Two things that sometimes don't mix: weeknights and cooking. But with the right recipes, it's possible to have a satisfying and delicious vegetarian meal in no time. From pasta and stir-fry to salads and soup, these easy dinner recipes will actually have you looking forward to cooking dinner instead of dreading it.
— Additional reporting by Nicole Perry and Lauren Harano
Take tacos somewhere they've never been before with this Grilled Thai Vegetable Taco recipe. Add a light peanut sauce, and top the tacos with avocado slices for maximum results.
One serving of this flavorful, meatless Roasted Tomato and Mushroom Pasta is fewer than 300 calories! You will love this easy vegetarian option for pasta.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Rice Bowl
There's nothing better than an ultrahealthy spin on a Chiptole classic, right? This Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Rice Bowl is easy to make and nothing but healthy.
If you want an easy dinner with lots of leftovers, this Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili is right up your alley. Put as many veggies, beans, and spices in it as you like!
Take fried rice to the absolute next level with this Spicy Kale and Coconut Fried Rice recipe. The smooth coconut mixes so effortlessly with the spicy kale sauce.
Now, you can pair these Vegetarian Zucchini Meatballs with a pasta if you please, but they are just as good on their own. They are rich in flavor, and each batch makes about 20 meatless meatballs!
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: White Bean Stew With Goat Cheese Recipe
This easy weeknight meal has a rich goat cheese topping with bold flavors. Toss in some spices to kick up the flavor in this White Bean Stew With Goat Cheese.
This veggie-packed Vegetarian Teriyaki Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry will end your craving for noodles once and for all! These zucchini noodles pair perfectly will all kinds of sauces, too.
This tasty Roasted Veggie Bowl is filled with yummy veggies and a whole lot of flavor. You can easily meal prep for the week with these leftovers, too!
If you are looking for a delicious, rich, and superfast meal, this Crown Grilled Cheese Toast is exactly what you need. Add tomatoes and avocado for more nutrients.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Instant Pot Lentil Soup With Sweet Potato
Use your Instant Pot like never before when you make this flavor-blasting Instant Pot Lentil Soup With Sweet Potato. Oh, and it only has 188 calories per serving. Yum!
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Instant Pot Indian Lentils
For dinner, lunch, and even appetizers, these Kale, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas will not disappoint. With rich goat cheese and healthy veggies, these quesadillas are packed with all the goodness you need.
With a healthy spin on fried rice, this Quinoa Fried Rice recipe is groundbreaking. Not to mention, it's easy, meatless, dairy-free, gluten-free, and can even be can be vegan.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Vegetarian Frittata With Butternut Squash and Mushrooms
Don't let the intricacy of this Vegetarian Frittata With Butternut Squash and Mushrooms fool you. This frittata only takes 30 minutes to make, and it is a great option for those who like to shake up the regular dinner menu.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos With Creamy Chipotle Sauce
The Buttered Linguine With Brown Butter and Sage is a fast dinner that takes fewer than 25 minutes to make! The brown butter gives this meal a caramelized and nutty flavor, too.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Cauliflower Steaks With Tomato Olive Cauliflower Mash
A perfect spin on a traditional classic, Veggie Burgers are a filling and easy dinner option. Add your favorite go-to sauce to make your burger better than ever.
Let us introduce you to these bold-flavored lettuce cups. With perfectly cooked tofu and an indulgent sauce, these Vegan Thai Lettuce Cups With Peanut Sauce will change the way you eat lettuce.
Breakfast for dinner? Yes, please! This recipe is very versatile and can be made for any meal of the day. This Spinach Sweet Potato Frittata is jam-packed with none other than veggies, protein, and flavor.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Extra Vegetable Fried Rice
This Peanut Slaw With Soba Noodles recipe can be made in less than a half hour! This healthy spin on the traditional Asian dish is made with cabbage, carrots, and yummy soba noodles.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Thai Red Curry With Vegetables
Ever had a burrito bowl with bold kale? Now is your chance! This Kale, Black Bean, and Avocado Burrito Bowl matches black beans with lime-marinated kale for the perfect kind of flavor.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Tofu and Kale Spring Rolls
With its broth-y base, abundance of carrots and celery, and noodles, this cold-busting soup shares much in common with chicken noodle. Where it diverges is by swapping a handful of chickpeas for the poultry, making it vegan-friendly (provided you use vegetable broth).
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Spicy Soba Noodles With Watercress
Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Sun-Dried-Tomato Pasta Salad
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A duet of fresh cherry tomatoes and their sweeter sun-dried sisters add bold flavor to this summery pasta salad.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Vegan Farro Salad
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If you are looking for lighter fare for dinner, try a sweet and savory vegan farro salad.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Pasta
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You can add your own touch to this pasta dish by tweaking the recipe to fit your personal preferences. Translation: for best results, add as much garlic and cheese as your heart desires.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Grilled Vegetable Tacos With Guacamole
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Don't feel limited by the assortment of vegetables used in this colorful pasta dish; use pretty much whatever veggies that look good at the market or that you have on hand.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Ginger Fried Rice With Poached Egg
Creamy but not heavy, this pureed butternut squash soup is even tastier the second day, making it a great candidate for leftovers.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Caprese Macaroni and Cheese
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Macaroni and cheese might not seem like a speedy, weeknight-friendly affair, but when simmered on the stovetop (rather than baked) like this caprese-salad-inspired stunner, it's totally doable.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Vegetarian Burrito
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The pairing of butternut squash and sage is a classically delicious one, and this easy pasta recipe utilizes the flavor combination in a magically flavorful way.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Green Garlic Soup
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Four types of alliums — green garlic, scallions, leeks, and chives — combine forces for a recipe that's ultrasimple to prepare but never short on flavor.
The secret ingredient to this 10-minute pasta's success — fish sauce — might sound odd, but know that it adds a salty-savory punch, rather than an overwhelmingly fishy flavor.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Kale Salad With Pecorino and Pine Nuts
The saltiness of an anchovy-caper sauce adds the perfect touch to this rich pasta, but just wait until you taste the pièce de résistance: hard-boiled egg.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
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For the best results, allow this Mediterranean-influenced orzo pasta salad (and virtually all pasta salads) a few hours in the fridge to chill to let the flavors mingle and make friends. That said, it's still very tasty when eaten just after assembling, the prep time is minimal, and leftovers only improve overnight.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Spicy Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheese Croutons
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If you're particularly short on time, float a handful of Goldfish or Cheez-Its atop this spicy tomato soup instead of the gooey grilled cheese croutons.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Shells With Red-Pepper Tomato Sauce
Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino
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It doesn't get much simpler or more speedy than this Italian classic, spaghetti aglio, olio, e peperoncino. Even if your pantry is almost empty, you likely have all of its ingredients — spaghetti, garlic, chili flakes, and olive oil — on hand.
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Broccoli-cheddar soup can edge into heavy territory but not this lighter, brighter take that gets its creaminess from Greek yogurt.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Pasta With Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes
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Even out-of-season cherry tomatoes will shine in this pesto-slicked option, as a brief trip to the oven concentrates their flavor. For a final flourish, toss the linguine with garlicky toasted breadcrumbs for crunch.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Quinoa Tabbouleh
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Unlike traditional tabbouleh, which has much more parsley than grains, this bulked-up quinoa-based recipe can serve as a stand-alone meal.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Mac and Cheese With Tortellini and 2 Secret Ingredients
The "secret ingredients" in this macaroni and cheese dish ensure that it's the creamiest, most decadent pasta you'll ever taste. Is your curiosity getting the best of you?
No, this isn't a cousin to cauliflower rice; there's plenty of pasta at its base. This recipe from Michelle Obama employs pureed cauliflower to cleverly add body to the cheese sauce for a lighter version of the classic.
A delicious dish that any vegetarian or meat-eater would love, this cheesy baked penne with broccoli pesto is the perfect go-to recipe for an easy dinner.
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Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Vegan Tofu and Farro Stir-Fry