7 Easy Western Vegetarian Recipes That Are Filling and Never Boring

Looking for vegetarian meals that go beyond the usual? These seven Western-style vegetarian recipes cover mains and snacks, from pasta with roasted vegetables and pumpkin spinach spaghetti to bean burritos, loaded baked sweet potatoes, and homemade veggie pizza. None of them are hard to make, and every one is satisfying enough that nobody will miss the meat.

1. Roasted Vegetable Pasta with Lemony Shallot Sauce

Use whatever pasta shape you like, toss it with roasted eggplant and tomatoes, and finish with a tangy shallot dressing.

Ingredients

• 450 g (1 lb) fusilli or your favorite pasta
• 2 small eggplants
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 3 to 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Olive oil, for tossing the pasta
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Pinch of salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Slice the eggplant, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until browned on both sides. Roast the tomatoes until soft.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, toss with a little olive oil, and set aside.
3. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 5 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a blender with the lemon juice, Dijon, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth.
4. Put the pasta in a large bowl, add the roasted eggplant and tomatoes and the basil, pour over the shallot sauce, toss well, and serve.

2. Pumpkin and Spinach Spaghetti with Walnuts

Boil the spaghetti, roast the squash, and toss everything with garlic, spinach, and crunchy walnuts. Season simply with salt and pepper.

Ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz) cooked spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 100 g (3 cups) spinach
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• Juice of 1/2 lemon plus its zest
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 30 g (1/4 cup) walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Toss the squash with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast at 225°C (440°F) for 40 to 50 minutes, until soft. Mash roughly.
2. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chili flakes and stir briefly.
3. Add the spaghetti, squash, and spinach. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then top with walnuts and lemon zest.

3. Vegan Bean Burritos

A treat for Mexican food lovers: warm tortillas filled with mashed beans, fresh vegetables, salsa, and a creamy cashew sour cream, rolled up tight.

Ingredients

• 6 whole wheat tortillas
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 400 g (1 can / 14 oz) kidney beans or black beans, rinsed and drained
• Lettuce leaves
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 scallions, chopped
• Salsa
• Grated vegan cheese

Cashew sour cream

• 50 g (1/3 cup) raw cashews, soaked in water for 1 hour or overnight, then drained
• Lemon juice
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) almond milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them for about 15 minutes.
2. Set a pan over medium heat with the garlic and a splash of water. Add the chili powder and beans and cook for about 1 minute. Add about 1/4 cup water and cook until the beans soften, then mash thoroughly with a fork.
3. Blend the sour cream ingredients until smooth.
4. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of mashed beans onto each tortilla, then add lettuce, tomato, scallions, salsa, vegan cheese, and cashew sour cream. Roll up and serve.

4. Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes

Bake sweet potatoes until soft, scoop out the flesh, mix it with sautéed spinach and chickpeas, pile it back into the skins, top with cheese, and bake until melted. A perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes (about 500 g / 1 lb)
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
• 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
• 150 g (2/3 cup) sour cream
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (soaked 6 to 8 hours and boiled until tender)
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• Grated mozzarella, for topping

Instructions

1. Scrub the sweet potatoes, wrap in foil, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 45 to 60 minutes, until soft. Halve lengthwise, cool slightly, and scoop out the flesh, keeping the skins intact.
2. Mash the sweet potato flesh with the sour cream and cream cheese.
3. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the scallions until fragrant, add the spinach and cook until wilted, then stir in the sweet potato mixture and the chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the filling back into the skins, top with mozzarella, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve hot.

5. Homemade Veggie Pizza with Barbecue Sauce

A from-scratch pizza with a simple dough, a quick homemade barbecue sauce, and a colorful pile of mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, onion, and crispy tofu. Bake, slice, and dig in.

Pizza dough

• 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 150 to 180 g (2/3 to 3/4 cup) cold water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Toppings

• 50 g (2 oz) small fresh shiitake mushrooms, halved
• 50 g (2 oz) mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 80 g (3 oz) cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 180 g (6 oz) red onion, sliced
• 100 g (3.5 oz) fried tofu, cubed
• 100 g (3.5 oz) yellow and green bell pepper, sliced
• 100 g (1 cup) grated mozzarella
• Dried oregano, for sprinkling
• Parsley, for sprinkling

Barbecue sauce

• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons salted butter

Instructions

1. For the sauce, melt the butter in a pan and sauté the garlic and onion until fragrant. Add the ketchup, chili sauce, and water, stir well, then add the sugar, salt, and pepper and simmer briefly. Set aside to cool.
2. For the dough, sift the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the yeast. Combine the cold water, olive oil, and salt, pour into the flour, and mix with a dough hook until it comes together. Knead until smooth and soft.
3. Divide the dough in two, shape into balls, and rest for about 5 minutes. Roll out, fold the edges neatly, prick all over with a fork, and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Par-bake the bases at 100°C (210°F) for about 10 minutes. Spread with barbecue sauce and top with the tofu, peppers, tomatoes, both mushrooms, and onion.
5. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake at 200°C (400°F) for about 10 minutes, until the topping is golden. Finish with oregano and parsley.

6. Broccoli Quinoa Patties

Fish cakes are off the menu for vegetarians, so try these instead: cooked quinoa mixed with broccoli, carrot, and breadcrumbs, shaped into patties and pan-fried until golden.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup finely chopped broccoli and carrot
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons flaxseed
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for frying
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Vegan sour cream, for serving
• Parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Put the quinoa and stock in a pan, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
2. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Add the broccoli, carrot, flaxseed, beaten egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
3. Heat a little oil in a pan. Shape the mixture into flat patties and fry until golden on both sides. Serve with vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley.

7. Fat-Free Mushroom and Cheese Tortilla Wraps

Last up, a quick fat-free wrap: whole wheat tortillas filled with low-fat deli slices, mushrooms, bell pepper, and cheese, toasted in a dry pan until golden.

Ingredients

• Whole wheat tortillas
• Low-sodium tomato sauce or pasta sauce
• Low-fat bologna slices (use a plant-based deli slice to keep it vegetarian)
• Enoki mushrooms
• Bell pepper, sliced
• Fat-free cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Lay a tortilla flat and brush with a thin layer of sauce.
2. Top with the deli slices, mushrooms, and bell pepper, then the cheese.
3. Fold into a flat parcel and toast in a nonstick pan with no oil. When it starts to brown, transfer to a plate and serve with a green salad.