47 Vegetarian Recipes That Are Substantial and Satisfying
Gone are the days when all vegetarian recipes felt like side dishes, intended to be supporting players to the table’s meatier stars. These days, we’re looking for vegetarian meals that are filling and flavorful. Dishes that can hold their own on a plate. So while mac and cheese or mushroom quesadillas and a pile of greens are great meatless meal options some of the time, we’re thinking bigger: spicy noodles with crispy cashews, black bean smash burgers, a vegetarian riff on a classic steak dish.
Meat? Who needs it! Let earthy legumes, hearty mushrooms, and tender (or crispy!) tofu lead the meal for a change. These vegetarian recipes prove that eating plant-based well beyond Monday isn’t so hard—and it’s definitely delicious.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen1/47Smoky Brown-Butter Pasta
Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Cyd McDowell. Prop Styling by Paige Hicks2/47Spicy Skillet Lasagna With Ricotta and Spinach
There’s no baking dish here. No sheet pan either. This lasagna is made in a cast-iron skillet. The method ensures every serving is crispy and cheesy. You know what that means? There’s also no fighting for corner slices.
Photograph by Doan Ly, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Christina Allen3/47Pumpkin Lasagna Roll-Ups
Think beyond pumpkin pie: This cozy pumpkin pasta, which takes far less effort than classic lasagna, is another way to use up that canned pumpkin.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling Christine Keely4/47Green Pasta e Fagioli
Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'Myrtrek Brown5/47Pasta With Lentils and Mushrooms
Not all vegetarian recipes can satisfy you on your hangriest night. Not all pasta recipes allow you to cook the pasta right in its own sauce. This genius vegetarian dinner idea starring lentils and deeply browned mushrooms does both.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie6/47Baked Tomato Feta Pasta
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon7/47Gnocchi Piccata
Picture all the punchy, savory flavors of chicken piccata, but instead of chicken, you’ll use plump, tender potato gnocchi to make this a vegetarian dinner.
Photo by Christian Harder9/47Crispy Gnocchi Caprese
This winner from Alexis deBoschnek’s latest cookbook, Nights and Weekends, is all about the texture: Roasted store-bought gnocchi gets crackly on the outside, pillowy on the inside, and comes together in less than 20 minutes.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley10/47Sheet-Pan Pierogies and Beets
Store-bought pierogies roast alongside earthy beets until tender in this simple sheet pan meal. No time to make poppyseed dressing? Just shower on some Everything Bagel Seasoning.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Lillian Chou, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams12/47Spicy Cashew Scallion Noodles
Photo by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Christina Allen13/47Green Curry Lentils and Pasta
