About four years ago I started slowly cutting meat out of my meals. For about two years I have been eating 95% vegetarian. Why? Well, its complicated. And its not the point of this post. And my point is certainly not to convince everyone to become Vegetarian. Not at all. I am not passionate about convincing people to cut out the meat, but I am passionate about eating more veggies. If you are interested in why I am “mostly” vegetarian and how it has effected me, I have a whole page about that. Just visit the link “My Eating Philosophy” at the top of my blog in the menu tabs.
When I tell people that I don’t eat meat, I almost always get the question “So…what do you eat?” I never quite know how to answer that in a short conversation. Ask anyone that question, whether they eat meat or not, and its tricky to answer. I always end up feeling a little bit tongue tied and say something lame like “Well, I eat lots of beans….” because I feel like I have to reassure people that I still get protein. And I do eat beans, but not in every meal. And not every day. I honestly don’t worry about protein intake on a meal by meal basis. I look at my overall menu plan for a week and try to work it in. Between the nuts, nut butters, cashew based sauces, seeds, edamame, beans, lentils, chickpeas, eggs, dairy, whole grains, tofu, and vegetables (which are all staples in my kitchen), I am confident I get enough protein. If I was filling up on only bread and pasta every day, I might be concerned.
In response to the question “So….what do you eat?” I have put together a compilation of recipes showing you “what I eat”, or at least the type of food I eat, on a regular basis. I am sharing with you recipes that I actually cycle through my menu plans that I have tried and that my family loves.
My goal in this post is to demystify vegetarian cooking and give you some ideas for veggie heavy meals that you can add into your meal plans, whether you are vegetarian or not. I think we could all use a little more veg in our lives. I also want to give you some resources and tips for vegetarian menu planning. Lets start with that, why don’t we?
MENU PLANNING TIPS:
I usually make a weekly menu before I go shopping. It helps me be focused at the grocery store and helps reduce waste in the fridge. It also helps me resist the temptation to skip making dinner and go out to eat. The hardest part of making dinner is deciding what to make, so if I already know what I’m making and have the ingredients on hand, then all I have to do is the fun part: cooking! Here are some tips I have found useful in successfully making and using a meal plan:
- Decide on a certain number of meals and pick recipes. I usually do 6 or 7 at a time. Don’t worry about assigning days to each meal. I never quite know how my week is going to pan out, so I like choosing each meal to fit the day when I wake up in the morning. One day I might only have time for a quick meal or maybe one day my husband will tell me that he has a meeting and will be eating there. I also like some flexibility incase ingredients aren’t ripe yet or are going bad more quickly than I had planned. Once I start to run out of meals, I start a new menu.
- Have a pinterest board for meals you have tried from online that you and your family loves. I have one of these boards and I use it all the time. Only add meals you truly like and have tried and write notes to yourself about what you changed in the comments. Following other people’s “Tried It and Loved It” boards can be helpful, too, because you at least know someone else tried it and like it. If you would like to follow mine, Click HERE.
- Have a “main meal” pinterest board and open it up for your spouse and kids and have them scroll through and pick a couple meals. I like having input from my family, but I don’t always get input if I just ask them “what do you want to eat this week”. They usually just respond with a vague “I don’t care…” But if I hand my husband my phone with my main meal pinterest board open, he will pick out a bunch of meals that sound good to him. One week I did this and my husband picked all Mexican meals and they weren’t meals I would normally pick out, but I decided to just go with it and they were some of the best meals I have made. Now I have 5 meals up my sleave that I know my husband LOVES. If you don’t really want to take the time to make a main meal pinterest board, just follow my “Vegetarian Sides and Mains” board. I have over 500 recipes on it and most that I have tried from it turn out great! Click HERE to access it.
- Make sure to plan in ingredients for quick healthy snacks!
- One of my very favorite menu planning resources is Oh My Veggies’ “This Weeks Meatless Meal Plan”. It is a premade meatless meal plan and it is fantastic. Here is what I love about it: 1) It is designed to use up certain ingredients in more than one meal so you aren’t left with a bunch of leftover cabbage or cilantro or whatever. 2)It has tips and suggestions for the easiest ways to make dinner prep efficient 3.) Kiersten, from Oh My Veggies, has tried all the recipes and knows they are yummy. 4.) There is an excellent shopping list with each meal plan.
- When planning a menu, first decide if there is anything you need to use up from the fridge and try to find recipes that will help you use anything that might go bad soon. I also like to pull ideas from different ethnicities. Maybe one night I will make something Asian, the next will be Italian, and the next will be Mexican. I also like to draw ideas from different food categories like pizza, soup, salad, grilling, pasta, etc. It narrows things down for me and makes finding a recipe easier. If I know I want to make soup one day for dinner, then I just have to find a soup recipe. I usually try to mix things up a little throughout the week so we aren’t eating the same type of food the whole week. I’ll walk you through this process below:
When I am putting together a meal plan, sometimes I find recipes based on different ethnicities. For example:
ASIAN
Easy Baked Tempura Veggies:
These veggies take a quick dunk in cornstarch and egg and then are tossed in panko breadcrumbs and baked. I make it easy by shaking them all together in ziploc baggies instead of dunking each piece individually. And the spicy mayo dipping sauce is AMAZING!
Crockpot Red Thai Veggie Curry
This curry is made super easy by throwing everything in the crockpot. Its packed with cauliflower, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and peas. Its amazing with coconut cream, but still really good with regular or light coconut milk. Serve it over brown rice with some toasted cashews sprinkled on top.
These spring rolls are made with thin rice spring roll wrappers, found at most grocery stores in the Asian section. Stuff them with rice and all the raw veggies you have on hand and dip them in some sweet chili sauce and you have a very easy, but very yummy main dish or side dish.
30-Minute Vegetarian Pho (From Oh My Veggies)
This soup from Oh My Veggies is the easy version of the Vietnamese soup called Pho. Its basically just a gingery broth with noodles and all sorts of toppings to add. Set up a Pho bar and let each member of the family customize their bowl!
Thai Barley Salad (Cookie Monster Cooking)
This salad from Cookie Monster Cooking is fresh and light, yet hearty and filling at the same time. Its barley, veggies, peanuts, and mangos, all tossed in a Thai peanut sauce. Its easy and I just can’t get enough of the salty/sweet combo in this dish.
I’m also totally addicted to the Baked Fried Brown Rice and the One Pot Peanut Sesame Noodles and Veggies, both on Oh My Veggies.
They are both so easy, fast, and simple, and loaded with Asian flavor and veg.
MEXICAN/TEX-MEX
Vegetarian Black Bean, Corn, and Sweet Potato Flautas
These baked flautas are packed with sweet potatoes, beans, and corn. A little bit of cheese and a smidgen of cream cheese make you want seconds. They freeze really well, too! I love giving these as a frozen meal to friends who have just had babies.
This roasted spaghetti squash gets dressed up with beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, cheese, and all sorts of seasonings. This would also make a yummy taco filling.
Southwest Egg Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce (Baked)
I thought I would mix things up a little bit and stuff egg roll wrappers with beans,corn, and tomatoes. They are baked instead of fried to keep it healthy. Oh, and the dipping sauce is AMAZING. Its basically just soaked raw cashews, a roasted red pepper, and some spices all blended up. It’s pretty addicting.
Quinoa Enchilada Casserole (Damn Delicious)
This casserole from Damn Delicious is basically enchiladas without the tortillas and quinoa instead. It’s the ultimate Tex-Mex comfort food.
Super Easy Taco Bake (Beard and Bonnet)
This taco bake from Beard and Bonnet is one of my all time favorite dinners. The tortillas are loaded with a spicy lentil filling, pepper jack cheese, and tons of veggie toppings. I highly recommend making the Roasted Poblano Pepper Cashew Cream that goes with these tacos. It is to die for!!!!
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Mexican Salad (Two Peas and Their Pod)
This salad from Two Peas and Their Pod is simple and refreshing. It is perfect for a summer day. I like to grill corn on the cob to accompany this salad, reserving one grilled ear of corn to slice into the salad.
Black Bean & Pepper Jack Stuffed Poblano Peppers (Oh My Veggies)
HOLY COW! These stuffed Poblano peppers from Oh My Veggies are AMAZING!!! One of my very favorite recipes, and I’m not even a big pepper person. I could eat these every day for the rest of my life.The sauce is delicious and the bean and cheese filling is heavenly.
More Mexican/Tex Mex meals that I LOVE LOVE LOVE:
- Sweet Potato Burrito Smothered in Avocado Salsa Verde by Cookie and Kate
- Red Lentil Tacos by Coffee and Quinoa
- Butternut Squash Burritos with Black Beans and Kale by Oh My Veggies
ITALIAN
The BEST way to eat an acorn squash is stuffed with quinoa, mushrooms, basil, and marinara sauce. Top it with parmesan and you have one fantastic acorn squash!
Portobello Spaghetti Squash Stacks
This is probably one of the easiest meals to make, ever. Its basically a Portobello mushroom, topped with spaghetti squash, tomato sauce, parmesan, and basil. It sounds simple, but the flavors are divine. Make dinner prep even easier by cooking the spaghetti squash ahead of time.
Creamy Caprese Quinoa Bake (Half Baked Harvest)
I don’t usually make meals as creamy, cheesy, and decadent as this Creamy Caprese Quinoa Bake by Half Baked Harvest, but it is one I whip out for special occasions. I usually use milk instead of cream and cut down on the cheese and it is still amazing! I also add sliced zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach to the quinoa. So good. The roasted grape tomatoes on top are so flavorful!
Spaghetti and No-Meatballs (Healthy Happy Life)
These bean balls from Happy Healthy Life are the best meatless meatballs that I have ever had. They are made with beans, onions, mushrooms, parsley, panko, and nutritional yeast. The nutritional yeast gives them an amazing savory flavor! I always serve these over roasted spaghetti squash instead of pasta to up the veg content.
More Italian Favorites:
Sometimes I when I am planning meals I decide on a certain type of dish (sandwiches, salads, pizza, soup) rather than an ethnicity.
SANDWICHES AND BURGERS:
The key to veggie burgers is enjoying them for what they are: veggies. I love veggie burgers, but I don’t try to make them taste just like a meat burger. The texture and flavor usually just isn’t the same and if you can get past that, you will enter into the beautiful world of veggie burgers that is so full of variety and flavor.
Did you know I have a whole pinterest board dedicated solely to Vegetarian Burgers and Sandwiches? Its pretty awesome. To follow it, click HERE.
Veggie Burgers with Beets, Lentils, and Bulgur Wheat
In my mind, there is nothing better than a flavorful beet burger. This one is super healthy with lentils and cashews for protein and beets and mushrooms for veggies.
Easiest, Fastest, and Yummiest Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
These buns are 100 percent whole wheat. They are super easy and fast. There is no yeast proofing, no milk scalding, and only one short rise. So if you decide to make burgers last minute and you don’t have buns, you only need about an hour to pump these beauties out.
Grilled or Roasted Cauliflower Steak Burgers with Chimichurri Sauce
I know it might sound a bit strange, but please give these burgers a chance! It is simply a roasted or grilled cross section steak of cauliflower stuck between two buns and smothered with chimichurri sauce. It is my very favorite kind of vegetarian burger. It is so flavorful and so easy.
Portobello Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers
Another simple, yet flavorful veggie burger. This recipe uses canned pineapple rings and then makes use of the leftover pineapple juice as a base for the Teriyaki sauce. If you like mushrooms, this is the burger for you.
This is not a meal I have on a regular basis, because I don’t always have sunchokes on hand, but I wish I could eat it every day! Sunchokes are ugly looking root vegetables with the best sweet, nutty flavor. A leek and sunchoke puree is a perfect spread inside a Panini. If you ever have the chance to buy sunchokes, snatch them up and make this sandwich!
I don’t have a picture for this, but one of my favorite veggie sandwiches is a simple raw veggie and hummus sandwich. I just spread hummus on toasted wheat sandwich bread and pile on all the raw veggies I have in my fridge and a little bit of cheese. Mmmmmm.
SALAD
To follow my salad board on Pinterest, click HERE
Apple, Roasted Beet, Beet Greens, and Kale Salad with an Apple Cider Vinaigrette
You might be wary of a salad made of kale and beet greens, but don’t be. Buy dinosaur/lacinato kale and give it a good massage in the dressing and it will soften up the kale and take away a lot of the bitterness. The roasted beets and apples combined with the apple cider vinaigrette is pretty tasty.
Salad Bar with Lots of Topping Ideas
This post isn’t so much a recipe, but more of a list of ideas for salad bar toppings and ways to dress up your salad.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Feta, Capers, Red Bell Pepper, and Green Onion (Kalyn’s Kitchen)
This roasted cauliflower salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen is full of veggies and Mediterranean flavor. It tastes great hot or cold!
Strawberry Quinoa Balsamic Salad (Cookie Monster Cooking)
This salad from Cookie Monster Cooking is INCREDIBLE! It has some of my very favorite foods: fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, basil, strawberries… I just can’t get enough. I added cherry tomatoes and it was a good choice.
Garlicky Grilled Kale Salad with Grilled Bread (The Kitchn)
Seeing this recipe from The Kitchn is making me dream of summer and my grill. Grilling kale is another way to tenderize it and take away some of the bitterness. The smoky kale and sourdough bread is amazing with the shaved parmesan and lemony dressing. Sometimes I add grilled peaches and grilled mushrooms and its even more amazing, if that’s possible.
Simple Chickpea Salad (How Sweet It Is)
This chickpea salad from How Sweet It Is is so fresh and addicting. The sweetness of the honey mixed with the tartness of the red wine vinegar and lime juice is just incredible with the chickpeas, roasted corn, herbs, green onions, and tomatoes.
PIZZA
I love veggie pizza, but I don’t have a ton of recipes for it on my blog because I usually just throw on whatever I have on hand. Sometimes I make the crust and sometimes I just buy a blob of whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe’s. I trade off between pizza sauce, pesto, white sauce, and hummus. Any veggie is good on pizza (except maybe cucumbers) so be creative. Even some fruits and nuts are good on pizza. That being said, here are some of my favorite vegetarian pizza recipes:
I made this recipe before I stopped eating meat, so the recipe does call for bacon. Just leave it off if you want to keep it vegetarian. It will still be delicious. This pizza has roasted garlic cloves, sun dried tomatoes, and thinly sliced red potatoes with a green pesto base.
Roasted Brussels Sprout and Red Cabbage Pizza (Oh My Veggies)
This pizza from Oh My Veggies is pretty simple, yet very flavorful. It has roasted honey garlic Brussels sprouts and thinly sliced red cabbage. I also make the honey roasted sprouts on their own as a side dish all the time. The toasted nuts and lemon zest really add a pop of flavor. I think next time I will add mushrooms!
SOUP
Soup is one of my all time favorite dishes. I am one of those people who eats soup all year round no matter the weather because I love it so much. It’s the perfect vehicle for lots and lots of veggies. To follow my huge Soup Board on Pinterest, click HERE. Here are some of my go to soup recipes:
White Bean and Veggie Taco Soup
This is one of my all time favorite soups. Its loaded with veggies, yet its creamy and decadent at the same time. It is amazing with tortilla chips and cheese on top. It also freezes really well.
Savory Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Mushrooms
This soup is so easy! It is basically a whole sugar pumpkin blended with milk and veggie broth with some dill to make the flavors pop. I threw in some thinly sliced mushrooms,too. This recipe can be made vegan and it can also be made with a butternut squash. I think I made it a million times last fall.
Coconut Cauliflower Red Lentil Soup
Red lentils, cauliflower, and chickpeas make this soup hearty and filling. The exotic flavors of coconut, jalapeno, curry, and lime are so satisfying.
Not my favorite picture, but one of my very favorite soups. Its easy and healthy and amazing with tortilla chips and avocados on top.
Chickpea Veggie Soup with Smoked Paprika
This recipe is chock full of veggies with a little kick from the smoked paprika. Another recipe I made before switching to vegetarian cooking, so just use veggie broth instead of the chicken broth.
Daal is basically an Indian lentil stew. I sometimes eat this as is and sometimes I serve it over rice. Either way homemade Naan bread is a must!
Sometimes when I am making a menu, I have a specific ingredient that I need to use up, so I make that ingredient a main part of that meal. For example, I always have a bag of sweet potatoes to use up, so I often make Loaded Sweet Potatoes. You can pretty much put any kind of sauce on a sweet potato and it become 10 times better. Here are a few of my favorite stuffed sweet potato recipes:
Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (Vegan)
These loaded sweet potatoes are one of my favorite meals. They are easy and require very little work in the kitchen. The roasted red pepper sauce is made from cashews and I could drink it, its that good. Its not in the picture, but I like to add corn to the topping list. If you are making this, just remember that the cashews need to soak for a few hours, so plan accordingly.
These loaded sweet potatoes have a Thai peanut sauce drizzled over carrots, corn, red pepper, green onions, edamame, and toasted peanuts. I can’t get enough of these!
Here are some of my very favorite vegetarian food blogs. I have found so many good recipes on these websites:
- Oh My Veggies (My Very Favorite Veg Blog)
- Potluck ( A compilation of vegetarian and vegan dishes from all over the blogosphere)
- Beard and Bonnet
- Healthy. Happy. Life
- Veggieful
- Vegan Richa
- Maple Spice
- Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
- 101 Cookbooks
- Allyson Kramer
- Oh She Glows
- My New Roots
- Herbivoracious
- Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth
- The Muffin Myth
- Connoisseurus Veg
Other Blogs that aren’t vegetarian, but have lots of good vegetarian and veggie heavy recipes:
I hope this post helped you get some new ideas for veggie strong main meals and gave you some ideas for developing your own menu planning system. Lets all try and get more veggies in 2015!
My mouth is watering…a lot!! I wish I lived by you so I could try out some of these recipes when you make them! I know, I know–I should try them too…I am putting the tempura veggies on my menu for this week, don't worry. 🙂 I need to use more veggies in my cooking, and I love your practical ideas. Thanks for taking time to post all of this–you are truly amazing!
This is fantastic!