45 Easy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes For A Balanced Diet

Whether you’re a seasoned vegetarian or exploring plant-based options, having various easy dinner ideas will keep your meals nutritious and exciting. Incorporating delicious and protein–rich dishes is essential for maintaining a balanced diet while enjoying these meatless meals. From hearty legumes and tofu recipes to nutrient-dense grains and creative vegetable dishes, these meals satisfy your hunger and delight your taste buds. Whether you’re cooking for yourself and your family or hosting guests, these recipes will inspire you to enjoy healthy vegetarian dinners every night of the week. It’s an easy 15-minute vegetarian dinner idea with an irresistibly creamy and smooth sauce and sautéed mushrooms.

2. Zucchini pasta

Learn how to make delicious pasta with zucchini with simple ingredients, such as grated zucchini, with almost no effort. You will love this 20–minute vegetarian pasta, which can be made in one pot.

3. Pasta Pomodoro

Try this basil and tomato spaghetti if you like Italian flavors. In 20 minutes flat and with simple ingredients, you can prepare a rich and authentic vegetarian pasta dish that will leave everyone begging for more.

4. Broccoli pasta

For a quick vegetarian dinner idea, try this garlic and broccoli pasta, which you can make in 20 minutes with simple ingredients. This creamy pasta is a quick and delicious meal where tender broccoli turns into a rich, velvety sauce that will satisfy the whole family. You can make this delicious dinner idea with simple ingredients in about 20 minutes.

6. Mushroom Ragu

Mushroom Bolognese is a delicious vegetarian dinner recipe with grated button mushrooms in a rich tomato sauce. Mixed with fettuccine pasta, you will enjoy a quick and nutritious meal in about 30 minutes.

7. Easy pasta salad

Chickpea pasta salad is tasty, easy, and nutritious. It’s perfect for those who want something healthy and satiating but don’t have much time to cook. It’s packed with crunchy veggies, a delicious mustard dressing, and plenty of fiber and protein.

8. Red pepper pasta

This red pepper pasta is super simple and with a few pantry ingredients. You can make it with minimal effort for an everyday vegetarian dinner. It’s also creamy, nutritious, and delicious – and ready in just 20 minutes. It’s a flavorful, hearty, protein-rich sauce that pairs perfectly with spaghetti, fettuccine, gnocchi, or lasagna.

10. Pasta e Fagioli

You can make this Italian favorite, pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans), in about 30 minutes. It’s a wholesome meatless dinner with beans, ditalini pasta, and a rich tomato sauce.

11. Cherry tomato pasta

Cherry tomato pasta is quick, creamy, tasty, and simple, so you can make it any day of the week with minimal effort. This vegetarian pasta is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and is ready in 25 minutes.

Vegetarian soup recipes

12. Tuscan bean soup

This Tuscan bean soup is perfect for meal prep and a freezer–friendly meal. You can expect a wholesome and comforting meal to feed your whole family, excellent for cold winter days and weeknight dinners.

13. Cauliflower soup

Roasted cauliflower soup is nutty, cheesy, delicious, and ready in about 30 minutes. It’s an easy vegetarian recipe you can make with a few simple ingredients and a blender. Roast the butternut in the oven with garlic, onion, and herbs, then blend it. In about 30 minutes, you’ll have a homemade velvety, creamy soup.

15. Broccoli soup

With only seven ingredients and in about 30 minutes, you can make the best broccoli soup you’ve ever had from scratch. Try it with homemade croutons or garlic bread for a starter or light dinner idea.

16. Tofu soup

This tofu soup is quick, vegetable–packed, Asian–inspired, and straightforward. You can make it in 20 minutes with simple ingredients and seasonal veggies any time of the year.

17. Lentil soup

This lentil soup is perfect for everyday dinner and make-ahead meals, as it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. Serve this lentil recipe with crostini for a complete and wholesome vegetarian dinner. Homemade chickpea soup with potatoes is a wholesome dinner idea, ready in 30 minutes.

19. Minestrone

Minestrone with beans, topped with basil pesto, offers a hearty and nutritious vegetarian dinner option. The soup’s mix of vegetables and beans provides ample fiber and protein, while the vibrant pesto adds Italian flavor.

20. Lentil curry soup

Lentil curry soup combines the earthy warmth of lentils with aromatic spices for a satisfying vegetarian meal. Quick to prepare and packed with protein, this one–pot dish is nourishing, convenient, and easily customized with various vegetables and served over rice.

Vegetarian dinner salads

21. Chickpea salad

This chickpea salad is a quick, tasty, nutritious vegetarian dinner and lunch recipe. Make it in 15 minutes with simple, fresh ingredients and a creamy mustard dressing. It’s excellent with warm pita bread and a thick and creamy yogurt tahini sauce and served next to a spread of hummus, baba ganoush, or muhammara.

26. Moroccan carrot salad

Protein-rich vegetarian mains

40. Buddha bowl

Quinoa salad is an excellent main course for a quick lunch or healthy vegetarian dinner.

23. Lentil salad

This lentil salad is a quick and healthy vegetarian dinner that you can have for lunch or bring to potlucks and picnics. This is one of our favorite ways of eating lentils; we are sure you’ll love it, too.

24. Black bean salad

This black bean salad with roasted sweet potatoes, creamy avocado, and a cilantro lime dressing is perfect for eating salad for dinner. You can enjoy a colorful dinner with plenty of veggies, Mexican–inspired flavors, and a side of quinoa or couscous.

25. Pearl couscous salad

Here, we show you how to cook Israeli couscous and transform it into a tasty and colorful Mediterranean dinner. You’ll love pearl couscous because it cooks quickly—about 7 minutes in boiling water or vegetable broth—and has a slightly chewy and satisfying texture. Serve with white rice or a side of hummus, Naan bread or pita bread for a complete and wholesome dinner.

27. Creamy cauliflower salad

Roasted cauliflower salad is a creamy and delicious dish you can make with little effort and simple ingredients. Add chickpeas, serve with bread, and drizzle with tahini sauce for a wholesome salad dinner.

28. Italian rice salad

This rice salad is adapted from the Italian rice salad. It’s the perfect summer dish, easy to prepare in advance, and great for picnics outdoors. It’s a vegetarian salad with plenty of wholesome vegetarian protein.

29. Couscous salad

Meat-free but super fulfilling, this couscous salad is a delicious way of enjoying couscous. You can make this Mediterranean recipe in less than 30 minutes with seasonal veggies and herbs.

30. Farro salad with chickpeas

This farro salad is a wholesome grain bowl with fresh veggies and chickpeas. It is a great make-ahead recipe that you can have as a quick and nutritious lunch or as a light vegetarian dinner. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, especially if served with our creamy mushroom gravy.

32. Stuffed bell peppers

Mediterranean flavors inspire our stuffed pepper recipe. It’s straightforward to make with simple pantry staples like rice, lentils, and herbs. These vegetarian peppers are excellent as a main dish, side dish, and meal prep.

33. Tofu stir fry

This Chinese-inspired stir fry dish can be made in less than 30 minutes and provides plenty of plant-based protein, nuts, and fresh veggies. We use the Chao stir fry method for our tofu recipe and add a quick and tasty sauce to coat the tofu and the veggies, making them delicious.

34. Lentil patties

Lentil patties are a quick, easy, and tasty vegetarian main dish that can be made in less than 30 minutes. This dish, with its cooked lentils, spices, fresh herbs, and garlic, is Mediterranean-inspired. You’ll love its flavor.

35. Mujadara

Mujadara is a comforting and delicious way to begin if you are new to vegetarian dinners and ingredients. It’s a beautiful lentil and rice dish from the Middle East. Mujadara features boiled lentils and rice flavored with warm spices, caramelized onions, and fresh herbs.

36. Eggplant Parmigiana

Italian Eggplant Parmigiana is one of the tastiest eggplant dishes ever. Few people will dispute that once they try this vegetarian dish. Its rich tomato flavor and endlessly tender eggplant perfectly match this favorite dinner idea.

37. Black bean burger

Black bean burger is a tasty vegetarian recipe packed with a bold and rich flavor even meat eaters will love. They are rich in wholesome protein and healthy fiber, and they’ll make you feel great.

38. Chickpea curry

Making this creamy and Indian–spiced chickpea curry with spinach is easy. Here, we’ll show you how to combine this meal in less than 30 minutes and make the best everyday curry recipe.

39. Tomato risotto

Tomato risotto is the perfect recipe for a delicious and fulfilling family dinner. Luckily, it is also naturally vegetarian, and the flavors will remind you of a good marinara sauce. Kids will love this recipe, and picky eaters will devour it straight from the pan. Brown rice, avocado, red cabbage, grilled tofu, and mango are some fresh ingredients we pair with a creamy peanut sauce.

41. Lentil curry

Lentil curry with red lentils is an easy, tasty, and nourishing vegetarian meal that takes about 30 minutes to prepare. Our recipe is simple yet satisfying, flavorful, and perfect for meal prepping.

42. Sweet potato gnocchi

This simple and tasty gnocchi recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare. It’s a family–friendly pasta that kids and adults can help shape in the kitchen.

43. Zucchini boats

These zucchini boats are nutritious, flavor-rich, and packed with wholesome plant-based protein. Serve them with rice, bread, or potatoes for a satiating vegetarian dinner idea.

44. Vegetarian meatballs

With these marinara sauce-covered tofu meatballs, you can have meatballs without the meat. This recipe is quick and easy to make with straightforward ingredients. It’s cozy, delicious, and satisfying.

45. Stuffed zucchini

Stuffed zucchini can be cooked in the oven or an air fryer and served as a main course or a side dish for a lovely vegetarian dinner. Their comforting Italian-inspired flavors make them a crowd-pleaser.

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Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients. Easy right? Comment * Name Email Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me when Louise or Nico reply to my comment.

Δ Sure! You would just click the title of each recipe (each title represent a link, and will bring you directly to that recipe) 🙂 Thanks for being here, and happy cooking! Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.