25 Vegetarian Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes or Less

Pasta & White Bean Soup
Photo: Jacob Fox

These meatless meals are quick and easy enough for any night of the week, so you can enjoy a healthy dinner with ease. Whip up a fresh, flavorful salad or impress your friends with a pan of enchiladas that taste like a labor of love—either way, you'll have a delicious, simple dinner you can feel good about. Recipes like our Orange-Mint Freekeh Salad with Lima Beans and White Bean Soup with Pasta are meals you'll want to make again and again.

01 of 25

Kale & Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing

Kale & Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing
Photography / Antonis Achilleos, Styling / Christine Keely, Ali Ramee

This kale-quinoa salad pops with different flavors and textures. Massaging the kale helps break down its fibrous nature, while add-ins like toasted almonds, feta and cucumber add crunch and saltiness.

02 of 25

White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi

White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi
Jacob Fox

Sun-dried tomatoes are the star of this recipe— providing texture and umami. Combined with the spinach, they make this dish a great source of vitamins C and K.

03 of 25

25-Minute Sweet Potato & Bean Enchiladas

25-Minute Sweet Potato & Bean Enchiladas
Antonis Achilleos

These quick sweet potato and bean enchiladas are diabetes-friendly thanks to egg wraps that are lower in carbs than traditional tortillas. The vegetarian filling is both sweet and savory, while the topping adds texture and freshness.

04 of 25

Crispy Rice Bowls with Fried Eggs

Crispy Rice Bowls with Fried Eggs
Leigh Beisch

We topped this rice bowl recipe with avocado, carrot, radishes and spinach along with eggs, but whatever vegetables you prefer will be just as delicious.

05 of 25

Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta

Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta Frittata
Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat

Serve this spring-vegetable-loaded frittata with an arugula salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Tip: This recipe cooks quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.

06 of 25

Orange-Mint Freekeh Salad with Lima Beans

Orange-Mint Freekeh Salad with Lima Beans
Jacob Fox

This salad is loaded with colorful produce: fresh mint, snap peas, radishes and oranges. For pretty snap pea slices, cut them into long, thin strips.

07 of 25

White Bean Soup with Pasta

Pasta & White Bean Soup
Jacob Fox

We use mirepoix—a combination of onion, celery and carrots—to flavor this soup. Keep a store-bought bag of the mixture in your freezer to ensure you always have some on hand without worrying about it going bad.

08 of 25

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn

This vegan chickpea salad sandwich is lemony, bright and surprisingly delicious. It's got all the flavors of a classic tuna salad sandwich—dill, lemon and a bit of garlic—but with chickpeas instead to add a vegan source of protein and a healthy boost of fiber. Celery brings a nice crunch.

09 of 25

Quick Walnut Tacos

Quick Walnut Tacos
Brittany Conerly

At Trio Plant-Based in Minneapolis, the first Black-owned plant-based restaurant in Minnesota, chef-owner Louis Hunter uses walnuts as a protein-rich substitute for ground beef to make these tacos. The ground nuts mimic the texture of meat quite nicely.

10 of 25

Egg-in-a-Hole Fried Quinoa

Egg-in-a-Hole Fried Quinoa
Jason Donnelly

We used quinoa to bump up the fiber and protein in this stir-fry-inspired dish. Rather than making an omelet or stirring in the eggs as you would for fried rice, we cook them in divots right in the veggie-filled quinoa for a fun presentation. Opt for a flat skillet over a wok so you have plenty of room to nestle in the eggs.

11 of 25

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.

12 of 25

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).

13 of 25

20-Minute Balsamic Mushroom & Spinach Pasta

20-Minute Balsamic Mushroom & Spinach Pasta
Antonis Achilleos

This 20-minute veggie pasta dish is super savory, thanks to meaty mushrooms, while the natural sweetness from the balsamic vinegar, basil and pistachios brighten up this quick, healthy vegetarian dinner.

14 of 25

Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
Leslie Grow | Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Maya Feller, M.S., RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition, upgrades this popular budget-friendly combo. "Adding veggies to a classic sandwich—in this case, broccoli, zucchini and red bell pepper—boosts the nutrient-density of the meal," she says. This recipe was part of a feature story, "The Real Cost of Healthy Food."

15 of 25

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.

16 of 25

Black Bean-Cauliflower "Rice" Bowl

Black Bean-Cauliflower "Rice" Bowl

This aromatic cauliflower rice bowl comes together in minutes and is a simple meal for one. Using frozen riced cauliflower instead of rice keeps the carbs in check--and makes for quicker prep.

17 of 25

Buttermilk Fried Tofu with Smoky Collard Greens

Buttermilk Fried Tofu with Smoky Collard Greens

Dipping tofu in buttermilk makes the coating stick for a crispy pan-fried tofu, reminiscent of fried chicken. Spicing up the collards with paprika coats them with smoky flavor while keeping this dish vegetarian. And this quick, easy and healthy dinner comes together in just 25 minutes, so it's great for busy weeknights.

18 of 25

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.

19 of 25

Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach

Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach

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.

20 of 25

Fruit, Veggie & Cheese Plate

Fruit, Veggie & Cheese Plate

This healthy fruit, veggie and cheese plate is easy and affordable to pull together for a fun snack-style dinner at home or can be packed up and enjoyed as an outdoor picnic.

21 of 25

Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps

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We love the retro vibe of these egg salad lettuce wraps. Iceberg lettuce makes a perfect low-carb swap for bread to serve the egg salad.

22 of 25

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.

23 of 25

Rainbow Grain Bowl with Cashew Tahini Sauce

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This vibrant bowl is packed with nutrients to keep you full for hours. Look for precooked lentils in the refrigerated section of the produce department.

24 of 25

Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches

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Lighten up classic egg salad by swapping in creamy avocado instead of using mayonnaise. Sandwich it between toasted whole-wheat bread and you've got an easy, packable lunch ready for work or school.

25 of 25

Sweet & Savory Hummus Plate

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Fresh veggies with dip, juicy fruit and even a sweet treat make up this easy-to-make picnic dinner that's great for packing up or enjoying at home. Plus, this combo excludes the most common allergens and food intolerances (it's free from dairy, eggs, soy, nuts and gluten) so just about everyone should be able to enjoy it without worrying.

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