Cooking meals at home from scratch is a great way to eat more healthily and save money on eating out, but new research shows that UK households are looking for even simpler recipes to cut down on grocery costs.
According to research company Worldpanel, household grocery bills may increase by nearly £300 a year due to rising food prices, with grocery inflation rising from 4.7% in June to 5.2% in July, the highest level since January 2024.
Worldpanel’s head of retail and consumer insight, Fraser McKevitt, said the company is seeing more people “choosing to make simpler meals when they are trying to save money”, adding that “almost seven in 10 dinner plates include fewer than six components”.
Making nutritious and delicious meals out of six ingredients or less may sound daunting, but in reality, it is completely doable and can be easily tweaked to cater to different dietary needs and preferences.
Here are nine options, with substitution suggestions and tips on zhushing them up whenever you can.
Cheese and vegetable omelette
A simple omelette needs only three ingredients, but you can make it healthier by adding vegetables. (Getty Images)
Six ingredients:
Eggs
Milk
Olive oil
Onions
Peppers
Cheese
An omelette is the ideal cheap eat as it is full of healthy protein and can be easily adapted according to what you have in.
A simple omelette requires just three ingredients: eggs, milk and olive oil. Pour some olive oil in a frying pan and let it heat up while you whisk up eggs and milk, then pour in the egg mixture. Let the omelette cook until the eggs look set and the bottom of the omelette has turned brown, before folding and serving.
You can add in extra vitamins, minerals and fibre by chopping up onions and peppers and frying them in the olive oil until softened, before pouring the egg mixture over them. If you have some cheddar cheese at hand, grate some over the omelette as it cooks, before folding it over.
If onions or peppers aren’t your thing, don’t fret. Simply replace these with whatever vegetables you fancy. Sliced mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, and finely chopped green beans are just a few other vegetables you can throw in. An added benefit: you’ll hit your five-a-day quota in no time.
Tofu and chickpea curry
Six ingredients:
Firm tofu
A tin or jar of chickpeas
Ready-made curry paste
Onions
Garlic
Vegetable oil
Cooking a curry can seem complicated if you’re making curry paste from scratch, but there are many ready-made pastes you can use to make this simple from the start.
This vegetarian curry has lots of protein thanks to the tofu and chickpeas. Simply slice the onions and mince the garlic, and cut the firm tofu block into cubes. Fry the onions and garlic in vegetable oil until soft and fragrant, then add the curry paste and cook for a few minutes.
Add the cubed tofu and chickpeas and fry for a couple of minutes until coated with curry paste, then simply add water to cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. You can eat the curry on its own or with any rice you prefer, or with roti paratha bread, which you can buy frozen from most Asian supermarkets.
You can bulk this curry out with any vegetables or proteins you have at hand, whether it’s green beans, spinach, aubergine, or leftover chicken. If you prefer a thicker, creamier curry, add coconut milk.
Asparagus, red onion and pesto tart
A simple vegetable puff pastry tart is easy and healthy. (Getty Images)
Six ingredients:
Ready-made puff pastry
Asparagus
Red onions
Pesto
Pine nuts
Feta cheese (swap for a sprinkle of Parmesan or goat’s cheese, if you prefer)
This speedy tart can be prepared, cooked and put on the table in less than 30 minutes, making it a dream if you’re short of time and in need of a healthy dinner.
First, slice your red onions. Then line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper, and roll out the ready-made puff pastry on top.
Spread pesto over the pastry, then scatter the sliced red onion and asparagus spears evenly over the top. If you have cherry tomatoes hanging around, halve and throw them on too! Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Pull the tart out of the oven and scatter a handful of pine nuts and crumbled feta cheese over the vegetables, then return to the oven for another five minutes or so. Let it cool slightly before serving.
Cold sesame noodles
Six ingredients:
Udon noodles
Garlic
Spring onions
Sesame oil
Butter
Eggs
On hot, sticky summer evenings, a bowl of cold noodles is just the ticket and there’s barely any cooking involved.
Slice spring onions and garlic thinly, then heat some butter in a pan. Once the butter has melted and is starting to sizzle, throw in the spring onions and garlic. Once they are softened and smell fragrant, turn the heat off and pour some sesame oil over. Set aside while you prepare the noodles and eggs.
In a pot of boiling water, gently immerse your eggs and cook for six to seven minutes, depending on their size, to soft-boil them. Once cooked, scoop the eggs out of the water and put them in a bowl of cold water to stop them from cooking.
In the same pot, add your udon noodles and cook according to package instructions. Once they are done cooking, strain them into a sieve or colander and then run the noodles under cold water. This will help stop them from becoming starchy and gloopy.
When your noodles are rinsed and cold, toss them with the spring onions and garlic until coated. Add more sesame oil if desired. Peel your eggs, slice them in half and add to your noodles.
This dish is particularly delicious with thinly sliced cucumbers and strips of carrot, if you have any on hand.
Sausage, kale and bean stew
A sausage and bean stew is a classic, hearty meal. (Getty Images)
Six ingredients:
Sausages
Kale
Tin or jar of white beans
Garlic
Onions
Tomato puree
This simple yet nutritious six-ingredient stew is packed with protein and fibre.
Prepare your ingredients by chopping the onions and garlic, and cutting the kale into bite-size pieces. Then fry the onions and garlic in some oil alongside the sausages in a hot pan.
Once the sausages are browned, add the kale and cook until the leaves have softened. Squeeze in some tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Add white beans along with any liquid in the tin or jar, and some water. Let the stew simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
You can add even more vegetables if you like, such as leeks, carrots, and even cubes of potatoes.
Lentil soup
Four ingredients:
Red lentils
Carrots
Leeks
Vegetable stock
Lentils are one of the cheapest and most nutritious store cupboard ingredients. This recipe can be easily doubled or even tripled for a large family or for meal prepping.
Chop leeks and carrots into small pieces. Bring a pot of vegetable stock to the boil and add the red lentils, allowing them to cook and soften for a few minutes. Then add the carrots and leeks.
Once the soup comes up to a boil again, reduce the heat and cover the pot, letting it simmer for around an hour. Serve on its own or with some crusty bread.
Roast chicken and potatoes
Roast chicken and potatoes is a staple meal, and the chicken can be used in a number of future meals. (Getty Images)
Six ingredients:
Whole chicken
Baby potatoes or potatoes cut into wedges
Lemons
Thyme
Garlic
Olive oil
A roast chicken is a thing of beauty, and you can use the entire chicken to be turned into meals beyond just one dinner.
Pat dry a whole chicken and rub the skin with seasoning and olive oil. Slice the lemon in half and stuff into the chicken cavity alongside an onion cut into quarters. Place the chicken in a large roasting tray.
Add the baby potatoes or potato wedges around the chicken and scatter around thyme, onions and whole garlic cloves. Place the whole tray into a very hot oven – the chicken fat will render and cook the potatoes. Cook for around an hour and 20 minutes, but remember to turn over the potatoes at least two times during cooking.
Once dinner is finished, strip the chicken of any leftover meat, which can be used in future meals such as sandwiches, pasta dishes, soups or pies. Don’t throw the chicken carcass away, as this can be used to make chicken stock.
Tomato anchovy pasta
Six ingredients:
Cherry tomatoes
Anchovies
Garlic
Chilli flakes
Short pasta (such as fusilli)
Mascarpone
This stripped-down version of Nigella Lawson’s pasta dish is quick and easy, and can be cooked in 20 minutes flat.
Place a pot of water on the stove and once it’s boiling, tip in any short pasta of your choosing and cook according to package instructions.
While the pasta is cooking, halve cherry tomatoes and mince a clove of garlic. Add a little oil to a pan and a few anchovy fillets, and stir them until they dissolve into the oil at medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and chilli flakes, and cook until fragrant.
Tip in all the halved cherry tomatoes and let them cook until their juices begin to fill the bottom of the pan and the skins start to soften. Give them a stir every now and then.
By this time, your pasta will be done or nearly done. Reserve some pasta water and add it to your tomatoes to create a thick sauce. Add a dollop of mascarpone and stir through until it fully melds with the sauce, then add your drained pasta and toss to coat.
Nigella’s version also includes dry white vermouth, Parmesan cheese and parsley, which you can add if you have any at hand. Substituting the dry white vermouth with a splash of white wine vinegar can also help lift the dish.
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