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  5. Genius Vegetarian Recipes That Swap Vegetables for Meat

Genius Vegetarian Recipes That Swap Vegetables for Meat

August 27, 2019
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Here are EatingWell's best veg-swap recipes that vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will devour. Carrot dog or cauliflower steak, anyone?
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Chicago-Style Carrot Dogs

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Whether you're vegan, vegetarian or none of the above, these plant-based "dogs" are magically delicious--period. This recipe makes these vegan hot dogs Chicago-style, but feel free to doctor them up any way you like. Break with convention and add shredded cabbage, sprouts and cilantro, for example.

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Eggplant Gyros

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Eggplant's meaty texture is a delicious vegetarian stand-in for the lamb that typically fills a gyro sandwich. The vegetable absorbs the lemony-herby-spicy marinade like a sponge, so if you have time, let it marinate for the full day.

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Red Cabbage Porterhouse Steaks with Herb Butter

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Give this hearty vegetarian recipe the true steakhouse treatment and serve it with steamed asparagus, french fries and a big, bold cabernet sauvignon. Or serve it as a side dish; it goes really well with... steak.

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Beet Larb with Quinoa

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Larb is a classic salad with roots in Laos and Thailand. It typically features seasoned ground meat and lots of herbs and vegetables, but our healthy vegetarian version swaps red beets for meat, reduces the sodium by adding more lime juice and makes it more substantial by serving it as part of a grain bowl. Spoon it over lettuce for a lighter take.

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Cauliflower Steaks Milanese with Salsa Verde

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Milanese, the traditional Italian preparation of breading meat then sautéing it until crispy, is just the treatment to give cauliflower steaks for a healthy vegetarian dinner. Roast up the leftover florets or whirl them into cauliflower rice another night. Served with a zesty salad and a glass of chilled verdicchio or pinot grigio, this deeply satisfying vegetable entree is swoon-worthy to vegetarians and meat-lovers alike.

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BBQ Carrot Dogs

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Shock everyone with this recipe for veggie dogs that actually taste like hot dogs. They're an amazing (and healthy!) vegan alternative to traditional meat hot dogs. Serve in whole-wheat hot dog buns and top with all your favorite toppings, such as sauerkraut, relish, ketchup and mustard, for the ultimate barbecue meal.

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Celeriac & Walnut Tacos

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Fake out your meat-loving family and friends with this fast plant-based taco dinner recipe. Ground toasted nuts and chopped sautéed celeriac yield a texture similar to ground beef, then classic taco seasoning does the rest. If you want a little heat, sprinkle these healthy vegetarian tacos with some minced jalapeño.

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Carrot Dog Pigs in a Blanket

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Carrots replace cocktail wieners in this healthy update of pigs in a blanket. Soaking the carrot "dogs" in a smoky marinade is the key to giving them that hot dog flavor, for a vegan app meat-eaters will love too. Serve with dipping sauces like honey mustard or ranch dressing to take these to the next level.

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Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri

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In this stunning, healthy cauliflower recipe, a head of cauliflower is cut into thick slabs then roasted until caramelized and served with chimichurri, a garlic-herb sauce. The cauliflower steaks make a fine accompaniment to actual steaks, or better still, serve them on their own as a vegetarian alternative to steak. Each head of cauliflower will provide 2 to 3 steaks from the center--the sides tend to crumble. For a truly show-stopping presentation, use the center portion of 2 heads and save the rest of the cauliflower for another recipe that calls for cauliflower florets.

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Vegan BLATs (BLTs with Avocado)

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Roasted shiitake mushrooms doused in soy sauce with a dash of smoked paprika become a natural, vegan alternative to bacon. Try them in this vegan version of a classic BLT with creamy avocado and eggless mayonnaise or on top of a salad as a substitute for bacon bits.

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Vegan Jackfruit Tacos

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Tex-Mex-flavored jackfruit mimics the taste and texture of pulled pork carnitas in this delicious vegan taco--and it's a lot faster to make than traditional carnitas, which are typically cooked for hours. An easy avocado crema and quick tomato salsa add bright, fresh flavors. For this recipe, you'll want unsweetened almond milk without any vanilla--be sure to check the ingredients, as some contain vanilla flavoring even if they aren't labeled as vanilla.

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Curried Cauliflower Steaks with Red Rice & Tzatziki

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Gone are the days when your rice choices were limited to white and brown. In this healthy vegetarian dinner recipe, the aromatic flavor of red rice or brown basmati jibes deliciously with fragrant curry powder. Because you need 2 whole heads of cauliflower to get 4 cauliflower steaks, you'll have leftover cauliflower florets to use up. Roast the florets alongside the steaks, then toss them with some chickpeas and tzatziki sauce for a healthy lunch (see Tip, below).

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Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos

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In this vegetarian taco recipe, cauliflower is tossed with a smoky-tangy sauce made with honey, lime juice and chipotles in adobo sauce before being roasted. Serve with more hot sauce, if desired.

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Everything in This Slideshow

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1 of 13 Chicago-Style Carrot Dogs
2 of 13 Eggplant Gyros
3 of 13 Red Cabbage Porterhouse Steaks with Herb Butter
4 of 13 Beet Larb with Quinoa
5 of 13 Cauliflower Steaks Milanese with Salsa Verde
6 of 13 BBQ Carrot Dogs
7 of 13 Celeriac & Walnut Tacos
8 of 13 Carrot Dog Pigs in a Blanket
9 of 13 Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri
10 of 13 Vegan BLATs (BLTs with Avocado)
11 of 13 Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
12 of 13 Curried Cauliflower Steaks with Red Rice & Tzatziki
13 of 13 Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos

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Genius Vegetarian Recipes That Swap Vegetables for Meat
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