28 Vegetarian Sunday Dinners for Weight Loss

October 25, 2020

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Make a hearty meal with these vegetarian Sunday dinner recipes. These recipes are packed with grains and healthy vegetables, like eggplant, beans and lentils, to create a filling dinner. And as a bonus, these recipes are perfect if you’re looking to lose weight since they are full of protein, fiber and nutrients. Recipes like Vegan Shepherd’s Pie and Cheesy Chipotle Cauliflower Mac are low in calories and high in fiber, a crucial combination that can help you meet your nutritional goals.

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Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

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This Instant Pot vegetarian chili recipe is full of healthy veggies and two kinds of beans. Chipotle chiles give it a hint of smoke and a nice kick. Top this quick and easy chili with cheese and sour cream, or enjoy it as a vegan chili by garnishing with veggies such as avocado, sliced jalapeños, onions, radishes and scallions or cilantro.

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Edamame Lettuce Wrap Burgers with Peanut Sauce

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Edamame make these homemade veggie burgers mean, green protein machines. Peanut sauce, curry paste and quick-pickled carrots give them Thai-inspired flair.

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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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Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Stew

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This Mediterranean stew is a healthy dinner chock-full of vegetables and hearty chickpeas. A drizzle of olive oil to finish carries the flavors of this easy vegan crock-pot stew. Swap out the chickpeas for white beans for a different twist, or try collards or spinach in place of the kale. Any way you vary it, this stew is sure to go into heavy rotation when you are looking for healthy crock-pot recipes.

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Cheesy Chipotle-Cauliflower Mac

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You'll barely notice the cauliflower in this comforting skillet pasta--it's pureed and mixed into the creamy cheese sauce.

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Afghan Vegetable & Chickpea Soup (Tarkari)

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Try topping this simple but satisfying vegetable soup with a spoonful of Red Chutney (see Associated Recipes). Recipe adapted from New Arrivals Supper Club chef Naseema Kashefi.

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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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Falafel Burgers

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Pureed chickpeas, seasoned with the characteristic flavors of falafel, make excellent veggie burgers. We use a two-stage method for cooking the patties, first browning them in a skillet and then finishing them in the oven. Garnish the burgers with tzatziki or tahini sauce (see associated recipes), pickled red onions, lettuce and tomatoes.

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Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff

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The rich mushroom sauce in this vegan version of classic beef stroganoff gets thick and creamy thanks to vegan sour cream.

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Fall Chopped Salad with Spinach, Butternut Squash, Apples & Cheddar

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Who says spinach salads are only for spring? Use autumn's tender crop of fresh spinach and other seasonal vegetables to make this fall salad with roasted butternut squash, apples, cheddar and pecans. This colorful and healthy salad would be a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving menu, but there's no reason to save it for holidays--serve it along with chicken or pork for a healthy weeknight dinner, or turn it into a main course by adding some chickpeas or chopped chicken or turkey.

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Plant-Based Smashed Burgers

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Learning how to make smashed burgers is as simple as its name. Smashing burgers into thin patties not only makes them quick-cooking, it also creates irresistible crispy edges. Topping them with the caramelized onion relish adds extra deliciousness.

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Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

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Classic eggplant Parm is filled with cheese, but this vegan eggplant Parmesan combines nondairy mozzarella cheese with nutritional yeast for a dairy-free cheesy substitute that gives you the comfort food factor without animal products. For the breading, use egg replacer, which you can find in natural-foods stores and the special-diet section of large supermarkets.

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Two-Bean Enchilada Casserole

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This classic and comforting Mexican dish is easy to make on a busy weeknight.

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Instant Pot Lentil Soup

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This Instant Pot lentil soup is quick enough to prepare when you get home from work for an easy weeknight dinner. This vegetarian soup recipe is full of aromatic vegetables, brown lentils and fresh spinach. A splash of balsamic vinegar brightens the flavor, and a garnish of radish and parsley gives this comforting soup a fresh finish.

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Mediterranean Ravioli with Artichokes & Olives

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Store-bought spinach ravioli and a handful of basic pantry items are all you need to get a healthy dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Ingredients like oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives and toasty pine nuts help to build big flavor fast. If you can't find frozen artichokes, swap in a 15-ounce can (just be sure to drain and rinse them well).

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Vegetarian Gumbo

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This flavorful vegan dinner is a veggie version of the Louisiana classic. It's chock-full of butternut squash, tomatoes, poblano peppers and okra, to name just a few. This vegetarian gumbo is a quick dinner packed with flavor and spice that's done in only 30 minutes. To make it a meal, serve it with cornbread drizzled with olive oil.

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Polenta Cakes with Poached Eggs & Avocado

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Precooked polenta makes this savory healthy breakfast a breeze. Serving the easy poached eggs on a bed of arugula is a wonderful way to get a head start on your daily vegetable intake.

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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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Lentil Sloppy Joes

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This simple recipe for slow-cooked sloppy joes is perfect for vegetarians as the traditional beef is replaced with heart-healthy lentils.

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Chickpea & Potato Curry

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This fast Indian-style curry comes together with ingredients you most likely have on hand, like frozen peas and canned tomatoes and chickpeas. Plus, using these spices shows how simple it is to make a curry sauce for an easy vegetarian recipe. Serve with whole-wheat naan to sop it all up.

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Bean and Veggie Patties

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These delicious veggie patties are a great side dish, but can also be a fulfilling and meatless main meal. Ready in just 35 minutes, the patties are made with garbanzo beans, zucchini and carrot and are served topped with Greek yogurt and an oregano-flavored vegetable topping.

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Vegan Lasagna

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Silken tofu seasoned with cheesy-tasting nutritional yeast makes a flavorful vegan substitute for ricotta and Parmesan. Whole-wheat noodles and lots of veggies make this version healthier than a typical lasagna.

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Jackfruit "Crab" Cakes

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These vegetarian "crab" cakes are made with jackfruit, a tropical fruit with a chewy, meatlike texture. Jackfruit has a mild, slightly sweet flavor like crabmeat. All that's needed to make these a full meal is a flavorful dipping sauce and a lightly dressed side of greens.

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Vegetable and Tofu Soup

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Tofu has a reputation for being bland, but when marinated in Italian seasoning for up to four hours, it's anything but in this veggie-packed soup.

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Slow-Cooker Squash, Millet & Lentil Dal with Herbed Yogurt

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This slow-cooker dal recipe has a range of pleasing textures: red lentils and millet break down as they cook, and the toor dal, which are split pigeon peas, stay toothsome. Look for all three ingredients at Indian markets or natural-foods stores. The crock pot does most of the work for this healthy vegetarian recipe, and a quick herbed yogurt added just before serving brightens up the flavors. Bonus: Both the dal and the yogurt can be made ahead and the leftovers are wonderful.

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Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

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To avoid a watery sauce, choose tomatoes that are fleshy and have few seeds. Romas (aka plum tomatoes) fit the bill, but there are plenty of heirlooms with a similar flesh-to-seed ratio. The addition of cherry tomatoes brings a burst of sweetness to the dish.

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Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans

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Black beans and tender, sweet butternut squash make this healthy vegetarian chili truly satisfying. Load up bowls and top with Greek yogurt, cilantro and minced red onion for game night or a Meatless Monday meal. Or skip the yogurt and keep this healthy dinner vegan.

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Jackfruit Tamales

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These vegetarian tamales are made with jackfruit, a tropical fruit with a meatlike, chewy texture. The spiced jackfruit, black beans and sweet potatoes are stuffed inside dense masa and wrapped in a corn husk to lock in moisture and flavor during steaming.

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