25 Easy Recipes to Make You Look Forward to Eating Vegetarian
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Looking for unique vegetarian recipes that will make you enjoy Meatless Monday ALL week? Yes, it’s possible to look forward to eating fruits and veggies!
We all know why we should eat the rainbow. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables of different colors isn’t just pretty, but it makes sure you’re getting a ton of different nutrients. Unfortunately, eating that way has the reputation of being boring and tasteless.
Never fear, it doesn’t have to be! With the right spices and creativity, you can combine different fruits and veggies for delicious meals where you won’t even miss the meat.
In this post, along the lines of vegetarian tacos to make you happier and vegetarian quesadillas for the easiest way to get more produce, here are 25 vegetarian recipes that are delicious and unique enough to not just be relegated to meatless Monday!
Spicy Peanut Butter Tofu Stir-Fry
Ingredients: Firm tofu, bell peppers, broccoli, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chili flakes, peanut butter, lime juice, and noodles.
Instructions: Sauté tofu until golden, add veggies, then stir in a sauce made from peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, and chili flakes. Serve over noodles.
Zucchini Noodle Lasagna
Ingredients: Zucchini, ricotta cheese, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and Italian herbs.
Instructions: Layer thinly sliced zucchini noodles with ricotta, marinara, and cheese. Bake until bubbly and golden.
Eggplant and Chickpea Curry
Ingredients: Eggplant, chickpeas, coconut milk, curry paste, tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, and cilantro.
Instructions: Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger. Add eggplant, chickpeas, curry paste, coconut milk, and tomatoes. Simmer until flavors meld.
Now, I don’t traditionally love eggplant. But this is one way I’m easing myself into it. Curry is a gateway flavor to cover up the flavor and texture of eggplant.
Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients: Bell peppers, cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and cheese.
Instructions: Mix quinoa, beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, and spices. Stuff into peppers, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until peppers are tender.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, black beans, enchilada sauce, tortillas, cheese, onion, garlic, cumin, and chili powder.
Instructions: Roast sweet potatoes, mash with beans, onion, garlic, and spices. Roll mixture into tortillas, top with sauce and cheese, bake until bubbly.
Mushroom and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Ingredients: Jumbo pasta shells, mushrooms, spinach, ricotta cheese, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, garlic, and Italian herbs.
Instructions: Cook shells, sauté mushrooms and spinach with garlic. Mix with ricotta, stuff shells, top with sauce and cheese, bake.
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
Ingredients: Cauliflower florets, batter (flour, spices), buffalo sauce, butter, and ranch dressing.
Instructions: Dip cauliflower in batter, bake until crispy. Toss in buffalo sauce and butter mixture. Serve with ranch.
Tofu and Vegetable Kebabs
Ingredients: Firm tofu, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and olive oil.
Instructions: Marinate tofu and veggies in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and oil. Skewer and grill until charred.
Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients: Portobello mushrooms, spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and breadcrumbs.
Instructions: Remove mushroom stems, mix spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, garlic, and Parmesan. Stuff into mushrooms, top with breadcrumbs, bake.
Coconut Curry Lentil Soup
Ingredients: Lentils, coconut milk, curry powder, vegetable broth, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, and cilantro.
Instructions: Sauté onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger. Add lentils, broth, coconut milk, and curry powder. Simmer until lentils are tender. Garnish with cilantro.
Pesto-Stuffed Avocado Boats
Ingredients: Ripe avocados, homemade basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, and balsamic glaze.
Instructions: Hollow out avocados, fill with basil pesto, top with halved cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with pine nuts, and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients: Jackfruit, taco seasoning, lime juice, corn tortillas, pickled red cabbage, and cilantro.
Instructions: Shred jackfruit, marinate in taco seasoning and lime juice, sauté until crispy. Fill tacos with jackfruit, top with pickled cabbage and cilantro.
Spiralized Beet & Carrot Salad with Ginger Dressing
Ingredients: Spiralized beets and carrots, fresh ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame seeds.
Instructions: Toss spiralized veggies with ginger dressing made from sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Chickpea Shawarma Wraps
Ingredients: Chickpeas seasoned with shawarma spices, pita bread, tahini sauce, cucumber slices, and lettuce.
Instructions: Roast chickpeas with shawarma spices until crispy. Fill pita with chickpeas, drizzle with tahini, add cucumber slices and lettuce.
Crispy Potato and Spinach Croquettes
Ingredients: Mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, and spices.
Instructions: Mix mashed potatoes with spinach, form into croquettes, coat with breadcrumbs, and fry until golden and crispy.
Lentil and Vegetable Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients: Lentils, mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn), mashed potatoes, vegetable broth, onion, garlic, and herbs.
Instructions: Cook lentils with vegetables, season with herbs, top with mashed potatoes, and bake until golden.
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Phyllo Pastry
Ingredients: Phyllo dough, sautéed spinach, crumbled feta cheese, garlic, olive oil, and fresh dill.
Instructions: Layer phyllo sheets with spinach-feta mixture, fold into a pastry, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with dill, and bake until golden.
Mushroom and Walnut Bolognese
Ingredients: Mushrooms, walnuts, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, red wine, Italian herbs, and spaghetti.
Instructions: Sauté mushrooms, onions, and garlic until tender. Add walnuts, tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Simmer to create a rich bolognese sauce. Serve over cooked spaghetti.
Now let’s get really outside the box…
Quinoa Sushi Burritos
Ingredients: Sushi rice, quinoa, avocado slices, cucumber matchsticks, pickled ginger, wasabi mayo, and nori sheets.
Instructions: Spread quinoa on nori, add rice, avocado, cucumber, ginger, and drizzle with wasabi mayo. Roll into a burrito shape.
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Dessert Tacos
Ingredients: Sweet potato "churros," black bean chocolate mousse, cinnamon sugar tortilla crisps, and whipped coconut cream.
Instructions: Fill cinnamon-sugar tortilla crisps with sweet potato churros and top with black bean chocolate mousse and whipped coconut cream.
Cauliflower Buffalo Lollipops
Ingredients: Cauliflower florets on skewers, buffalo glaze, blue cheese dip, and celery stick handles.
Instructions: Skewer cauliflower florets, glaze with buffalo sauce, serve with blue cheese dip, and use celery sticks as handles.
Tofu and Veggie Rainbow Kebabs
Ingredients: Rainbow-colored veggies and tofu cubes, unicorn sauce (coconut curry), edible glitter, and fairy dust seasoning.
Instructions: Skewer vibrant veggies and tofu, grill to perfection, brush with unicorn sauce, sprinkle with edible glitter and fairy dust.
These recipes offer a mix of unexpected flavors and creative presentations for a delightful vegetarian feast!
And while these sound positively unhinged, they’ll surprise you with how good they are!!
Peanut Butter & Jelly Tofu Tacos
Ingredients: Crispy tofu cubes, peanut butter sauce, strawberry jam, tortillas, shredded lettuce, and crushed peanuts.
Instructions: Fill tortillas with crispy tofu, drizzle with peanut butter sauce, add a dollop of strawberry jam, sprinkle with lettuce and crushed peanuts.
Zucchini Cannoli with Lemon Ricotta Filling
Ingredients: Zucchini ribbons, lemon-infused ricotta cheese, chopped pistachios, mint leaves, and honey drizzle.
Instructions: Roll zucchini ribbons around lemon ricotta filling, sprinkle with pistachios, garnish with mint, and drizzle with honey.
Eggplant Bacon & Chickpea Pancakes
Ingredients: Thinly sliced eggplant "bacon," chickpea flour pancakes, maple syrup glaze, and smoked paprika sprinkle.
Instructions: Layer eggplant bacon on chickpea pancakes, drizzle with maple glaze, and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
And there you have it! Hopefully you found a couple of recipes that sound good and that will effortlessly up your produce intake! Because your goal here is to want to eat more veggies, not force yourself to do it - that is the best way to make a lifestyle change!
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