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.

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

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

Get Recipe: Stacked Enchiladas with Corn and Black Beans

Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

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

Get Recipe: Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

Vegetarian Sheet Pan Burritos

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

Get Recipe: Vegetarian Sheet Pan Burritos

Easy Greek Salad

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

Get Recipe: Easy Greek Salad

Roasted Corn, Tomato, and Zucchini Tart

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

Get Recipe: Roasted Corn, Tomato, and Zucchini Tart

Vegetarian Biscuits and Gravy

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

Get Recipe: Vegetarian Biscuits and Gravy

Eggplant Parmesan

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

Get Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

Easy Tabbouleh

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

Get Recipe: Easy Tabbouleh

Veggie Tacos

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

Get Recipe: Summer Veggie Tacos

Easy Tomato Soup

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

Get Recipe: Easy Tomato Soup

Asparagus Frittata

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

Get Recipe: Asparagus Frittata

Sheet Pan Ratatouille

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

Get Recipe: Sheet Pan Ratatouille

Classic Pasta Primavera

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

Get Recipe: Classic Pasta Primavera

Easy Enchiladas

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

Get Recipe: Easy Enchiladas

Sheet Pan Fried Rice

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

Get Recipe: Sheet Pan Fried Rice

Mushroom Polenta

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

Get Recipe: Mushroom Polenta

Weeknight Pasta with Zucchini, Eggplant, and Peppers

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

Get Recipe: Weeknight Pasta with Zucchini, Eggplant, and Peppers

Plantain Frittata

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

Get Recipe: Plantain Frittata

Kale, Mushroom, and Cheddar Bake

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

Get Recipe: Kale, Mushroom, and Cheddar Bake

Sesame Soba Noodles

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

Get Recipe: Sesame Soba Noodles

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

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

Get Recipe: Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.