Don't limit your options to just salad—there are lots of choices if you're looking to avoid meat
25 vegetarian recipes from around the world for wholesome and satisfying main dishes, from hearty quinoa burgers to creamy lasagne and more.
If you think vegetarian recipes are limited to just the same old salads, think again. Whether you're a full-time vegetarian or simply looking to avoid meat for a little while, there are lots of choices. Pasta is always a good option, especially when covered in vegetables or stuffed with cheese. Curries are also often vegetarian-friendly. You can even make vegetables the star of the show if you give them a good roast. With these 29 amazing vegetarian recipes, you won't think twice about skipping the meat.
Cashew Curry
This rich yellow curry, adapted from chefs Jerome La’Brooy and Nishad Jayawardena of Asylum restaurant, is best served as an accompaniment. Get the recipe for Cashew Curry »
Indian Veggie Burgers (Vada Pav)
Indian Veggie Burgers (Vada Pav)
Matt Taylor-Gross
These starchy sandwiches are a popular beachside snack in Mumbai. Fluffy Goan-style white rolls are filled with a crispy fried potato patty, sweet and spicy chutneys, and a garlicky powdered chile-coconut condiment. Get the recipe for Indian Veggie Burgers (Vada Pav) »
Chickpea Tofu Salad (Burmese Salad with Shan Tofu)
Chickpea Tofu Salad (Burmese Salad with Shan Tofu)
Matt Taylor-Gross
This traditional Burmese salad is a refreshing mix of silky, turmeric-infused chickpea tofu mixed with crunchy fried garlic and onions and tamarind ginger dressing. Get the recipe for Chickpea Tofu Salad (Burmese Salad with Shan Tofu) »
Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
Neal Santos
Whole cauliflower is quartered and roasted with paprika, turmeric, and jalapeño in this wintry side dish. Get the recipe for Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini »
Maitake Mushrooms with Red Chiles and Cilantro
Maitake Mushrooms with Red Chiles and Cilantro
Matt Taylor-Gross
Fragrant with star anise, chiles de árbol, and cilantro, these mushrooms brown to a crisp on the outside while remaining tender inside. Get the recipe for Maitake Mushrooms with Red Chiles and Cilantro »
Pepper Pot Soup
Pepper Pot Soup
Matt Taylor-Gross
This vegetarian soup, a Jamaican classic, is made with callaloo, a spinach-like green that can be found canned or fresh in Caribbean groceries. Serve with minced fresh Scotch bonnet chiles sprinkled on top for extra heat. Get the recipe for Pepper Pot Soup »
Roasted Moong Dal with Spinach
Roasted Moong Dal with Spinach
Matt Taylor-Gross
This recipe, from Madhur Jaffrey's A Taste of India, is part of SAVEUR's November 2017 cookbook club. Though we've tested this recipe in the SAVEUR test kitchen, we present it in its original, unedited form from the book. Get the recipe for Roasted Moong Dal with Spinach »
Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves With Rice and Herbs (Dolmadakia)
Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves With Rice and Herbs (Dolmadakia)
Matt Taylor-Gross
Dolmakadia, the Greek word for stuffed grape leaves, is one of the most iconic recipes of Greek cuisine and, although there are many varieties, the meatless version is the most common. In the warmer months, try to find and use fresh grape leaves; they are more tender and flavorful than the jarred types. Out of season, jarred leaves are a fine substitute (we prefer the Orlando brand). Get the recipe for Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves With Rice and Herbs (Dolmadakia) »
Chilled Buttermilk Soup with Herbs (Okroshka)
Okroshka (Chilled Buttermilk Soup with Herbs)
Simon Bajada
This take on okroshka, a classic summer soup named after the Russian word kroshit, meaning "to crumble" uses tangy kefir or buttermilk as a base and is filled with heaps of torn fresh herbs. Grated horseradish and spicy mustard add a gentle backnote to the soup. If you can't find quail eggs or don't have the patience to peel them, hard-boil chicken eggs and cut them into quarters. Get the recipe for Chilled Buttermilk Soup with Herbs (Okroshka) »
Swiss Chard Anzelottos with Pomodoro Sauce
Swiss Chard Anzelottos with Pomodoro Sauce
Heami Lee
From the tortelli family, anzelottos are rectangles often with ridged edges. “They’re made with a thicker, bright white dough of plain semola flour and hot water, which penetrates the proteins in the rustic flour more easily,” chef Evan Funke of Felix in Los Angeles says. Get the recipe for Swiss Chard Anzelottos with Pomodoro Sauce »
Spaghettoni with Jasmine, Saffron, and Chamomile
Spaghettoni with Jasmine, Saffron, and Chamomile
Beth Galton
These floral, buttery noodles from chef Antonia Klugmann at L’Argine a Vencò can be infused using either fresh or dried flowers. Steep the flowers in the butter and pasta cooking water in advance if desired, and reheat when ready to use. Any tubular pasta like bucatini or spaghetti, cooked al dente, will work. Get the recipe for Spaghettoni with Jasmine, Saffron, and Chamomile »
Potato and Cheese Tortelli with Porcini Mushrooms
Potato and Cheese Tortelli with Porcini Mushrooms
Heami Lee
“It’s a common misconception that tortelli and tortellini are the same,” chef Evan Funke of Felix in Los Angeles says. Unlike round tortellini, tortelli (the proper name for these ravioli-like stuffed pastas) are squares or rectangles simply folded over a filling and sealed. Get the recipe for Potato and Cheese Tortelli with Porcini Mushrooms »
Rajma (North Indian Kidney Bean Masala Stew)
Rajma (North Indian Kidney Bean Masala Stew
Todd Coleman
Chiles and ginger add invigorating heat to a classic Punjabi dish of tomatoes and kidney beans garnished with slivers of red onion. Redolent of coriander, cumin, and cinnamon, this warming stew is best enjoyed over basmati rice. Get the recipe for Rajma (North Indian Kidney Bean Masala Stew) »
Coconut Beluga Lentils
Coconut Beluga Lentils
Andre Baranowski
At Turtle Bay Estate House on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, chef Anthony Dawodu enriches lentils with sweet coconut milk. Get the recipe for Coconut Beluga Lentils »
Persian Herbed Frittatas with Fenugreek (Kookoo Sabzi)
Persian Herbed Frittatas with Fenugreek (Kookoo Sabzi)
Farideh Sadeghin
This variant of the classic Iranian frittata-like egg dish has become a popular street food in London. Feel free to add walnuts, barberries, or raisins to make it your own. Get the recipe for Persian Herbed Frittatas with Fenugreek (Kookoo Sabzi) »
Chinese Spicy Garlic Eggplant (Yu Xiang Qie Zi)
Chinese Spicy Garlic Eggplant (Yu Xiang Qie Zi)
SAVEUR
Steaming eggplant, as opposed to deep-frying it, lightens this fragrant stir-fry adapted from a recipe in Grace Young and Alan Richardson's The Breath of a Wok (Simon & Schuster, 2004). Get the recipe for Chinese Spicy Garlic Eggplant (Yu Xiang Qie Zi) »
Falafel
Falafel
Todd Coleman
I have eaten my share of falafel around the world, and I love the way the simple legume patty takes on the flavor of a place, as in the dense fava bean falafels of Egypt and Iraq, Palestine's parsley-heavy chickpea versions, and the unusual falafel I happened upon at a restaurant called Amon, on Via Palazzuolo in Florence, where the Egyptian chef Na'ama adds fresh fennel to her mash. But any way you make it, there is nothing like falafel's first bite: the crisp-fried exterior giving way to a creamy center of seasoned mashed beans, garlic, and parsley. —Felicia Campbell Get the recipe for Falafel »
Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Souffles
Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Souffles
Joseph De Leo
Adding puréed cauliflower to an appetizer-sized soufflé gives the dish the heartiness to be a vegetarian main when served with a salad. Get the recipe for Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Souffles »
Spinach and Potato Dumplings with Cold Tomato Sauce
Spinach and Potato Dumplings with Cold Tomato Sauce
Matt Taylor-Gross
A chilled tomato sauce with sundried tomatoes makes a pleasant contrast to these hot potato and spinach dumplings, which chef Josita Hartanto of Berlin's Lucky Leek binds together with firm tofu and durum wheat semolina. Dry the potatoes and spinach thoroughly so the dumplings will hold their shape. Get the recipe for Spinach and Potato Dumplings with Cold Tomato Sauce »
Coconut Rice and Red Beans
Coconut Rice and Red Beans
Matt Taylor-Gross
If you prefer, you can use canned red kidney beans in this satisfying side dish, served alongside Braised Oxtail with Butter Beans. Simply skip the first step and rinse one 15-oz. can of beans before adding them to the pan in step two. Get the recipe for Coconut Rice and Red Beans »
Spaghettini with Carrots, Olives, and Red Endive
Spaghettini with Carrots, Olives, and Red Endive
Matt Taylor-Gross
Carrot ribbons cooked al dente and lightly braised red endive add color to this simple vegetable-packed pasta dish, brightened with lots of lemon zest. Josita Hartanto of Berlin's Lucky Leek uses multicolored carrots for a beautiful presentation. Get the recipe for Spaghettini with Carrots, Olives, and Red Endive »
Tofu, Long Bean, and Crispy Shallot Vinaigrette with Black Bean Vinaigrette
Tofu, Long Bean, and Crispy Shallot Vinaigrette with Black Bean Vinaigrette
André Baranowski
Crisp-tender Chinese long beans pair with silky tofu and an umami-rich dressing for this simple chilled salad from chef Matt Wilkinson. Get the recipe for Tofu, Long Bean, and Crispy Shallot Vinaigrette with Black Bean Vinaigrette »
Potato Tacos (Tacos de Papa)
Potato Tacos (Tacos de Papa)
Dylan + Jeni
Inspired by the potato tacos at Loncheria Otro Rollo in Bakersfield, these Tacolicious versions are stuffed with fluffy mashed potatoes and pan-fried until crisp. The accompanying smoky ranchero sauce also would be great as an accompaniment for meat or fish or spooned over eggs. Get the recipe for Potato Tacos (Tacos de Papa) »
Ricotta and Egg Gnocchi with Olives, Capers, and Tomato Sauce
Ricotta and Egg Gnocchi with Olives, Capers, and Tomato Sauce
Con Poulos
These soft gnocchi from Tuscany are the ultimate version of the kind most commonly served at Italian-American restaurants. The dish is amped up with briny chopped capers and green olives. Get the recipe for Ricotta and Egg Gnocchi with Olives, Capers, and Tomato Sauce »
Spelt Risotto with Beets and Horseradish
Spelt Risotto with Beets and Horseradish
Todd Coleman
Heston Blumenthal, chef at the Fat Duck in Bray, England, was inspired by his trip to Transylvania in this dish. Blumenthal substitutes spelt, a wheat berry found in most supermarkets, for the more common short-grain rice to give the risotto a nutty and wholesome flavor. Get the recipe for Spelt Risotto with Beets and Horseradish »
Salt-Roasted Turnips with Goat Cheese and Greens
Salt-Roasted Turnips with Goat Cheese and Greens
Romulo Yanes
Kobe Desramaults uses almost no spices at his Michelin-starred restaurant In de Wulf, located in an isolated corner of Belgium. Here he relies on salt roasting to make these turnips, served on a bed of creamy goat cheese, buttery and tender. Get the recipe for Salt-Roasted Turnips with Goat Cheese and Greens »
Mixed Vegetable Coconut Curry (Ghanta Tarkari)
Mixed Vegetable Coconut Curry (Ghanta Tarkari)
James Roper
This vegetarian Indian dish from the state of West Bengal features squash, potatoes, and gourds enriched with ghee and sweetened with grated coconut. Get the recipe for Mixed Vegetable Coconut Curry (Ghanta Tarkari) »
Grilled Vegetable and Barley Salad
Grilled Vegetable and Barley Salad
Helen Cathcart
Barley is typically eaten in a pudding for breakfast or dessert in Egypt, but in this recipe from cookbook author Suzanne Zeidy, it's turned into a hearty salad, seasoned with cumin and chiles, and tossed with grilled vegetables, feta, and pistachios. Get the recipe for Grilled Vegetable and Barley Salad »
Quinoa Veggie Burger with Roasted Red Pepper Relish
Quinoa Veggie Burger with Roasted Red Pepper Relish
Helen Rosner
Our take on a classic meatless burger calls on a slew of vegetables for flavor, color, and texture: carrot, celery, arugula, beans, and quinoa, the high-protein South American grain that has a nutty flavor and toothsome bite. Get the recipe for Quinoa Veggie Burger with Roasted Red Pepper Relish »
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