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Our budget-friendly meal plan for vegetarians covers a week's worth of dinners for two adults. When originally published it was under £14 in total, but price increases since then have increased it to £18 (just under £1.30 per portion). The recipes are easy to make, with a little bit of batch cooking so you have some super-quick meals for busy days.

More budget meal inspiration

Budget meal plan for two
Budget vegetarian family meal plan for four
Budget vegetarian meal plan for one

How we costed our recipes

We’ve based most of our costs on the smallest available pack size, meaning even if you don’t use a whole jar or packet, the entire cost is still included in the budget.

Meanwhile, store cupboard items like oil, salt, pasta and rice are costed according to the quantity you use, as they tend to have long shelf lives or be purchased regularly as part of a standard shop.

The recipes

Day 1: Butternut squash caponata

This caponata recipe swaps out traditional aubergine for the more filling and seasonal butternut squash. It's a rich Italian-style stew with tangy capers, sweetness from raisins and a hint of chilli to warm your cockles on a chilly evening. You'll also batch cook the roasted squash and fried onions ready to be used in the puff pastry tart later in the week.

Day 2: Cacio e pepe beans on toast

Cacio e pepe translates as 'cheese and pepper' which is how these cheap cannellini beans have been spiced-up to make flavour-packed creamy, cheesy beans on toast. Use freshly ground black pepper if you can – some pre-ground pepper is much stronger so you won't need as much.

Day 3: Chickpea and carrot tagine

While this quick budget tagine can’t afford all the spices, dried fruit and nuts you might get in a traditional Moroccan tagine, it is still a delightfully hearty veggie stew. We've suggested serving it with long-grain rice for budget reasons, but if you have some couscous in the cupboard that will also work really well.

Day 4: Squash onion and spinach tart

This free-form puff pastry tart is so simple to pull together once you’ve done your prep with the Butternut squash caponata recipe. The yoghurt and cheese makes a creamy and tangy base for the sweet squash and onions to sit on top of. The portions are generous for two people so you might want to keep some back for lunch the next day.

Day 5: Aubergine pasta bake

Making this pasta on the stove saves you using an energy-hungry oven. The bake gets finished off under the grill, but if you don’t have one you can just stir through the mozzarella until melted.

Day 6: Chickpea and caper salad

This creamy yoghurt, caper and garlic dressing has serious Caesar vibes. Crispy spiced chickpeas are paired with sharp pickled onions and sweet shredded carrot to make a filling salad with a satisfying crunch.

Day 7: Roasted spiced carrots with herby rice and garlic yoghurt

A warm and hearty salad making the most of some of the cheapest basic ingredients. It's dressed up with a few items from the store cupboard and a handful of fresh herbs to make sure it won't disappoint on flavour.

Shopping list

Fruit and vegetables
□ 1.1kg/2lb 6oz butternut squash
□ 1 aubergine
□ 900g/2lb carrots
□ 9 red onions
□ 1 bag baby spinach (about 240g/8½oz)
□ 1 small bag salad leaves (about 90g/3¼oz)
□ 4 garlic cloves
□ 1 large bunch fresh parsley
□ 1 small bunch fresh mint

Tins, packets and jars
□ 3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes (you will only need half of one of the tins)
□ 400g tin cannellini beans
□ 2 x 400g tins chickpeas
□ 250g/9oz long-grain rice
□ 150g/5½oz penne pasta (or other pasta shapes)

Dairy, eggs and chilled
□ 120g/4⅓ oz cheddar cheese
□ 125g/4½oz mozzarella cheese
□ 390g/13½oz natural yoghurt
□ 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry

Cooking ingredients
□ 9 tbsp olive oil (135ml/4½fl oz)
□ 5 tbsp white wine vinegar (75ml/2½fl oz)
□ 85g/3oz capers
□ 40g/1½oz raisins
□ 1½ tsp chilli flakes
□ ½ tsp dried mixed herbs
□ 4 tsp ground cumin
□ 2 tsp ground paprika
□ salt and ground black pepper

Other
□ 4 slices bread

First published November 2022. Prices updated in March 2023.