Five dinners for two adults and two kids, all vegetarian, with an estimated grocery total of $32.63 (range $24.96–$43.27), about $1.63 per serving.
Estimated grocery total
$1.63 per serving · 20 servings
Range $24.96–$43.27
$32.63
✓ Likely under the $40 budget
Likely under means our estimate gives this week at least an 80% chance of staying under $40. The top of the range covers 9 weeks out of 10, so it can sit above $40. The dinners use about $24.93 of the $32.63; the rest is left in opened packs.
Price ranges set using Open Prices data (Open Food Facts, ODbL).
This week's dinners
Price per dinner is the ingredients it uses, per serving.
Counting only the ingredients each dinner uses, the cheapest night is Thursday's Vegetable Egg Fried Rice, at about $0.71 per serving; the most expensive is Friday's Stracciatella-Style Egg and Cheese Soup with Spinach and Beans, at about $1.50. The five dinners use about $24.93 of what you buy; the rest is left in opened packs, the biggest being celery, rice and pasta. Garlic, hard cheese and beans go into more than one dinner, along with 7 more items on the list, so you buy them once. The quickest is Stracciatella-Style Egg and Cheese Soup with Spinach and Beans, ready in about 23 minutes. Fresh food you should still have at the end of the week includes 3 large eggs, about half a pack of mixed vegetables, about half a pack of frozen spinach and 7 garlic cloves.
The recipes
Amounts are scaled for two adults and two kids.
Monday · 25 min · about $1.19 per serving in ingredients used
Lemon Garlic Broccoli Pasta
Pasta and broccoli tossed with garlicky olive oil and lemon, done in about 25 minutes.
Prep 5 min · Cook 20 min · Serves 4 · Amounts are scaled for your household.
VegetarianDairy-freeKid-friendly
Ingredients
- 11 oz dried pasta (penne, rotini or spaghetti)
- 11 oz broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 lemon
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ cup vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese (Parmesan-style), grated (optional)
- 3½ tbsp olive oil
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes, to serve (optional)
Contains: wheat (gluten). Optional extras contain milk, egg. Always read the labels if you cook for someone with an allergy.
Method
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the packet, adding the broccoli for the last 4 minutes. Save a cup of the cooking water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large pan on low heat and cook the garlic for 2–3 minutes until pale golden.
- Add the pasta and broccoli to the pan with the grated zest and juice of the lemon and a splash of cooking water. Toss well, crushing some of the broccoli into the sauce.
- Season with salt and black pepper, and serve with hard cheese and red pepper flakes if using.
Leftovers: Fridge 2 days; reheat with a splash of water until piping hot.
Tuesday · 36 min · about $1.43 per serving in ingredients used
One-Pot Tomato, Spinach and White Bean Pasta
Pasta cooked right in a garlicky tomato sauce, with white beans and spinach stirred through.
Prep 6 min · Cook 30 min · Serves 4 · Amounts are scaled for your household.
VegetarianDairy-free (check labels)Kid-friendly
Ingredients
- 11 oz dried pasta (penne, rotini or spaghetti), short shapes such as penne
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼ cup vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese (Parmesan-style), grated (optional)
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt, to taste
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes, to serve (optional)
Contains: wheat (gluten), celery. Check the label: milk, soy, sulfites. Optional extras contain egg. Always read the labels if you cook for someone with an allergy.
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat and cook the yellow onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and dried oregano for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, crumbled bouillon cube, pasta and 3½ cups (875 ml) of water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12–14 minutes, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add a splash more water if it starts to catch.
- Stir in the beans and the spinach for 2 minutes until the spinach wilts and the beans are hot.
- Season with salt and serve with hard cheese and red pepper flakes if using.
Leftovers: Fridge 3 days; reheat with a splash of water until piping hot.
Wednesday · 40 min · about $1.40 per serving in ingredients used
Vegetable and Kidney Bean Jambalaya-Style Rice
Long-grain rice simmered in one pan with peppers, celery, kidney beans, tomatoes and mild Creole-style spices.
Prep 10 min · Cook 30 min · Serves 4 · Amounts are scaled for your household.
VegetarianGluten-free (check labels)Dairy-free (check labels)Kid-friendly
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1½ bell peppers, green and red, diced
- 5 oz celery, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ bunch green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube, check the label if cooking gluten-free
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp hot sauce, for adults (optional)
Contains: celery. Check the label: wheat (gluten), milk, soy, sulfites. Optional extras contain mustard. Always read the labels if you cook for someone with an allergy.
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan or casserole with a lid on medium heat and cook the yellow onion, bell peppers and celery for 3 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, dried thyme and dried oregano and stir for 1 minute.
- Stir in the rinsed rice, the tomatoes, kidney beans, the crumbled bouillon cube and 1¾ cups (425 ml) of water. Bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender (if not, cover and cook 2–3 minutes more). Leave covered off the heat for 5 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork, season with salt and black pepper and scatter with the green onions. Serve with the hot sauce for adults, if using.
Tip: Onion, pepper and celery are the Creole 'holy trinity'; chop them small so they soften in the short frying time.
Leftovers: Cool leftover rice within 1 hour, keep it in the fridge for no more than 1 day and reheat it only once, until steaming hot.
Thursday · 42 min · about $0.71 per serving in ingredients used
Vegetable Egg Fried Rice
Rice stir-fried with egg, mixed vegetables and soy sauce; a great use for leftover rice.
Prep 5 min · Cook 37 min · Serves 4 · Amounts are scaled for your household.
VegetarianGluten-free (check labels)Dairy-freeKid-friendly
Ingredients
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- ½ bunch green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2½ tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Contains: egg, soy, sesame. Check the label: wheat (gluten), celery. Always read the labels if you cook for someone with an allergy.
Method
- Rinse the rice, then put it in a saucepan with 2¼ cups (525 ml) of cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender (if not, cover and cook 2–3 minutes more). Spread it on a tray to steam and cool for 10 minutes (or use cold leftover rice that was cooled quickly and kept in the fridge for no more than 1 day).
- Heat half the vegetable oil in a large pan or wok on high heat. Add the eggs and scramble for 1 minute until just set, then tip onto a plate.
- Add the rest of the oil, the mixed vegetables and the white parts of the green onions. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until steaming hot.
- Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the rice. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, pressing it against the pan, until hot and lightly toasted.
- Add the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and the eggs, breaking them up. Toss and serve topped with the green parts.
Tip: If the rice was cooked ahead, cool it quickly and keep it in the fridge for no more than 1 day.
Leftovers: Best eaten straight away. Cool leftover rice within 1 hour, keep it in the fridge for no more than 1 day and reheat it only once, until steaming hot. If you made it with leftover rice, do not reheat it again.
Friday · 23 min · about $1.50 per serving in ingredients used
Stracciatella-Style Egg and Cheese Soup with Spinach and Beans
Italian-style egg drop soup: soft ribbons of egg and hard cheese in a lemony stock with spinach and beans.
Prep 5 min · Cook 18 min · Serves 4 · Amounts are scaled for your household.
VegetarianGluten-free (check labels)Kid-friendly
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese (Parmesan-style), finely grated
- 1 lemon
- 6 oz frozen chopped spinach
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Contains: milk, egg, celery. Check the label: wheat (gluten), soy, sulfites. Always read the labels if you cook for someone with an allergy.
Method
- Put the kettle on. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and cook the garlic for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
- Add 5¼ cups (1.25 L) of just-boiled water, crumble in the bouillon cube and add the beans. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a jug with three-quarters of the hard cheese, the finely grated zest of the lemon and plenty of black pepper.
- Stir the frozen spinach into the soup and simmer for 3 minutes until steaming hot. With the soup at a gentle simmer, stir it in a circle and slowly pour in the egg mixture in a thin stream. Leave for 1 minute, then stir gently for 1–2 minutes until the egg has set into soft, fully cooked ribbons.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice, taste for salt and serve sprinkled with the rest of the cheese.
Tip: Keep the soup at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, when you add the egg so the ribbons stay soft.
Leftovers: Fridge 2 days; reheat gently until piping hot (the egg ribbons will break up a little).
