Healthy Vegetarian Recipes

James Beard Award-winner and Top Chef contestant Karen Akunowicz of Fox & the Knife in Boston turns this Italian-inspired bread salad into a hearty fall dish. Instead of tomato, fennel mingles with the vinaigrette to let the bread soak up its licorice notes, while the arugula lends the dish a hint of pepper. The lemony vinaigrette is so simple and tastes so much fresher than store-bought. Make a double batch to toss on other salads. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Add some shredded chicken to the salad to make it a meal.

This refreshing frozen orange margarita is bursting with orange flavor and easy to make. If you prefer a more alcohol-forward drink, you can cut down the amounts of ice and orange juice to 2 cups and 1/2 cup, respectively.

Fire-roasted tomatoes add slightly smoky flavor to red lentils. The addition of mashed potatoes gives this an upside-down shepherd's pie feel.

A blend of dates, sunflower seed butter, salt and vanilla make these bites surprisingly reminiscent of salted caramel--both in taste and texture. Unlike our ultra-easy mix-and-match basic energy ball recipe, you'll need a blender to make a paste for the base of these balls, but the extra effort is oh-so-worth it for the sweet and satisfying result.

Give your mind and body a boost with this tart cherry superfood shot. Tart cherry juice is rich in heart-healthy polyphenols and anthocyanins, which can help fight free radicals and thwart inflammation. And some researchers have found that regularly consuming tart cherry juice may improve one's cognitive abilities. You can find 100% tart cherry juice in the juice aisle at most large grocery stores.

Spinach, celery and apples pack a nutritional punch in this green superfood shot. Spinach is rich in vitamin A, folate, calcium and iron, and pairing it with vitamin C-rich lemon juice helps your body absorb the iron from the leafy greens. Apples hold a lot of their cancer-fighting antioxidants in the peel, and while you may glaze over celery juice, the crisp green stalks contain the antioxidant apigenin, which can promote the death of cancerous cells, according to lab research.

Add more veggies to your pizza night with this colorful rainbow pizza! This vibrant pie is a fun way to add a little bit more excitement to dinnertime.

This refreshing mocktail perfectly combines the cool taste of cucumbers with the delicious tart flavor of fresh limes. It's lightly sweetened with agave and it's alcohol-free!

Trendy whipped coffee meets classic PSL! This warm, just-sweet-enough version calls for maple syrup and pumpkin puree (no flavored syrups here!) and is spiked with pumpkin pie spice for the coziest spin on the latest coffee craze. Be sure to stir the whipped coffee into the steamed milk before drinking.

Nothing says summer like this refreshing watermelon mint mocktail! It's light, crisp and made with only a few simple ingredients.

This warming vegetable barley soup uses easy-to-find produce and frozen veggies, making prep simple and easy. It makes plenty to feed a hungry family, plus it freezes beautifully so leftovers can be enjoyed again and again.

Fresh herbs, tomatoes and colorful mini sweet peppers decorate homemade focaccia in this easy and adorable bread-making project that's perfect for the whole family. This easy no-knead focaccia recipe is adapted from No-Knead Focaccia with Peaches & Prosciutto by Alanna Lipson (see Associated Recipes).

This refreshing twist on the classic caprese salad replaces tomatoes with sweet, juicy watermelon. Basil and balsamic vinegar push this easy summer salad to the savory side, but if you want some sweeter notes, opt for balsamic glaze. An optional drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil at the end helps marry the flavors.

This vegan pasta dish is chock-full of earthy mushrooms. A mix of wild mushrooms can elevate the flavors of this easy dish, but simple cremini or button mushrooms work well too. To save on prep time, look for packages of mushrooms that have already been sliced.

This vegan sandwich has great barbecue flavor (without the meat!) thanks to earthy mushrooms that soak up the sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Serve with coleslaw dressed with vegan mayonnaise to complete the meal.

Got garden-fresh tomatoes? This simple vegetarian pasta is a great place to use them up. Both large tomatoes and cherry tomatoes work well. The addition of sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese elevates the flavor, while a drizzle of sweet balsamic glaze at the end adds a sweet note.

The cheesy flavor and crispy crust on these eggplant "fries" is just like fried eggplant Parmesan, but with a fraction of the oil. They're the perfect appetizer for Italian night! Dip these crispy fries into a big hot bowl of your favorite marinara.

If you're a fan of pickles, this easy pasta salad will easily become your go-to. If you want to give it some extra kick, an additional teaspoon or two of hot sauce will do the trick. Pair it with anything hot off the grill or pack it up for a picnic. It can also easily translate from a side dish to an entree by adding a can of flaked tuna or shredded chicken.

This super-easy dish is perfect for summer. Store-bought frozen cauliflower gnocchi are crisped up in a pan, then tossed with mozzarella cheese, plenty of basil and balsamic vinegar for a hearty and healthy spin on the classic caprese salad.

This fun and vibrant prickly pear margarita is perfect for a hot summer day--and for when you can get your hands on fresh prickly pears to make your own syrup. If prickly pears are hard to come by, you can substitute store-bought prickly pear syrup, which can be found at some liquor stores, specialty stores or online.