The best quick vegetarian meals at Trader Joe’s are the ones that start with one of the store’s classic dishes—like Cauliflower Gnocchi or Palak Paneer—and then you doctor up the product to make it better. More filling. More textural. More everything. (The best slow vegetarian meals would be just you, fresh ingredients, free time, and a good recipe.)
These are my tried-and-true, semi-homemade combinations—11 dinners that skip meat and fish, but wow, there is a lot of cheese. The good news is, if you’re vegan, Trader Joe’s has more dairy alternatives than ever. And for even more dinner ideas, check out: 10 Truly Easy Meals From Trader Joe’s.
Tarte aux Champignons + Avocado Ranch Salad
This French-accented flatbread is a delicate mushroom pizza in my eyes, and it only serves one unless you have a side or some other distraction—that’s where the Avocado Ranch Salad comes in. According to Trader Joe’s, this pizza has been stocked since 2006, which is, coincidentally, when I began shopping there, so it has a special place in my freezer (and heart, same thing). I think it’s held on because it uses just enough dairy (gooey Emmenthal, parm, and crème fraîche), has mushroom bits in nearly every bite, and a buttery crust holds up to it all.
Swaps for the salad kit: Any other salad (Lemony Arugula Basil Salad Kit!) will do.
Tofu + Gochujang Sauce + Shredded Cabbage + Fried Rice
Trader Joe’s Organic Firm Tofu is $1.49 and it lasts weeks in the fridge, so I always stock up for quick dinners. In the winter I smash and dry it, cut into squares, coat in cornstarch, and pan-fry ’til crispy. Often the next and final step is: chili crisp. But I like the balance of chile, sesame oil, and some mirin sweetness in this Gochujang Sauce. Give the crispy tofu a light toss in a few tablespoons of that, then serve with a combination of shredded cabbage and fried rice (sautéed in the same pan after you take the tofu out). In the summer, I marinate tofu in the gochujang sauce for a few hours and grill it.
Swaps for the fried rice and cabbage: Sliced Korean Rice Cake + Stir Fried Garlicky Cabbage (both in the frozen aisle).
Cauliflower Gnocchi + Power to the Greens
It’s an icon and I can’t deny it: That gooey Cauliflower Gnocchi makes a satisfying dinner if you throw in one more element to keep the monotony at bay. (Good advice for marriages and skin care routines too.) I throw in a whole bag of Power to the Greens (a mix of kale, chard, and spinach) because their name makes my biceps tingle, but do whatever you want. A spoonful of the Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto? Nice. But this is crucial: Do not cook the gnocchi per the bag’s “preferred” instructions for stovetop. Either toss in oil and air-fry at 400° for 15–20 minutes, or roast in the oven at 425° until crispy and browned. While it’s cooking, melt some butter, shred some parm, and sauté the greens. Then settle into the couch with your cauliflower throw pillows.
Swaps for the Cauliflower Gnocchi: Regular gnocchi, hello! There’s some in the frozen and pasta aisle of Trader Joe’s.
Hummus + Dolmas + Tempeh + Pickles + Spices
Enamored with Kendra Vaculin’s tempeh-pretending-to-be-merguez recipe, I make lazy hummus bowls for lunch using her template. I don’t have it in me to make homemade hummus, but I love crumbling the tempeh and frying it up with some spices (today I just did garlic salt, paprika, and Trader Joe’s Sriracha seasoning) and a handful of chopped red bell peppers if I have them. TJ’s tempeh contains big, bouncy soybeans, which give a pebbly texture. Then I add a few dolmas into the oil with the tempeh to heat them up for bonus points. Chop a single pickle spear for garnish and pizzazz.
Swaps for the tempeh: What would the TJ Soy Chorizo be like with jalapeño hummus and tortilla chips? I’m guessing good, but you find out first.
Green Onion Pancake + Eggs + Crunchy Chili
Somewhere in the blurry continuum of my ceaseless TikTok consumption, I came across a creator, Maxine Sharf, making a breakfast burrito with Trader Joe’s scallion pancake, eggs, and chili oil. Obviously this is a good idea. The scallion pancakes cook fast on the stovetop straight from frozen. Once it’s cooked, remove it from the pan, and crack in a couple scrambled eggs. Lay the pancake on top, flip the whole shebang, add some chili crisp, and roll it all up together. Along with the chili crisp, you could also add cheese (perhaps Unexpected Cheddar), sautéed veg (like mushrooms), and all your hopes and dreams.
Swap for the scallion pancake: Absolutely none.
Impossible Chicken Nuggets + Dill-icious Chopped Salad Kit
Nuggets are a need. Satisfy your needs. Trader Joe’s sells Impossible’s version because they couldn’t make a better one themselves, and they’re a damn near replica. Pair with the Dill-icious Salad—featuring dilly cucumber ranch and pickle-dusted kettle chips—or grab a bag of sweet potato waffle fries to hit it home.
Swap for the nuggets: I have an ongoing obsession with the Battered Plant-Based Fish Fillets, so crispy outside and creamy inside.
Palak Paneer + Tandoori Naan
What happened to the frozen paratha at Trader Joe’s? It was a superior product, as flaky as a croissant. I miss it, but the naan will do in a pinch (I slather it with butter because it can be dry when reheated). This is a meal that comes together in 5 minutes as the naan toasts and the paneer microwaves. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.
Swaps for the Palak Paneer: I find comfort in the spinachy Palak Paneer, but the saucy, gently spicy Paneer Tikka Masala comes with rice and I have friends who prefer that one.
Baked Potato With Pulled Jackfruit + Southwest Salad + Mexican-Style Cheese Blend + Sour Cream
Not one to eat a lot out of pouches, because they signal apocalypse to me, I was impressed with this jackfruit. It really did hit that shredded pulled barbecue note it was going for. Make a loaded baked potato with the jackfruit, some shredded cheese, and sour cream. The Southwest Salad works as a slaw-like side.
Swaps for the jackfruit: Speaking of pouches, I love the Dozen Cousins brand Mexican Cowboy Pinto Beans at Trader Joe’s (near the cans of soup and beans). There’s also a can of Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (inexplicably near the tinned fish and dolmas) that would work here too.
Tteok Bok Ki + Mushrooms + Egg + Scallions
My dinner last night: I simmered the rice cakes in their sauce for 12 minutes in one saucepan, while I browned mushrooms in another (this method changed my mushroom life—do not disturb them). After moving the shrooms to a plate, I added some cabbage to cook down and make this meal enough for two people. (The cabbage could be tofu, green beans, bok choy. The cabbage could not exist at all.) Toss everything in a bowl with some scallions, sesame seeds, and a raw egg yolk for extra gooeyness and protein, inspired by this legend.
Swaps for the mushrooms: Really? They’re the best. Any vegetable you want, babe.
Thai Wheat Noodles/Thai Vegetable Gyoza + Soyaki + Crunchy Chili + Broccoli
There’s a whole category of TikTok recipes with these chewy wonderful noodles. The formula I follow is: Stir-fry some vegetables with a spoonful of oil from the jar of Crunchy Chili Onion, add in the noodles and some water to help them unglue (covering the pan helps too), drop in a good splash of Soyaki, and toss around until everything’s coated and cooked, 2–3 minutes. In another mood, I add the gyoza to the pan instead of noodles and let them sit in the cooking oil to crisp up.
Flour Tortillas + Soy Chorizo + Mexican-Style Cheese Blend + Guacasalsa
I couldn’t make this list without Soy Chorizo, a meatless triumph in unfortunate packaging (you’ll see what I mean when you have to squeeze the intestine-like plastic bag). However, all is right in the universe when you’re having a quesadilla for dinner. You know how to do it. I grabbed this new Guacasalsa for kicks this week, and it’s got a lot (of lime) going for it, but any salsa will do. I also love the jarred salsa verde at TJ’s.
Swaps for the Soy Chorizo: A big handful of baby spinach, wilted in the pan before quesadilla-making. Or Trader Joe’s refried beans, which are a staple.