27 Vegetarian Easter Dinner Ideas for a Stunning Spread
With stunning sides and satisfying mains, spring is the season for plants to shine at your celebration.
Whether you're planning an all-out vegetarian Easter feast or simply sprinkling some meat-free options into your spread, we have many delicious dishes that'd be terrific additions to your holiday table. For an impressive main, our stately Timpano will make your guests swoon as you break through its crisp crust to reveal layers of tender pasta and cheesy roasted vegetables. Or try the stunning Savory Carrot Mochi with Pistachio Dukkah that features spring carrots prepared three ways. When it comes to sides, go for a seasonal salad like Strawberry Burrata, classic Scalloped Potatoes, or a gorgeous Root Vegetable Tian. Read on for these and even more vegetarian Easter dinner ideas to make your meal memorable.
Note: Some of these recipes include cheeses that are often made with animal rennet. If you prefer not to use that type of cheese, you can omit it or swap in a vegetarian-friendly substitute.
Spring Gem Salad with Soft Herbs and Labneh Toasts
Chef Nancy Silverton dresses asparagus, English peas, radishes, and sugar snap peas with a lemon vinaigrette, then offers toasts topped with labneh alongside, turning this ode to spring produce into a beautiful first course for Easter dinner.
Timpano
Carson Downing / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco
Layer pasta, tender roasted vegetables, and plenty of cheese in crispy dough to create this show-stopping vegetarian main course perfect for your Easter table. Feel free to swap in your favorite roasted or grilled seasonal vegetables.
White Asparagus Soup with Pickled Ramps and Hazelnuts
Winemaker and restaurateur André Mack's silky white asparagus soup is buttery and creamy with a mild sweetness from the asparagus and a touch of acidity from the pickled ramps that brighten the entire dish. Roasted hazelnuts and hazelnut oil lend a deliciously nutty body to the soup and make a beautiful garnish.
Strawberry Burrata Salad
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee
Creamy burrata is the centerpiece of this springtime salad of strawberries marinated in a honey and balsamic vinaigrette and served over arugula and basil leaves.
Mushroom Pot Pie
The deep woodsy flavor of fresh mushrooms is reinforced with dried porcini mushrooms in this meatless pot pie worthy of your Easter celebration.
Feta Gnocchi with Lemony Yogurt and Spring Peas
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Risha Carnes
By swapping out the classic potato for fluffy feta cheese, chef Cassie Piuma’s seasonal riff on the classic dish takes on a briny, salty flavor profile you never knew it desperately needed. Topped with crunchy fresh sugar and snap peas as well as a generous servings of crushed red pepper and dill, this spring gnocchi finds its home atop a bed of lemony, garlic-scented strained yogurt.
Savory Carrot Mochi with Pistachio Dukkah
Spring carrots are celebrated three ways in this recipe from 2021 F&W Best New Chef Gaby Maeda. She makes bouncy carrot mochi from scratch by combining fresh carrot puree with sweet rice flour, then fries them in butter for a crispy-chewy texture. Served alongside her pickled carrots, pistachio dukkah, and roasted carrots, the dish delivers color, texture, and flavor.
Creamy Polenta with Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Red Wine Ragout
Laced with ribbons of hearty greens, 2018 F&W Best New Chef Julia Sullivan's savory tomato ragout pops with bright flavor, the perfect accompaniment to a canvas of creamy polenta. The polenta is cooked with milk for a comforting vegetarian main. Garlic and basil punch up this modern classic.
Saucy White Beans and Greens on Toast
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Canned cannellini beans and Roman beans (also known as cranberry beans) are combined with spinach, jalapeño, cumin, and citrus, which meld together to create a fresh and bright flavor. The brothy beans are then spooned over slices of crispy toasted bread, making for a satisfying springtime meal.
Caramelized Onion and Bread Soup with Brûléed Blue Cheese
In this vegetarian version of classic French onion soup, blue cheese and oloroso sherry bring new layers of flavor and depth. Notes of toasted nuts and fruit compote in the sherry pair well with caramelized onions, and its briny acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese.
Spring Vegetable Paella
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This paella is the perfect way to welcome spring — with lots of green, seasonal vegetables and a recipe that works well to entertain a small group. Cooking it in the oven makes this paella relatively hands-off and easy on the cook. To make this vegetarian, simply add extra mushrooms in place of the sausage, omit the anchovy, and use vegetable stock.
Scalloped Potatoes
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco
Bake these rich, creamy potatoes until they're golden brown and sprinkle fresh chives on top to make an easy vegetarian Easter classic.
Roasted Baby Artichokes with Parsley and Mint
Removing the outer leaves and inner thistle of each baby artichoke reveals its lightly astringent, mildly sweet core, tender enough for quick cooking. Be careful to wash your cutting board and knife well after preparing the baby artichokes as they can leave behind a bitter residue.
Swiss Chard Torte with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Joseph Wanek
Italian cookery expert Marcella Hazan's rustic torte is packed with flavor from the mildly sweet Swiss chard paired with plump, fruity golden raisins for an unassuming, yet unexpected use of the leafy vegetable.
Root Vegetable Tian
The layered vegetables in this make-ahead tian are the perfect side for a colorful and delicious Easter spread. For the thinnest, most even slices, rely on a mandoline to cut the veggies.
Mafaldine with Pea Shoot—Meyer Lemon Pesto
Fresh pea shoots, parsley, and dill make a verdant pesto balanced with salty ricotta salata cheese and nutty roasted sunflower seed kernels. The bright sauce clings beautifully to ruffled mafaldine pasta, but any textured pasta shape will work well.
Farro Salad with Radishes, Snap Peas, Olives, and Pecorino
Farro has a sweet, earthy flavor and delightful chewy texture; it adds a wonderful hardiness to the fresh, crunchy vegetables and salty olives and cheese in this salad. If Meyer lemons aren't available in your area, use regular fresh lemon juice and increase the honey to balance the dressing.
Kale-Artichoke Stuffed Shells
Cannellini beans add hearty creaminess to these stuffed shells, while mild heat from Calabrian chiles and earthy sweetness from fennel seeds amp up jarred marinara sauce. Cook a few extra pasta shells to have on hand in case some tear during boiling.
Hot Honey–Carrot Flatbreads with Basil Chermoula
The chef of now-closed 232 Bleecker in New York City, Gramercy Tavern alumna Suzanne Cupps gives silky, sweet-spicy honey-glazed roasted carrots the main-dish treatment, serving them atop ricotta-smeared flatbread with a drizzle of bright basil chermoula.
Asparagus and Spring Onion Salad with Seven-Minute Eggs
Spring onions are the sweetest alliums of the year, and they play well in this salad with first-of-the-season asparagus and tender lettuces. Soy and ginger team up with sherry vinegar in the tangy dressing that's perfect with the rich, jammy egg yolks.
King Oyster Mushroom Steaks with Pesto and Almond Aillade
Chef Julia Sullivan employs a duo of cast-iron skillets to prepare the tender, crispy-edged mushroom steaks at Henrietta Red in Nashville; one for cooking the mushrooms, the other for pressing them flat so they cook evenly. Buttery roasted almonds balance the sharper notes of garlic and lemon in this rustic French sauce.
Roasted Broccoli Steaks with Tomato Butter and Tapenade
At his Philadelphia restaurant, chef Greg Vernick treats broccoli like a steak, roasting it at a high temperature on a preheated pan to achieve a lightly charred crust. Cooked on the same pan, umami-packed tomatoes blend up into a super-quick sauce enriched with just the right amount of butter.
Carrot Steaks with Roasted Garlic Hollandaise
Here, chef Kate Williams has shared an at-home riff of her carrot steaks using large carrots, balancing their natural sweetness with plenty of salt and lemon. The silky hollandaise drizzle comes together easily using a blender, which virtually guarantees an effortless sauce.
Shaking Tofu
After a lightning-fast sizzle in your wok or skillet, crispy tofu is enrobed in a savory-sweet sesame-scented sauce, which gets tossed with a fresh salad of watercress, thinly sliced onion, and herbs. The result is bite after beautiful bite of peppery, just-wilted greens, fragrant herbs, and of course, irresistibly crispy-chewy tofu.
Risotto with Parsley Puree and Caramelized Garlic
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Pureed parsley, goat cheese, and Parmesan offer an herbaceous yet creamy riff on classic risotto. To preserve the parsley's bright color, blanch and shock the greens before pureeing and adding them to the hot rice.
Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms
Roasted asparagus and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms go with any Easter dish. The vegetables roast first in olive oil then finish in butter for an extra dimension of flavor and a nice sheen. A drizzle of syrupy aged balsamic balances the earthiness of the mushrooms and slight char on the asparagus.
Leek and Mushroom Croquettes
Chef Jerry Traunfeld serves these creamy-centered croquettes in walnut-size balls, but they can also be made larger for a vegetarian main course.
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