Cheap and Easy Vegetarian Recipes for College Students

When in college, meal prepping or making homemade food can be tiresome. I personally have developed a habit of meal prepping and finding new recipes on social media apps such as Instagram or Pinterest. Discovering new recipes that fit your liking will inspire you to cook. I have tried to eat less meat to reduce my carbon footprint, and these recipes have helped me do so. Below I will list three easy recipes that I hope you are able to try or change to your preference.

Spicy Sriracha Noodles

This recipe is very simple and only takes 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook. If you are not a fan of spicy things, then just take out the sriracha! Below are the ingredients:

• 4 oz. lo mein noodles ($1.30)

• 2 Tbsp butter ($0.20)

• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.02)

• 2 large eggs ($0.42)

• 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.08)

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.06)

• 2 Tbsp sriracha ($0.22)

• 1 handful of fresh cilantro (optional) ($0.10)

• 1 green onion, sliced ($0.10)

Once you have your ingredients, you will follow these directions:

1. Prepare the sauce for the noodles. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sriracha. Set the sauce aside.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Once boiling, add the noodles and boil until tender. Drain the noodles in a colander.

3. While waiting for the water to boil, crack two eggs into a bowl then whisk lightly.

4. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the eggs and crushed pepper and lightly scramble the eggs. Avoid overcooking the eggs.

5. Once the noodles have drained, add them to the skillet with the eggs, then drizzle the sauce over top. Toss the noodles and eggs to coat in the sauce.

6. Top the noodles with fresh cilantro and sliced green onion, then serve.

Creamy Pesto Mac and Cheese with Spinach

This recipe takes about 15 minutes to prep and only 15 minutes to cook. You can always meal prep this for multiple meals.

The ingredients you will need include:

● 2 cups uncooked macaroni ($0.50)

● 2 Tbsp butter ($0.22)

● 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)

● 2 cups whole milk ($0.60)

● 1/2 cup grated Parmesan ($0.53)

● 1/4 cup basil pesto ($0.55)

● 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)

● Freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)

● 1/2 lb. frozen spinach ($0.80)

Once you have all of your ingredients, you will follow these directions:

1. Thaw the spinach at room temperature or in the microwave. Squeeze out the excess water. Set the spinach aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the macaroni. Boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender. Drain the macaroni in a colander.

2. While the pasta is boiling, prepare the sauce. Add the butter and flour to a small sauce pot. Heat and stir the butter and flour over medium heat until it forms a creamy paste and begins to bubble. Continue to stir and cook for about one minute more.

3. Whisk the milk into the butter and flour, then allow it to come up to a simmer while whisking. When it reaches a simmer, the sauce will thicken. Remove the sauce from the heat.

4. Whisk the Parmesan and pesto into the sauce until smooth. This will further thicken the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Make sure the sauce is well seasoned as the flavors will be less concentrated once the pasta and spinach are stirred in.

5. Return the cooked and drained pasta to the large pot (heat turned off) and add the thawed spinach. Pour the sauce over top, then stir until everything is combined and coated in the sauce. Serve immediately.

Curried Chickpeas with Spinach

This recipe should only take about 5 minutes to prepare, and 20 minutes to cook.

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

● 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)

● 1 yellow onion ($0.47)

● 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)

● 1-inch fresh ginger ($0.16)

● 1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder ($0.45)

● 8 oz. spinach (fresh or frozen) ($1.49)

● 1 15oz. can tomato sauce ($0.59)

● 2 15oz. cans of chickpeas ($1.10)

If you do not have some of the ingredients, that is totally fine. I usually substitute certain ingredients with others and hope for the best. (It will usually turn out alright in the end). Now onto the directions:

1. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger on a small-holed cheese grater. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium heat until the onions have softened (3-5 minutes).

2. Add the curry powder and continue to sauté with the onion mixture for one minute more. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the skillet along with the fresh spinach and continue to sauté until the spinach has wilted. The water will help steam and wilt the spinach (no water is needed if using frozen spinach).

3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add them to the skillet along with the tomato sauce. Stir well to distribute the spices in the sauce and heat through (5 minutes). Serve over rice or with bread.

I hope you all enjoy these recipes!