Cheap student recipes to try this winter

Being a student can be tough financially, but eating well doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are three delicious and cheap meal ideas that you can make without breaking the bank. All of the recipes are hearty and healthy, perfect for the colder days ahead. All the ingredients have been priced using my local supermarket (Sainsbury’s), and each recipe offers multiple budget-friendly portions. They’re all delicious and easy to make, so go ahead, impress your flatmates, and enjoy!

Red Lentil Dahl

If you’re after a meal that is warm, filling and easy to make on a student budget, lentil dahl is a brilliant option. Originating from the Indian subcontinent, Dahl is a dish made from dried pulses, sautéed with warming spices and turned into a flavourful and hearty stew that can be served alongside rice or naan. There are many versions, and spices can easily be omitted or added to suit your personal taste or to match what you have lying around in the cupboard, making it super versatile. The essential ingredients for this recipe cost me a total of £7.60, making the cost per portion (4 portions) £1.90. It is freezeable and packed with plant-based protein and fibre, helping you to stay fuller for longer, making it a brilliant meat-free option.  Serves 4 – £7.60

Dried red lentils  – £2.10/kg

1 bulb Garlic –  £0.22

1kg Onion – £0.47 (at the time of writing with Nectar card)

100g ginger – £1.25/100g

1 lemon – £0.37

1 Can Chopped Tomato – £0.45

1 Can Coconut Milk – £0.75/400ml

Vegetable stock – ~ £1.10/10 cubes from supermarket own brand 

500g Basmati Rice – £0.89

Spinach – £1/120g or bought frozen for £1.60/900g especially as fresh spinach goes bad quickly in the fridge

Optional spices / garnishes:

Chilli Flakes/powder – £1.30

Turmeric – £1.15

Coriander – £0.55/30g

Cumin – £1.15

Garam Masala – £1.15

1. Heat your cooking oil of choice in a saucepan. Roughly dice 2 onions and sauté on a medium heat until translucent. Add 5 cloves of minced garlic and a tbsp of minced ginger (a piece 1” x 1” diced will yield close to 1tbsp) and heat until fragrant.
2. Add your spices of choice (I would recommend 1tsp of each, you can always add more!) and continue to cook on a medium heat for a further minute. If using coriander, adding the stalks now to sauté adds a nice aroma to the final dish.
3. Rinse off your lentils in cold water and add them to the pan alongside the chopped tomatoes and 750ml of vegetable stock. Stir till fully incorporate the spices and leave to simmer for ~20 minutes or until the lentils are almost fully cooked and starting to break down. 
4. Add in half a can of coconut milk and the spinach, allowing it to wilt into the stew. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
5. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve alongside a portion of the Basmati rice.

Stored in an air tight container in the fridge, this should last 3 to 4 days, or 3 months in the freezer.

Bolognese

Bolognese is a classic comfort food that, whilst originating in Bologna, Italy, has become a staple in kitchens throughout the world. It is cheap to batch cook, making your food shop go further without compromising on flavour. The following recipe is a more classic version of the dish, but you can skip the meat and add herbs like sage and basil to create a vegetarian version. This is known as “Sugo Finto” or fake sauce in English, it originates in Tuscany. Sugo Finto is a staple of “cucina povera” (poor kitchen) and a great way to save a few more pounds whilst enjoying a dish just as hearty as a Bolognese. Ragu style dishes are a great way to use simple ingredients to create a wholesome dish that’s easy on the wallet. The best bit is that it is even better as leftovers the next day and freezeable to enjoy later in the week. You can serve it over pasta, toast or even enjoy it on its own. This recipe makes 4 generous portions working out to £2.21 each.

serves 4 – £8.87

20% fat beef mince or beef and pork mince – £3.25

Most Read

Celebrity Traitors schedule changes once again as the final becomes a feature-length film

It’s been three months, so here’s which Love Island 2026 couples are still together or have split

‘Not surprised’: The Selling Sunset cast have their say on Chrishell and G Flip split and it’s brutal

500g carrots – £0.55

1 onion – £0.15p

Pack of celery – £0.74

Fresh bay leaf – £0.80

Thyme – £0.55p

Pasta of your choice – around £0.69 for supermarket branded 

Tomato puree – £0.59

Can chopped tomato – £0.45

Beef stock cubes or Veg – £1.10

1. Heat your cooking oil of choice in a large saucepan. Add in your mince and sauté on a medium-high heat to remove the water content and to brown it. Make sure to not overcrowd the pan or the meat will boil! Then simply remove it from the pan.
2. In the same pan, add 2 carrots, 2 sticks of celery and one medium onion, all roughly diced, and cook on a medium heat until slightly softened ~10 minutes. Add in 2 bay leaves and a few sprigs of picked thyme and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add in a large tablespoon of tomato paste and season the “sofrito” base generously with salt and pepper. Cook further until the vegetables are well softened.
3. Re-introduce the mince into the pan along with your chopped tomatoes and 500ml of stock. Stir to incorporate everything well and allow it to simmer for at least 40 minutes (it can heat for much longer and will get better and better – especially if you live in halls with no energy usage cap!). You can also optionally add a splash of milk here to add a creamy richness to the final sauce. Keep an eye out that it doesn’t become dry – you can add a splash of water.
4. Cook your pasta in salted water, reserving a cup of the pasta water. Drain and put the cooked pasta back into the pot with some of the reserved pasta water, add in your Bolognese sauce and stir over a low heat to create a sauce that coats the pasta. 
5. Serve and top with more of the sauce and optionally any cheese that you may have – parmesan works best but can be pretty pricey.

Stored in the fridge this should last for 3 to 4 days (it is even better the next) and last for 3 months in the freezer.

Leek and potato soup

Tasty, filling and soup(er) easy to make, this leek and potato soup is a perfect choice to accommodate a student budget. Served with a chunk of crusty bread or garnished with croutons, this simple dish has featured on kitchen tables for generations, appearing in recipe books from as early as 18th century France. Made with only a handful of cupboard staples, it’s an easy, healthy and cosy meal to have on repeat – this one ticks all of the boxes! This recipe makes 6 large portions and at a total cost of £6.85, each portion comes to £1.15, leaving you with plenty of excess potatoes, stock and herbs for the next one! Did I mention it only takes 20 minutes to make?

Serves 6 – £6.85 

500g leek – £0.95 (with nectar card)

1 garlic bulb – £0.50

1kg Loose baking potatoes – £0.90

1 large onion – ~ £0.35

Thyme – £0.55

Fresh bay leaves – £0.80

150ml double cream –  £1.20

30g parsley – £0.50

Veg stock – £1.10

1. Add 2tbsp of your chosen oil and heat in a large saucepan. Add in 3 potatoes, 2 leeks (leaving the bottom and the green part behind) and one large onion, all roughly chopped. Sauté until all of the ingredients begin to soften and then add 2 cloves of roughly chopped garlic, 2 bay leaves, a pinch of picked thyme, and salt and pepper.
2. Heat for a further couple of minutes and then pour in 500ml of stock. Stir and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Either using an immersion blender or transferring to a blender/Nutribullet, blend until silky smooth. 
4. Swirl through some double cream and garnish with parsley or chives, and serve alongside some crusty bread or as is.

This will keep in the fridge for 3 days (doubtful once people have tasted it) and in the freezer for 3 months.