Low-Calorie Vegetarian Recipes

Keep a lineup of these simple breakfast bowls in your freezer for a heat-and-eat breakfast that will give you energy throughout the morning. Rolled or steel-cut oats will work for this recipe. Feel free to swap fresh fruit for the frozen berries.

Keep several of these simple vegetarian sausage sandwiches in your freezer so you always have a healthy breakfast ready to go. To keep it simple, we use roasted peppers from a jar instead of roasting them at home.

Make a big batch of these easy 3-ingredient crepes to stash in your freezer so you always have a healthy breakfast on hand. A dollop of ricotta adds protein to a store-bought crepe, while the berries give a burst of sweetness and a little fiber.

This mashed cauliflower recipe with butter and sour cream mimics the taste and texture of mashed potatoes. The swap saves you 40 grams of Carbohydrates and 100 calories per cup, plus it quadruples the vitamin C, giving you 82% of your Daily Value of the immune-boosting nutrient.

Massaging kale, curly endive and Brussels sprouts then tossing with a warm dressing wilts them slightly for a more tender bite.

Store-bought pasta sauce just can't compare to homemade marinara--and the slow cooker makes marinara from scratch much easier. This fresh tomato recipe was developed to preserve the summer bounty from your garden or farmers' market; it freezes well for up to 6 months so you can pull out pasta or pizza sauce anytime. Keeping the skins on makes it even easier, plus they contain pectin, which helps thicken the sauce.

This mini quiche recipe uses classic Provençal flavors--garlic, oil-cured olives, anchovies, caramelized onions--to season these very-green egg cups. They keep well, perfect for breakfast on the fly, but the flavors are sophisticated enough to serve for brunch. If you frequently make mini quiches, consider investing in silicone mini muffin tins; they make popping these out a dream!

Slowly cooking summer-ripe tomatoes in a low oven makes them candy-sweet. Turn to this recipe to preserve the summer bounty from your garden or farmers' market; it freezes well for up to 6 months. Tuck these tasty bites into sandwiches; stir them into risotto; or chop them and mix with Kalamata olives, olive oil and fresh herbs to scoop up with pita chips.

Sweet peppers are the name of the game here, but tossing a few hot ones into the mix would be nice as well. This recipe was developed to preserve the summer bounty from your garden or farmers' market; it freezes well for up to 3 months. Try this mélange of peppers, tomatoes and onions with a plate of cheese and crackers; toss it with pasta and chopped herbs; or pile it on grilled chicken and melt some fontina on top.

This versatile sauce draws inspiration from the fiery Yemeni hot pepper-herb sauce zhoug. This recipe was developed to preserve the summer bounty from your garden or farmers' market; it freezes well for up to 6 months. Spoon it over grilled meat, mash with egg yolks to make deviled eggs or stir into Greek yogurt to make a dip. Taste your jalapeños before adding them--if they're particularly hot, adjust as you see fit.

Chef Fabio Viviani, of Siena Tavern in Chicago, shines a bright light on Brussels sprouts with this side dish. In this Brussels sprouts salad recipe, the sharpness of the sprouts gets tamed with honey, toasted almonds and shaved Parmesan cheese. It comes together in about 20 minutes--you can thinly slice the Brussels sprouts with a knife or mandoline, but it's overkill for weeknights. A food processor with a slicing blade will give you pro results. Or grab a bag of shredded Brussels sprouts from your supermarket.

Created by chef Fabio Viviani of Siena Tavern in Chicago, this vegetarian tomato-basil soup recipe takes full advantage of fresh tomatoes. Roma or plum tomatoes are fleshy, low in seeds and cheap--making them a good candidate for tomato soup. During peak season you may also see other suitable plum-shaped heirloom varieties at your farmers' market, but you can also ask for any low-seed, fleshy varieties they may have. While this silky soup is the perfect partner for grilled cheese sandwiches, the homemade croutons add an herby-crunchy accent that should not be missed.

Dried blueberries and pecans team up with cacao nibs for a chocolaty treat any time of day. The cacao is a bit more bitter than chocolate, but the maple syrup helps tame it. Almond butter and chia seeds provide protein to make these bites substantial snacks to fuel your body.

Craisins and dried figs do double duty as sweeteners and binders to make these easy energy balls both tasty and practical. These portable snacks mix in sunflower butter for plenty of protein. They're ready in just 25 minutes and can be stored in your freezer for easy snacking.

This easy snack recipe doubles down on the toasty flavor of the ancient grain amaranth by combining it with peanut butter and flaxseeds. Pitted dates hold it all together while adding extra fiber. Eat these as a snack, grab for a quick breakfast or serve as a healthier dessert.

Minced dried cherries and pistachios make these energy balls a salty-sweet snack to satisfy all your cravings. Almond butter and cocoa add substance and chocolaty appeal. Serve any time of day as a snack or dessert, or pack them for a hike.

This easy energy ball uses natural ingredients to give you a quick bite of energy when you need it. Dried apricots and honey hold together the coconut and oats, while ginger and tahini deepen the sweet flavors. Ready in just 25 minutes, you can have these as a grab-and-go breakfast, afternoon snack or sweet treat after dinner.

Mable Clarke, a South Carolina cook and activist, makes this summer squash recipe to serve at a monthly fish fry that helps support her community's Soapstone Baptist Church. This squash casserole gets its lusciousness from sealing the baking dish with foil. The squash steams in its own juices and mingles with melted butter for a velvety bite.

Adding granola to this fruit pop recipe upgrades it from frozen treat to healthy grab-and-go breakfast. Kefir brings probiotic power, and honey and fruit add a touch of sweetness.

This frappe harnesses the flavor power of a turmeric spice mixture for a cool treat. The golden-milk spice mix is combined with kefir, coconut milk and honey before being whirred together for a frothy delight.