Are you looking to find tasty vegetarian recipes to level up your next meat-free meal? These delightful vegetarian lunch and dinner ideas are easy to make, healthy, quick, and vibrant.
We've listed 30 of our most delicious, and most satiating recipes that will give you some fresh ideas for your next meatless meal. Scroll through this collection, and take your pick from grain bowls, pasta, burrito, sandwiches, big salads, and much more.
Browse through this list, and take your pick: these wholesome recipes will fulfill and nourish you, and add extra color to your meal.
15-min vegetarian recipes
Super quick and delicious vegetarian dinner recipes with easy-to-find ingredients. These 15-minute recipes come with loads of flavor, and they're great for when you're short on time.
Pan fried tofu with mushrooms
A perfect substitute for chicken cutlets, this easy pan-fried tofu is packed with protein and chewiness. It's a great replacement for mushroom chicken, and it takes only 15 minutes of cooking.
Garlic and Oil Pasta (Spaghetti Aglio e Olio)
An Italian favorite with only 5 ingredients and 12 mins cooking time. Spaghetti aglio e olio is indulgent and quick, a perfect combination for everyday dinner.
Rigatoni Arrabbiata
Another naturally vegetarian recipe and super quick pasta is our rigatoni arrabbiata sauce. Tomato-rich, aromatic, and satiating, a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, this dish is ready in about 15 minutes!
Air Fryer Tofu
If you're in a hurry, air fryer recipes always come in handy. This air fryer tofu pairs well with basmati rice, couscous, and noodles. Drizzle a little chimichurri sauce on top and dinner is ready!
Vegan Breakfast Burrito
Here's a great way to make a meat-free burrito while enjoying plenty of healthy proteins, fats, and flavor. Scrambled tofu, black beans, bell pepper, and avocado marry in a Mexican-inspired dinner wrap,
Lentil Vegetable Soup
This 30-minute lentil vegetable soup is one of the easiest ways to make a wholesome vegetarian soup in less time. Dried herbs, spinach, and green lentils marry in a tomato-rich soup base with Italian flavors.
Vegan Chickpea Salad
A refreshing and vibrant meal, perfect as a quick lunch and to eat on the go. We highly recommend serving this salad with a green goddess dressing for added creaminess.
Chickpea Pasta Salad
A spring-and summer-friendly vegetarian meal, ready in about 15 minutes! This chickpea pasta salad with a creamy mustard vinaigrette is perfect as a lunchbox meal, as a putlock meal, and as a family lunch.
Marinara Sauce
Kids and adults alike love Italian marinara sauce, it works with pizza, pizza and lasagna. It's an easy 10-minute pasta sauce, vegetable drizzle, or dipping sauce with breadsticks served as an appetizer.
Hummus
Hummus is one of the most versatile condiments with endless vegetarian meal options. Spread it on toast topped with seeds, use in a sandwich with green leaves, serve with falafel, or in a burrito with avocado and leafy greens.
Microwave Sweet Potato
Microwave sweet potato takes just 8 minutes to cook, and 5 minutes to top with your favorite condiments and grain salad. Serve with your favorite vegetarian salad, such as couscous salad or quinoa salad, and drizzle with sour cream or tahini sauce for a glossy and delicious finish.
Carrot Salad
Carrot salad with chickpeas and shaved almonds is a light meal or appetizer idea that does not require any cooking. Serve this refreshing salad with slices of toasted bread, and pesto for an easy, slightly lazy vegetarian dinner idea.
Avocado Spread on toast
This green and creamy avocado spread with tahini is a perfect match for toasted crunchy bread. Top it with fresh tomatoes, chickpeas, or seeds for a satiating yet super easy snack and vegetarian meal.
30-min vegetarian recipes
Quick and easy vegetarian recipes, perfect for everyday meals and on-the-go lunches. These meal ideas are ready within 30 minutes, they're great for family dinners and made with easy-to-find ingredients.
Mushroom Alfredo
Make this creamy pasta a vegetarian or vegan dinner with our easy-to-follow instructions. No matter which ingredients you use, this pasta is rich, smooth, tasty, and so easy to make you'll want to do it every night. It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Broccoli Pasta
A reader favorite, this naturally vegetarian Italian meal is a mashed green broccoli sauce that marries chewy orecchiette pasta. Make it in about 20 minutes, and serve with parmigiana cheese or grated vegan cheese.
Zucchini Pasta
A refreshing vegetarian dinner for summer cookouts, potlucks, and family gatherings. With shredded zucchini and pine nuts, and is ready in just 25 minutes!
Cauliflower Pasta
Here's a crowd-pleasing vegetarian dinner! Roasted cauliflower florets meet delicious garlic and olive oil sauce, plenty of fresh parsley, lemon zest, and toasted pinenuts.
Vegan Pasta Salad
Vibrant, fresh and fulfilling, this vegan pasta salad is perfect for meal prep! Pair with your favorite dressing or sauce and get some healthy plant-based protein and fats.
Marinated Tofu
Charred and chewy, this marinated tofu is an easy everyday recipe and perfect with rice. Serve with your favorite veggies and freshly chopped parsley on top.
Tofu Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
Rich, earthy and Italian - these tofu meatballs are great on spaghetti or in a sub! Add fresh basil on top for an Italian dinner experience.
Asparagus Risotto
Another spring-friendly recipe with sauteed asparagus and fresh flavors. Creamy, easy to make and a risotto favorite in our home.
Tofu Salad (Creamy Dressing)
Fresh veggies, fried tofu, and creamy tahini dressing come together in this vibrant salad. A perfectly healthy meal that's quick to make as well.
High protein vegetarian recipes
Here you'll find high protein vegetarian meals that are packed with healthy plant-based protein. It's surprisingly easy to add vegetarian protein to your diet, if you're in doubt, take a look at this helpful protein chart.
Tofu Pasta (Tofu Bolognese)
This tofu pasta is a protein-rich and hearty bolognese sauce that pairs perfectly with spaghetti.
Orange Tofu
Sticky, sweet, and chewy - one of our favorite alternatives to chicken. This orange tofu is an Asian-inspired favorite in our home.
Vegan Egg Salad
Perfect in a sandwich or on toasted bread, this vegan egg salad with tofu is great for lunch or dinner.
Vegan Fish
An aromatic and fun way to eat tofu and a great alternative to white fish. If you're vegetarian and seek fish-like flavors, this is your next recipe!
Tofu Curry
Curry remains one of our winter recipe favorites, it's creamy and comforting. Serve with white rice or cauliflower rice and fresh coriander.
Chickpea crepes - Savoury mushroom pancakes
Protein-packed and healthy, these chickpea crepes are made with chickpea flour and stuffed with mushrooms and white sauce.
Tofu with Pizzaiola Sauce
Tofu with pizzaiola sauce is a simple yet delicious tofu recipe ready in just 10 mins. It's a great replacement for chicken, but with a chewy and hearty result.
What should I eat for dinner as a vegetarian?
Once you've picked your next vegetarian main dish from this list, you can easily pair them with most vegetable side dishes, such as salads, roasted vegetables, and casseroles. Here are some of our favorites:
- 12 artichoke recipes (appetizer ideas, green sides, and pesto).
- Easy and crunchy asparagus recipes, such as baked, steamed, and grilled ideas.
- Eggplant parmigiana or cauliflower mac and cheese for a wintery vegetable casserole.
- Easy sauces to drizzle on your main and add extra flavor and color to your meal.
- or any other of these easy and healthy vegetable side dishes
How to store vegetarian recipes
- How to store: you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. On the second day, these meals will be stickier and less creamy.
- How to freeze: you can also freeze the meals for up to 3 months. To freeze, let it cool down first, then transfer them to a freezer-friendly container, leaving some space to allow it to expand. Thaw in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop. Before serving, garnish with fresh herbs, and optionally a drizzle of olive oil.
30 Tasty Vegetarian Recipes
Equipment
- Optional: immersion blender or blender to make the soup extra creamy
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 4 cloves garlic
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cans (15-ounce each) diced tomatoes
- 1 cup lentils uncooked, green or brown
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1½ teaspoons salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or red pepper flakes
- 5 ounces spinach (about 4 to 5 cups)
Instructions
- To a large pot or dutch oven, warm up the olive oil then add coarsely chopped onion, celery, and carrot, and fry on medium heat for 5 minutes stirring often.
- Add grated garlic and cumin and fry for one more minute, or until you smell their aroma.
- Add vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, dried lentils, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, or/and red pepper flakes.Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then crack the top open and simmer on low heat for about 25 minutes or until the lentils are cooked but still al dente. Stir occasionally.
- OPTIONAL STEP: if you like extra creamy soup, blend about 2 cups of it. You can do this with an immersion blender directly in the pot, or with a regular blender.
- Add the spinach and simmer for a few more minutes until they wilt and you are happy with the texture and consistency of the soup/lentils.
- Taste and adjust for salt. Serve it in a bowl with a slice of toasted bread rubbed with garlic and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil. Optionally, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Video Recipe
Notes
Nutritional Values
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marie
I'm a 70 years old french lady, and my daughter (when she's not travelling all over the world) and I have decided to have a strict vegetalian diet about 6 weeks ago.. I just let you figure out the change in my way of cooking, from traditionnal french cooking to ....now. We love eating, and have always, even before that decision paid a lot of attention to the quality of ingredients we used, and the way to cook them.We live in the south of France.( I have a vegetable garden, and we used to raise our own poultry!).
This decision wasn't hard to take, but just hard to match with our previous standards of meals.
Your blog is one of the first I dropped on on Pinterest, and your mayo recipe is the first vegan recipe I've made. And I'll never change for another one!
Your recipes are very inspiring and clear to cook!
Thank you so much, I'm sure now that with your help, we're gonna make it. The most difficult thing is cheese, of course, for french people..but I swear we haven't touched any dairy products, eggs or fish of any kind for about 6 weeks now. I hope to be able to make alternate cheese (other than vegan mozza or parmiggiano ) shortly. It seems to be a long and rather difficult process, but never mind. thanks a lot and I'll keep in touch to let you know about our progress.
Louise
Hi Marie,
Thank you very much for sharing your story.
I'm very happy you find inspiration with our recipes, I hope that we can be a continuous source to enjoyable and flavor-packed meals for you and your family.
All the best,
Louise