13 Easy Meat-Free Recipes For Beginner Vegetarians
Whether it’s a pledge to do meat-free Mondays, or going full-on vegetarian, it seems we’re finally embracing meatless meals with open arms.
And they’re not just good for our health - they can be good for our tastebuds too.
To prove it, we’ve trawled the best foodie blogs around to find the tastiest veggie recipes so easy and so satisfying you’ll wonder why you even bothered with meat in the first place.
Mexican Courgette Burrito Boats
Food’s always more fun when you make it into a vehicle. In this case, a zucchini (or courgette to us Brits) ‘boat’.
These are a great start because the cheese and beans give protein, fat and, of course, flavour, that leave you with a fully satisfying bite.
Plus they’re packed with all of your five a day in one fell swoop and you can add as much spice as you like to complete the meal.
Get the recipe over at Making Thyme For Health.
Veggies And Lentils In Peanut Sauce
Well that looks damn delicious, right?
The red lentils in this dish give it oomph and texture and as you get braver you can be creative with what vegetables and meat substitutes you add in. (Tempeh anyone?) Just serve it over lots of rice to soak up the lovely nutty sauce.
In fact, it’s not just vegetarian, it’s actually vegan - proving not all vegetarian meals have to be cheese-based.
Get the recipe over at Vegan Richa.
BBQ Cauliflower & Chickpea Tacos With Creamy Lime Slaw
Mexican flavours lend themselves well to veggie cuisine, and these cauliflower tacos are so tasty you honestly won’t even think of looking jealously over at your mate’s pulled pork version.
You’ll find chick peas in many veggie recipes too, as they give texture and an earthiness that rounds off dishes.
The addition of fresh, crunchy slaw to these tacos, and the citrus bite of the lime make the mouthfeel a real treat.
Get the recipe over at She Likes Food.
Spicy Sweet Potato And Green Rice Burrito Bowls
This colourful option is an easy version of the courgette boats - minus the cheese to make it that little bit healthier.
The green rice is a revelation, elevating a pretty basic dish to a really cockle-warming evening meal with a great depth of flavour.
You’ll also learn how to caramelise sweet potatoes - a vital life skill if ever we heard one.
Get the recipe over at Cookie And Kate.
Almond Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
If you’re keen to try an alkaline lifestyle and want your veggie dishes super healthy, Honestly Healthy are worth checking out. The recipes initially might seem a little complicated but so far we’ve found them infallible and great for introducing new flavours into your vegetarian kitchen.
Mushrooms are a common go-to for veggies, but the almond element in this recipe gives them a tasty new twist.
Get the recipe over at the Honestly Healthy Food blog.
Aubergine (Eggplant) ‘Meatballs’
One of the hardest things people find to give up is mince. Spag-bol just never seems the same.
If that’s your problem, take a look at these beauties. Aubergine (or eggplant as it’s called on this blog from the US) holds is shape nicely when cooked in a tomato sauce, giving you the satisfying bite you want when you chow down on a ‘meat’ball.
You may never go back.
Get the recipe over at Skinny Taste.
Classic Falafel
Done right falafels can take on the juiciest burger - golden and crispy on the outside, moist, spicy and packed with flavour on the inside.
Depending on your taste, try adding different herbs and levels of spicing. Fresh herbs will give you this vibrant green colour inside, but dried work well too. Serve in a pitta pocket with greek yoghurt and plenty of crunchy salad.
Get the recipe over at Gimme Some Oven.
Lentil Walnut Burgers
Speaking of burgers, no vegetarian recipe book is complete without an actual juicy burger.
This one is lovely because the walnuts give it a completely different text and taste to most - boring - bean burgers.
As you get more comfortable you can mix up your flavours - adding more cumin, coriander or garam masala as to your tastes.
Add the delicious avocado dressing and your night is done.
Get the recipe over at Vegan Richa.
Pumpkin & Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
A warming Shepherd’s Pie that isn’t packed with red meat and carbs? Say hello to the new, healthier - and dare we say it tastier - version.
The base of this pie is lentils, which are often used as a successful meat alternative and which suck up flavour like nobody’s business. And the sweet potato topping will make it impossible to revert back to white potatoes ever again. Sorry.
Get the recipe over at It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.
Aubergine Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a classic Middle Eastern dish based on rich tomato flavours and perfectly-baked eggs.
A one pot (three cheers for less washing up), it’s meant to be spicy but you can adjust the heat as you like.
The addition of aubergines makes this recipe our fave version. Just throw all the ingredients in a heavy frying pan, cook on the hob for a few minutes and then bung in the oven to bake.
Get the recipe over at Friends Family Food.
Meatless Black Bean Loaf with Creamy Avocado Verde Sauce
Meatloaf is something we hear about in American TV shows all the time, but it’s not something in most of our repertoire - and is even less likely now you’re going veggie.
But actually the vegetarian version is one worth giving ago, particularly with the addition of the avocado sauce dreamed up by Monique on her blog Ambitious Kitchen.
This black bean-based dish will forever be our go-to meat(less)loaf.
Get the recipe over at Ambitious Kitchen.
Spinach Quiche Cups
Vegetarian cooking can mean you have to be more inventive with your presentation. While perfectly-cooked steak or butterflied chicken look like the star of the show on their own, no matter how colourful your veggies, they can still look a little lonely to the untrained eye.
Enter, quiche cups!
These cute little savoury morsels are made in a muffin tin to give them a bite-size shape and don’t involve any pastry - ideal if you’re trying to reduce your carbs too.
Get the recipe over at Manila Spoon.
Tender Stem Broccoli And White Bean Frittata
Broccoli is, in our humble opinion, food of the Gods. And it deserves to take its right place centre stage.
If you can get hold of tender stem broccoli, you’re onto a winner with this dish. Mixed with earthy white beans and smothered in Sriracha, it’s the absolute bomb.
Get the recipe over at Vegan Richa.
See? We told you it was easy. Can you go a whole week meat-free? We believe in you.
