As a Vegan, I think I've finally perfected my dinner: what I eat everyday

Hello, World,

Over the past couple of years, I've been experimenting with a lot of lunch/dinner options, be it soups, wraps, or curries, but they never stuck. Right before this summer I discovered the wonders of seeds and porridge, and I've been thus perfecting my dinner over the time.

I am at a point where I would call my dinner quite perfected (in a sense of personal satisfaction & moderate health, not like absolute nutrition/health or something) and I thought I should share it with the world. The dinner takes like 30-40 minutes to prepare, doesn't require many dishes nor measurement equipment (the only things you need is a tablespoon and a cup), the ingredients are mostly shelf- or freezer- stable, and it's easy to prepare on demand -- all things important to me, especially now that I'm living in a University dorm.

Best I can describe this dish is buckwheat-lentil porridge boiled in vegetable broth, served with seeds and a side of textured soy protein and veggies, a fresh side dish, and tea.

As always, you are free to adapt this recipe however you want, add or substitute things you don't have/don't want, and treat cooking less like an instructional manual, but more so like an art form. The measurements are a rough mental estimate here because I don't really measure when I cook. My recipes aren't here to give you an answer - rather a road to discovery of yourself.

Note that quantities change day-to-day :) The dinner is 550-900 kcal depending on how generous you are with certain ingredients, particularly lentils, buckwheat, olive oil, and TVP, also snacks play a significant role too. Nutrition value also varies - adding stuff, sometimes removing... Iodised salt, spinach...

This meal is far from perfect but it's something that works. It makes me very full and I don't have complaints honestly.

"Vegan dinner idea" by Arija Arčenytė (CC-BY-SA-4.0). Purpose: Thumbnail for "As a Vegan, I think I've perfected my dinner". Uploaded on Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:06:51 GMT. (raw media here)

So, without further ado, here it is:

# Ingredients

For porridge:

• 1-3 tbsp (rinsed) green lentils
• 1-3 tbsp (rinsed) red lentils
• 1-3 tbsp (rinsed) buckwheat
• 0.75-1.5 cups water (more or less, adjust based on grain)
• 0.5-1 tbsp dried vegetable mix (parsnip, carrot, onion, parsley, garlic, turmeric celery, ginger, leek) + 1 pinch (or to taste) iodised salt.
  • OR alternative (if no dried veg) -- 0,25-0.5 tsp Vegeta seasoning or alike.
  • OR alternative (if no Vegeta or alike seasoning) -- 0.25-0.5 vegetable stock cube (try to get reduced sodium)
• 1 laurel leaf
• 0.5 tbsp garlic granules
• 0.5 tbsp onion granules
• 0.5 tsp cumin
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 0.25 tsp turmeric
• 0.25-0.5 tsp chilli pepper
• 0.25-0.5 tsp five-pepper blend (or just black ground pepper)
• pinch of ground nutmeg

For TVP (textured vegetable protein) & vegetables:

• 4-6 tbsp dried TVP (I recommend soy, extremely cheap (I get 150g for 89 cents)
• 0.75 cup frozen Mexican-style vegetables (finely cubed (where needed); carrots, green beans, red kidney beans, red sweet pepper strips, green peas, corn, onions, celery)
  • Honestly any vegetables you can get are nice -- spinach too!
• 1 cup fresh, thinly sliced cabbage
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (try to get reduced sodium)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 0.5 tbsp garlic granules
• 0.5 tbsp onion granules
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 0.5 tsp cumin
• 0.25-0.5 tsp chilli spices/pepper
• 0.2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 0.2 tsp five-pepper blend (or black pepper)
• 2-4 tbsp water
• 0.5 tbsp olive oil

Topings & sides:

• 1-2 tbsp seed mix (hemp, flax, sunflower, pumpkin -- whatever you have honestly, but prioritise flax or chia)
• 1 medium-large Jonagold apple
• 1 medium-large cucumber
• ...a small tangerine, banana, or orange could also be nice.
• Tea (I like Melissa tea)
  • I'd refrain from black tea though, as it can disrupt iron absorption.
• Some lemon/lime juice or fresh lemon/lime juice.
• Optional snack (such as oat cookies, bananas, nut/raisin mix, berries, oranges, nothing at all, or something entirely different)

# Instructions

# Hydrate TVP

Put your 4-6 tbsp TVP into a bowl and cover it with hot water enough to generously cover it, plus:

• 0.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 0.5 tbsp garlic granules
• 0.5 tbsp onion granules
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 0.5 tsp cumin
• 0.25-0.5 tsp chilli spices/pepper
• 0.2 tsp cayenne pepper
• Five-pepper

Let it sit for 8-10 minutes. While it hydrates continue the cooking steps below.

# Start the green lentils

To a pot, put:

• 0.75-1.5 cups water
• 0.5-1 tbsp dried vegetable mix + 1 pinch (or to taste) iodised salt.
• 1-3 tbsp green lentils
• 1 laurel leaf
• 0.5 tbsp garlic granules
• 0.5 tbsp onion granules
• 0.5 tsp cumin
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 0.25 tsp turmeric
• 0.25-0.5 tsp chilli pepper
• 0.25-0.5 tsp five-pepper blend (or just black ground pepper)
• pinch of ground nutmeg

Bring to a boil, then lower to let it simmer. Cook for about 12-15 minutes.

Continue cooking steps below.

# Roast the seeds

To a dry pan, add your 1-2 tbsp of seed mix, cook for about 2-4 minutes while stirring frequently, then put them aside somewhere.

# Finish the porridge

By now, your green lentils are probably fine. Add to the pot:

• 1-3 tbsp red lentils
• 1-3 tbsp buckwheat

Keep it uncovered and remove the laurel leaf toward the end.

Stir occasionally and simmer for another 8-10 minutes. Continue the next cooking steps below.

# Drain & fry the TVP

Drain the remaining liquid from your TVP, then press with a fork to get excess moisture out.

Add your drained TVP into a pan on medium-high heat and cook for about 3-5 minutes on 0.5 tbsp of olive oil. Add your remaining:

• 0.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

If the pan begins sticking add 2-4 tbsp of water.

After 3-5 minutes add 0.75 cup Mexican-style frozen veggies, letting the water evaporate.

Then add 1 cup raw cabbage. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Keep the heat fairly high and stir occasionally rather than constantly.

# Prepare cold side

Slice:

• 1 medium-large Jonagold apple
• 1 medium-large cucumber

Put them on a small plate.

Preferably chill the apple and cucumber before or after cooking for best experience.

A small tangerine, banana, or orange could also be nice.

# Tea

Prepare your tea however you like. I usually do Melissa tea with Stevia, sometimes also a small side-snack.

You can also add some lemon/lime juice or fresh lime/lemon to make the tea nicer and increase iron absorption.

Note that tea not rich in polyphenols (e.g., peppermint, Melissa/lemon balm, etc.) is recommended as it aids digestion. Teas rich in polyphenols can disrupt non-heme iron absorption.

# Serving

Split your bowl into two: porridge on one side, TVP + veggies on another. Top everything with seeds and drizzle some lemon/lime juice over the dish.

Serve with the side dish, tea, and snack (optional).

# Done

You're done. Enjoy.

I usually eat the meal with breaks in-between for apple/cucumber, and then wind down with a cup of tea at the end.

# Nutritional considerations

This meal isn't a great source of:

• Vitamin B12
• EPA/DHA omega-3
• Vitamin D
• Calcium

You may want to look into how to get these if you want a balanced diet.

This is more of a diet-wide issue, not a recipe-wide issue however. I'm only noting it as it is important.

'til next time :)