DollopCheap vegetarian meals for college students
The first 100 of 237 recipes
Vegetarian dinners for a student budget: $2.50 or less a serving, eight things to buy or fewer, done in 45 minutes. Beans, lentils, eggs, cheese and tofu keep you going through a late night of studying. The cheapest is Khichdi (Indian rice and lentil porridge) at $0.67 a serving, and the average here is $1.47.
Khichdi (Indian rice and lentil porridge)
$0.67 a serving
40 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
Microwave mac and cheese
$1.09 a serving
15 min
Greek spinach rice (spanakorizo)
$1.10 a serving
40 min
Sheet pan fried rice
$1.12 a serving
45 min
Shiro wat
$1.15 a serving
40 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
Instant Pot chickpea pulao
$1.20 a serving
40 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
Korean steamed eggs (gyeran-jjim)
$1.26 a serving
30 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
Broccoli cheddar crescent ring
$1.31 a serving
45 min
Cabbage yakisoba noodles
$1.32 a serving
25 min
Boxed mac and cheese with broccoli
$1.32 a serving
15 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
Air fryer black bean taquitos
$1.38 a serving
35 min
Microwave cheese ramen
$1.38 a serving
10 min
Chickpea adobo
$1.39 a serving
35 min
Pimento cheese sandwiches
$1.40 a serving
15 min
Instant Pot fried rice
$1.40 a serving
35 min
Chana masala
$1.41 a serving
45 min
Microwave vegan bolognese
$1.42 a serving
20 min
Sopa de fideo (Mexican noodle soup)
$1.43 a serving
25 min
Stovetop mac and cheese
$1.43 a serving
25 min
Sesame garlic egg noodles with broccoli
$1.45 a serving
20 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
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
Cheesy vegetable noodle casserole
$1.49 a serving
45 min
Air fryer leftover rice patties
$1.50 a serving
40 min
Tamagodon (Japanese egg rice bowl)
$1.50 a serving
35 min
Vietnamese garlic noodles
$1.50 a serving
25 min
Angel hair with fresh tomato sauce
$1.50 a serving
35 min
Red beans and rice
$1.51 a serving
45 min
Cabbage fried rice
$1.54 a serving
25 min
Thai omelette over rice (kai jeow)
$1.54 a serving
30 min
Black-eyed peas with Swiss chard and lemon (louvi)
$1.55 a serving
25 min
Chana chaat (Indian chickpea salad)
$1.56 a serving
15 min
Lazanki (noodles with sauerkraut and mushrooms)
$1.56 a serving
45 min
Sukuma wiki with ugali and eggs (Kenyan collard greens)
$1.57 a serving
40 min
One-pot chili mac
$1.57 a serving
35 min
Creamy parmesan orzo with peas
$1.58 a serving
25 min
Pasta e ceci
$1.59 a serving
35 min
Egg fried rice
$1.60 a serving
25 min
Instant Pot baked ziti
$1.60 a serving
30 min
Pasta e patate (pasta and potatoes)
$1.61 a serving
45 min
Creamy tomato orzo
$1.61 a serving
30 min
Black-eyed pea tacos with collard slaw
$1.62 a serving
30 min
Masala omelette
$1.63 a serving
15 min
Black bean and sweet potato tacos
$1.63 a serving
45 min
Spinach and cheddar frittata
$1.64 a serving
35 min
Black-eyed peas and collard greens over grits
$1.64 a serving
40 min
Air fryer broccoli cheddar nuggets
$1.64 a serving
35 min
Instant Pot butter chickpeas
$1.65 a serving
35 min
Moroccan-spiced couscous with chickpeas and carrots
$1.65 a serving
25 min
Sweet chili noodles with vegetables
$1.65 a serving
25 min
Cheesy bean and rice burritos
$1.65 a serving
45 min
Soft scrambled eggs on buttery toast
$1.65 a serving
12 min
Puerto Rican rice and beans
$1.69 a serving
45 min
Creamy white beans and rice
$1.69 a serving
45 min
Vietnamese-style caramel chickpeas
$1.70 a serving
35 min
Red lentil soup with lemon
$1.70 a serving
45 min
Spaghetti puttanesca
$1.71 a serving
30 min
Breakfast pizza with crescent dough
$1.72 a serving
40 min
French lentils with carrots and Dijon
$1.72 a serving
45 min
Crispy ramen egg pancake
$1.76 a serving
20 min
Jamaican rice and peas with steamed cabbage
$1.76 a serving
40 min
Tuscan tomato bread soup (pappa al pomodoro)
$1.76 a serving
40 min
Cheesy broccoli orzo
$1.77 a serving
25 min
Spicy gochujang ramen noodles
$1.78 a serving
15 min
Sheet pan frittata
$1.78 a serving
45 min
Air fryer toasted ravioli
$1.78 a serving
40 min
Kenyan coconut kidney beans (maharagwe) with rice
$1.79 a serving
40 min
Spicy rigatoni
$1.80 a serving
30 min
Proper beans on toast
$1.80 a serving
20 min
Garlicky white bean and spinach pasta
$1.81 a serving
30 min
Garlic butter ramen noodles with egg
$1.82 a serving
15 min
Romanian white bean mash with caramelized onions (fasole bătută)
$1.82 a serving
40 min
Sheet pan honey garlic chickpeas and green beans
$1.83 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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