7 Simple And Delicious Vegetarian Meals
Often times it can be tricky to find easy and tasty meals to make without any meat in them; eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day isn’t a great long term meal plan for vegetarian eaters, so here are some great—and super simple—vegetarian friendly recipes you can try at home!
1. Baked Macaroni & Cheese
This baked, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe is pretty simple, and it doesn’t require too many ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 cups of dry pasta (elbow macaroni or other)
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 cups of shredded, cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
Begin by first preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then place a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Once the water is ready, cook the two cups of pasta and then strain once finished.
In the same pot—or in a separate pot—put in the butter and flour and bring to a low simmer. Stir the two ingredients together until the mixture is brown and bubbling. Then add in your milk, salt, and pepper, and whisk until there are no lumps.
Wait for the mixture to start bubbling and getting thicker, and then place the shredded cheese into the pot and begin to fold it in. Once everything is combined well, dump the cooked pasta shells, and mix well. Now place the macaroni and cheese into a round or square pan lined with butter and place it in the oven for 20 minutes. Once it’s done, serve it hot and enjoy!
2. Breakfast Bowl
Breakfast bowls are a yummy and incredibly filling breakfast meal, and you can pretty much make it your own! For the base, cut up two large potatoes into small pieces and place them in a sauced pan with some olive oil. Let this simmer on low until fully cooked.
You’ll also want to add some eggs, either scrambled, over easy, poached, or however else you like them! Place these in a bowl with the cooked potatoes, and then add some more ingredients! Here are some ideas:
- Black Beans
- Shredded Cheese
- Diced Avocado
- Queso
- Salsa
- Hot Sauce
- Ketchup
These are super simple and customizable, and vegetarian eater will absolutely enjoy this amazing breakfast!
3. Veggie Quesadillas
Quesadillas are so easy to make, and in order to make them vegetarian, you just don’t add any meat! Make your quesadilla as desired, with any kind of cheese you’d like. Simply add in any or all of the following ingredients, as well:
- Sliced green or red peppers
- Corn
- Black Beans
- Diced tomato
- Diced onion
Top it off with some sour cream, queso, and cilantro, and you’ve got a quick and simple vegetarian meal!
4. Creamy Avocado Pasta
This delicious pasta recipe is super healthy, and really easy to make! Here’s what ingredients you will need:
- 2 cups of dry pasta (any type)
- 1 ripe avocado
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- ¼ grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice or lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your chosen pasta according to the directions on the package. Once it’s done, strain it and let it sit.
Cut your avocado in half and get rid of the pit, and then place the scooped-out halves into a blender. Put the olive oil, parmesan, and minced garlic cloves, and lime/lemon juice into a blender or food processor and mix well. If you prefer the sauce to be slightly chunky, don’t overmix!
Once the sauce is ready, toss it in a bowl with the pasta and combine the two together. Now top it off with some salt, pepper, and little sprinkle of parmesan and you’ve got a delicious vegetarian meal!
5. Black Bean Chili
This meal isn’t only vegetarian, but vegan, too! It’s a delicious and easy chili, so here’s what you need to make it:
- 3 15-ounce cans of black beans
- 2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce
- 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 2 ½ cups of vegetable broth
- 1 cup of uncooked split red lentils
- 1 red onion (diced)
- 5 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of cumin
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- ½ teaspoon of sugar
- Salt and pepper
Place the olive oil and red onion in a large pot over medium heat and cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Now add in your cumin, chili powder, and sugar and stir for another minute.
Begin mixing in the diced tomatoes, black beans, lentils, and bit of salt and pepper. Now add your tomato sauce and vegetable brother and bring to a medium-high heat. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Now reduce the heat and stir in the lime juice and bit more salt and pepper. Once the lentils are tender, your incredible vegan chili is ready to serve!
6. Grilled Avocado & Cheese Sandwich
This is slightly healthier—and yummier—take on a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s so easy and simple, too! Just take half of a ripe avocado and slice into long, thin pieces. This recipe works best if you have an air fryer, but you can also do it on any stovetop, as well.
Spread butter across two slices of bread, and place thinly cut cheese on both sides. Place both pieces facing upwards in your air fryer (or stove) and let them cook for about 4-5 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted, take the slices out and place your avocado onto one side. Put the sandwich together and enjoy!
7. Hummus Buddha Bowl
This is a super easy, no-cook meal that can be customized to your tastes! Here are the standard ingredients for a hummus bowl, but you can pick and choose which ones you like and dislike:
- 2 cups of leafy greens (any kind)
- ½ cup of cucumber (diced)
- ½ cup of caned chickpeas (strained)
- ¼ cup of hummus
- ¼ cup of red onions, diced
- 4-8 cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 tablespoons of feta cheese
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
In a medium bowl, mix the leafy greens with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and some salt. Now start adding your other ingredients in sections around the edges of the bowl and put the hummus directly in the middle. The leafy greens will act as your base.
Drizzle the remaining olive oil all around the bowl and add some salt and pepper to taste. You can decide how to eat your hummus bowl, or if there are any ingredients you don’t want to include—or any you want to add!
