Food Best Vegetarian Recipes By Midwest Living editors Midwest Living editors Midwest Living's experienced editors create best-in-class travel, lifestyle, food, home and garden content you won't find anywhere else. We're loudly, proudly Midwestern, and we're passionate about helping our audience explore and create through award-winning storytelling. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 22, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Carson Downing These vegetarian dishes are loaded with flavor from grains and vegetables like sweet potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, bulgur wheat, butternut squash, quinoa and more. You'll love our satisfying combos for main dishes, soups and salads. 01 of 36 Slow-Cooked Chickpeas with Saffron Carson Downing This delicious stew comes from the cookbook On the Curry Trail, by Raghavan Iyer (Workman, $30). It includes a recipe for the Moroccan spice blend ras al hanout, but you can also buy ras al hanout at specialty stores or online. Hearty Slow-Cooker Soups, Stews and Chilies View Recipe 02 of 36 Campanelle with Fennel, Leeks and Pecorino Breadcrumbs Brie Goldman Crisp breadcrumbs are the perfect textural contrast to the meltingly sweet fennel and leeks in this rich, vegetarian pasta recipe. Cozy Pasta Recipes to Make Tonight View Recipe 03 of 36 Pasta e Ceci (Pasta and Chickpea Soup) Carson Downing This meat-free meal will nourish your body and satisfy your soul. Vegans can omit the sprinkle of cheese on top and use toasted panko breadcrumbs instead. Favorite Recipes for Soups and Stews View Recipe 04 of 36 White Bean Stew with Marinated Radicchio White Bean Stew with Marinated Radicchio. Shelly Westerhausen Worcel/Courtesy of Chronicle Books Flecked with dill, this healthful stew blew our tasters away. The recipe comes from the cookbook Every Season is Soup Season (Chronicle Books, $33), by Indiana author Shelly Westerhausen Worcel. Each recipe comes with inspiration to reinvent leftovers as a completely different dish—the stew becomes the base for White Bean and Dill Dip (also vegetarian!). Turn Leftover Soup Into Something New with This Creative Cookbook View Recipe 05 of 36 Sweet Potato with Moroccan Chickpeas Blaine Moats Like chili on a baked potato—except so much more alluring, with caramelized roasted sweet potato and spiced chickpeas. Tie it all together with lemon-tahini dressing, fresh mint and dreams of far-off places. View Recipe 06 of 36 Tomatoey Parmesan Beans Chantell and Brett Quernemen This sleeper hit of a weeknight dinner comes from Food Network star Molly Yeh's cookbook Home is Where the Eggs Are—and is basically a vehicle for Parmesan and garlic toast. No complaints! Great Ways to Use Canned or Dry Beans View Recipe 07 of 36 Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant Carson Downing Eat this peak-summer dish as a side or a meatless main. Eggplant and bell peppers are grilled au naturel—all the fun comes in the finish, when the vegetables are showered in mint, basil and peanuts and drizzled liberally with a sauce called nuoc cham. 30 Meatless Main Dish Recipes View Recipe 08 of 36 Linguine with Parsley Pesto Brie Goldman When fresh basil goes out of season, try a new twist on pesto. With parsley, capers and a can of salted, roasted almonds, you're a few food processor pulses away from a punchy green pasta. If you're serving a mixed group of vegetarians and meat-eaters, add some sliced chicken to some of the pasta, but let the rest just cozy up to a green salad. View Recipe 09 of 36 Cabbage Alfredo with Mushrooms Jacob Fox Shredded cabbage replaces pasta in this filling, flavorful main, and it all comes together in a Dutch oven. Enjoy it as a gluten-free dish, or pair with crusty bread. View Recipe 10 of 36 Fusion Bowl with Tofu and Soft-Cooked Egg Carrot matchsticks, shiitake mushrooms and tender Napa cabbage hide in a tangle of chewy udon noodles. The tofu acts like a sponge, soaking up a sweet-and-spicy honey-Sriracha marinade. View Recipe 11 of 36 Roasted Mushrooms con Queso Tamales Kevin Miyazaki Tamales often feature meaty fillings, but this earthy recipe from chef Jorge Guzmán of Petite León in Minneapolis is vegetarian. The dark color comes from huitlacoche, a fungus that grows on corn and has been used in Mexican cooking for centuries. (You can buy it canned online or at some Mexican markets.) Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales View Recipe 12 of 36 Roasted Butternut Burrito Bowls You can have this deliciously nutritious Mexican-inspired meal on the table in under an hour—or even less if you cheat and use precooked brown rice! Easy and Delicious Butternut Squash Recipes View Recipe 13 of 36 Laap Tofu Carson Downing Laap (or larb, as it's often spelled) is an herby ground meat or tofu salad that's eaten across Thailand and is traditionally scooped with rice or lettuce. This super simple, healthful dish is a favorite of chef Shayn Prapaisilp, whose family owns four Thai restaurants (including Chao Baan) and two grocery stores in St. Louis. View Recipe 14 of 36 Bean-Mushroom Sloppy Joes Canned beans supply fill-you-up protein at a fraction of the cost, fat and calories of ground beef or turkey. In our sloppy joes, we dress navy beans in mustardy tomato sauce that has all the familiar flavor of the meaty original. View Recipe 15 of 36 Cauliflower Chickpea Bowl with Cilantro Yogurt Carson Downing Load up on nutrients (and flavor) with this healthful, all-in-one weeknight dinner. This recipe features inexpensive vegetarian ingredients like cauliflower and chickpeas, plus a cooling drizzle of cilantro-yogurt dressing. Creative Cauliflower Recipes View Recipe 16 of 36 Red Lentil Dal with Zucchini Blaine Moats A staple on the Indian subcontinent, dal spans a whole category of bean dishes. It sometimes has a loose texture, but this version—thick like a stew and bolstered with zucchini—satisfies as a meat-free meal. View Recipe 17 of 36 Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa and Spinach Cheesy peppers hold a combo of grains and vegetables for a satisfying veggie dinner. View Recipe 18 of 36 Hearty Vegetarian Chili Many vegetarian chilies eat more like soups, but ours is built to satisfy a meat-lover. Bulgur wheat and mushrooms combine to mimic the texture and flavor of ground beef; chili powder, smoked paprika and chocolate stout lend deep, authentic flavor without a long simmer. Best Chili Recipes View Recipe 19 of 36 Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes with Olives and Garlic Breadcrumbs Brie Passano The details that elevate this recipe from a typical roasted dish are the briny olives and crispy breadcrumbs. Any olive works, but chef Abra Berens, author of Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables, uses a bright green Sicilian variety called Castelvetrano. View Recipe 20 of 36 Green Bean and Tofu Stir Fry Blaine Moats Extra-firm tofu is the choice for this quick, pretty and nourishing dish. It's least likely to stick in the pan or fall apart when turned. View Recipe 21 of 36 Tuscan Bean Soup Tuscan Bean Soup. Flecked with a grab bag of hearty vegetables, this healthy soup hums with garlic and crushed red pepper. The recipe comes from La Soupe, a nonprofit cafe in Cincinnati. Opt for the vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian. View Recipe 22 of 36 Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes and Lentils Brie Passano This recipe comes from chef Abra Berens' book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables. Don't be alarmed by cooking beans this long. Make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth and skipping the Parmesan. View Recipe 23 of 36 Roasted Kale, Tomato and Chickpea Salad with Wheat Berries Our hearty salad tastes equally good warm from the pan, cold from the fridge or even at room temperature, so it's perfect for make-ahead meals and leftover lunches. Other grains, such as barley, faro or wild rice, also work well in this salad. Skip the Parm for a vegetarian entree. Hearty, Healthy Salad Recipes View Recipe 24 of 36 Chili Verde with Corn Bread Croutons Bulgur wheat lends meaty texture, fiber and protein to soups and stews, where it can cook in the broth. In our sweet and savory chili, we match the grain with salsa verde, peppers and edamame for a weeknight meal that makes it oh-so-easy to be green. View Recipe 25 of 36 Penne with Lentils and Feta Brie Passano Hearty and wholesome, this pasta salad—perfect for a picnic or potluck—is loaded with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, lentils, salty cheese and parsley, all cloaked in a light and bright red wine vinaigrette. View Recipe 26 of 36 Vegan Gumbo Vegan Gumbo. If you usually walk past the okra at the farmers market, stop-and make this nutritious meat-and dairy-free take on the New Orleans classic. The recipe comes from Lachelle Cunningham, who is a chef and advocate for the Twin Cities soul food scene. View Recipe 27 of 36 Harvest Lentil Salad Packed with healthy nutrients, this dish is perfect for any occasion. Serve as a meat-free dinner salad with warm, crusty wheat rolls. Try Our Honey Wheat Pan Rolls View Recipe 28 of 36 Chickpea Sandwich Filling This nifty mayo-dressed salad uses healthy and budget-friendly chickpeas instead of the traditional tuna, hard-cooked eggs or chicken. Try it in a sandwich or wrap or over a bed of greens. View Recipe 29 of 36 Quinoa Harvest Chili This hearty and uber-healthy vegetarian chili recipe comes from Brianne Jamerson of Indiana. If you'd prefer a looser texture, just add extra water or broth. Power-Packed Quinoa Recipes View Recipe 30 of 36 Mushroom-Lentil Meatless Shepherd's Pie Worcestershire sauce and mushrooms are rich in umami -- the savory flavor our brains associate with meat. We used both in our shepherd's pie, a low-fat, high-fiber, 'tater-topped casserole that delivers 100 percent of your daily comfort. 20 Recipes For Mushroom Lovers View Recipe 31 of 36 Quinoa Salad with Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Feta You could make a meal of this dish: caramelized zucchini, crunchy almonds, salty cheese and hearty quinoa, all dressed in honey-basil vinaigrette. View Recipe 32 of 36 Lentil and Rice Summer Salad This is a fab potluck salad. If you make it for dinner at home, try it topped with a salmon fillet or, for a vegetarian entree, served over spinach or other salad greens. (A word of warning: Don't substitute a different rice. Arborio, the type used in risotto, definitely works best.) The recipe comes from the blog A Couple Cooks. View Recipe 33 of 36 Quinoa with Summer Vegetables Almonds add a satisfying crunch to the mixture of zucchini, sweet peppers, green onions and quinoa. View Recipe 34 of 36 Chimichurri Quinoa and Corn Patties Fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro and oregano add zest to these healthy patties, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. View Recipe 35 of 36 Bean and Sweet Potato Patties with Lime-Jalapeno Cream Because canned beans can be mushy, pair them with crunchy ingredients. Our sweet potato, quinoa and pinto bean patties had plenty of smoky, garlicky flavor. But when we added walnuts and served them over crisp romaine, they soared. View Recipe 36 of 36 Honey-Soaked Quinoa Salad with Cherries & Cashews Fresh cherries or grapes, chopped cashews and sliced dried apricots add pops of flavor and color to this lovely gluten-free salad. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit