If you’ve resolved to eat less meat in the new year or you’re wanting to incorporate a little more variety into your diet (they say it’s the spice of life, right?), you’ve probably spent many an evening googling “best vegetarian recipes.”
We’ll be the first to tell you that meatless Mondays (and vegetarian-only days beyond that) don’t have to be boring! Using a variety of fresh and flavorful ingredients, you can mix up your menu with vegetarian dishes that are hearty, vibrant and—perhaps most importantly—delicious.
For some vegetarian meal inspiration, check out this roundup of our top 9 most satisfying, crave-worthy vegetarian recipes that are so good, your carnivorous friends just might hanker for a taste.
Hungry for more? Explore our recipe library for ideas and inspo for your next gathering!
Made with garbanzo beans, vibrant spices and lots of fresh herbs, this veggie burger recipe is sure to be a hit with vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Using a food processor helps all the ingredients get incorporated evenly so you can you form the mixture into a ball and flatten into patties before quickly searing on a skillet. Serve these up on a toasted bun with your favorite condiments for a quick and easy vegetarian lunch, dinner or appetizer.
The crispy Panko-crusted tofu and marinated shiitake mushrooms in this vegetarian dish are *chef’s kiss*.
Paired with kale, snap peas, rice noodles and extra toppings of your choosing (avocado, scallions or ginger would be delicious), this is a hearty one-bowl lunch or vegetarian dinner you’ll want to come back to again and again.
We love this chunky, tomato-based chili as a vegetarian option because it not only helps you start the week off strong, but also gives you delicious leftovers to savor in the week ahead (pro tip: double the recipe in a stockpot to make it go even further).
Made with filling black beans, lentils and kidney beans—plus plenty of spices to take the flavor up a notch—this is a vegetarian recipe that is great on its own, served over a baked potato or ladled over noodles for a vegetarian chili mac!
There is no shortage of flavor in this vegetarian dish.
The tangy goat and cotija cheese filling is an excellent complement to the rich and spicy homemade red chili and tomato enchilada sauce—balanced with salt, pepper and a little honey to taste.
For a thicker sauce, let the base simmer low and slow in a stockpot, or for a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to puree it.
Homemade is almost always better—and this classic Thai dish is no exception.
We think that this is one of the best vegetarian recipes because of the ingredients, but you may need to head to a specialty Asian market to find them. Bean sprouts and roasted peanuts add great texture, and the Chantaboon rice noodles are the perfect vessel to soak up all the umami goodness from the traditional sauce.
Chef’s Note: In lieu of fish sauce, you can use soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos to achieve the same flavor and make this 100% vegetarian.
This vegetarian twist on a classic pasta dish is sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike.
A traditional marinara and a gooey, three cheese blend of mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan create some of the homestyle flavors of this dish, but it’s elevated with nontraditional ingredients like cremini mushrooms, spinach, a touch of balsamic vinegar and—the “ziti”—sweet potato noodles made with a spiralizer.
Bake it in your favorite casserole dish and bring it oven-to-table for your next meal.
Get the Sweet Potato Baked Ziti with Mushrooms and Spinach recipe!
If you’re looking for a hearty meatless dish, recipes made with mushrooms are a great place to start.
Mushrooms hold a lot of moisture and texture, giving you that “chew” that many carnivores can appreciate, plus rich, umami flavors. This vegetarian recipe takes flavor and texture to the next level with a base of campanelle pasta, pine nuts and parmesan cheese.
This recipe is one of our favorite ways to use eggplant—grilled and layered between two thick slices of soft focaccia bread, gooey mozzarella, fresh tomato and pesto.
If you don’t feel like firing up the grill, you can easily make this on a stovetop griddle, too. Keep this recipe on hand for a quick vegetarian dinner or lunch.
This quick and easy vegetarian recipe is one you’ll want to have in your menu lineup every week—it’s healthy, flavorful and comes together in just about 20 minutes.
The sheer variety of veggies in this dish make it really stand out. While it calls for carrots, bell peppers, asparagus, peas and spinach, any combination of your favorite vegetables (or whatever is in season) would be perfect here, as they all serve as a vessel for the star of the dish—a richly spiced, warm coconut curry sauce.
Get the Coconut Vegetable Curry with Cashews recipe!
Hungry for more? Explore our recipe library for ideas and inspo for your next gathering!
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