Our 20 Best New Vegetarian Recipes You'll Want to Make ASAP
Photographer: Stacy K. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
You’ll want to make one of our newest vegetarian recipes as soon as you can. From an eggy breakfast casserole to savory veggie-packed mains, these dishes are full of nutritious vegetarian ingredients like dairy, eggs, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Plus, they’re already pulling in four- and five-star ratings from EatingWell readers. One reviewer called our Baked Spinach & Feta Spaghetti Squash “incredibly filling.” And others are loving dishes like our Roasted Chickpea & Cauliflower Pitas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and Crustless Caprese Quiche, so we’re sure you’ll enjoy them, too.
Roasted Chickpea & Cauliflower Pitas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Nicole Hopper, Prop Stylist: Tucker Vines
Inspired by a trend made popular by Catherine Perez (@plantbasedrd), these pitas are piled high with roasted veggies for a satisfying vegetarian dinner. Be sure to dry the chickpeas well or they won’t crisp up in the oven. Wet chickpeas will also create steam that may prevent the cauliflower from getting nicely browned. Bibb lettuce works well with these pitas, but a handful of arugula leaves would be just as nice. If you have it, a garam masala or shawarma spice blend can be used in place of the spices.
Baked Spinach & Feta Spaghetti Squash
Photographer: Stacy K. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling
Feta cheese and spinach come together in this comforting baked spaghetti squash recipe. Baking a block of feta with fresh baby spinach and a generous amount of garlic inside the squash half yields a creamy, flavorful mixture once combined. The balsamic glaze adds a bit of sweetness that contrasts beautifully with the briny feta. Opt for cow’s-milk feta for a sharper taste or sheep’s-milk feta if you prefer a more subtle flavor.
Spiced Couscous-Stuffed Peppers
Courtesy Photo
While I enjoy a classic dish of peppers stuffed with hashweh, a spiced ground beef dish, there are plenty of other traditional options that don’t use meat at all. A roasted stuffed vegetable is so central to regional Mediterranean cooking, and there’s something deeply satisfying about making a delicious pilaf-style filling of couscous and lentils to tuck inside juicy bell peppers. To take things up a notch, I drizzle everything with a fresh cucumber yogurt sauce. These spiced stuffed peppers are flavorful, filling little packages that will make any plant or meat eater happy. Excerpted from THE FEEL GOOD FOODIE COOKBOOK by Yumna Jawad. Copyright © 2024 by Yumna Jawad. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Spiced Chickpea Confit
Ali Redmond
This endlessly versatile side dish pairs beautifully with any grilled meat or fish and can also be a wonderful plant-based main dish. You can serve it over rice or pasta to round it out, or pair it with whole grains or whole-wheat pasta to reinforce the nuttiness. You can also turn it into a terrific salad by serving it over baby spinach, escarole or arugula. Leftovers can be blended into a chunky dip that is great with pita wedges or crostini. Or make leftovers into a soup by reheating with an equal volume of vegetable or chicken broth.
Crustless Caprese Quiche
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
This light and fluffy crustless quiche is dotted with tomatoes, little bites of melty mozzarella and savory pesto. And the best part—it’s mixed, assembled and baked in a pie plate for easy cleanup. Enjoy as an easy breakfast or brunch option or serve for lunch or dinner with a mixed green salad on the side.
Chickpeas alla Vodka
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser
This Chickpeas alla Vodka is the ultra-quick, fiber-packed dinner you’ve been waiting for! Chickpeas are swimming in a creamy vodka sauce that gets enhancements from sautéed garlic, onion and vibrant green baby kale. Crispy, toasted whole-wheat bread is perfect for dipping. You can customize this dish easily by using chard or spinach in place of kale.
5-Ingredient Brie and Blackberry Jam Grilled Cheese
Photography: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
This irresistible sandwich pairs creamy Brie cheese with a sweet-and-savory blackberry jam spread for the perfect ultra-quick lunch or dinner option. You can easily double the recipe using a medium pan, or use a sandwich press if you have one on hand.
Spinach, Feta & Artichoke Tater Tot Casserole
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
This egg-based dinner casserole is assembled and baked in a single baking dish, making prep (and cleanup!) a breeze. Potato tots nestled on top add a crispy, golden crust. Be sure to squeeze as much moisture as you can from the frozen artichoke hearts and spinach to prevent the casserole from becoming soggy. If you can’t find frozen artichoke hearts, you can use canned—just make sure to rinse them well to remove any excess salty brine.
Sheet-Pan Gnocchi with Broccoli & White Beans
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
This effortless dish comes together on two baking sheets for easy preparation and a fast cleanup. A blend of lemon and broccoli mixes with tender gnocchi and rich cannellini beans, all brought together with a generous drizzle of olive oil. For an added protein boost, toss in some shrimp or flaked cooked salmon.
Crispy Parmesan-Crusted Cabbage Slices with Gremolata
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
These cheesy, tender-crisp cabbage slices will make anyone fall in love with the vegetable. Arranging the cabbage around the perimeter of the baking sheets is crucial as it ensures the most even browning and the crispiest Parmesan crust. The lemony gremolata adds a dash of freshness and brightness to balance the salty cheese.
Spinach-Artichoke Egg in a Bagel Hole
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
This riff on egg-in-a-hole, where a hole is cut into a slice of bread to hold and cook an egg, uses a bagel instead—so the hole’s already built in. The spinach-and-artichoke dip underneath the egg helps hold it in place and adds a creamy element to this easy breakfast (or breakfast for dinner!).
Creamy Feta & Tomato Pasta
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Prop stylist: Shell Royster, Food stylist: Emily Hall
This creamy feta-and-tomato pasta puts a satisfying vegetarian dinner on the table using only 5 simple ingredients. Cherry tomatoes are a go-to when tomato season is not at its peak. Grape tomatoes provide a sweet and juicy alternative, ensuring a satisfying and flavorful meal.
Cheesy Cauliflower Steak Pizzas
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser
We ditch traditional pizza crust in favor of cauliflower “steaks” for these cheesy pizzas. The steaks are cooked just enough to develop a sweet roasted flavor that pairs beautifully with the toppings. While we love this veggie-packed version, you can top your cauliflower-steak pizza with just about anything. You’ll have leftover cauliflower after cutting the steaks. Enjoy it raw in a chopped salad, or save the florets for roasting the following day.
Cabbage Steak Marsala
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser
This easy vegetarian cabbage steak recipe features thick slices of cabbage roasted and smothered in a classic Marsala mushroom sauce. If you have leftover cabbage, roast it separately or store it and save it for another use. The best substitute for Marsala is Madeira, another kind of fortified wine with a similar flavor profile. If you’re looking for a nonalcoholic substitute, balsamic vinegar can stand in for the Marsala wine.
Baked Feta & Tomato Chickpeas
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
This simple baked feta casserole recipe turns cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and chickpeas into a hearty, protein-rich vegetarian meal. After baking, it creates a savory-sweet tomato–olive oil sauce ideal for slathering on pita bread. Feta cheese in brine melts more readily compared to dry, crumbled feta, so it’s worth seeking out. For a different take, replace the chickpeas with creamy white beans.
Panko-Crusted Cauliflower Steaks
Greg DuPree
In this fork-tender cauliflower recipe, heads of cauliflower are cut into slabs then roasted and topped with a cheesy, crunchy panko topping. Pair cauliflower steaks with roasted or grilled meats, or serve them on their own as a vegetarian main dish. Each head of cauliflower will provide 2 to 3 steaks—the sides tend to crumble. Save leftover cauliflower for roasting another night or give it a whirl in a food processor so you have the fixings for cauliflower rice on hand.
15-Minute Eggs in Vodka Sauce
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Amanda Stanfield, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle
Drawing inspiration from the classic Italian recipe Uova al Purgatorio (Eggs in Purgatory), this easy one-pot meal melds tangy tomato sauce with perfectly poached eggs, ideal for sopping up with crispy toasted bread. We like to add a dash of heavy cream to give the sauce some added richness, but you can leave it out if you prefer. A garnish of chopped fresh basil or parsley, if you have it on hand, would be a welcome addition.
Spiced Cauliflower Chraime
Micah Siva
Chraime is a spicy North African fish stew, popular with Sephardic Jews for Rosh Hashana, Passover and Shabbat. The word “chraime” has roots in an Arabic word meaning “hot.” This meatless version highlights cauliflower, stewed until tender, studded with plump and juicy golden raisins and drizzled with date syrup. Served over couscous, rice or quinoa, this sweet and spicy tomato-based stew is a great weeknight meal. Excerpted from Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine, by Micah Siva. Copyright 2024 by Micah Siva. Published by The Collective Book Studio. Reprinted with permission.
Penne with Zucchini & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Courtesy Photo
The unbelievable truth about Italian cooking is that your life can be forever altered with just 20 minutes and a few simple ingredients. This dish, which I’ve adapted from the traditional spaghetti alla Nerano, is a perfect case in point! First created by Chef Maria Grazia, who served her signature zucchini pasta in the idyllic village of Nerano on the Amalfi Coast, this version stays close to the original, with zucchini, a rather flavorless vegetable on its own, caramelized until the flavor intensifies to what can only be described as transformative. Excerpted from Everyday Delicious copyright © 2024 by Rocco DiSpirito. Used by permission of Rodale Books an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Roasted Sweet Potato & Beet Sandwiches
Photography: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
These hearty sandwiches are piled high with veggies—including earthy roasted beets and sweet potatoes, lemony arugula and quick-pickled onions—for a satisfying lunch or dinner. We use a whole-wheat baguette, but whole-wheat buns would work as well, if you prefer. Any color of beet would be delicious—try golden or Chioggia if you want to avoid the stains that red beets can leave.
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