Healthy Recipes Healthy Lifestyle Diets Healthy Vegetarian Recipes Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes 25 Veggie-Packed Light Dinners to Help You Reset After a Rich Meal By Leah Goggins Leah Goggins Instagram Website Leah Goggins is a digital fellow for EatingWell. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, she is a devotee of old movies, farmers' markets and Ina Garten's tomato sandwich with basil mayo recipe. Leah has a degree in news media and English from The University of Alabama. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 27, 2021 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos If you're still feeling weighed down by a rich holiday meal, bounce back with one of these healthy dinners (or one of these nutritious breakfasts). Each of these dishes is packed with veggies, from roasted tomatoes to spiced cauliflower, and is low in calories, so you can enjoy a delicious meal without feeling like you've overdone it. Recipes like our Vegetarian Bourguignon and Clean-Out-the-Fridge Vegetable Soup are nutritious, tasty and refreshing. 01 of 25 Chile-Lime Cauliflower Quesadillas View Recipe Poblano peppers add a touch of heat to these vegetarian quesadillas, but a sweet bell pepper is tasty, too, if you want something milder. Start these quesadillas in the oven and finish them off in a skillet for melty cheese and crispy tortillas. 02 of 25 Vegetarian Bourguignon View Recipe Carrots and parsnips mingle with meaty mushrooms in this vegetarian spin on the classic French beef stew. Feel free to substitute other root vegetables, such as rutabaga and turnip. Serve over whole-wheat pasta and top with chopped parsley or chives. 03 of 25 Vegan Shepherd's Pie View Recipe 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. 04 of 25 Vegan Minestrone Soup View Recipe 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. 05 of 25 Winter Vegetable Mulligatawny Soup View Recipe Jacob Fox Our meatless version of the Indian-inspired British colonial soup includes parsnip and squash to keep it hearty and satisfying. 06 of 25 Cauliflower Fajita Skillet View Recipe Jacob Fox Thinly sliced cauliflower florets mimic the signature shape of fajita meat in this dish. We cook it in a cast-iron skillet for that tableside sizzle you'd get at a restaurant. 07 of 25 Tofu, Mushroom & Bok Choy Soba Noodle Bowls View Recipe Greg DuPree Soba noodles are made with whole-grain buckwheat, upping the fiber count in these brothy bowls and adding nutty flavor. Thick and chewy udon noodles make a good alternative. 08 of 25 Sheet-Pan Tomato Soup View Recipe Jacob Fox Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their flavor, yielding a richly flavored soup. Make a manchego grilled cheese for dunking. 09 of 25 Clean-Out-the-Fridge Vegetable Soup View Recipe Eva Kolenko This recipe is purposefully flexible so you can incorporate just about any veggie into it. Top with a dollop of pesto and/or a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. 10 of 25 Delicata, Rosemary & Blue Cheese Pizza View Recipe Jacob Fox Topping your pie with squash brings a big vitamin A boost to this pizza—it provides 120% of your Daily Value per serving. The delicata contributes extra fiber, too, thanks in part to its edible skin. We make the oven a multitasker to get this winter pizza on the table fast. The crust bakes on the bottom rack while the vegetables roast. Once the pizza is assembled, a blast from the broiler crisps the edges and melts the cheese. 11 of 25 Herby White Gazpacho View Recipe This take on gazpacho replaces the tomato with melon or grapes for a sweeter taste and gets its silky texture from Marcona almonds. If you can't find them, use skinless almonds and add 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch more salt. 12 of 25 Baked Chickpeas with Orange, Lemon & Squash (Revithia me Kolokytha) View Recipe On Crete, chickpeas are commonly flavored with Seville orange, a pleasingly bitter variety grown locally. Orange zest along with lemon juice makes a good substitute. A little mustard deepens the flavor. 13 of 25 Lemon-Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowls View Recipe Brimming with colorful roasted vegetables, these plant-based meal-prep lunch bowls are high in fiber to keep you full through the afternoon. The easy roasted veggies are based on a popular recipe from our sister magazine (see Associated Recipes). Feel free to use your favorite store-bought hummus to cut down on prep time, or make a batch of your own (see Tip). You can also sub in an 8-ounce microwaveable quinoa pouch to minimize cooking. 14 of 25 Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili View Recipe 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. 15 of 25 Instant Pot Lentil Soup View Recipe 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. 16 of 25 Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Diet Stew View Recipe With a focus on vegetables, fiber-rich legumes and healthy fats, this slow-cooker stew fits the bill for those following the Mediterranean diet. Swap out the chickpeas for white beans for a different twist, or try collards or spinach in place of the kale. A drizzle of olive oil to finish pulls together the flavors of this easy vegan crock-pot stew. 17 of 25 Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette View Recipe Inspired by the classic warm party dip, this simple salad can be served up right away or divided into small lidded containers for a week of delicious lunches. To keep the hard-boiled eggs tasting fresh, we suggest adding them to your salad just before serving or in the morning before packing your lunch to go. 18 of 25 Kale & Roasted Sweet Potato Hash View Recipe This one-pan hash makes an easy fall dinner or a simple dish for a healthy brunch. You can even poach the eggs ahead of time--slip them into steaming-hot water to rewarm them just before serving. 19 of 25 Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls View Recipe A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos (see Associated Recipes). To cut down on prep time, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department. You can also save time by using microwaveable quinoa pouches (you'll need one 8-ounce pouch for this recipe) instead of cooking quinoa. 20 of 25 Fall Chopped Salad with Spinach, Butternut Squash, Apples & Cheddar View Recipe 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. 21 of 25 Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili View Recipe Grab your crock pot for this delicious and easy slow-cooker vegetarian chili with beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, bell peppers and sweet potatoes. The recipe requires just 20 minutes of active time: after a bit of chopping, you just dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do the work. Adding a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of cilantro just before serving brightens up the flavors. Top it with some shredded cheese, if you'd like, or serve it as-is to keep it vegan. Either way, this healthy chili is sure to become a go-to when you want a satisfying and healthy dinner. 22 of 25 Noodle-Less Butternut Squash Lasagna View Recipe Slices of butternut squash stand in for noodles in this veggie-packed lasagna with spinach, mushrooms and a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce. You can make the Parmesan cheese sauce with regular flour or swap in gluten-free flour to make this dish gluten-free. Look for a squash with a long, straight neck for the best results. Serve with a green salad for a vegetarian meal that you'd be happy to serve to company. 23 of 25 Piled-High Greek Vegetable Pitas View Recipe The bright, fresh flavors of the Mediterranean come alive in these easy vegetarian pitas. Give yourself enough time to make the roasted vegetables called for in the recipe--or make them a day or two in advance for a healthy meal that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. These pitas would also work well with whatever leftover cooked veggies you have on hand. No need to warm the roasted veggies up; this recipe tastes great chilled or at room temperature. 24 of 25 Spinach-Mushroom Frittata with Avocado Salad View Recipe Frittatas are like omelets, only easier--and they taste great hot, warm or cold. This vegetable-packed version is spiked with Mediterranean flavor and paired with a cool salad of lemony cucumbers and tomatoes with creamy avocado. This easy recipe is perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner! 25 of 25 Slow-Cooker Vegan Chili View Recipe Grab your crock pot for this hearty and easy vegan chili, which is chock-full of great-tasting and good-for-you ingredients, including pinto and black beans, red pepper, tomatoes and butternut squash. Once a little chopping is done, all you have to do is dump the ingredients in the slow cooker, making this colorful veggie chili the perfect weeknight dinner. A garnish of fresh avocado and chopped cilantro is a nice touch. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit