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30 Days of Simple Meatless Recipes

30 Days of Simple Meatless Recipes

April 30, 2020

Ever wondered what it would be like to cut out meat, but never been exclusively vegan or vegetarian? Try our 30 days of plant-based recipes that focus on simple meal ideas and pantry staples. Beginners welcome.

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1 of 30

Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach

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Simmer eggs in a rich tomatoey cream sauce studded with chickpeas and silky spinach for a super-fast vegetarian dinner. Serve with a piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Be sure to use heavy cream; a lower-fat option might curdle when mixed with acidic tomatoes.

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Pesto Pasta Salad

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A creamy pesto sauce turns this simple pasta salad into a delightful dinner. Adding broccoli to the pasta cooking water just before the pasta is done is a convenient way to briefly cook it so that it turns a vivid shade of green and softens slightly.

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Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

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This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer's best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.

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PB & J Oats

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Creamy peanut butter and sliced strawberries with oatmeal is sure to brighten any morning.

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Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

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Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!

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Beefless Ground Beef

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Crumbled extra-firm tofu is a great stand-in for ground beef for a meatless meal. This vegan substitute is perfect in lasagna, tacos, soup and more. We boost the flavor with garlic powder, paprika and tamari, but feel free to add your own flavorings.

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Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

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Packed with protein and fiber, this soup doesn't need meat to be satisfying. Soaking and cooking the beans yourself, rather than opening a can, ensures you'll have wonderful flavor and texture. (And the slow cooker does most of the work!)

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Two-Ingredient-Dough Margherita Pizza

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You won't believe how quick and easy it is to make this healthy pizza. Thanks to a two-ingredient dough that combines self-rising flour and Greek yogurt, there is no need for a rise time. Just roll, top and bake, and you'll have a delicious dinner on the table in under half an hour.

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Almond butter and coconut oil replace dairy butter and eggs in these vegan treats, giving them the crisp but chewy texture that we all love. On its own, chocolate is a vegan ingredient but dairy products are often introduced during processing. Some chocolate chips may not be labeled vegan, but if they do not contain dairy products, such as whey, casein, milk, milk fat and milk solids, they are vegan. Check labels carefully.

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Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry

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To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end.

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Meatless Sweet Potato Hash

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Each serving of this meatless sweet potato is packed with flavor, fiber and protein, and has just 216 calories.

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White Beans & Tomatoes with Kale Pesto

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White beans are full of fiber and protein, both of which help slow digestion and curb blood sugar spikes. Canned beans are both easy to use and inexpensive--a win-win!

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Roasted Root Veggies & Greens over Spiced Lentils

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Cheese Quesadillas with Peppers & Onions

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These 15-minute quesadillas are a notch above basic with the addition of sautéed peppers and onions. Let the kiddos load them up with the toppings at the table.

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Black Bean Tacos

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Mixing mashed canned beans with whole beans and seasonings makes an incredibly simple taco filling from your pantry. Top these speedy 5-ingredient tacos with lettuce, tomato and salsa or any of your favorite taco toppings.

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Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust

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Shredded sweet potato creates a low-carb crust for this healthier quiche recipe. A classic broccoli and Cheddar filling makes this brunch classic an instant crowd-pleaser.

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Pineapple Green Smoothie

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Use ripe bananas for this creamy Greek yogurt, spinach and pineapple smoothie. Chia seeds add healthy omega-3 fats, fiber and a little protein for an extra nutritional boost.

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Slow-Cooker Lentil, Carrot & Potato Soup

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Puréeing some of the lentil-vegetable mixture, and then combining it with the remaining vegetables and lentils gives the soup a texture that satisfies those who love a creamy soup and those who prefer it chunky. Serve this slow-cooker lentil soup with crackers.

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Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

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Give classic pasta salad a fresher, more flavorful spin. This fast pasta dish calls for avocado to replace some of the mayonnaise, which makes it extra creamy. Whole-wheat elbow macaroni and fresh vegetables lighten up this healthy pasta salad that you'll be making all summer long.

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Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff

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This mushroom stroganoff recipe has all of the comforting flavors you love from beef stroganoff, but without any of the meat! This vegetarian dish has incredible depth; the combination of dried and fresh mushrooms makes this main feel unctuous and meaty. The sour cream and mustard add richness, while the herbs add a hit of brightness.

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Sweet Potato-Black Bean Burgers

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These vegan sweet potato-black bean burgers spiced with curry powder are easy to make. Blending the mixture with your hands gives you a soft, uniform texture then the outside gets crispy by cooking in a cast-iron pan. To make this recipe gluten-free too, use gluten-free oats and serve the patty in a lettuce wrap, omitting the bun.

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Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

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Stuff crisp lettuce leaves with a savory filling inspired by PF Chang's famous lettuce wraps. These low-carb wraps made with tofu, mushrooms and daikon radish are an easy vegetarian dinner that beats takeout! Garnish the wraps with julienned carrots for added crunch.

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Egyptian Lentil Soup

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Use red, yellow or even brown lentils to make this iconic and super-simple Middle Eastern soup. Skip green or black lentils, which won't soften enough to puree smoothly. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

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Vegan Shepherd's Pie

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Lentils take the place of ground meat and vegan butter adds creaminess to the mashed potatoes in this easy vegan shepherd's pie recipe. If you want to cut down on the cooking time, use precooked lentils and omit most of the vegetable broth, adding some in only if the mixture seems dry.

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Kitchen Sink Burritos

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This vegetarian bean burrito recipe is perfect any time of day, from breakfast (add a scrambled egg) to a late-night snack. It's also ideal for days when you need an energy boost to get through a draining event like a soccer tournament or a marathon meeting. Bonus: You can wrap it in foil and eat it on the go.

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Stuffed Potatoes with Salsa & Beans

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Taco night meets baked potato night with this simple recipe for loaded baked potatoes with salsa, beans and avocado. This easy, healthy family dinner comes together with just 10 minutes of active time, so you can make it on even the busiest of weeknights. This recipe is just as delicious with sweet potatoes in place of russets.

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Vegan Minestrone Soup

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Is minestrone soup vegan? It can be, with the right ingredients! This vegan minestrone soup is heavy on the green vegetables (it has peas, zucchini and kale, to name a few!), setting this quick healthy soup recipe apart from the rest. If you miss the tomatoes, feel free to add them to the mix. Last but not least, enjoy the crispy garlic croutons that float on top and soak up the flavorful broth.

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Berry-Banana Cauliflower Smoothie

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Sneak in your veggies with a smoothie every morning. Riced cauliflower adds thickness and creaminess to a subtly sweet cauliflower smoothie that features the fruity flavors of bananas and berries at the forefront.

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No-Bake Vegan Date Brownies

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Sweetened with dates, these whole-grain bars provide energy and protein, thanks to nut butter. With just 5 ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, you can make these delicious, chewy brownies with no added sugar. Whip up a batch as a healthy dessert or for grab-and-go energy bars for a healthy snack.

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Asparagus & Potato Rösti

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Preshredded potatoes for the rösti are the key to making this crisp pancake quickly. Top with fried eggs and a salad and it becomes a meal.

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30 Days of Simple Meatless Recipes

1 of 30

Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach

1 of 30

2 of 30

Pesto Pasta Salad

2 of 30

3 of 30

Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

3 of 30

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PB & J Oats

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5 of 30

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

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6 of 30

Beefless Ground Beef

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Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

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Two-Ingredient-Dough Margherita Pizza

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

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10 of 30

Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry

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11 of 30

Meatless Sweet Potato Hash

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White Beans & Tomatoes with Kale Pesto

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13 of 30

Roasted Root Veggies & Greens over Spiced Lentils

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Cheese Quesadillas with Peppers & Onions

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Black Bean Tacos

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Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust

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Pineapple Green Smoothie

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Slow-Cooker Lentil, Carrot & Potato Soup

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Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

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Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff

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Sweet Potato-Black Bean Burgers

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Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

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Egyptian Lentil Soup

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Vegan Shepherd's Pie

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Kitchen Sink Burritos

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Stuffed Potatoes with Salsa & Beans