Fall vegetarian meal prep: 5 seasonal dishes

The week's 5 dishes

every recipe has its own page

Monday eveningfridge
AI-generated imageVeggieSee the recipe
Veggie and chickpea couscous
25 min≈ $2.41709 kcal
Tuesday eveningfridge
AI-generated imageVeggieSee the recipe
Red lentil and sweet potato dal with coconut milk
30 min≈ $1.73825 kcal
Wednesday eveningfreezer
AI-generated imageVeggieSee the recipe
Leek and goat cheese quiche with green salad
50 min≈ $1.99741 kcal
Thursday eveningfreezer
AI-generated imageVeggieSee the recipe
Pumpkin and green lentil soup with cream cheese toast
30 min≈ $2.07657 kcal
Friday eveningfreezer
AI-generated imageVeggieSee the recipe
Zucchini and potato gratin with goat cheese
45 min≈ $1.51390 kcal

The session, step by step

from 2:00 PM to 3:45 PM

One pair of hands, 4 burners and an oven: while something simmers, your hands move on to the next thing.

2:00 PM · Counter
8 min
Wash, peel and chop: 300 g potatoes (zucchini gratin), 200 g zucchini, plus 2 medium (couscous, zucchini gratin).
ZucchiniVeggie
2:03 PM · Stove
In the large saucepan, cook the chopped potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 min.
Zucchini
2:08 PM · Counter
2 min
In a bowl, mix the crème fraîche, the milk, the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Zucchini
2:10 PM · Oven
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Leek
2:10 PM · Counter
6 min
Slice: 3 onions (couscous, red lentil dal, pumpkin soup).
VeggieRed lentilPumpkin
2:13 PM · Stove
5 min
Add the chopped zucchini to the large saucepan and keep cooking for 5 min.
Zucchini
2:16 PM · Counter
3 min
In a bowl, beat the 2 eggs with the milk, the cream, salt and pepper.
Leek
2:19 PM · Counter
3 min
Drain the veggies in a colander and move them to the small baking dish.
Zucchini
2:22 PM · Counter
2 min
Pour the cream and milk mixture over the veggies in the small baking dish and crumble the goat cheese on top.
Zucchini
2:24 PM · Oven
Put the small baking dish in the oven and bake for 30 min at 180°C (350°F).
Zucchini
2:24 PM · Counter
6 min
Slice: 3 cloves garlic (red lentil dal, pumpkin soup).
Red lentilPumpkin
2:30 PM · Counter
10 min
Wash, peel and chop: 15 g fresh ginger (red lentil dal), 400 g pumpkin (pumpkin soup), 500 g sweet potatoes (red lentil dal).
Red lentilPumpkin
2:40 PM · Stove
5 min
In the large sauté pan, cook the sliced onion and garlic in 1 tbsp sunflower oil over medium heat.
Red lentil
2:40 PM · Stove
5 min
In the stockpot, cook 1 sliced onion and 1 sliced garlic clove with 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
Pumpkin
2:45 PM · Stove
2 min
Add 1 tbsp curry powder and the chopped ginger to the large sauté pan, and stir for 1 minute.
Red lentil
2:45 PM · Stove
2 min
Add 400 g diced pumpkin and 1/2 tsp curry powder to the stockpot. Stir well.
Pumpkin
2:47 PM · Stove
Pour 500 ml water into the stockpot, bring to a boil, then add 150 g green lentils.
Pumpkin
2:47 PM · Counter
2 min
Stir the chopped sweet potatoes and the red lentils into the large sauté pan and mix well.
Red lentil
2:49 PM · Counter
2 min
Pour the coconut milk and 300 ml water into the large sauté pan, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Red lentil
2:51 PM · Stove
Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer over low heat in the large sauté pan.
Red lentil
2:54 PM · Counter
2 min
Wash, peel and chop: 150 g carrots (couscous).
Veggie
2:56 PM · Stove
2 min
In the Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat
Veggie
2:58 PM · Stove
3 min
Cook the sliced onion in the Dutch oven until translucent
Veggie
3:01 PM · Stove
2 min
Add the chopped carrots and zucchini, the cumin and the paprika, and stir well
Veggie
3:03 PM · Counter
1 min
Pour the drained chickpeas into the Dutch oven, add 200 ml water, salt and pepper
Veggie
3:04 PM · Stove
Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer over low heat
Veggie
3:04 PM · Counter
4 min
Slice: 2 medium leeks (quiche).
Leek
3:10 PM · Stove
5 min
Cook the sliced leeks in the large skillet with a little oil, over medium heat, for 5 min.
Leek
3:15 PM · Counter
5 min
Taste the soup, and add salt and pepper to taste. Blend it right in the stockpot until smooth.
Pumpkin
3:20 PM · Counter
3 min
Roll out the pie crust dough in the pie pan, spread the leeks over it and add the crumbled goat cheese.
Leek
3:23 PM · Counter
2 min
Pour the quiche filling over the leeks and cheese. It'll bake on the day.
Leek
3:25 PM · Rest
Let cool 20 min at most, then split into shallow containers and put them away: red lentil dal and couscous in the fridge, and zucchini gratin, pumpkin soup and quiche in the freezer.
ZucchiniRed lentilVeggiePumpkinLeek

And there you go, it's readyCheck off every step to celebrate.

The big day

what's left to do that evening

Monday evening · Veggie and chickpea couscous
Cook 250 g fine couscous according to the package directions. Reheat the veggie and chickpea couscous over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring.
Tuesday evening · Red lentil and sweet potato dal with coconut milk
Reheat the dal over low heat in a saucepan with a little water if needed, for 5 to 10 minutes.
Wednesday evening · Leek and goat cheese quiche with green salad
Take the quiche out of the freezer the night before and put it in the fridge. Bake it for 35 min in the oven at 180 °C (350 °F), until set and golden. Wash the salad and dress it right before serving.
Thursday evening · Pumpkin and green lentil soup with cream cheese toast
Take the soup out of the freezer the night before and put it in the fridge. Reheat it for 10 min over low heat, stirring. Toast the 4 slices of bread, then spread the 100 g cream cheese on top.
Friday evening · Zucchini and potato gratin with goat cheese
Take the gratin out of the freezer the night before and put it in the fridge. On the day, reheat it in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 min, covered with foil.

Where each container goes

2 in the fridge, 3 in the freezer

Dinner	Main course	Storage
Monday evening	Veggie and chickpea couscous	In the fridge
Tuesday evening	Red lentil and sweet potato dal with coconut milk	In the fridge
Wednesday evening	Leek and goat cheese quiche with green salad	In the freezer, take it out Tuesday evening
Thursday evening	Pumpkin and green lentil soup with cream cheese toast	In the freezer, take it out Wednesday evening
Friday evening	Zucchini and potato gratin with goat cheese	In the freezer, take it out Thursday evening

Storage times applied by Popotam, based on ANSES (the French food safety agency): two days in the fridge max, the rest in the freezer, thawed in the fridge. The details: how long the dishes keep.

The questions you're asking

How long does this meal prep keep?

The dishes for the first two evenings keep in the fridge, two days max after the session (ANSES, the French food safety agency, recommends eating a cooked dish within three days). The others go in the freezer right after the session (leek, pumpkin, zucchini), and come out the night before to thaw in the fridge.

How much does this vegetarian meal prep cost?

About $19.43 for the 5 dinners for 2, so around $1.94 a serving. Salt, oil and pantry spices aren't counted.

Why aren't the rice, pasta or couscous cooked during the session?

Rice, pasta and couscous cooked ahead are at risk for Bacillus cereus, whose toxin survives reheating (ANSES). The topping is ready on Sunday; the starch (veggie) gets cooked that evening, in about ten minutes.

How do I make my own meal prep with Popotam?

Build your week in Popotam, then tap “Meal prep” at the top of your meal plan. You pick the dishes and your session day, say how many burners and ovens you have, and Popotam writes your timed plan in about twenty seconds. Free, no account needed.

what about your own dishes?

Popotam writes your meal prep

Build your week, pick the dishes to make ahead and your session day: Popotam writes your timed plan for your kitchen, with what goes in the fridge or the freezer. Free, no account needed.

Build my week

The other plans

all the meal prep plans

VeggieSee the plan

Vegetarian meal prep: 5 dishes for the week

1h50≈ $2.10 per serving533 kcal

Whole wheat pasta · Chickpea · Lentil · Kidney bean · Pumpkin

See the plan

Budget meal prep: 5 dishes at $1.46 a serving

1h46≈ $1.45 per serving656 kcal

Light zucchini Bolognese pasta · Basmati rice · Green lentil stew · Kidney bean · Creamy potato

For 4See the plan

Family meal prep: 5 dishes for 4 people

2h26≈ $2.44 per serving797 kcal

Homemade whole wheat pasta bolognese · Basque-style chicken · Beef shepherd's pie · Homemade quiche Lorraine · Quick couscous

Where does this plan come from? The dishes come from Popotam meal plans (only the ones that show up in at least ten meal plans get their own page). The run-through was written on October 4, 2026 by the app's meal prep feature, one card per dish, then the order worked out for one pair of hands, and storage by its rules, no AI. It was reviewed before publication, and here's what we changed:

The catalog's “rustic leek tart” has no crust, and the plan froze it raw to “reheat” it for 15 min: it's been replaced by the leek and goat cheese quiche, and this plan was rewritten.
The quiche was filled without the dough being rolled out, then never baked: now the dough is rolled out in the pan, the quiche is frozen raw and bakes for 35 min in the oven on the day.
The salad and the cream cheese toasts were made on Sunday: now they're made on the day.
An unnecessary oven preheat is removed, and two quantities are rewritten clearly.

Another sample session · All recipes

Fall vegetarian meal prep: 5 seasonal dishes

The week's 5 dishes

Veggie and chickpea couscous

Red lentil and sweet potato dal with coconut milk

Leek and goat cheese quiche with green salad

Pumpkin and green lentil soup with cream cheese toast

Zucchini and potato gratin with goat cheese

The session, step by step

2:00 PM · Counter

2:03 PM · Stove

2:08 PM · Counter

2:10 PM · Oven

2:10 PM · Counter

2:13 PM · Stove

2:16 PM · Counter

2:19 PM · Counter

2:22 PM · Counter

2:24 PM · Oven

2:24 PM · Counter

2:30 PM · Counter

2:40 PM · Stove

2:40 PM · Stove

2:45 PM · Stove

2:45 PM · Stove

2:47 PM · Stove

2:47 PM · Counter

2:49 PM · Counter

2:51 PM · Stove

2:54 PM · Counter

2:56 PM · Stove

2:58 PM · Stove

3:01 PM · Stove

3:03 PM · Counter

3:04 PM · Stove

3:04 PM · Counter

3:10 PM · Stove

3:15 PM · Counter

3:20 PM · Counter

3:23 PM · Counter

3:25 PM · Rest