Cooking in a van

5 tips for cooking in a van without breaking anything in the process

If you are a newbie when it comes to van life, read this article carefully. You will find some tips so that cooking in a van is not a concern. And for the more experienced, we also have a surprise: as we have spoken with Fran Cabello from the company EnVANvoy that rents vans and motorhomes to prepare this article, we have asked him to give us some recipes that can be cooked in a van. Write them down to renew your list of approved recipes and thus change the menu a bit!

TIP 1 – The companion stove is your best ally

If you are addicted to the oven and/or the microwave, you are going to discover a whole new world: pasta, stews, but also pan pizza, crepes, one pot pasta, risotto, even Asturian bean stew in a pressure cooker... The possibilities are endless with a stove. Simply choose the recipes that generate the least amount of dishwashing and it will make your experience smoother at first!



TIP 2 – Watch out for the voltage

If you want to be able to use some electrical appliances anyway, such as a microwave, a blender, a small oven... inform yourself well: what power they have, and what voltage your caravan system provides. You don't want to blow a fuse. Now that we say this, another important thing: even if you are only renting it for a few days, be well informed about the general functioning of your van or motorhome. It will help you understand and solve simple problems if anything comes up.

TIP 3 – Think about the cooking smells

If you go to a place with good weather, and your kitchen equipment and the regulations of your destination allow you to cook outside, smells will not be a problem. But more than once you could find yourself with a rainy day, or maybe your kitchenware cannot be moved outside... Well, just think about the smells. If you can bring modifications to your van, or you can choose the one you rent, try to have a roof vent, ideally with a fan. Thanks to this, you can always turn on the fan as a hood while you cook, so that your sheets do not smell of fried food or shrimp if you could not resist them that day. Obviously, the other solution is to directly avoid the types of food or cooking that produce unpleasant or strong smells.

TIP 4 – Eat local



In a van, every millimeter counts, therefore we ought to avoid accumulating things. This piece of advice also applies to food. The fewer ingredients you have to store to cook, the better. One option then is to cook with few ingredients. But the other tip here, which we prefer, is to buy ingredients from the market. Depending on where you are going with the van and what day it is, try and find out about the markets that you have along the way. In general, vegetables, meat and other fresh products will be of better quality, and cheaper as there are fewer intermediaries and you only buy the amount you need. Let us write it again: buy only what you will eat without storing much. That is, nothing more than the remains that you will have planned in advance as food prep for one more day for example, and for which you will have saved space in your fridge. Your traveling spirit will also thank you, because it is a way to discover local ingredients and sometimes new food.

TIP 5 – Eat cold

We had to say it. As a matter of fact, there are so many salad possibilities with raw ingredients, or canned cooked foods (such as legumes or tuna), that one could eat every day of the year without having to cook or heat anything! Although it is not something we recommend either: eating cold leads to less efficient and slower digestion. So save this option for midday, when you have access to fresh produce (see tip 4).

BONUS – 5 van-proof recipes

Now, to prepare this article we have spoken with Fran from EnVANvoy, who has experience in cooking, and in vans... and of cooking in a van. This is why he was able to recommend some perfectly adapted recipes. We have selected 5 of them that we present below. Some of them might actually surprise you: did you think it was possible to cook monkfish and cockles brothy rice in a van?

Chicken al chilindrón
(Source: @francabello_78) 

This dish is great because everything is cooked in the same pan, and you can buy all these ingredients on the same day at the market. Minimum scrubbing and minimum storage of ingredients!

In a pan with olive oil, fry 2 cloves of garlic. Remove them when they are golden.
In the same oil, put the chicken (4-5 breasts or thighs), salt it and fry it. Set aside.
Still in the same pan, put 1 onion, 1 green pepper and half a red pepper, all chopped. Add 2 cloves of garlic, 4 chopped ripe tomatoes, salt and give it a stir.
Let it cook for a while. When it is done, add some Serrano ham, 1 small glass of white wine, the chicken that we had set aside, and let it reduce a little.

That's it!

Poke bowl
(Source: @francabello_78)


This recipe is a cold and healthy option, ideal if you have some leftover white rice.

We cut fresh salmon into cubes that we put in a container or freezer bag. Add the juice of half a lemon and a little soy sauce, and let it marinate in the fridge for two hours.
We make white rice and keep it in the fridge to cool down.
When it is time to eat, there is nothing easier: in a bowl, put some rice, and add a little of the marinated salmon on top. Then choose some raw toppings. Fran suggests making it with carrot strips, chopped mango, sliced ​​avocado, and edamame seeds. Dress with more soy sauce, and if we have more spices on hand, add the ones you like!

Potato mound
(Source: @francabello_78)


This recipe is very simple, with basic ingredients, and can be made in a single pan too.

In a frying pan with olive oil, put potatoes and onion in slices, and let fry. When they are done, you can transfer the preparation to another pan, or simply set it aside while you empty the oil.
Then in our pan (a new one, or the same without oil), we put our mixture, and add some beaten eggs. Keep stirring so that everything gets mixed while cooking. Add some salt and pepper and that's it!

One-pot pasta
(Source: @co_cinero)

Here is a one pot pasta recipe that will give you a delicious and creamy sauce that both children and parents will like. And the best of it: you only need one pot!

In a slightly high pan or a frying pan, heat some olive oil. Add cherry tomatoes cut in half to roast them a little. Add crushed garlic and a pinch of salt. Add a little water and stir to mix the flavors.
Then we add the spaghetti, the water (approximately 230mL of water per 100g of pasta), and let them absorb the water. When there is little water left, add grated cheese and stir for a moment.
Let it reduce until you have a dreamy creamy sauce.

Monkfish and cockles brothy rice
(Source: @veronicacooking)


This recipe smells like vacation! It is perfect if you are on a road trip along the coast, since you will have access to the freshest fish and shellfish.

Sear the monkfish in some olive oil and set it aside.
In the same oil, add ½ spring onion, 1 clove of garlic, and 1/4 red pepper. We add 1 grated tomato, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon of paprika.
When everything has gotten soft, we add the rice, we stir it to make it toast. Add the fish broth and a sachet of saffron.
About 5 minutes before the end, add the cockles and the monkfish that you had set aside.
Let it rest for a bit and that's it!

For a mildly brothy rice, they have used 1 cup of rice for 3 cups of fish stock. If you prefer it more or less brothy, you can adapt the quantities.