10 Vegetarian Recipes for Meatless Monday
January is a time when some people try to make healthier, more wholesome decisions about what they put into their bodies. For many, one of those can be to eat less meat.
In fact, data released by Gallup Poll in 2020 reported that 25% of Americans are eating less meat than in previous years. And with more research suggesting a link between meat consumption and increased health risks, as well as environmental factors, that percentage is expected to grow.
What is Meatless Monday?
Meatless Monday was started in 2003 by Sid Lerner, Founder of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. The message was simple: “skip meat once a week.” Meatless Monday can lead people to eat more fruits, vegetables and plant-based meals throughout the week.
According to Healthline, taking on a vegetarian diet has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, improved insulin resistance and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, compared with more animal-based diets.
So, to offer a bit of inspiration (and of course, support for those opting to eat less meat in the new year), we’re rounding up a list of 10 vegetarian recipes to try every Monday.
Hungry for more? Check out our library of recipes for inspiration and new meatless recipes to try!
10 Vegetarian Recipes to Try
PERFECT TOFU PAD THAI
Why order takeout when you can make this classic noodle dish at home? For the best flavor and texture, you’ll want to look for fried tofu at the supermarket and choose bean sprouts grown from mung beans. Making a plant-based pad thai brings out the chili and garlic in the dish
Chef’s Note: Substitute the fish sauce for soy sauce to make this recipe 100% vegetarian.
FARRO RISOTTO WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND KALE CHIPS
This is comfort food at its veggie best. Farro has a complex nutty taste and releases a similar creamy, binding liquid as risotto when cooked. Paired with butternut squash and crispy kale tossed in oil and spread on a -lined. It’s delicious, healthy and ready in just over an hour.
Get the Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash and Kale Chips Recipe!
GOAT CHEESE ENCHILADAS
Who doesn’t love a creative twist on a classic favorite? Tangy, cheese-filled tortillas smothered in rich, spicy, homemade red chili and tomato enchilada sauce can be done in 20—30 minutes. Once you remove the from the oven, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and garnish with sour cream and green onions.
SWEET POTATO, ASPARAGUS & PORTOBELLO SHEET PAN DINNER
This simple recipe has only four ingredients and can be ready in 30 minutes. Not only is it gorgeous going in the oven, but it’s a delicious side dish you can also use as a salad topper. These sweet, savory, caramelized morsels are something you’ll be happy to swap meat for.
Get the Sweet Potato, Asparagus & Portobello Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe!
VEGGIE PEARL COUSCOUS BOWL WITH CHIVE VINAIGRETTE
Packed with a ton of flavor, this dish requires a couple sheet pans, a blender and 30 minutes of your time. Light, fresh, creamy and rich, this couscous salad is incredibly versatile and can be made ahead of time to meal prep for the week.
Get the Veggie Pearl Couscous Bowl with Chive Vinaigrette recipe!
ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH SMOKED TOMATO SAUCE
This recipe is a wonderful way to use this vegetable. You’ll gently fry the fritters in hot oil until lightly browned on both sides. But smoking the tomato sauce might be the most fun part. You load a smoking gun with wood chips, direct the tube into the saucepan, cover it with plastic wrap to trap the smoke and light the gun—the sauce will become deliciously smoky in about 20 minutes.
TUSCAN BEAN AND PUMPKIN SOUP
This chunky soup is a weeknight lifesaver worth savoring. You’ll toss all the ingredients in a stockpot, making enough for eight servings. Chopped onions, pumpkin, vegetable stock, cannellini beans and parsley simmer together, topped off with grated Parmesan cheese. Luckily, you don’t need an immersion blender for this one.
GRILLED EGGPLANT AND MOZZARELLA PANINI
We love a good eggplant, tomato, mozzarella combo. Here, they meet in an Italian focaccia dream. The sliced eggplant is grilled, then layered with the other ingredients between two pieces of pesto-brushed focaccia. Bellissimo!
BURRATA AND HEIRLOOM TOMATO PIZZA WITH BASIL PESTO
Take your Margherita pizza to the next level with a creamy burrata cheese and colorfully sliced heirloom tomatoes baked to perfection on a well-seasoned pizza stone. The burrata makes a thick, creamy sauce when it melts that can’t be matched.
Pro Tip: Place the tomato slices on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain excess liquid prior to assembling.
Get the Burrata and Heirloom Tomato Pizza with Basil Pesto Recipe!
MEDITERRANEAN VEGGIE BURGER
This veggie burger isn’t your average frozen patty—though the patties freeze well for meal prep. This recipe is packed with the Mediterranean flavor of red quinoa, garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic and bulgur. All ingredients are mashed in a bowl and made into patties to cook on demand.
Get the Mediterranean Veggie Burger Recipe!
Hungry for more? Check out our library of recipes for inspiration and new meatless recipes to try!
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