30 Enticing Vegetable Entrées
No matter what season or night of the week it is, whether you're entertaining or cooking for yourself, there's a vegetable entrée sure to check all the right boxes. Perhaps you're looking to reduce your meat intake, or maybe you just want to make the best use of peak produce — whatever the case may be, we've put together this collection of vegetable main courses to give you some ideas. Choose from charred cauliflower tacos with fresh romesco salsa, broccoli that's given the steak treatment, maple-tinged root vegetable stir-fry, and many more veggie-centric mains.
Roasted Vegetable Grain Bowl with Chickpeas and Tahini-Ginger Dressing
This grain bowl is a choose-your-own-adventure delight. Sub in any grain, protein, or leafy green you have on hand — no matter what you choose, the deliciously easy sesame-based dressing will tie it all together. For a vegan version of the dish, skip the egg and up your protein with a larger serving of the broccoli/chickpea mixture.
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.
Charred Cauliflower Tacos with Romesco Salsa
A smoky, mildly-spicy romesco salsa seeps into the filling of charred cauliflower florets in this well-balanced vegetarian taco from Nixta Taqueria in Austin, Texas, a 2020 Food & Wine Best New Restaurant.
Sheet Pan Eggplant Parmesan
A quick broil followed by a longer bake makes this no-fry recipe hands-off enough to put together on a Tuesday, with results delicious enough for a weekend dinner party. Be sure to let the eggplant drain to achieve the best charred eggplant texture.
Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers with Pomegranate-Tahini Sauce
Pomegranate molasses is the secret ingredient in this simple marinade. Its punchy, sweet, earthy notes add long-cooked depth of flavor to cheese and vegetable skewers in just 30 minutes of marination, with pleasantly bitter tahini rounding things out. The pomegranate-tahini marinade goes the extra mile as a final drizzle for the skewers; thinned with fresh orange juice, it supplies the perfect sweet-savory finish to the dish.
Creamy Polenta with Burst Cherry Tomato and Red Wine Ragout
Laced with ribbons of hearty greens, 2018 F&W Best New Chef Julia Sullivan's savory garden 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; it's an easy addition to your weeknight rotation.
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 the paella in the oven makes this dish relatively hands-off, and easy on the cook. If you’d like to make this vegetarian, simply add extra mushrooms in place of the sausage, omit the anchovy, and use vegetable stock.
Kerala-Style Vegetable Coconut Curry
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Jes Thomas’ Kerala-style vegetable curry was inspired by one her aunt Leelamma made, and is pure comfort — a delicious, warming addition to your cold season repertoire. It starts with an aromatic base of coconut oil and mustard seeds as well as fresh onion, garlic, and ginger. Jalapeño deepens the flavor profile while lending a bit of heat; coconut milk provides rich creaminess.
Ratatouille
This vegetable stew from the South of France is a celebration of summer vegetables at the height of their seasonality. Food writer Rebekah Peppler's ratatouille relies on a simple technique for creating a richly flavorful dish: cooking each vegetable separately. After just a few minutes in the pan, the vegetables release water, deepen in flavor, and become just tender enough to begin to break down. Finishing the stew with a generous portion of rosé melds the flavors together.
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.
Charred Vegetable Ragù
Former F&W editor Kelsey Jane Youngman uses the broiler to build flavor fast for her vegetarian ragù. "I set the roughly chopped mirepoix (a combination of yellow onion, celery, and carrots, with some portobellos and garlic for good measure) under the broiler to create a charred crust that adds layers of smoky flavor," she says. "Plenty of cremini mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and dry red wine round out the sauce on the stove."
Socca with Zucchini and Olives
Socca, also called farinata in Liguria, is a tender pancake made from chickpea flour. Unlike the versions in Nice, which are cooked in copper pans, this one is baked in a cast-iron skillet before it's topped with a summery marinated squash salad.
Rainbow Vegetable Gratin
Six layers of colorful vegetables cook together in this free-form gratin; panko and Parmigiano-Reggiano absorb extra juices and provide a nice crunch. Dial in your knife skills or use a mandoline to cut the vegetables into thin, uniform slices to ensure easy layering and even baking.
Root Vegetable and Cauliflower Tagine with Parsley Yogurt
For food and travel expert Aida Mollenkamp, spiced Moroccan tagines are a dinner party staple because they can be made in advance. "In case something impromptu happens," she says, "you're not stressed about the main dish." Tagines are incredibly versatile, too. This version is vegetarian, but lamb or chicken could be added.
Crabless Cakes with Hearts of Palm and Corn
That's right, these are faux crab cakes! When chopped, hearts of palm break down into shreds that look like fresh crab meat. Here they get seasoned with Old Bay, vegan mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard for a sensational main course.
Rustic Pepper Stew with Jammy Eggs
Editor in chief Hunter Lewis' Spanish-style stew is an easy summer vegetarian dinner recipe for when peppers are in high season at the farmers market. To make it, slices of mild, sweet peppers are gently stewed over medium-low heat. Once they're done, a splash of vinegar, fresh herbs, and a topping of halved soft-cooked eggs and croutons transform the stewed peppers into a fine light meal.
Mushroom Parmesan
This crunchy, flavorful recipe pairs briny Castelvetrano olives and capers with tomato sauce and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. Baking panko with the mushrooms ensures that as the mushrooms release their liquid, the panko absorbs the flavorful juices, adding extra earthiness to the cheesy, tomato-packed casserole.
Greens and Cheese-Stuffed Cinderella Pumpkin
Inspired by Cassie Piuma's squash spanakopita at her restaurant, Sarma, in Somerville, Massachusetts, this stuffed pumpkin is filled with a nutty, creamy blend of Gruyère and feta cheeses; sweet, anise-scented fennel; and hearty green lacinato kale for a stunning vegetarian main dish.
Sausage-Spiced Cauliflower Steaks
A quick spice blend of roasted fennel seeds, black pepper, and orange zest lends a sausage-like flavor to these roasted cauliflower steaks — without the meat. Browning the cauliflower before adding the toppings and melting the cheese ensures a tender, sweet, and nutty bite.
Maple Root Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sesame
© Con Poulos
In Korea, cooks typically create stir-fries with just one kind of vegetable — lotus root, say, or potatoes. Chef David Chang decided to break with tradition and stir-fry an assortment of vegetables, including Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips. Also unconventional is the maple syrup he adds to the dish; there are maple trees all around South Korea but not much maple syrup.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Chorizo-Spiced Kale
With its earthy sweetness and dense texture, butternut squash makes a hearty vegetable steak. Chef Damian Sansonetti highlights its complexity with his chorizo spice mix. He blooms the blend of cumin, Pimentón, and coriander in oil to release the aromas, which provides a smoky foundation for this shoulder-season dish.
Roasted Veggie Burgers with Carrot Ketchup
Instead of creating a ground patty of beans, grains, and vegetables that replicates the look and texture of meat, chef Edward Lee serves this gorgeous ratatouille-inspired “burger” of colorful roasted vegetables layered with melty cheese. “It looks like a slice of a rainbow,” he says.
Layered Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomato Casserole
When your garden's too prolific, have friends over for a swap: your excess produce for theirs. But save some vegetables to make the irresistible casserole here.
Swahili Vegetable Curry
The South Asian spices in this vegetarian stew reflect the influence of Kenya's generations-old Indian community on the national cuisine. Feel free to substitute other vegetables based on seasonal availability, as chef Hubert Des Marais does.
Vegetable Tortilla
The key to this delicious Spanish vegetable tortilla, which is packed with spinach, zucchini, bell pepper, and potato, is cooking it on the stovetop the entire time, which creates a lovely custard-like texture.
Roasted Delicata Squash with Quinoa Salad
© John Kernick
To create a terrific vegetarian main course, chef and television personality Michael Symon tosses quinoa with arugula, apple, raisins, and fresh herbs, and then spoons the salad into a halved baked squash.
Braised Baby Artichokes with Tomato Coulis
© Martin Morrell
This zippy Provençal classic is known as artichokes barigoule. Served over whole-grain brown rice or buckwheat couscous, it makes a lovely vegan main course.
Eggplant Börek
Börek is a Middle Eastern pastry filled with anything from vegetables to cheese and ground meat. For this version, Meltem Conant sautés eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes and bakes them in layers of phyllo. It's a great option for a vegetarian main course.
Baked Butternut Squash–and–Cheese Polenta
Anna Thomas's 1970s book, The Vegetarian Epicure, is iconic; updated in the '90s and rechristened The New Vegetarian Epicure, it focuses on recipes for entertaining. One of her latest dishes is this crusty baked polenta, swirled with mashed butternut squash and smoked Gouda cheese.
Asparagus and Bok Choy Frittata
When making an Italian frittata, don't limit yourself to traditional ingredients. The Asian flavors that fill this version offer a real change of pace. Cook the eggs on top of the stove or in the oven — but be sure to use moderate heat so they don't turn rubbery.
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