10 Microwave Recipes for Easy Plant-Based Cooking

The microwave doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves. Too often this miraculous appliance is delegated to popcorn, frozen meal trays, and leftover coffee. But the microwave is a cooking tool with just as much potential as your stovetop or oven—if you know how to use it.

So what can you do with your microwave?

Steam Vegetables: It’s energy efficient, fast, helps preserve beautiful color, and retains more nutrients than boiling or roasting in the oven. Try using it for broccoli, string beans, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts. Try to spread vegetables out so they’re on one layer, and when choosing your steaming liquid, feel free to use water, broth, or juice!

Cook Grains: Grain cookery can be surprisingly difficult; we’ve all had to scrape burnt rice off the bottom of the pot. Using the microwave speeds up the process and ensures you get fluffy rice, quinoa, or couscous in a matter of minutes. You can also use the microwave to make pasta and other noodles.

Bake Dessert: Probably one of the greatest food hacks of all time, cooking dessert in the microwave is easy, satisfying, and ideal for a party of one. Cookies, brownies, and mug cakes can be made without using tons of ingredients or wasting ingredients. 

And this is just the tip of the iceberg! 

We’ve selected a variety of different plant-based meals that you can make, start to finish, in the microwave. From dips to desserts, this collection of recipes will certainly spark your creativity and motivate you to make more out of your microwave.

5 Minute Microwave Hummus

Store-bought hummus is expensive, especially if you go through a container every few days. But making your own hummus is incredibly easy, thanks to this five-minute microwave recipe from the Minimalist Baker. Heat the chickpeas (and their cooking liquid) in the microwave with some garlic. Then pour the chickpeas in your food processor (or use an immersion blender) and blend with tahini, olive oil, and some of the reserved chickpea liquid until smooth and creamy. For the 5 Minute Microwave Hummus recipe from Minimalist Baker, click here.

Chickpea Flour Soup

This creamy dairy-free soup recipe from Power Hungry gets its velvety texture from an unexpected ingredient—chickpea flour! Yes, microwaving chickpea flour with some vegetable stock and mashed garlic cloves (and thoroughly whisking) creates a silky soup in minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil or pesto for a finishing touch. For the Chickpea Flour Soup recipe from Power Hungry, click here.

Chocolate Vegan Mug Cake

Craving a sweet finale to your meal? Create a luscious dessert in no time with this microwave chocolate mug cake from Nora Cooks. Whisk the dry ingredients in a mug, then pour in the oil, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract. Cook for just under a minute to achieve a moist cake with a gooey center. If the take feels underdone, microwave for another 10-20 seconds. For the Chocolate Vegan Mug Cake from Nora Cooks, click here.

Easy Microwave Peanut Noodles

Noodles in the microwave? Yep, no more waiting for water to boil. While the noodles are cooking, whip together this easy peanut sauce from Living Well Kitchen, which uses creamy peanut butter, tamari, sesame oil, and seasonings. Once the noodles are cooked, dilute the sauce with some pasta water and mix everything together. For the Easy Microwave Peanut Noodles recipe from Living Well Kitchen, click here.

Microwave Sweet Potato and Kale Chili

No need to dirty too many dishes with this microwave chili recipe from Forks Over Knives. Sweet potatoes take nearly an hour to roast in the oven, but they become nice and tender in just around ten minutes in the microwave. Some chopped tomatoes, taco seasoning, and white beans help create the hearty, stew-like consistency of chili. For the Microwave Sweet Potato and Kale Chili recipe from Forks Over Knives, click here.

Microwave Pasta Primavera

This simple pasta recipe from Forks Over Knives is sure to be both a time-saver and a crowd-pleaser. It’s loaded with vegetables and tossed in a light tomato sauce. Some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and pine nuts round out the flavor. For the Microwave Pasta Primavera recipe from Forks Over Knives, click here.

No-Fuss Microwave Ramen

Making ramen in the microwave is nothing new, but this jazzed up version from Sneaky Veg is much more complex than anything you’d get from a package. Adding ginger, miso paste (optional), and dried shiitake mushrooms elevates the umami flavor of the broth. For the No-Fuss Microwave Ramen recipe from Sneaky Veg, click here.

Steamed Tofu with Chili Sauce

Silken tofu is nothing like the firmer varieties. A creamy texture with a slight wobble, silken tofu has a custard-like consistency that tastes fantastic cold, room temp, or steamed, like in this recipe from Beyond Kimchee. Topping the tofu with a pungent chili sauce creates a delicious balance of smooth and spicy. For Steamed Tofu with Chili Sauce from Beyond Kimchee, click here.

Vegan Mac ‘N’ Cheese in a Mug

All the creamy deliciousness of macaroni and cheese—without the cheese (and piles of dirty dishes). Using almond milk, paprika, vegan butter, and nutritional yeast, you can recreate the silky-smooth texture of classic mac in under 10 minutes. Another great thing about this recipe from Tasty is that it can be made in one big mug. For the Vegan Mac ‘N’ Cheese in a Mug recipe from Tasty, click here.

Vegan Peanut Butter Mug Cake

There’s always room for dessert, but this peanut butter mug cake recipe from The Conscious Plant Kitchen is far from a guilty indulgence. These aren’t overly sweet, using just oat flour, peanut butter, baking powder, vanilla extract, and a hint of maple syrup. For a little more pop, add in some dark chocolate chips. For the Vegan Peanut Butter Mug Cake from The Conscious Plant Kitchen, click here.

Click here for more Meatless Monday recipes. When posting pictures of recipes to your social media network, tag @MeatlessMonday use #MeatlessMonday to show the plant-based community your creation.