Switching to a vegan diet doesn’t have to be too complicated. As a matter of fact, many are trying this diet out for size especially when they need to lose some weight or want to feel healthier overall. Although most of us are worrying about what meals we can have on a vegan diet, you don’t need to stress too much because there are plenty of easy vegan dinners that you can do on a weeknight just like the ones below.

Caprese pasta salad 

In this recipe you will need 6 ounces of whole grain rotini or fusili pasta, 2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes, 8 ounces of baby mozarella balls, 2 to 3 teaspoons of white balsamic vinegar to taste, 1/3 cup of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of sea salt, and several sprigs of fresh basil or 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped basil. Start by boiling a large pot of salted water to cook your pasta until it is al dente or follow the instructions on the package. While waiting for the pasta to cook, warm the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan or pot over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and half a teaspoon of sea salt. Cover the pot and let the tomatoes cook while stirring occasionally. You should do this until the tomatoes are starting to burst from their skins and the olive oil gets that reddish hue. Toss the tomatoes, including their sauce, with your cooked pasta then allow the food to cool for a few minutes. Slice the mozzarella balls in half and the basil leaves too before tossing into the pasta. Add the oil and vinegar to taste. 

Creamy mushroom risotto 

Another vegan dinner recipe that you should try is the creamy mushroom risotto. You will need, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 3 garlic cloves minced, ½ cup of risotto rice, ½ tablespoon of white wine vinegar (optional), fresh parsley to serve, 1 shallot or ½ white onion, diced, 100g or 1 cup of button mushrooms thinly sliced, around 2 cups of vegetable stock, 4 tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes (optional), and salt and pepper to taste. You should heat the oil in a large saute pan then add the garlic and shallots or white onion over low-medium heat until they soften. Add the mushrooms and cook for another minute. Stir in the risotto rice then quickly add the vegetable stock and vinegar if you are using the latter. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and let the rice simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. You can add more water as needed. Once the rice has cooked, add the nutritional yeast flakes, a handful of parsley, and salt and pepper until you achieved your desired taste. 

These two recipes are worth adding to your list of vegan recipes to try for your weeknights as they are easy to make and will help fill your belly up in no time.