These easy vegetarian recipes for beginners are delicious ideas every meal! Find vegetarian recipes for plant based dinner, breakfast, lunch and snacks.
Looking to find ways to eat more vegetables? Us too. In fact, it’s the reason we started this website! We’re two vegetarian cookbook authors who fell in love with the deliciousness of plant-packed meals.
So here’s our list of favorite easy vegetarian recipes for beginners. Some are easy vegetarian dinner ideas, some are breakfast essentials, and some are cookies because: why not?
Most are dinner recipes since, but we threw in some lunch ideas and breakfast recipes too. Here we go.
Easy Vegetarian Recipes
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
This eggplant rollatini recipe is a hearty Italian style dinner everyone will love! Bake the veggie stuffed with a three-cheese filling.
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggplants (about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds), enough for about 20 slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes**
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided, plus more for topping
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- Fresh basil, to serve (optional
Instructions
- Slice the ends off eggplant, then slice it lengthwise into 3/8” thick planks (you’ll have about 20 total). Place them on a baking sheet, then brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place one sheet in the oven and broil 4 to 6 minutes until tender and mostly cooked through. Then broil in separate batches until all eggplant planks are cooked.*
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until translucent and fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer until making the eggplant rolls.
- In a medium bowl, mix the filling ingredients: the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, oregano, nutmeg, chopped parsley, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Spread some of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add 1 tablespoon filling to one end of each eggplant slice and roll up. Place it in the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with all eggplant slices. Top the rolled eggplant with a line of tomato sauce, then additional mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes until cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving (this helps the texture to set and extra moisture to be absorbed). Top with fresh basil or additional chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
*If you prefer, you can also bake the eggplant on two trays at 425°F for 10 to 15 minutes until tender and mostly cooked through, checking the tenderness with a fork during the bake time.
**If desired, you can substitute 28-ounces high-quality jarred marinara to speed up prep time.
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And now…our top easy vegetarian recipes!
There’s no such thing as too many easy vegetarian dinner ideas, so here's another favorite: these incredible sheet pan fajitas! Everyone loves this meal, even meat eaters. It’s a great way to make a fun healthy dinner where no one notices there’s no meat! Roast up lots of veggies on a sheet pan with spices, and serve with refried beans and a fast and easy homemade guacamole.
Also try: Vegetarian Fajitas or Classic Fajita Veggies
With all of our vegetarian recipes for beginners, we try to make them so delicious that you feel totally satisfied without meat. This is the case with our chickpea curry! It's seriously flavorful, filled with ginger, garlic, cumin and curry powder, with a little coconut milk swirled in to make it creamy. It’s one of our top vegetarian dinner recipes that we recommend for getting your feet wet in plant based cooking.
Meet our favorite vegetarian and vegan dinner recipe: the Falafel Burger! We don’t always have the energy to fry up a batch of authentic falafel. So eating it in burger form is the next best thing! These are easy to make with canned chickpeas. The combination of a cumin and coriander-scented chickpea patty with cool cucumber sauce and all the fixin’s is pretty darn epic. It’s a healthy vegetarian and vegan dinner recipe that everyone loves.
Here’s a delightful Italian vegetarian recipe that makes dinnertime more special: Eggplant Rollatini! It’s like a combination of eggplant Parmesan and lasagna roll ups. Tender strips of eggplant are wrapped around a creamy three-cheese filling, then baked in homemade tomato sauce and more cheese.
Here’s a recipe that’s simple, hearty and pleases a crowd: this easy Stuffed Shells recipe! Stuff pasta shells with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and spinach, then bake them up in a bath of garlicky tomato sauce. It makes your kitchen smell heavenly, and the first bite into one of those jumbo shells confirms it’s just as tasty as the smell.
What's a more classic Italian vegetarian recipe than pizza margherita? Here's how to make that famous pie at home, with a flavor-popping pizza sauce and this easy pizza dough recipe (that you can use for any topping).
Here's a fun vegetarian recipe: crispy tofu! It’s easy to make and comes out perfectly seasoned, with extra crunchy edges and a tender interior. There’s no need to even press the tofu! It’s actually pretty amazing that it can go from a tasteless blob to meaty, savory cubes in just 20 minutes.
This mac and cheese recipe is all about balance: it’s got big flavor, a bit less cheese per serving than the standard recipe, and it’s loaded with broccoli for a dose of nutrients and fiber! What’s not to love? This one’s on our regular rotation.
Looking for fresh vegetarian dinner recipes? Try this Mediterranean Bowl, bursting with colorful veggies! It’s a simple “meal in a bowl” that stars spiced roasted vegetables, seasoned with an irresistible mix of cumin, coriander, garlic and a hint of cinnamon. Add to that quinoa or couscous, fresh cucumber and tomato, and top it all off with a creamy lemon tahini sauce.
Next up in our easy vegetarian recipes for beginners: tortilla soup! Instead of simmering for hours, you can get big flavor in just over 30 minutes. The secret here is adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chilis: it brings in a smoky flavor without adding too much heat! Topped with homemade crunchy tortilla strips, you won’t be able to stop eating it.
Need a fresh vegetarian dinner idea or crowd-pleasing appetizer? Try this lettuce wraps recipe! We’ll admit, the concept doesn’t always sound, well…satiating. But these lettuce wraps are next level! The punchy, savory filling is infused with hoisin, soy sauce and rice vinegar, mixing savory tofu with cashews and green onions.
What’s more fun than a classic lasagna? Whip up a pan of Lasagna Roll Ups! This unique spin on the iconic Italian dish is a fun way to put a spin on dinner. This recipe features a comforting vegetarian filling of spinach, basil and ricotta, topped with a garlicky easy homemade tomato sauce.
It can be hard to find a vegetarian dinner idea that works for everyone, and here’s one we fall back on time and time again: the Loaded Baked Potato! Mix and match any variety of baked potato toppings and you’ve got a delicious dinner that works for almost any diet. We recently did this when we were feeding a crowd (my family in town for a visit) and everyone loved it! There are endless ideas for customizing the meal and it lets every eater get creative.
Need dinnertime inspiration? Cozy up to a bowl of these creamy, zingy peanut noodles! This is one of our favorite fresh, easy dinner recipes and it comes together in less than 30 minutes. The peanut butter sauce is lusciously creamy, bursting with flavor from soy sauce, fresh lime juice and honey or maple syrup. Mix it together with luscious noodle strands and crunchy veggies and top with loads of fresh cilantro and crunchy peanuts.
Looking for a vegetarian pasta recipe to impress? Try the signature Italian dish Pasta alla Norma! This impressive recipe hails from Sicily and like any classic Italian dish, it’s all about elegant simplicity. Sauteed eggplant tastes savory and meaty against a tangy tomato sauce, al dente pasta and salty ricotta salata cheese. The combination of flavors and textures is a true masterpiece!
Another fast and easy dinner recipe for your arsenal: 5 minute tacos! Yes, it's possible to make tacos in about 5 minutes. You'll love the chorizo egg filling, made of scramble eggs that taste meaty and satisfying. Top with salsa and hot sauce, it's seriously simple. It’s one of our go to’s for quick weeknights, and one of our favorite easy vegetarian recipes for beginners.
Here’s an incredible vegetarian recipe that’s impressive every time: these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas! This fan favorite always gets top marks from readers. Tender sweet potatoes are the perfect contrast to savory black beans and tangy salsa verde. Top it off with Colby cheese, it’s the best gooey comfort food around. This one will please everyone: we guarantee it.
Want to make pizza that feeds a crowd? Let’s make Sheet Pan Pizza! This style of pizza is a bit different than the standard circular variety, but it’s become an instant favorite around here. Why? It makes a big pan the equivalent of 3 medium pizzas, and it’s so easy to make! You don’t need any special equipment, and you don’t have to bother with shaping the dough.
Introducing our new favorite easy vegetarian spin on chili…this Black Bean Chili recipe! It’s beyond simple to make, and the flavor is outstanding. (We hope you’ll agree.) It’s got a hint of smokiness to highlight the tangy tomatoes and savory black beans. Top it with your favorite toppings, and it’s so hearty and savory, you’ll forget it’s healthy, too.
Meet the best vegetarian lasagna! The tomato sauce has just the right zing and garlic nuance, and the spinach ricotta cheese filling is classic and creamy. It’s scented with fresh thyme and a little lemon zest, which takes it to over the top status. There’s no one who will turn down a piece! At least, who we’ve met.
So here’s one to file under easy vegetarian dinnertime basics: this easy rice bowl! This 30 minute vegetarian dinner features these easy black beans, a trick to make a bland can of beans taste amazing in 5 minutes. Pair it with rice and colorful veggies. The kicker? A zingy cilantro lime ranch that you’ll want to bathe in. These were so tasty and easy, we knew we had to share (we simply inhaled them).
Dinnertime just got easier. This vegan fettuccine alfredo is a winner with everyone from kids to meat lovers: it’s just that good! The impossibly creamy sauce is a healthy spin on the traditionally rich pasta. It’s made with nutrient-dense cauliflower and protein-packed cashews instead of dairy. Make it with any type of noodle you choose (legume noodles, zoodles, etc) and it’s an easy 30-minute plant based dinner.
Here’s a go-to when you need a plant based dinner that’s protein-packed: this Vegetarian Meatballs recipe! Now, there are two problems with most meatless meatballs recipes. Vegan meatballs take a long time to make, and many recipes don’t have much protein. This meatless meatballs recipe solves both problems. This recipe takes under 30 minutes to make, and it’s packed with protein!
Enchiladas are one of our favorite dinner recipes around here. But they can take a while to prep for a weeknight. Here’s a new recipe we designed to work in 30 minutes flat: these easy Vegetarian Enchiladas! The filling takes no time to whip up: it’s just spiced pinto beans and spices. Roll ’em up, bake until golden and cheesy, and load with all your favorite toppings. These are so quick, we’ve ditched our other favorite recipes for this one (oops!).
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