Meatless freezer meals worth making in bulk
Bean chili, lentil sauce, curry and soup all freeze for up to three months. Which meatless meals to batch, and what to add later.
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Meatless dishes based on beans, lentils and vegetables in sauce are some of the best freezer meals there are. They hold their texture and cost very little.
Which meatless meals freeze best?
- Lentil bolognese. Freeze the sauce and cook pasta fresh.
- Coconut chickpea curry. Freeze it without the rice if you can.
- Black bean soup and white bean and kale soup.
- Black bean and corn burrito bowls, without the salsa.
- Freezer breakfast burritos with eggs, beans and cheese.
- Baked berry oatmeal squares and blender protein pancakes.
Why do they freeze so well?
Beans and lentils are dense and low in free water, so ice crystals do little damage. The sauce around them protects against freezer burn. Many taste better after freezing, because the flavours have had time to blend.
What should you leave out until later?
- Yogurt, cream and coconut cream stirred in at the end.
- Fresh herbs and lemon or lime juice.
- Salsa, avocado and anything raw.
- Pasta, which is better cooked fresh.
Add these after reheating. See foods that do not freeze well.
How do you freeze them?
Cool the food, portion it into freezer bags, press out the air and freeze flat. Label with the name and date. Soup expands, so leave an inch of space in rigid containers. Bags or containers compares the two.
How do you reheat them?
Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a pan or microwave until steaming hot throughout. Soups and curries can also go straight from frozen into a pan with a splash of water. See how to thaw meal prep safely.
How long do they last?
Up to three months at their best. They stay safe beyond that if kept frozen, but quality fades.
What do they cost?
By the recipe estimates, from about $1.44 a serving for black bean soup to about $2.53 for the burrito bowls. Doubling a recipe adds very little work, so the cost per meal in time is even lower.
What about tofu?
Tofu can be frozen, and becomes chewier. The crispy tofu stir-fry is better made fresh for four days, because freezing softens the coating. See how to meal prep tofu.
How do you build up a stock?
Each time you cook one of these, make double. After a month you will have a freezer with several different dinners in it, and a week with no time to cook stops being a problem.
Where to go next
The method is in freezer meal prep for beginners. All meatless recipes are in the vegetarian category.
Sources
More vegetarian guides
See all
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