21 Healthy Vegetarian Dinners for Two

slow cooker caprese spaghetti squash

Go meatless with one of these tasty meals. Plant-based protein sources like chickpeas, beans and edamame make these dinners filling and flavorful, so you can enjoy a little bit of everything, from a 5-minute sauté to a loaded grain bowl. Recipes like our Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens and Slow-Cooker Caprese Spaghetti Squash with White Beans are perfect for two, but they'll also work as a dinner for one with leftovers for lunch the next day.

01 of 21

Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens

6859253.jpg

Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe.

02 of 21

Roasted Vegetable & Black Bean Tacos

4499626.jpg

These hearty vegan tacos are quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights. They are so tasty no one will miss the meat or dairy.

03 of 21

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas & Artichoke Hearts

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas & Artichoke Hearts
Photography / Fred Hardy, Styling / Kady Wohlfarth / Kay Clarke

This hearty orzo salad features feta, lemon and dill, three ingredients often found in Greek cuisine. Enjoy for lunch or dinner.

04 of 21

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

4538536.jpg

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

05 of 21

3-Ingredient Chickpeas with Kale & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

3 ingredient chickpea, kale pepper salad
Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes pull double duty in this recipe. Use the oil from the jar to cook the kale, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes to add flavor and texture to the dish.

06 of 21

3-Ingredient Teriyaki Edamame Sauté

3 ingredient edamame salad
Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Whip up this high-fiber, plant-based stir-fry for a quick and convenient dinner. Look for bottled teriyaki sauce labeled less sodium or reduced sodium to cut back on the salt without sacrificing flavor.

07 of 21

Cauliflower Gnocchi with Asparagus & Pesto

Cauliflower Gnocchi with Asparagus & Pesto
Carolyn Hodges, M.S., RD

While the cauliflower gnocchi crisp up in a sauté pan, steam fresh asparagus in the microwave to keep it bright green and crisp-tender. Substitute frozen asparagus (or green beans or peas) in a pinch. Toss them together with prepared basil pesto for a satisfying supper.

08 of 21

Black Bean Fajita Skillet

Black Bean Fajita Skillet

You can often find presliced and ready-to-cook fresh vegetables in your grocer's produce section. Use these to your advantage to cut down on dinnertime prep. Here, presliced fajita vegetables are sautéed with canned black beans and Southwest seasoning for a quick and easy Tex Mex-inspired meal. Plus, this recipe requires just three ingredients, not including basics like salt, pepper and oil. You can easily take your bowl up a notch by adding some cheese, sour cream or another tasty topping.

09 of 21

Slow-Cooker Caprese Spaghetti Squash with White Beans

7081377.jpg

This recipe feels and looks indulgent without being high in calories. The "caprese" components--fresh mozzarella, basil leaves and tomatoes--beautifully shine through, while the white beans add protein and a creamy texture. If you can't find fresh small mozzarella balls, tear a large ball of fresh mozzarella into small pieces.

10 of 21

Peanut Zoodles with Edamame

3-Ing-Diabetes-Peanut-Zoodles-Edamame
Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

A package of fresh zucchini noodles gets tossed with shelled edamame and store-bought peanut sauce in these 5-minute, no-cook vegetable noodle bowls. Because prepared sauces and dressings are commonly high in sodium, scan the label and opt for those that contain 150 mg sodium or less per tablespoon.

11 of 21

3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli

3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli
Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Swap out regular pasta for pasta made with chickpeas and you'll more than triple the fiber and double the protein in this simple, satisfying dish. Be sure to save some of the pasta water to make a sauce. Feel free to use frozen broccoli in a pinch (you can blanch the broccoli in the same water you use to cook the pasta).

12 of 21

3-Ingredient Green Goddess White Bean Salad

3-Ingredient Green Goddess White Bean Salad
Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Bagged salad and slaw blends are great shortcut ingredients for adding variety without needing to wash and chop lots of different vegetables. Toss a kale-and-broccoli slaw mix with canned white beans and yogurt-based green goddess dressing for a crunchy main-dish salad in minutes.

13 of 21

3-Ingredient Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Chickpeas

3-Ingredient Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Chickpeas
Carolyn A. Hodges, RD

Boxed blended soups are the perfect canvas for simple stir-ins to make them more substantial and satisfying. Here, roasted red pepper soup is jazzed up with canned chickpeas and fresh baby spinach for a fast, comforting meal.

14 of 21

Parmesan Eggplant Pasta

8428233.jpg

This lightened-up version of the classic eggplant pasta dish swaps out some of the cheese and uses protein-rich lentil pasta.

15 of 21

Udon Noodle Bowl

5612029.jpg

This Asian-inspired Udon Noodle Bowl can be ready in just 30 minutes. It's a perfect weeknight meal, quick and incredibly satisfying.

16 of 21

Roasted Root Vegetables with Goat Cheese Polenta

4500244.jpg

This is true healthy comfort food--a bowl of soft, creamy polenta topped with warm roasted vegetables infused with garlic and sage.

17 of 21

Turmeric Rice Bowl with Garam Masala Root Vegetables & Chickpeas

Turmeric Rice Bowl with Garam Masala Root Vegetables & Chickpeas

This fragrant turmeric rice bowl topped with leftover spiced roasted root vegetables and chickpeas is inspired by flavors from India for an easy, vegetarian dinner.

18 of 21

Chickpea Pasta with Lemony-Parsley Pesto

4500246.jpg

We love using chickpea pasta in this quick and easy dinner recipe, but other bean pastas or whole-wheat noodles are just as good with this fresh and zesty pesto sauce.

19 of 21

Stuffed Zucchini with Black Beans, Corn and Poblano Pepper

5324448.jpg

Who says vegetables have to be boring? Spice up your dinner with this stuffed zucchini recipe with Poblano pepper, black beans, and corn.

20 of 21

Roasted Root Veggies & Greens over Spiced Lentils

4501476.jpg

This earthy bowl of lentils bursting with Middle Eastern flavors is topped with leftover roasted root veggies from a large batch for an easy weeknight dinner. Keep it vegan or add a drizzle of plain yogurt for extra richness.

21 of 21

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower & Chickpea Salad

5655856.jpg

Lime juice, ginger, jalapeño and parsley are the stars of this curried cauliflower and chickpea vegetarian, main-dish salad.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles