Our Best Top-Rated Vegetarian Recipes

Written by
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Jolinda Hackett
Updated 08/22/19

The following vegetarian recipes rank the best amongst all of our dishes that comply with a vegetarian diet. From cookies to soups, breakfasts to dinners, these recipes are tasty, healthy, and easy to make.

Readers have rated and reviewed these recipes and we bring you this collection so you can have an easy reference to build your own vegetarian menu. They're grouped by categories for easy access.

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  • 01 of 05

    Eggless Scrambles

    Vegan tofu "egg" salad

    When going vegan, most people miss eggs and cheese the most. To make this transition easier, these eggless scrambles are great and nutritious choices for vegans and vegetarians alike:

    • Our tofu egg salad recipe really looks and tastes like egg salad. The mustard gives the tofu a yellow hue – you might even be able to fool them if you don't tell! Because of its flavor and its simple recipe, this scramble is well-liked by our readers. You need just 10 minutes and simple ingredients. Serve with toasted bread and vegan butter.
    • The second scramble features curried tofu with spinach, perfuming the tofu with curry, turmeric, and cumin. Tomatoes and spinach add to the texture and make for a dish that's filling and flavorful. Serve with naan or over rice, per one of our readers.
  • 02 of 05

    Soups and Chilis

    Vegetarian Indian Yellow Split Pea Dal

    The Spruce

    Soups are a great way of packing a lot of flavor and nutrition into one bowl. They're easy to make and once the chopping and prep are done, you just need to stir here and there while the ingredients cook. These easy recipes are great options for family dinners or to make ahead of time and freeze for weeknight dinners or lunches:

    • Dhal is a staple of Indian vegetarian cuisine. This easy recipe for a basic vegan yellow split pea dhal has a bit of a kick. Low in fat and calories, it's high in protein and one of the most liked vegetarian recipes in our collection. Serve with rice or bread for a complete meal, or in a smaller bowl as an appetizer.
    • This vegetarian lentil soup is a one-pot wonder. Easy to make, it uses inexpensive ingredients but packs in a lot of nutrition, especially high protein and fiber content. From our vegetarian soup recipes, this is one of the best ones to try. Serve with brown rice or a rich salad like this German potato salad.
    • Vegetarian chilis come in an infinite variety of flavors and textures, but our black bean chili ranks among the best for its combination of the sweetness of sweet potatoes with spicy chili flavor. You can serve this chili in 35 minutes by simply sauteeing carrots and onions, adding the potatoes, beans, and spices, and covering in vegetable broth until the soup is thick and potatoes are tender. Serve with many toppings so each guest can choose what to put on top (tortillas, vegan cheese, rice, quinoa, vegan sour cream, pepitas, avocado).
  • 03 of 05

    Mains

    Lunch with stir fried vegetables. With copy space
    The Picture Pantry/Eve Voyevoda / Getty Images

    Main vegetarian dishes are far from being just salad. These two mains are proof. As a bonus, there's the recipe for a well-liked gravy, which is a great sauce to pour on mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, rice bowls or plant-based proteins like tempeh, seitan or tofu:

    • If you like Chinese take-out, this tofu and broccoli in garlic sauce is a healthy vegetarian Chinese-inspired entree. The quick recipe is made in 15 minutes. Sautee onions and garlic until translucid and add cubed tofu and broccoli. Make a sauce of soy sauce, water, and cornstarch and add to the pan. Mix well and serve it with rice or your favorite whole grain, like quinoa or barley.
    • For a Mexican dish try these black bean enchiladas. A simple salad of avocado slices with lettuce topped by vegan ranch dressing is enough to serve with these filling enchiladas. Make them in advance and freeze, for a last-minute dinner.
    • To make a successful vegetarian gravy, you've got to pack a lot of flavor into just a bit of sauce and get it nice and thick, to boot. Our mushroom gravy uses broth, vegan margarine, poultry seasoning (which contains no poultry whatsoever but rather is used on poultry) and soy sauce to make a beautiful and creamy sauce in just 20 minutes. Eat it over rice and tofu, steam some veggies and add it on top, deep fry seitan and add gravy – you name it and this gravy is perfect. Flour tortillas, vegan cheese, and gravy? Dinner is served in 3 minutes!
  • 04 of 05

    Salads and Dressings

    Fresh salad with black quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers and feta chee
    Ivannag82 / Getty Images

    Salad is always a quick and healthy solution for lunches and dinners, but if you have additional time, try this Mediterranean salad and make a big jar of our tahini dressing to put on top of, well, everything:

    • A Greek quinoa salad uses traditional Mediterranean ingredients like feta cheese, kalamata olives, and fresh herbs. Omit the cheese to make it vegan and use sauteed tofu with garlic and olive oil to add volume and flavor. Quinoa is a great source of protein and fiber and it's the first food that many Hispanic parents feed their babies, as it's easy to digest and filled with nature's goodness. Try any of our quinoa salad recipes to make this grain part of your diet.
    • This tahini-based version of homemade "goddess" salad dressing is a hit. Blend tahini, apple cider, tamari, lemon juice, garlic, water, parsley, oil, and agave. It's good on any raw or cooked vegetable or if you're making your own "grain bowl," pour a generous amount of this dressing on top: rice, beans, raw veggies, avocado, pepitas, cubed yams, sauteed kale, and tahini dressing? That's a great vegetarian lunch.
    Continue to 5 of 5 below.
  • 05 of 05

    Sweets

    Vegan oatmeal cookies with cranberries
    Vegan oatmeal cookies with cranberries photo by Bill Noll / Getty Images

    Vegetarian and vegan desserts are really decadent and the fact that some are dairy-free doesn't make them less creamy. Knowing how to use the right ingredients makes a whole world of difference. These two recipes are proof that you don't need animal fats and dairy to make extra special and healthy desserts:

    • Homemade cookies like our vegan cookies with cranberries can be used as breakfast cookies or packed in lunch boxes without the worry of processed ingredients and preservatives. Simply cream the vegan margarine with sugar, add flour, oats, cranberries, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, soy milk, and cloves. Make balls and bake for 15 minutes. As easy as that. Serve with a cold glass of cashew milk.
    • For a special occasion try our peanut butter pie with tofu, a relatively healthy vegan dessert that's perfect for the kids (or the kids-at-heart!). Mix in your food processor silken tofu, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, and soy milk. Pour in a cake tin, refrigerate for 2 hours minimum, and serve. Add vegan chocolate chips on top, or drizzle melted chocolate to decorate. Or eat it plain, it's simply delicious and despite the huge caloric intake per serving, it's a healthy recipe made with good wholesome ingredients.