Vegan meals for people who can't cook

America's easiest and most popular convenience food is vegan.

You don’t have to be a great or creative cook in order to eat a vegan diet. It’s nice to know a few basics—how to bake a potato, simmer up some brown rice, and steam vegetables. But that’s no more or less than anyone—eating any type of diet—needs to know.

Most busy people don’t have the leisure to read a recipe and measure out ingredients for dinner every evening. A lot of cooking—for omnivores and vegans alike—involves dishes that are easy and familiar and that sometimes make use of convenience products. After all, how much cooking skill do you need to heat up a jar of spaghetti sauce?

Here are 10 vegan dinners that anyone can make: 

o Baked potato topped with vegetarian baked beans and shredded soy cheese; frozen spinach sautéed in olive oil.

o Veggie burger on a roll, salad and prepared salad dressing.

o Pasta salad: Toss cooked pasta with chick peas, onions, chopped raw vegetables, and vegan mayonnaise.

o Burritos: Used leftover beans, or canned vegetarian refried beans or bean flakes. Roll in warm tortillas and top with chopped tomatoes and cubes of avocado. 

o Pasta with sauce from a jar (add some sautéed veggies or soy sausage for your own “homemade” touch).

o Chili beans with veggie burger crumbles served over rice; steamed carrots.

o Soup and salad. Progresso makes vegan lentil soup. Campbell’s Tomato Soup—very possibly the most famous soup in America—is vegan. Just add plain soymilk. Make it go a little farther with some healthful additions like pasta, rice or beans.

o Taco Salad: Toss together greens, chopped tomato, chopped onion, rinsed canned black beans, defrosted corn, and some cubes of avocado. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice and top with a handful of crushed tortilla chips.

o Chunks of firm tofu and frozen vegetables marinated in peanut sauce or teriyaki sauce (find both in the ethnic foods section of the grocery store). Sauté in a little bit of canola oil and serve over rice or noodles.

o Whole grain main dish salad: A great way to use up leftover cooked grains. Toss brown rice, couscous, barley or whatever you have on hand with chopped onion, defrosted frozen peas and corn, sunflower seeds, and rinsed cooked beans. Dress with your favorite dressing or with olive oil and lemon juice.