Make a delicious dinner or filling lunch using ingredients from your kitchen cupboards. These storecupboard recipes make the most of canned, tinned and jarred foods including vegetables, pulses and sauces, as well as dry ingredients such as rice and pasta. Buy a bag of frozen chopped onions and try a jar of pre-chopped garlic or garlic paste, which will often last longer than fresh garlic. Bon appétit!

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1. Chole with cumin rice & raita

Chickpea curry on a bed of rice with yoghurt

This chickpea curry served with raita is brilliant for a budget-friendly family meal. As well as being quick and easy, it's healthy, too. The spices, chickpeas and tomato purée can all be found in your cupboard.

Also watch how to make a comforting chickpea & cauliflower curry using storecupboard ingredients.

2. Moroccan-style chickpea soup

Pot of soup with chickpeas

This healthy soup makes for a tasty, light lunch that's also super satisfying. We've used a jar of roasted red peppers, cans of tomatoes and chickpeas, and wholewheat couscous, along with plenty of spice. It's freezable too, so a great option to stock up the freezer for a quick meal.

Discover more vegetarian soup recipes.

3. Mixed bean & wild rice salad

Rice and vegetable salad with coriander

This colourful, fresh salad combines pulses and grains for a truly hearty dish. If you don't have any fresh peppers on hand, jars of red peppers make a great swap.

Discover more rice salad recipes.

4. Storecupboard spaghetti puttanesca

Pot of spaghetti puttanesca

Jars of capers and olives add plenty of punch to this classic tomato-based pasta dish. It's a healthy option that the whole family will love, and takes a mere 15 minutes to prepare. Finish with a generous grating of vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese and enjoy.

Discover more vegetarian pasta recipes.

5. Cheesy bean & chipotle quesadillas

Plate of cheese and bean quesadillas

If you have a packet of flour tortilla wraps in your kitchen cupboard (or freezer), mixed beans make a delicious filling. Add spicy chipotle sauce and a handful of grated red Leicester, or any cheese you have to hand.

Discover more vegetarian Mexican recipes.

6. Caponata pasta

Pot of tomato pasta with parmesan and basil

Ready in just 20 minutes, this easy pasta pot boasts an impressive three of your 5-a-day in each portion. Look for jars of Mediterranean vegetables to bulk up the sauce – we used roasted peppers and aubergines, but you can use any jars of veg that you have on hand, such as artichokes or mushrooms. The secret ingredient? Raisins – just a small scattering adds a touch of sweetness to the dish.

Discover more vegetarian Mediterranean recipes.

7. Microwave chilli

Two bowls of chilli topped with yoghurt

Ready, get set, microwave. This clever chilli recipe takes only 15 minutes and provides two portions of your 5-a-day. Ground cumin, chilli powder and paprika perk up canned tomatoes, and kidney beans add plenty of plant-based protein. Pair with rice for a satisfying, yet super speedy, supper.

Discover more vegetarian chilli recipes.

8. Pea & tarragon risotto

Bowl of pea and tarragon risotto

Use a good quality vegetable stock cube to add plenty of flavour to creamy risotto rice in this simple dish, bulked out with frozen peas. If you don't have fresh tarragon, substitute for dried – basil and parsley work wonderfully, too.

Discover more vegetarian risotto recipes.

9. Oven-baked porcini & thyme risotto

Pot of mushroom risotto

Put a pack of dried porcini mushrooms to good use in this herby risotto. The best bit? Skip the slavish stirring at the kitchen stove and pop the whole pan into the oven to bake – you'll end up with a comforting, creamy risotto with minimal effort.

10. Roasted red pepper & parsley pesto with penne

Bowl of pasta with red pepper pesto and parsley

Try a different twist on pesto pasta with this quick and easy dinner option. Whizz up roasted red peppers from a jar, unsalted cashews, garlic and olive oil to make a tasty paste to stir through cooked pasta.

Discover more pesto pasta recipes.

Discover more

Top 10 storecupboard recipes
How to be healthy: 5 storecupboard superfoods
Jack Monroe: Top 11 storecupboard staples
Healthy vegetarian ideas
10 quick vegetarian recipes
All our storecupboard recipes
Storecupboard one-pot recipes

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As many countries urge populations to stay at home, many of us are paying more attention to our diets and how the food we eat can support our health. To help sort out the fact from the fiction, BBC Future is updating some of their most popular nutrition stories from their archive.

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