Health, Sustainable Living

10 Easy & Delicious Vegetarian Recipes for World Vegetarian Day

10 Easy & Delicious Vegetarian Recipes for World Vegetarian Day

We are just two days away from World Vegetarian Day on October 1, so it seems like the perfect opportunity to share some of my favorite, tried-and-true vegetarian recipes!

I’ve been cooking exclusively vegetarian for several years now. There are so many reasons why I decided to make the switch: it’s better for the environment, it’s better for your health, it’s kinder to animals (living conditions for livestock tend to be pretty deplorable), and it saves a lot of money!

All of these recipes are relatively healthy and easy. I work full-time outside the home and don’t have tons of time to spend cooking. I try to balance convenience, health, flavor, and cost when making my grocery list and deciding what to cook. These are also all recipes that have gotten a stamp of approval from my (previously) meat-loving husband!

All of these recipes can be made gluten-free and vegan with a few easy tweaks, which I’ve tried to note!

One final note before we get started: Some of these recipes use tofu. Don’t be scared of the tofu, y’all! It’s really easy to use. For most of these recipes, you’re going to need to drain and press it, and for that I highly recommend this tofu press. But if you aren’t quite ready to make the investment until you see how you end up liking tofu, dish towels and some heavy books or strong arms will do.

Without further ado, here are some of my absolute favorite vegetarian recipes!

Mexican Tortilla Soup by Daily Dose of Greens.

This is a favorite during the colder fall and winter months! I usually double the recipe, which makes a TON, and freeze some of it to enjoy later. I am all about doing less work for more meals. And, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan!

Vegetable Stir Fry Mung Bean Noodles by Healthy Nibbles.

We make this at least once every two weeks in our house. I have simplified the recipe quite a bit by just using regular brown rice Asian noodles and frozen stir fry veggies. I add edamame for some extra protein. It only takes 15 minutes to make and is so tasty.

Italian Spaghetti Squash Casserole by Well Plated.

As you can see, the recipe as written is not actually vegetarian. I substitute tofu for the ground turkey to make it vegetarian. I find that tofu is a great substitute for ground turkey because they are the same color and look pretty similar. This casserole tastes like delicious comfort food but is actually quite healthy. It’s low carb if you’re into that sort of thing and is naturally gluten-free. You could easily make it vegetarian by using vegan cheese (because you can’t just skip the cheese…that’s what ties it all together).

Budget-friendly tip: I just buy regular diced tomatoes (cheaper than the ones with Italian spices) and then double the Italian seasoning. It’s so flavorful!

10 Minute Roasted Tomato Soup by Daily Dose of Greens.

10 Minute Roasted Tomato Soup - 10 Easy & Delicious Vegetarian Recipes  |  Fairly Southern
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Ahhh, another great comfort food recipe. I usually do the shortcut version of this recipe and use canned tomatoes. And of course, I double the recipe so I’m making more food for less work. We pair this with grilled cheese (use gluten-free bread and/or vegan cheese if necessary) and salad for a delicious and cozy vegetarian meal.

10 Minute Scrambled Tofu by Greatist.

I love having breakfast for dinner, and this is my go-to breakfast dish. I usually double this recipe and add lots of veggies to my scramble to up the nutritional value. Tomatoes, spinach, and bell peppers are my favorites. I like to have this alongside pancakes or breakfast potatoes (a white potato/sweet potato combo is the best!).

Tofu Bolognese by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.

Wes says this is his favorite meal that I make. Y’all, it’s so easy and SO good. The seasoning on the tofu is what really makes it. I like to serve it with broccoli or salad, but just pick your favorite veggie and roll.

Mexican Quinoa Casserole by Cooking a la Mel.

Mexican Quinoa Casserole - 10 Easy & Delicious Vegetarian Recipes  |  Fairly Southern
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This recipe is not vegetarian as written, but I just leave out the chicken and throw in an extra can of black beans. It’s a protein powerhouse between the beans and quinoa (and cheese and yogurt, if you’re not vegan). It’s at once both fresh and comfort food-esque. And it makes A LOT, which as you can tell is very important to me because I ain’t got time to cook every night.

Tofu Burgers by SheKnows.

So easy! Use the suggested marinade recipe or your favorite bottled dressing/marinade. While you’ve got the grill fired up, go ahead and grill some veggies as a side dish. Our favorites to roast are tomatoes, yellow squash, and zucchini.

Once your burgers are done, top with your favorite burger toppings. I like a slice of tomato, crisp lettuce, and cheese!

Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta by Minimalist Baker.

I can’t even with how good this sauce is. It’s a little more extra work than just popping open a jar of sauce, but it is SO WORTH IT and still plenty easy. I could just drink the stuff. Some sort of green veggie is great as a side.

Roasted Vegetable Bowls by Me.

So easy. You don’t even need a recipe. Just cook a big pot of rice, roast a bunch of veggies (I just pick whatever is in season and on sale), then dump them in a bowl together. Top with your favorite sauce or dressing. I like Annie’s Lite Goddess dressing (the regular Goddess is not gluten-free, only the Lite version). Annnnd you’re done! You’d be surprised how much protein you’ll get from whole grain rice and veggies if you’re eating lots of them, but if you want even more, add some garbanzo beans or edamame, depending on what type of beans you think would taste best with your particular veggie combination.

Are you planning to make a vegetarian dish for World Vegetarian Day? Do you have any favorite vegetarian dishes? Please share with me in the comments! I am always looking for more yummy veggie dishes!

xoxo Laura

P.S. – This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you purchase a product using a link from this post. Read more here about my disclaimers/disclosures.

14 comments

  1. I’m so excited to try these! I was getting tired of our recipe rotation, so perfect timing.
    On the spaghetti squash – do you add/cook the tofu the same way the turkey is cooked in the recipe?

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