Whether you’ve decided to honor Meatless Monday or are just trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into the week, these plant-based dinners are just what you’ll need.
All of the recipes utilize ingredients that are mostly plants, plus cheese in some cases, because it provides extra protein. And also, well, have you tasted cheese?
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They’re also all flavorful, nutritious, and easy to get on the table, because feeding your family shouldn’t be as complicated as decoding the two-page email your boss sent you a few hours earlier.
Ready to get cooking? Bookmark these recipes for plant-based bliss.
7 Delicious, Easy Plant-Based Dinners
Vegan Burritos
This recipe is courtesy of Serena Williams, so if you’re trying to fuel up the whole family to perform at their best during a busy week, you know it’ll work.
Crispy Baked Eggplant
Eggplant parm is a major crowd pleaser, and this recipe just lightens it up. Instead of breadcrumbs, we use almond flour and spices to coat the slices and then bake the eggplant instead of frying it.
Stuffed Acorn Squash Bowl
Make this “bowl,” and then fill it with a healthy meal that will benefit from the extra chunks of squash you’ll scrape up with your spoon. A simple quinoa salad with veggies (and some beans if you want extra protein) is our top choice. Or, you could even fill it with…
Three Bean Chili
Veggie chili should definitely be one of your go-to cold-weather recipes. It’s an incredible way to get in a ton of vegetables in one meal and is filled with plant-based protein, thanks to all of those beans. This recipe calls for grass-fed beef if you want it; just leave it out to keep it plant-based.
Mushroom-Ginger-Watercress Stir-Fry
Any vegetable stir-fry makes for a great plant-based meal. This one comes with lots of flavor: Watercress is not a mild green like spinach or romaine; it has a peppery, tangy taste some might even consider spicy. That means it’s best to pair it with other strong flavors, like garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Make a big pot of brown rice to use as a base.
Broccoli Rabe Quesadilla
This crowd-pleasing finger food is beyond easy to make and hides a healthy secret folded up in its tortilla: it’s got more plant-based ingredients like nutrient-dense vegetables and legumes in it than cheese.
Coconut Bacon Sandwiches
Meet the vegan BLT of your dreams, layered with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and coconut “bacon” on two really good slices of sourdough. The kids are really going to love this one.