21 Simple & Satisfying Vegetarian Dinners

What's for dinner?! What about something vegetarian tonight? We've got an easy chickpea curry, eggplant parmesan, and noodles galore.

By
Carrie Havranek
Carrie Havranek
Carrie Havranek
Carrie has 10+ years experience as a food writer, editor, and recipe developer. She is the author of Tasting Pennsylvania and a contributor to Simply Recipes since 2017.
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Updated October 26, 2022
Carrie Havranek
Vegetarian Dinners

What’s for dinner? The question never stops being asked or needing to be answered!

If you’re a vegetarian, or just really like eating that way often (like I do), it can be especially easy to fall into the same defaults: breakfast-for-dinner, soup, pasta, tacos.

Many of the recipes below do align with those fallback meals—nothing wrong with what works!—but these recipes are also creative and different enough to break you out of whatever rut you might be in. We've also thrown in a few additional vegetarian recipes that maybe you haven't thought of yet!

Vegetables add dimension and flavor to any recipe, so what's not to love? Let's get excited about veggies in our dinner tonight!

Robin Shreeves joins Carrie Havranek in compiling this list.

  • Texas Stacked Enchiladas with Corn and Black Beans

    Vegetarian Stacked Enchiladas
    Sally Vargas

    Think of these as quicker, deconstructed enchiladas—ones that come together super fast. CH

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  • Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

    Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
    Elise Bauer

    A vegan curry with chickpeas and cauliflower comes to life with the addition of cilantro—don’t skip it. It brightens all the flavors. CH

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  • Easy Sheet Pan Vegan Burritos

    Easy Sheet Pan Vegan Burritos (Cross Section Cut)

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    Roast most of the filling for these hearty burritos—sweet potatoes, red onion, jalapeños, chickpeas, walnuts, and spinach—together on one sheet pan. Then stuff them into a tortilla with rice and avocado. If you don't want to be full-on vegan, add some sour cream or grated cheese to the mix. RS

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  • Easy Greek Salad

    Easy Greek Salad tossed with greek salad dressing in a bowl
    Elise Bauer

    A Greek salad typically contains so many good-for-you ingredients—tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, peppers, and olives for starters—that you’re bound to feel full afterward. Add a wedge of whole grain bread, mix in some cooked grains, or top with a poached egg if you'd like a little more to your meal! CH

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    Continue to 5 of 21 below.

  • Roasted Corn, Tomato, and Zucchini Tart

    Roasted Corn, Tomato, and Zucchini Tart Cut into Slices

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    Puff pastry topped with summer's bounty is an ideal meal when vegetables are in at their peak freshness. The veggies are first roasted, then scattered on top of defrosted puff pastry with goat cheese. Bake and devour. RS

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  • Vegetarian Biscuits and Gravy

    Vegetarian biscuits and gravy on a white plate.

    Simply Recipes / Wanda Abraham

    Creamy, warm, comforting vegetarian biscuits and gravy swap out the traditional sausage for mushrooms. The biscuit recipe is simple to make and while the biscuits are baking, the gravy comes together quickly. RS

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  • Eggplant Parmesan

    Baked eggplant parmesan in a casserole dish.
    Ciara Kehoe

    This dish is a classic vegetarian alternative to chicken parm. With a little hands-off prep time—sliced eggplant needs some time to release its moisture—and baking the breaded slices instead of frying, you’ll have a delicious result. CH

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  • Easy Tabbouleh

    Side view of a tabbouleh salad in a tan bowl.
    Lori Rice

    This traditional Middle Eastern-inspired grain salad is easy to make, filling, and full of flavor. Cook bulgur wheat in vegetarian stock as the base. Top with tomatoes, scallions, lots of parsley, mint, and plenty of healthy olive oil. You're done! Feel free to customize with added cucumber or a sprinkling of feta cheese. RS

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    Continue to 9 of 21 below.

  • Veggie Tacos

    Three veggie tacos on a table with vegetables spilling out of the tortillas.
    Sally Vargas

    Mexican fare definitely lends itself easily to vegetarian meals, and these tacos are loaded with onions, zucchini, green chiles, and, of course, cheese! CH

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  • Easy Tomato Soup

    homemade tomato soup in a bowl with crusty bread
    Alison Bickle

    True, tomato soup on its own isn't a meal, but it's half of one of everyone's favorite quick weeknight comfort dinner—grilled cheese and tomato soup. The recipe makes 8 servings and is easy to freeze so you can get more than one meal out of it. Bonus: it doesn't contain the sodium bomb that a can of tomato soup often does. RS

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  • Asparagus Frittata

    Asparagus Frittata
    Elise Bauer

    Eggs for dinner—always a winner! The best part? The bubbled browned top that comes from sliding the frittata under the broiler in the last few minutes. CH

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  • Sheet Pan Ratatouille

    Sheet Pan Ratatouille in a Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    For such a simple dish, ratatouille can be intimidating when you see photos of thinly sliced vegetables arranged in a perfect spiral. Traditionally, the dish wasn't so picture perfect, and our more traditional version has all the flavor without the flare. The vegetables roast up on a sheet pan, all willy-nilly like, and that's good enough for us. RS

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    Continue to 13 of 21 below.

  • Classic Pasta Primavera

    Classic Pasta Primavera
    Elise Bauer

    Pasta is endlessly adaptable, and it doesn’t need to be springtime—that’s what primavera means—for you to enjoy this dish. It's loaded with broccoli, asparagus, snow peas, and more, but swap in whatever vegetables suit your fancy! CH

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  • Easy Enchiladas

    cheese enchiladas on plate with salad
    Elise Bauer

    Cheese enchiladas couldn't be easier. Soften corn tortillas, pile on jack cheese, and roll the tortillas. Once you put them in a casserole dish, all you do is top with tomato and green chile sauce and add a little more cheese. Bake and you have dinner. RS

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  • Sheet Pan Fried Rice

    Sheet Pan Fried Rice in a Bowl with More in a Small Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    Fried rice without a wok? Give it a try. You won't be disappointed. Roast cooked rice and veggies on one sheet pan. Roast tofu on another. Combine and drizzle with a tahini/gochujang mixture. RS

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  • Mushroom Polenta

    Sautéed mushrooms over polenta in white bowl for serving.
    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel.

    Quick cooking instant polenta is the key to making this savory, satisfying meatless meal quickly. Top cheesy polenta with sautéed mushrooms, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs. RS

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    Continue to 17 of 21 below.

  • Weeknight Pasta with Zucchini, Eggplant, and Peppers

    Pasta Primavera with eggplant, peppers and other vegetables in bowl
    Elise Bauer

    There's more than one way to make pasta primavera. This version combines fusilli pasta with sautéed fresh seasonal vegetables and a quick marinara sauce. Perfect for busy weeknights. RS

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  • Plantain Frittata

    Plantain Frittata with a Serving Cut Out in Cast Iron Skillet Surrounded by Rosemary and Kitchen Towel

    Nancy Odogwu / Simply Recipes

    Plantains, not potatoes, form the base for this frittata. Bell pepper, tomatoes, scallions, spinach, rosemary, and chile flakes add heaps of flavor and nutrition. RS

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  • Kale, Mushroom, and Cheddar Bake

    Kale Mushroom Cheddar Bake
    Elise Bauer

    A satisfying, savory casserole, this dish is full of chopped fresh kale, mushroom, and onions. Topped with ciabatta bread slices and cheddar cheese, it's a delicious dinner but also works for breakfast or lunch. RS

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  • Sesame Soba Noodles

    Sesame Soba Noodles Garnished with Spring Onions in a Bowl with Wooden Spoons Next to Plate with Spring Onions and Seasoning

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    A hugely appealing pile of noodles you can literally put together in 20 minutes. Whisk the dressing as the noodles boil, and flesh it all out with a fried egg on top and crisp, sliced cucumber on the side. SB

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    Continue to 21 of 21 below.

  • Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

    vegetarian shepherds pie in a casserole dish with individual plates on the side
    Sally Vargas

    Comfort food goes veggie. Mushrooms create meatiness. Add in carrots, peas, green beans, and a creamy sauce, top it all with cheesy mashed potatoes, and bake. You'll never miss the meat. RS

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