this recipe, but if you have the energy, feel free to boil your own from scratch!

Ingredients:

280g extra firm tofu

5 tbsp plain flour

250g microwave brown rice

1 large avocado

1 lime

10 tbsp vegetable oil

2 red chillies

Method:

1. Cut 1 280g block of tofu into 6 slices crossways.

2. Add 5 tbsp of flour to a plate, then grind over 1 tbsp of black pepper. Season generously with salt and give everything a quick mix.

3. Coat the tofu in the seasoned flour and leave it on the plate, ready for frying later.

4. Cook 1 250g pouch of rice in the microwave as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

5. Use a small knife to cut 1 avocado in half lengthwise around the stone. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the stone, then use the spoon to scoop the flesh out of the skin into a measuring jug. Finely grate in the zest from 1 lime and squeeze over its juice.

6. Blitz until smooth with a hand blender, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Add 10 tbsp of oil to a large frying pan and place it over a medium-high heat.

8. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, carefully lay in the tofu. Fry on 1 side for 2-3 minutes, until golden, before flipping and repeating on the next. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.

9. Thinly slice 2 red chillies into neat rounds.

10. Divide the avocado dressing between plates and push the dollops out to form discs. Spoon on the rice, top with the tofu, and garnish with the red chilli rounds. Tuck in!