5 Easy Campervan Cooking Recipes (2024)

5 Delicous Meal Recipes you can Cook in a Campervan and…they are Vegan!

We love cooking in our campervan and get quite experimental about it. We are both vegan but never limit ourselves to just using vegan recipes. In fact we find it more fun and a bit of a challenge to think of an old classic and find a way to make it vegan. To add to the challenge we don’t have an oven (we wanted the precious space) so we rely on using a stove top cooker instead (see link below). For the purposes of this blog we will keep the recipe’s as vegan but you can easily adapt it back to non vegan if you prefer.

We will also concentrate on ‘main meals’ in this blog. If you are interested in baking recipes for a campervan please see our campervan baking blog here. We will also base the ingredients on 2 people throughout.

To cook some of these dishes you will need anOmnia Oven (or similar stove top oven). If you have never come across one of these before please see our Omnia Oven page here for more information.

If you are looking to buy an Omnia Oven or any accessories then please take a look at our Omnia Oven UK Shop here.

So here they are- our top 5 meals you can cook in a campervan without a built in oven

Vegan Mac ‘n’ Cheese

5 Easy Campervan Cooking Recipes (1)

Ingredients

-150g macaroni

-1 vegetable stock cube

-10ml truffle oil

-120g grated Vegan cheese (we tend to use a cheddar variety)

-30g panko breadcrumbs

-1.5 tbs English mustard

-200g vegan crème fraiche

-1 tbs Marmite

-1 tbs B12 Yeast flakes

- Handful of pumpkin seeds

5 Easy Campervan Cooking Recipes (2)

Method

1.Place macaroni in a saucepan and cover in cold water with approx 1” water overlap

2.Boil until almost all the water has been absorbed

3.Add in the stock cube to the remaining water in the pan and mix

4.Add in crème fraiche, cheese, mustard,marmite and yeast flakes and give it a good stir until combined.

5.Add macaroni mixture to the Omnia Oven (ideally use aliner as it saves cleaning!)

6.Sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs and pumpkin seeds over the top

7.Place on the hob on a medium heat for approx. 20-25 mins (depending on if you like a crispy base!)

8.Drizzle truffle oil over the top and serve

Homemade Vegan Big Mac & Fries

5 Easy Campervan Cooking Recipes (3)

Ingredients (an adaptedBosh TV recipe)

-4 vegan burgers (we use Linda MacCartney meatballs so we can add together and make thin patties)

-4 slices of vegan cheese

-3 large seeded burger buns

-1 Gherkin

-1 white onion

-1 baby gem lettuce

-3 white potatoes

For the sauce (the below amounts allow for extra to dunk your fries in!):

-3 tbs vegan mayo

-2 tsp mild yellow mustard

-1 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp onion powder

-1 tsp paprika

-1 tsp white wine vinegar

Method

1.Cut the potato’s into thin fries with the skin on- dry with kitchen roll and then toss in mixing bowl with oil and salt and pepper

2.Heat the Omnia up with a small amount of oil in on a high heat. Once up to heat place the fries in and leave for 25-30 mins (turning half way)

3.Combine all the sauce ingredients in small bowl

4.Slice the onion and gherkin thinly and shred the lettuce into small pieces

5.If using meatballs combine 3 to pat down and shape into 4 thin patties

6.Fry the burgers and onion (if you prefer cooked onion- we do!, otherwise leave the onion raw) for 5- 10 minutes- turning half way through

7.Arrange the lettuce, onions, gherkins and sauce on the buns

8.Place the cheese slices on top of the burgers in the pan 2 minutes before they are ready

9.Once cooked arrange everything in the burger buns (don’t forget the 3rd piece of burger bun in the middle)

Indonesian Rendang

5 Easy Campervan Cooking Recipes (4)

Ingredients

-1.5 tsp chipotle paste

-2 tsp vegan fish sauce

-50g solid coconut cream

-130g basmati rice

-80g fine green beans

-1 tsp ginger paste

-1 tsp garlic paste

-125g soya chunks

5 Easy Campervan Cooking Recipes (5)

Method

1.Soak the soya chunks in hot water for 10-15 minutes and then drain

2. Trim and cut the green beans in half

3.Place the basmati rice and 300ml of cold water into a saucepan with a lid and bring to the boil on a high heat

4.Once boiling add the green beans and cook for 10-15 minutes

5.Heat a frying pan with oil on a high heat and then add the garlic, ginger paste and chipotle paste.

6.Fry for 1 minute and then add the soya chunks, mix and cover. Cook for 4-5 minutes until browned

7.Meanwhile remove the coconut cream from the sachet and chop roughly. Dissolve in 200ml of boiled water and fish sauce

8.Add the coconut stock to the soya chunks and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook uncovered for 6-8 minutes until the sauce has thickened

9. Fluff the green bean rice and serve with the rendang

Vegan Shepherds pie

5 Easy Campervan Cooking Recipes (6)

Ingredients

Tip- we usually double the below ingredients so it lasts 2 nights and you don’t have 1/2 tins of stuff left over!

-150g white potatoes

-150g sweet potatoes

-10g margarine

-1 red onion

-1 carrot

-1 tsp garlic paste

-100g chestnut mushrooms

-3 tbs tomato paste

-1 vegetable stock cube (to make 50ml stock)

-½ tin lentils

-½ tin chickpeas

-1 tbs soy sauce

-1 tsp dried rosemary

-1 tsp dried thyme

-30g panko breadcrumbs

Method

1.Peel and chop all potatoes into roughly 2cm chunks. Place the white potatoes in a pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes

2.Add the sweet potatoes in after 5 minutes

3.Drain and then add the margarine in with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Mash until smooth and set aside

4.Peel and finely slice the onion and the carrots. Fry with a splash of oil for 10 minutes until softened on a medium heat

5.Meanwhile roughly chop the mushrooms and then add to the pan with the garlic paste, soy sauce and tomato paste. Cook for a further 10 minutes

6.Add into the vegetable stock (50 ml), lentils and chickpeas (with the juice) and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes

7.Stir in the rosemary and thyme and then add into the Omnia

8.Spread the mash over the top and sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs on top

9.Heat over a medium/low heat for 20-30 minutes

Vegan Mushroom ‘n’ Meatball Gnocchi Stroganoff

5 Easy Campervan Cooking Recipes (7)

Ingredients

-1 red onion

-1 tsp garlic paste

-2 tsp smoked paprika

-2 tsp dried thyme

-1 vegetable stock cube

-100g Vegan Crème Fraiche

-250g Chestnut Mushrooms

-6 vegan meatballs

-300g gnocchi

Method

1.Peel and finely slice the onion and fry on a medium heat with a drizzle of oil

2.Boil a kettle and dissolve the stock cube in 200ml of the boiled water

3.Cut the mushrooms into quarters and add to the pan with the garlic and paprika. Cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat

4.Tear the meatballs up into small lumps and add to the pan along with the gnocchi and add another drizzle of oil. Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally

5.Combine the crème fraiche and the thyme in a small bowl with a generous amount of salt and pepper

6.Add the stock and cook on a high heat until half the stock has been absorbed

7.Stir in the crème fraiche and cook for a further 2 minutes

And there we have it- it was hard to narrow it down to 5 recipes! Watch this space for more specific blogs on delicious meals we have cooked in our campervan.

We use products from The Vegan Kind who have a subscription service and online vegan supermarket with a fantastic selection of vegan products. Click their logo below to have a browse of their products:

5 Easy Campervan Cooking Recipes (8)

If you have any questions or feedback on the recipes please do get in touchhere. Please also feel free to leave a comment below.

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy anything through them we will get a small referral fee and you will be supporting us and our blog at no extra cost to you.

5 Easy Campervan Cooking Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What food is easy to eat in van life? ›

Extremely long-lasting and nutrition-packed, grains, cereals, and pseudo-grains make an obvious staple food for van life. Oats, barley, millet, rice, couscous, quinoa, pastas—these can serve as the hearty, healthy backbone of innumerable meals.

How do you cook in a camper van? ›

Most campervans have a two-ring gas hob (some may have an electric induction hob) which is enough for preparing delicious and varied meals. So rest assured… you're not restricted to pasta or a sandwich, and a cup of tea. In addition, you can always take a portable BBQ if you want to cook outside.

What should you not bring in an RV? ›

RV Packing List: What Not to Bring Along
  • Don't stock the kitchen with bulk foods. ...
  • Don't outfit (everything) with storage enhancers. ...
  • Don't bring appliances and kitchen tools that are one dimensional. ...
  • Don't bring every form of entertainment. ...
  • Don't think everything from home will work in your RV.
Mar 31, 2017

What food to bring camping for 3 days? ›

Example 3-day menu plan using these recipes
DayBreakfastDinner
1Peanut butter oatmealHot dogs or veggie dogs
2Breakfast burrito in a bagCampfire nachos
3Homemade granola with oat milkGrain bowl
Sep 16, 2021

What 3 foods can I live on? ›

A balanced diet of survival food will ensure that your body is getting all the protein, carbs, minerals, and vitamins it requires to remain healthy. If you could only select five foods to survive on, potatoes, kale, trail mix, grains, and beans would get you pretty far.

What is the most survival food? ›

  • Meats & Beans. Canned meat, chicken, turkey, seafood. and other protein-rich foods, such as. ...
  • Vegetables. Canned vegetables and vegetable juices. ...
  • Fruits. Canned fruits and fruit juices. ...
  • Milk. Canned, boxed or dried milk and shelf- ...
  • Grains. Ready-to-eat cereal, crackers, pretzels, ...
  • Water. Enough for 1 gallon per day.

How do van Lifers eat? ›

We mostly dine in the van, with some meals to explore the local food scene when in cities. We try to make meals that are simple, healthy, and tasty. Redundancy and leftovers don't bother us. For us, it works to plan a few meals ahead and think about when we'll next go to the grocery store.

What is the most popular food for camping? ›

Top 20 Foods to Take on Your Camping Trip
  1. Bread. As the basis of so many easy meals, bread is a must for any camping trip. ...
  2. Tortillas. Just like bread, tortillas are versatile and can be the foundation of handheld meals. ...
  3. Sausage. Sausage is the ultimate campfire meat. ...
  4. Cheese. ...
  5. Nut Butter. ...
  6. Crackers. ...
  7. Lunchmeat. ...
  8. Beef Jerky.

What is the best long life food for camping? ›

Protein
  • processed salami-type meat products, jerky.
  • eggs (fresh, unwashed, home-laid eggs last longest)
  • Tinned (or pre-cooked and dehydrated) Chickpeas, Lentils, Kidney Beans, etc.
  • Single-serve tins or sachets of tuna or other fish.
  • Tinned meats, e.g. braised steak in single serve packs.
  • nuts and seeds.
  • protein powders.
Feb 13, 2022

What do campers use to cook? ›

Butane, gasoline, alcohol, kerosene and propane-fired stoves are often popular choices. Therefore, you'll need different canisters depending on your specific stove. Before using a camping stove and fuel, read our guides on how to use gas safely for tent campers and for caravans and motorhomes.

How to cook when living in a van? ›

Most vehicle dwellers use household pots and pans, as they are thicker and cook more evenly than camping gear. I always suggest using non-stick pots and pans when possible, as these are significantly easier to clean. Using a real plate and bowl can make van life seem more normal.

Do you need a kitchen in a campervan? ›

If you're planning a road trip in your campervan, one of the most important things you'll need to consider is your Camper Kitchen setup. You'll need to be able to cook your meals while on the go! Luckily, there are plenty of great options available to make sure your campervan kitchen is functional and looks great.

How to store food in a camper van? ›

How to Properly Store Your Food in an RV
  1. Keep Your Menus Simple. ...
  2. Consider Dehydrated and Dry Foods. ...
  3. Store Food in Sealable, Stackable Plastic Containers. ...
  4. Use Your Refrigerator Sparingly. ...
  5. Understand That Items in an RV Move. ...
  6. Refrain From Bulking Up. ...
  7. Enjoy Your RV Rental This Summer With Fractional Toys.

How do you pack food for an RV trip? ›

Start with food staples that don't spoil easily–e.g., preserved meat, pasta, rice and other grains, canned goods, dried beans and fruits, and nuts. Also, don't forget salt, herbs and some basic condiments to make sure that your meal tastes “fancy” even though you're in the middle of nowhere.

What to put in camper van? ›

Top 10 campervan accessories
  1. Portable outdoor shower. While living on the road provides a lot of freedom and flexibility, it can come with a few obstacles to overcome. ...
  2. Portable lighting. ...
  3. Fold-out furniture and picnic set. ...
  4. Portable barbecue. ...
  5. Levelling ramps. ...
  6. A hammock. ...
  7. Wifi booster or pocket wifi. ...
  8. Thermal blind.

How do you keep food cold in a camper van? ›

The cheapest option to keep your food and drinks cold is the iceboxes. Ice coolers are ideal for those who need temporary cooling such as for short trips away or for those van dwellers that do not want to use up their solar or electricity.

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