Vegan Meal Prep: A Chef's Complete Guide to Cooking for the Week in 2 Hours

The mistake most meal preppers make is cooking complete, identical meals for the week. By day three, boredom sets in. The professional approach is different: cook components that combine flexibly.

Every Sunday, I prepare four types of components:

1. **A protein base** — typically two different legumes/tofu preparations 2. **A grain** — brown rice, quinoa, farro or wholegrain pasta 3. **Roasted vegetables** — two or three types that roast at similar temperatures 4. **A versatile sauce** — something that can dress salads, coat grains, or be used as a dip

These four components combine into completely different meals depending on how they're assembled and seasoned. Monday's brown rice bowl with black beans and tahini dressing becomes Wednesday's rice salad with the same beans, cucumber and lemon. Friday's farro becomes a warming soup with the roasted vegetables.

**0:00 — Start grains and legumes first** (longest cooking time) Put brown rice on (45 min). Soak and drain tinned chickpeas, then roast them separately (30 min). Start lentils on the hob (20–25 min).

**0:05 — Prep vegetables while grains cook** Chop two trays of vegetables — one tray of root vegetables (sweet potato, beetroot, carrot) and one of brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, red onion). Season with olive oil, cumin, salt. Put in oven at 200°C/400°F.

**0:20 — Make the sauce** Blend: 3 tbsp tahini, juice of 1 lemon, 1 garlic clove, 2 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp water, salt. This keeps 5 days refrigerated. Alternatively: blend roasted red peppers with walnuts and garlic for a romesco-style sauce.

**0:35 — Marinate tofu** (optional second protein) Drain and press firm tofu. Cube. Marinate in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil. Pan-fry in batches 3–4 minutes per side until golden.

**1:15 — Everything done. Cool and store.** Divide each component into separate containers. Label with date. Do NOT combine — keep components separate for maximum flexibility.

With brown rice, roasted chickpeas, roasted sweet potato + broccoli, cooked lentils and tahini dressing, here's how you eat differently every day:

**Monday:** Brown rice bowl with roasted vegetables, crispy chickpeas and tahini dressing. Fresh avocado sliced on top.

**Tuesday:** Lentil and vegetable soup (blend half the lentils for creaminess, add vegetable broth and roasted vegetables, simmer 10 minutes). Serve with wholegrain bread.

**Wednesday:** Chickpea and brown rice salad with rocket, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil and lemon. Cold, 5-minute assembly.

**Thursday:** Stuffed peppers (pre-roasted peppers filled with rice, lentil and vegetable mixture) — 15 minutes in oven.

**Friday:** Lentil and chickpea curry. Sauté onion, add curry paste, tin of tomatoes, your lentils and chickpeas, simmer 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

Total active cooking time Monday–Friday: under 10 minutes per day.

**Refrigerator storage (up to 5 days):** • Cooked grains: 5 days • Cooked legumes: 4–5 days • Roasted vegetables: 4–5 days • Tofu (cooked): 3–4 days • Sauces and dressings: 5–7 days

**Freezer storage (up to 3 months):** • Cooked grains: freeze in portions, defrost overnight • Cooked legumes: freeze in their cooking liquid • Soups and curries: freeze in single-serving containers • Do NOT freeze roasted vegetables (they turn mushy) or salad dressings

**Containers:** Glass containers with locking lids are best for flavour preservation and microwave safety. Invest in a set of uniform sizes so they stack efficiently in the refrigerator.