Whether you’re a tried and true veggie, or just looking to lose a few pounds, give your digestive system a break, or do a little something to take the strain off the environment, there are lots of good reasons to try your hand at vegetarian cooking. If you’re a veggie connoisseur, but just happen to be stuck in a recipe rut, or you’re new to exploring the vegetarian world and you’re stumped beyond baked potatoes for dish ideas, here are some great vegetarian recipes from a sampling of the best veggie (and a couple of vegan) food bloggers. May they inspire you, entice you, and help you on your way to a healthier life with a lighter conscience.
1. Curry Garlic Sweet Potato Fries with Miso Gravy
If curried sweet potatoes wasn’t exciting enough for you, how about some tangy, miso gravy for dipping them in? An ultimate in savory excellence, this recipe is full of umami and entirely meat product-free.
2. Veggie Naan’wich with Feta and Chickpea Mash
Because naan is amazing and somehow gets even better when it’s enveloping soft feta and creamy chickpea mash. If you haven’t had naan before, it’s a delicious, fluffy, heavenly Indian bread traditionally served with curries. It’s great for dipping, spreading and rolling up other ingredients into. This recipe is an inventive take on the latter option.
3. Cranberry Pumpkin Pie Overnight French Toast
Overnight french toast casserole involves “throwing a bunch of ingredients into a pan the night before, letting them sit in the fridge overnight, and then baking them off the next morning. Not a lot of effort for a luscious, seasonal breakfast idea.
4. Three Layer Upside Down Apple Pecan Breakfast Cake
Another great vegetarian breakfast option if you’re thinking something merging between breakfast and dessert, crisp apples and toasty pecans make for an unforgettable combination. Upside down or right side up, you’ll enjoy shovelling this one in.
5. Zucchini Bread Oatmeal
Not quite so dessert-y, but, definitely a little sweet and more decadent than your average cereal bowl, this zucchini bread oatmeal will infuse a little extra spring in your step as you make your way to the kitchen in the morning.
6. Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Salad
If there’s one thing vegetarians are known for, it’s salads. But if there’s one other thing they’re known for, it’s coming up with the most imaginative, varied and, yes, even hearty salads you could ask for. Golden butternut squash and crisp apples make this salad just that.
7. Baked Black Bean Taquitos
Mexican fare is a great playground for vegetarian dishes. The variety of options with protein-packed beans and lots of exciting spices make such playful and satisfying dishes that even a borderline carnivore won’t miss the meat.
8. Savory Oat Bars with Olives and Sun Dried Tomatoes
This unique recipe for savory oat bars featuring earthy olives and robust sun-dried tomatoes will have you thinking outside the rectangle. Or at least thinking new within it.
9. Soup of Celeriac, Sweet Onion and Fresh Mint
Alkalizing and soothing for the body, this creamy, filling soup boosts the immune system while surprising in flavor with its balance between mild roasted root and bright flavored mint.
10. Zucchini Noodles with Spicy Lentil Balls
And to top it off, another great vegetarian recipe that boosts the immune system and provides necessary nutrients. Lentil balls add easily digestible plant protein and fiber that will help you feel full and satisfied, but not like you just ate a cow. Because you didn’t.
