CLOSEPlant-Based Batch Cooking: Vegetarian and Vegan Batch Cooking Recipes To Enjoy Again and Again
Last Updated on 15th October 2026 by Karn Hollis
Whether you’re trying to eat more plants, save time after work, or simply make your cooking go further, the tips and recipes in this article will help you batch cook without compromising on flavour.
Before we dive in, we wanted to define what we mean by these different batch cooking types.
Plant-based cooking is a broad term; generally centred around foods from plants, but can be used flexibly and doesn’t always mean 100% animal-free. Vegetarian specifically excludes meat and fish, but can include dairy. Vegan excludes anything derived from animals, including dairy, eggs, meat, and fish.
The list of recipes we include below is centred around plant-based batch cooking. All of these are suitable for vegetarians, and most are suitable for vegans (or can be adapted by replacing the cheese, for example).
Defining Batch Cooking
When it comes to batch cooking, this can involve different components, such as:
- Planning what to make ahead of time, rather than every day. Gousto’s meal planning recipes can be chosen in bulk before your week begins, to take out the mental load of meal planning each day
- Buying ingredients in bulk. Gousto’s food boxes provide pre-portioned ingredients perfectly fit for each recipe. This removes the need to pop to the shops or think about what ingredients you need (plus, there’s less food waste)
- Making more food or portions than you need, and then eating them later in the week (or freezing them). Gousto has a specific range where you can cook once, eat twice. We’ve also got hundreds of other plant-based recipes to pick from, which can easily be cooked in a big batch by doubling the ingredients
The goal of batch cooking is to ultimately save time, lower food costs, and reduce stress by avoiding cooking from scratch every day.
Benefits of Plant-Based Batch Cooking
Flavours
Batch cooking and plant-based ingredients are a brilliant pairing. Beans, lentils, chickpeas, wholegrains, and roasted vegetables are already packed with flavour, and often taste even better the next day once they’ve had a chance to soak up flavour.
A smoky tomato sauce becomes richer overnight. A gently spiced chickpea curry develops more depth. Herb-dressed vegetables become tastier after a day in the fridge.
Variety
Cooking a few versatile ingredients gives you multiple combinations across the week. For example, roast a tray of squash, peppers, and cauliflower, cook a pot of quinoa, and prepare a creamy tahini dressing, and you’ve already got the foundations for an array of grain bowls, wraps, and salads.
Health
According to our Nutrition Manager, Hannah Lloyd, batch cooking is also a simple way to increase the variety of plants on your plate:
“Different beans, grains, herbs, nuts, seeds, and vegetables all count towards a more diverse diet, so batch cooking can make eating a wider range of plants feel much more achievable.”
The Best Plant-Based Proteins for Batch Cooking
Not every protein works for batch cooking, or behaves the same once it’s reheated. Choosing the right ingredients makes all the difference. We’ll share our favourites below.
Lentils
Lentils are one of the easiest ingredients to batch cook. Red lentils break down into creamy dals and soups, while green and brown lentils hold their shape in salads, ragùs, and hearty stews. They’re especially good at absorbing herbs, spices, and aromatics, so they often taste even better after a day or two.
Recipe inspo: A hearty coconut dal packed with red lentils and endless flavour reheats well throughout the week.
Beans & Pulses
Chickpeas, butter beans, and black beans stay satisfyingly firm after reheating, making them ideal for curries, chillies, and pasta salads.
Recipe inspo: Prepare a big batch of chickpea tikka masala or black bean and butternut squash chilli, divide into portions, and freeze for later. For texture, roast chickpeas separately to sprinkle over meals or enjoy as snacks later in the week.
Tofu
Tofu often gets blamed for becoming rubbery, but preparation and storage usually matter more than the tofu itself.
Press it well before cooking, then roast or pan-fry until golden. Even the pre-pressed blocks retain a little moisture, so we’d suggest squeezing gently between kitchen paper.
Store it separately from sauces if you’d like to keep the edges crisp, then mix into curries or noodles to heat up just before serving.
Recipe inspo: You could fry up this Vietnamese-style tofu a few days in advance and serve with freshly cooked rice when you’re ready to eat.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms develop a deep, savoury flavour when cooked well, making them a fantastic meat-free batch cooking ingredient.
Rather than overcrowding the tray, give them plenty of space, so they caramelise in the oven instead of steaming.
Recipe inspo: Slice them into a plant-based lasagne, which is a perfect dish to make ahead of time as it can be easily divided up into separate meals.
Plant-Based Batch Cooking Tips
– Add fresh finishing touches: Small finishing touches help every portion taste vibrant and freshly made. A rich curry instantly feels new topped with fresh coriander and lime. Grain bowls come together with crunchy seeds and a spoonful of hummus. Sprinkle crispy onions, nuts, and breadcrumbs over any dish just before serving to avoid them going soggy or stale.
– Prep components: One approach to batch cooking is to think of your batch cooking as a collection of building blocks, instead of cooking complete meals that sit in the fridge for days. Roast vegetables, cook grains, prepare a flavour-packed sauce, and batch cook your favourite plant protein. Then mix and match throughout the week with fresh herbs, crunchy toppings, and different dressings to keep every dinner feeling interesting.
– Label carefully: It sounds obvious, but don’t forget to label anything you’ve cooked ahead of time with what it is, the date it was made, and the portion size.
Plant-Based Batch Cooking Recipe Ideas
Harissa Chickpea & Sultana Tagine With Tahini Yoghurt
Sweet sultanas, smoky harissa, and hearty chickpeas come together in this warming North African-inspired tagine. Finished with a cooling tahini yoghurt, it’s full of bold spices, gentle sweetness, and creamy contrast.
Why it works: Chickpeas hold their texture beautifully after reheating, while the rich tomato and harissa sauce develops even more flavour after a day or two. Keep the tahini yoghurt separate until serving for the freshest finish.
Sweet Potato & Spinach Curry With Lemon Rice
Creamy coconut, tender sweet potato, and fresh spinach make this comforting curry feel wholesome without sacrificing flavour. Served alongside fragrant lemon-infused rice, it’s colourful, filling, and perfect for busy evenings.
Why it works: The curry reheats brilliantly, while the lemon rice keeps every portion feeling fresh. It’s just as satisfying on day three as it is on day one.
Plant-Based Creamy Mushroom Miso Udon
Three varieties of mushrooms are cooked in a rich miso sauce to create a deeply savoury bowl of comforting udon. Baby kale adds freshness, while the silky noodles soak up every bit of umami flavour.
Why it works: Prepare the mushroom and miso base in advance, then cook fresh noodles when you’re ready to eat. It keeps the texture spot on while making dinner feel freshly cooked in minutes.
Aubergine & Harissa Stew With Feta
Soft aubergine, warming spices, and rich tomatoes create a deeply comforting stew that’s finished with salty feta for plenty of contrast. It’s simple, satisfying, and packed with Mediterranean-inspired flavour. Vegans can replace the feta with a plant-based alternative or leave it out entirely.
Why it works: Aubergine becomes even softer and more flavourful after resting, making this an ideal recipe to portion up for lunches or cosy midweek dinners. Add the feta just before serving for the best texture.
Chunky Roast Veg With Jewelled Couscous
Colourful roasted vegetables are paired with fluffy couscous, sweet dried fruit, and crunchy nuts for a dish that’s as vibrant as it is satisfying. It’s proof that simple ingredients can deliver big flavour.
Why it works: Roast vegetables keep well in the fridge, while the couscous can be refreshed with a squeeze of lemon and a handful of herbs just before serving.
Plant-Based Batch Cooking FAQs
Can You Freeze Plant-Based Batch-Cooked Meals?
Yes, most meals can be frozen and defrosted before heating and enjoying later. Curries, soups, stews, and bean-based dishes usually freeze particularly well. Fresh herbs, leafy greens, and crunchy toppings are best added after reheating.
What are the Best Vegetarian Batch Cooking Recipes?
Recipes with hearty vegetables, beans, lentils, and wholegrains tend to batch cook particularly well because their flavours continue to develop over time. Curries, tagines, soups, traybakes, and stews are all great options, especially when paired with freshly cooked rice, couscous, or bread when you’re ready to eat.
How Do You Stop Vegan Batch Cooking Recipes from Becoming Boring?
Focus on variety rather than cooking more recipes. Changing your dressing, adding fresh herbs, swapping grains, or introducing crunchy toppings can completely transform the same plant-based ingredients into a different meal.
Get Ahead of Your Week with Vegan and Vegetarian Batch Cooking
Looking for plant-powered dinners without the supermarket stock-up trips, or whole Sundays spent in the kitchen? That’s where Gousto can help.
Our recipe boxes give you everything you need to cook up a big curry to stretch across two different dinners, stock up your fridge with some ready-to-eat meals for the busiest weeks, or simply remove the time spent meal prepping and on grocery runs.
If you’re new to Gousto, you’ll also get 50% off your first recipe box, making it even easier to discover new plant-based favourites. You’ll never need to choose between convenience and flavour.
