Times have been tough for many people lately. During the recent government shutdown, for example, SNAP benefits were temporarily withheld from millions across the country. While those benefits have since returned, many households are still tightening their budgets in a challenging economic climate.
This has plenty of people looking to the past for inspiration. Depression-era recipes are trending on TikTok, and while the name might sound, well, depressing, many of these dishes are surprisingly innovative examples of what you can create with a few simple, budget-friendly ingredients.
These Depression-era recipes are vegan and budget-friendly
Below, we’ve gathered a few vegan recipes inspired by the Depression era that prove being frugal doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor.
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Plant Based on a Budget
1 Easy Zucchini Mock Apple Pie
Apples were an expensive luxury for many people during the Great Depression, but that didn’t mean indulgent desserts like apple pie were off the table. Instead, people got creative. Zucchini became a common and budget-friendly stand-in for apples, and while it may sound odd, the taste is surprisingly spot on. See for yourself by trying this easy, cheap vegan recipe from Plant Based on a Budget.
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Plant You
2 Wacky Cake
Eating more budget-friendly foods doesn’t mean missing out on chocolate cake. During the Great Depression and World War II, people baked cakes without eggs, butter, or milk, and they still tasted great. The secret was using lower-cost ingredients like flour, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, baking soda, and vinegar to create structure, moisture, and stability, while the sweetness came from a mix of sugar and cocoa powder. This cake became known as “wacky cake,” and it still holds up today. For another wacky cake recipe, try this chocolate cake by Cafe Indigo.
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Shane and Simple
3 Easy Vegan Peanut Butter Bread
Move aside, pandemic-era banana bread, we’re heading back to the 1930s to revive Depression-era peanut butter bread. It comes together with just a few simple ingredients like sugar, peanut butter, flour, salt, baking powder, and milk, and the result is deliciously moist and tender. To make it dairy-free, just swap in your favorite plant-based milk. You can also replace the sugar with a natural sweetener like maple syrup, as this recipe from Shane and Simple shows.
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Nora Cooks
4 Lentil Soup
Lentils are a nutritious and affordable pantry staple, so it’s no surprise they were a frequent meal for many families during the Great Depression. In this modern, budget-friendly recipe, Nora Cooks combines dry lentils with onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, and plenty of herbs and spices to create a soup that’s bursting with flavor. It might just become your new go-to lunch.
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Vegan Huggs
5 Vegan Cabbage Soup
Cabbage was another go-to source of affordable nutrition during the Depression years. And while this budget-friendly leafy green doesn’t always have the best reputation for flavor, this recipe from Vegan Huggs proves that when you combine it with simple ingredients like onions, garlic, smoked paprika, canned tomatoes, and vegetable broth, it can transform into a hearty, flavorful soup.
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The Stingy Vegan
6 Vegan Stew
Hoover stew, named after President Herbert Hoover (who many blamed for the economic crisis), was a popular meal during the 1930s. It was essentially a mix of crushed tomatoes, canned vegetables, hot dogs, and pasta. It was cheap, easy to make, and it fed a lot of people during the Depression years. This budget-friendly vegan stew is similar, using simple ingredients like vegetables, tomato paste, and mushrooms. Want to make it even closer to the original? You can always add pasta and vegan hot dogs to the mix.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
