Cheap vegetarian meals
The first 100 of 508 recipes
Meat-free dinners that cost $2.50 or less a serving. Beans, lentils, eggs, pasta and vegetables do the filling, and nothing on the list is meat, poultry or fish, broth included. The cheapest is Khichdi (Indian rice and lentil porridge) at $0.67 a serving, and the average here is $1.27.

Khichdi (Indian rice and lentil porridge)
$0.67 a serving
40 min

Lentil loaf
$0.69 a serving
110 min

Slow cooker pinto beans
$0.81 a serving
540 min

Slow cooker Cuban black beans
$0.87 a serving
500 min

Adas polo (Persian lentil rice with raisins)
$0.88 a serving
70 min

Instant Pot black bean soup
$0.92 a serving
100 min

Instant Pot black beans
$0.99 a serving
100 min

Spaghetti aglio e olio
$1.01 a serving
25 min

Egg salad sandwiches
$1.03 a serving
40 min

Crispy black bean burgers
$1.03 a serving
40 min

Instant Pot French lentil salad
$1.04 a serving
40 min

Macaroni and tomatoes
$1.04 a serving
30 min

Buttered noodles
$1.05 a serving
20 min

Homemade fettuccine
$1.09 a serving
100 min

Microwave mac and cheese
$1.09 a serving
15 min

Greek spinach rice (spanakorizo)
$1.10 a serving
40 min

Cheesy lentil and rice casserole
$1.11 a serving
110 min

Sheet pan fried rice
$1.12 a serving
45 min

Veg hakka noodles
$1.12 a serving
30 min

Nigerian fried rice
$1.14 a serving
55 min

Mujadara (lentils and rice with crispy onions)
$1.14 a serving
60 min

Shiro wat
$1.15 a serving
40 min

Moroccan harira
$1.15 a serving
60 min

Schezwan fried rice
$1.16 a serving
30 min

Chickpea noodle soup
$1.16 a serving
45 min

Black bean and corn fritters with lime crema
$1.16 a serving
35 min

Vegan mac and cheese
$1.17 a serving
25 min

Air fryer chickpea nuggets
$1.18 a serving
35 min

Instant Pot red lentil dal
$1.18 a serving
40 min

Veggie fried rice
$1.19 a serving
65 min

Instant Pot jollof rice
$1.19 a serving
55 min

Instant Pot chickpea pulao
$1.20 a serving
40 min

Mexican street corn orzo
$1.20 a serving
30 min

Lentil sloppy joes
$1.21 a serving
55 min

Spaghetti with tomato butter sauce
$1.22 a serving
60 min

Air fryer mac and cheese for two
$1.22 a serving
25 min

Kung pao chickpeas
$1.22 a serving
35 min

Microwave peanut butter ramen
$1.23 a serving
10 min

Cheesy rice and bean casserole
$1.23 a serving
55 min

Pupusas with curtido
$1.23 a serving
70 min

Lazy cabbage roll skillet
$1.24 a serving
50 min

Turkish yogurt pasta with chili butter
$1.26 a serving
30 min

Korean steamed eggs (gyeran-jjim)
$1.26 a serving
30 min

Spaghetti pie
$1.26 a serving
60 min

Slow cooker dal makhani
$1.29 a serving
510 min

Mexican red rice with black beans
$1.29 a serving
40 min

Air fryer black bean chimichangas
$1.29 a serving
30 min

West African–style peanut stew with sweet potatoes
$1.30 a serving
45 min

Baked polenta casserole with marinara and mozzarella
$1.31 a serving
65 min

Broccoli cheddar crescent ring
$1.31 a serving
45 min

Sheet pan mac and cheese
$1.31 a serving
50 min

Cabbage yakisoba noodles
$1.32 a serving
25 min

Boxed mac and cheese with broccoli
$1.32 a serving
15 min

Ethiopian red lentil stew (misir wot)
$1.33 a serving
55 min

Homemade potato gnocchi
$1.33 a serving
75 min

Air fryer lentil meatballs
$1.34 a serving
55 min

Gallo pinto (Costa Rican rice and beans)
$1.34 a serving
45 min

Black beans and rice
$1.35 a serving
40 min

Broccoli cheddar pasta bake
$1.36 a serving
45 min

Butter soy rice with crispy fried eggs
$1.37 a serving
30 min

Instant Pot lo mein
$1.37 a serving
25 min

Instant Pot spaghetti marinara
$1.37 a serving
25 min

Lentil bolognese with spaghetti
$1.37 a serving
60 min

Vegetarian lentil chili
$1.38 a serving
60 min

Air fryer black bean taquitos
$1.38 a serving
35 min

Microwave cheese ramen
$1.38 a serving
10 min

Instant Pot masala pasta
$1.39 a serving
30 min

Chickpea adobo
$1.39 a serving
35 min

Cajun fried rice
$1.39 a serving
30 min

Ethiopian-spiced red lentils and collard greens
$1.40 a serving
55 min

Pimento cheese sandwiches
$1.40 a serving
15 min

Georgian kidney beans with walnuts (lobio) and cornbread cakes
$1.40 a serving
45 min

Instant Pot fried rice
$1.40 a serving
35 min

Chana masala
$1.41 a serving
45 min

Southern pinto beans and cornbread
$1.41 a serving
50 min

Samosa pie with lentils and potatoes
$1.41 a serving
80 min

Microwave vegan bolognese
$1.42 a serving
20 min

Instant Pot tomato rice
$1.42 a serving
45 min

Sopa de fideo (Mexican noodle soup)
$1.43 a serving
25 min

Stovetop mac and cheese
$1.43 a serving
25 min

Serbian baked beans with caramelized onions (prebranac)
$1.43 a serving
80 min

Ethiopian cabbage and potatoes (atakilt wat)
$1.43 a serving
50 min

Sesame garlic egg noodles with broccoli
$1.45 a serving
20 min

Instant Pot lentils and brown rice
$1.45 a serving
60 min

Korean rolled omelette (gyeran-mari) with rice
$1.46 a serving
35 min

Baião de dois (Brazilian rice and beans with cheese)
$1.46 a serving
40 min

Koshari (Egyptian lentils, rice and pasta)
$1.46 a serving
70 min

Instant Pot mac and cheese
$1.46 a serving
25 min

Instant Pot butternut squash mac and cheese
$1.47 a serving
25 min

Kongnamul bap (Korean bean sprout rice)
$1.47 a serving
55 min

Jalapeño popper mac and cheese
$1.48 a serving
55 min

Air fryer pasta bake for two
$1.48 a serving
25 min

Air fryer sesame chickpeas with broccoli
$1.48 a serving
35 min

Akara (black-eyed pea fritters) with pepper sauce
$1.49 a serving
40 min

Korean BBQ black bean tacos with quick slaw
$1.49 a serving
30 min

Tacu tacu (Peruvian crispy rice and bean cakes)
$1.49 a serving
45 min

Vegetable pot pie with biscuit topping
$1.49 a serving
55 min

Cheesy vegetable noodle casserole
$1.49 a serving
45 min

Chickpea salad sandwiches
$1.50 a serving
15 min

Air fryer leftover rice patties
$1.50 a serving
40 min
Costs and nutrition are estimates for one serving, worked out from typical US grocery prices and standard nutrition values for what each recipe uses.
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