50 Delicious Vegetarian Recipes For Your Dinner Table

Cooking dinner every night can be a challenge. You must decide what to make, ensure you have all the ingredients on hand, and determine how long it takes to make. Plant-based diets have become ever more popular recently as people learn about the nutritional, ethical, and financial impact of the traditional meat and potatoes way of eating. 

The good news is that, whether you're a full-time vegetarian or an omnivore looking to reduce meat in your diet, vegetarian cooking is a delightful adventure. Using a variety of fresh vegetables, legumes, grains, and herbs is key to building satisfying meals that nourish and let you explore your creativity in the kitchen. 

We've rounded up 50 easy and delicious meals that will help you boost your plant-based cooking game. They may even change your meal plans forever. There's something for everyone here, including updated classics, takeout twists, and cozy comfort foods. You'll soon find that vegetarian meals can be an exciting and flavorful addition to your table.

Pasta makes an ideal vegetarian meal, as it's filling, quick, easy to prepare, and appeals to everyone. Pasta night is even better with tortellini, the scrumptious little cheese-filled twists said to be modeled after Venus' navel. Our recipe for 3-Ingredient Creamy Tortellini hits all the goalposts for an easy vegetarian dinner: it's simple to make, is on the table in no time, and tastes so good it will be in your regular rotation after the very first bite. Just add a side salad for a hearty meal you can eat on busy weeknights or serve to guests.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Creamy Tortellini

If you're looking for a vegan version of your favorite Chinese takeout, our Crispy Kung Pao Tofu recipe is sure to please. Common complaints about tofu usually center on its soft texture or bland taste when unadorned. Don't worry about that, as this recipe delivers crispy tofu and healthy veggies in the signature spicy-sweet Kung Pao sauce. The spice level is customizable, too, so it's a hit whether you're making this for picky eaters or spice lovers. Bonus: takeout Kung Pao chicken can be super heavy, but this vegan adaptation fills you up without the greasy food aftershock.

Recipe: Crispy Kung Pao Tofu

Did somebody say eggplant parm? This tasty dish reportedly hails from 15th-century Italy and has been a favorite on many dinner tables ever since. Vegetarian dishes are often considered healthier, but the calories climb quickly once you deep fry the eggplant slices. However, our Sheet Pan Eggplant Parmesan is baked, so it has less fat than the pizzeria version and stays light and crisp. That way, you can avoid the post-meal blahs that fried food often brings. Pair it with a salad for an easy, light meal, or add pasta or crusty bread if you're craving comfort food.

Recipe: Sheet Pan Eggplant Parmesan

Frozen ravioli is a staple on our shopping list because making it at home seems daunting. Still, our recipe for Best Wonton Ravioli is a beginner-friendly vegetarian meal that seems gourmet without all the work. That's because wonton wrappers make stellar ravioli that couldn't be easier. The hardest part might be heading to the grocery store to buy the wrappers if you don't have them. Stuffed with goat cheese, ricotta, and fresh herbs, these ravioli will disappear as fast as you can make them. Make these just once, and you may never want another bag of premade ravioli in your freezer.

Recipe: Best Wonton Ravioli

Mexican food is always spot-on when you want a quick vegetarian meal. Enchiladas, filled tortillas baked in a spicy sauce and covered with gooey cheese, use combinations of beans, rice, tofu, vegetables, or potatoes and are always satisfying. Our Easy Black Bean Enchiladas recipe combines in a snap using canned pantry staples. It can be customized with toppings and spices. You can also make a restaurant-worthy enchilada sauce with just a bit of extra prep work.

Recipe: Easy Black Bean Enchiladas

Celebrity chef Anne Burrell makes a mean Bolognese sauce with ground beef and three cups of red wine. Naturally, we put a vegetarian twist on it with our recipe for Anne Burrell's Bolognese. We still make our sauce from red wine and caramelized tomato paste, but the ground beef is swapped out for a hearty mix of mushrooms and aromatic veggies pulsed to a mince that mimics ground beef. This robust, flavorful take is perfect for anyone looking for a plant-based alternative to a classic pasta dish.

Recipe: Anne Burrell's Bolognese

Chili is a go-to comfort meal that is heartier than soup and great when you don't feel like spending much time in the kitchen. Our recipe for 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili can be put together in minutes. If you can sauté onions and use a can opener, you've climbed the only hurdles for a delicious pot of chili that gets better with time. The spice level is customizable and you can add any toppings you love. We suggest shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, scallions, and sour cream.

Recipe: 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili

American-style stuffed peppers are typically filled with rice, tomato sauce, ground beef, and melted cheddar. Other countries use chiles instead of bell peppers, stuff them with different meats and grains, or top them with sauces instead of cheese. However you make them, stuffed peppers are comforting, budget-friendly, and an irresistibly cute all-in-one meal. 

Our recipe for 30-Minute Stuffed Peppers is vegetarian, with hearty brown rice and beans flavored with fresh basil, tomato sauce, and savory grated Parmesan. Simmering the peppers in the sauce before stuffing them elevates their flavor with less cooking time, perfect for a busy weeknight.

Recipe: 30-Minute Stuffed Peppers

Beef stroganoff, the classic beef dish finished with sour cream and served over egg noodles, originated in 18th-century Russia. Beloved for its rich flavor, stroganoff is an excellent dish to have in your cooking repertoire. Our recipe for Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff hits all the notes of the original but uses mushrooms instead of beef for hearty flavor. The sauce is enriched with wine and substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream adds protein punch while cutting down on fat. This stroganoff is lovely for cold winter nights.

Recipe: Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff

Fans of eggplant parmesan rejoice! Our recipe for Baked Eggplant Rollatini has similar flavors but is even more delicious. How is that possible? The filling has ricotta and spinach, so besides the flavors of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, there's also a creamy, cheesy center. Full of herbs and spices, this rollatini is satisfying on its own, though you might want to add pasta or crusty bread to help catch all the sauce. The leftovers may taste better than on the first night, too, so scale the recipe to feed a crowd and enjoy.

Recipe: Baked Eggplant Rollatini

Carbonara isn't the first Italian dish we'd think could be vegan. Still, our recipe for Vegan Mushroom Carbonara pulls off the feat, turning a sauce traditionally made with eggs, bacon, and Parmesan into a vegan dish worthy of the name. Mushrooms as a meat substitute aren't new, but the combination of nutritional yeast, plant-based milk, miso paste, soy, and apple cider vinegar lends a realistic carbonara flavor without animal products. This carbonara will please fans of the dish whether they eat meat or not and is perfect for festive meals and busy weeknights.

Recipe: Vegan Mushroom Carbonara

Ramen noodles have had a major glow-up — no more plain noodle soup flavored with MSG-laden packets with questionable flavors. Granted, people have been making delectable ramen for centuries, but these days, fancy ramen bowls are everywhere. Our Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles recipe uses only a few common ingredients but is sophisticated enough for guests. Enjoy a plate of sweet and spicy noodles, or thin the sauce with broth if you prefer soup. Stir fry tofu or edamame to amp up the protein in your meal, and enjoy these noodles any time.

Recipe: Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles

Anyone looking for a meatless meal shouldn't forget penne alla vodka. Adding cream and vodka to marinara adds a depth of flavor that turns pasta into an elegant, comforting meal. Penne alla vodka is often considered an Italian dish — it's pasta, right? — but some assert it was invented in the U.S. Our 5-Ingredient Penne Alla Vodka recipe couldn't be easier and can be jazzed up to suit your taste with fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, or sautéed veggies.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Penne A La Vodka

Chiles Rellenos is a stuffed pepper dish from Mexico made with poblanos, though you can substitute different large peppers. Traditionally stuffed with meat, cheese, or beans and fried in an egg batter, our vegetarian Baked Chile Rellenos recipe streamlines the process. It's a mouthwatering dish that uses far less oil, and you can get the rest of the meal ready while they bake. Charring the peppers first gives an excellent depth of flavor, and their cheesy spiciness guarantees you'll love this take on the classic dish.

Recipe: Baked Chile Rellenos

Digging into a plate of spaghetti and meatballs is one of life's simple pleasures. Even better, our Lentil Meatballs recipe is much healthier than traditional beef meatballs, with less fat, more fiber, and plenty of plant-based protein. Mushrooms, Parmesan, and Italian spices combine to mimic your favorite meat-based meatballs, and since it uses a flax egg (ground flaxseed and water used as binder) rather than an egg, you get added protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids (via Healthline). These meatballs are best served separately from the sauce because they're easily broken, but their flavor makes up for that slight inconvenience.

Recipe: Lentil Meatballs

Polenta, porridge made from stone ground corn, is an Italian favorite that makes a hearty meal you can have on the table in under 30 minutes. Our recipe for Buttery Mushroom Polenta uses vegetable stock to cook the polenta before adding butter and Parmesan for flavor. It's then topped with savory mushrooms sautéed with garlic and thyme for a cozy, satisfying dish that will warm up any evening. It will become a favorite meal with a side salad or vegetable soup.

 Recipe: Buttery Mushroom Polenta

Maybe you've never heard of gnudi. They sound like gnocchi, and both are little dumplings that may be boiled or pan-fried. However, gnudi is made from ricotta cheese rather than potatoes, giving them a creamy, delicate, and elegant texture. "Gnudi," meaning "nude" in Italian, probably refers to its similarity to ravioli filling, only without the pasta exterior. Our recipe for Ricotta Gnudi with Sage and Garlic Butter is a nuanced dish that feels indulgent but comes together surprisingly fast and without any meat.

Recipe: Ricotta Gnudi With Sage and Garlic Butter

Craving takeout? With our Sweet and Sour Vegetable Stir Fry recipe, you can whip up a light and delicious meal that tastes better and costs far less than your favorite Chinese. While you need some prep time and know-how to properly chop the veggies, once you start cooking, dinner will be on the table in minutes. Pro-tip: cook rice or noodles as you prepare the vegetables so you can eat right away, and if you're starving, add tofu to make it heartier.

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Vegetable Stir Fry

Lentils are notoriously underrated. Nutritious and filling, they're low in calories but packed with fiber and protein, making them superb for vegetarian dishes. Their mild flavor works well in curry because the taste depends on the sauce they're simmered in, much like tofu. Our Vegan Red Lentil Curry has a lengthy ingredients list, but most are spices and it comes together in no time. Served with rice or naan to soak up the yummy sauce, along with some veggies, this curry is a healthy and tasty addition to your meal rotation.

Recipe: Vegan Red Lentil Curry

Whether you're a gochujang devotee or have never heard of the fiery Korean chili paste, this Korean Glazed Eggplant recipe will surely please. Suppose you'd like to expand your eggplant repertoire past ratatouille and parm. This dish is a winner because it combines spicy, sweet, and salty flavors as well as a crunchy, colorful topping of sesame seeds and green onion for maximum flavor. Even better, it is simple to prepare. It can be served as a main dish or alongside a rice, noodle, or tofu dish for a hearty meal.

Recipe: Korean Glazed Eggplant

Moussaka, a sort of eggplant and ground lamb lasagna with béchamel sauce, is a classic Greek delicacy. However, it may have originated in Turkey, North Africa, or the Middle East. No matter its pedigree, moussaka is a mouthwatering treat, and our Vegetarian Lentil Moussaka recipe lightens up the classic. It is entirely vegetarian and adds potatoes and a red sauce with lentils, zucchini, and onions for more fiber and vitamins. Don't worry, as we kept the béchamel and a cheesy topping of cheddar and Parmesan for a veggie moussaka you'll love. 

Recipe: Vegetarian Lentil Moussaka

Fans of lasagna will love our recipe for Easy Stuffed Shells. With three luscious cheeses nestled into jumbo pasta shells and simmered in marinara, this is a dinner worth celebrating. While you can use a jar of pasta sauce, a few minutes of prep work and a slow cooker make a sauce worthy of Sunday dinner at Grandma's. Rounding out the meal with a salad and garlic bread makes an impeccable vegetarian meal any night of the week. 

Recipe: Easy Stuffed Shells

Pasta is the ultimate comfort food, but it can also feel tiresome when you constantly cycle through the same recipes. Our Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta recipe is a game changer that tastes light and fresh while still having the velvety richness of ricotta and Parmesan. Fresh lemons (plus lemon zest) and garlic brighten the sauce and give it tons of flavor. Add some garlic bread and maybe a glass of wine for a perfect pasta night.

Recipe: Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Nothing satisfies on a cold night like soup, and our White Bean and Kale Soup recipe is packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins. Any kale haters should know that its texture changes completely in soup, resembling spinach that is cooked without getting slimy. Cooked kale also loses the bitter toughness that is the theme song of the plant's detractors. Puréeing a portion of the soup thickens it and lends a silky texture while leaving some beans and veggies whole, so you know you're eating. Served with crusty bread for dipping and enjoy. 

Recipe: White Bean and Kale Soup

Remember when TikTok's viral baked feta pasta took viewers by storm? Our 30-Minute Baked Feta Pasta With Roasted Veggies is similar, but instead of being merely feta and tomatoes, it includes a rainbow of veggies for a heartier, healthier meal. This variety of vegetables helps your body get the phytonutrients you need to strengthen your immune system and reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes (via Mayo Clinic). This vegetarian pasta is a first-rate meal, simple to prepare, nutritious, and flavorful.

Recipe: 30-Minute Baked Feta Pasta with Roasted Veggies

Shepherd's pie, cottage pie, and Cumberland pie, all traditional peasant dishes from Great Britain, use ground lamb, ground beef, chunks of beef, and vegetables in sauce covered with mashed or sliced potatoes. Hearty and comforting, our Lentil Shepherd's Pie recipe is succulent and easy to make, perfect for a vegetarian feast. This version is bursting with veggies and lentils in an herbed tomato sauce enriched with red wine for a protein- and fiber-rich meal. Lentil Shepherd's Pie is excellent on a cold night and is topped with creamy mashed potatoes and shredded cheese.

Recipe: Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Supermodel Gigi Hadid came up with a marvelous spicy version of vodka sauce — without any vodka. Her secret is caramelized tomato paste instead of plain tomato sauce, and our Pasta Alla Gigi Hadid recipe follows suit. Cooking the tomato paste develops a rich, smoky flavor, while crushed red pepper amps up the spiciness. From there, it uses traditional vodka sauce ingredients like garlic, onions, cream, vodka and Parmesan. We think the vodka balances the sweetness, so we added it back, but we loved Gigi's creativity for this dish.

Recipe: Pasta Alla Gigi Hadid 

Gnocchi, small potato dumplings often boiled and served with a tomato- or butter-based sauce, are akin to pasta. Anyone who's eaten rubbery, overdone gnocchi will love our Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi recipe, which delivers not only delectable crisped gnocchi but a well-balanced vegetarian one-dish meal. An array of fresh veggies are roasted with gnocchi and served over a bed of fresh arugula, then dressed with balsamic vinegar. It's a cross between a hot meal and a salad that makes your taste buds sing.

Recipe: Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi

Tikka Masala, an Indian dish often made with chicken in a creamy tomato sauce, can be turned vegan with a few swaps. Our Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala recipe trades the chicken and cream for tofu and coconut milk. Quick-cooking for busy nights, adjust the spice levels to your preference. Delicious with naan or basmati rice to get every bit of sauce, you can add vegetables for a one-dish meal, sub in seitan or tempeh for the tofu, or make it heartier with chickpeas or lentils. It's as customizable as it is tasty.

Recipe: Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala

While freekeh isn't exactly a household word, this supergrain has been a staple of Middle Eastern cooking for centuries. Don't be scared to try it – it's young green wheat with the straw and chaff roasted away and has a nutty, almost smoky flavor. Our recipe for Healthy Freekeh Chili tastes meaty thanks to freekeh and mushrooms, along with beloved chili ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, beans, and spices. Calling this chili healthy is underplaying since freekeh provides tons of protein, fiber, calcium, iron, and zinc. Anyone looking for new culinary adventures will love this chili.

Recipe: Healthy Freekeh Chili

Pasta primavera is a common enough dish: sautéed veggies, pasta, and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Our recipe for Pasta Primavera offers a unique veggie medley and a red wine vinegar sauce with a spicy kick from chili flakes. You'll still get the Italian-comfort-food vibe since it features plenty of Parmesan and a garnish of fresh basil, and if you use alternative pasta like chickpea or lentil, the recipe still tastes great. Add-ins like chickpeas or mozzarella pearls make a robust meal, and it's easy to make it vegan by swapping cheese varieties. Buon appetito!

Recipe: Pasta Primavera

Ramen bowls make a healthy, light meal, and our recipe for Vegan Mushroom Ramen won't disappoint. Brimming with fresh veggies like mushrooms, pak choi (think of it as bok choy with a green stem), beansprouts, and onions, spicy with chili, ginger, miso, and garlic, and filled with crisp bites of tofu, this ramen will warm you and delight the senses. Stir-frying the ingredients and ladling the broth before serving retains fantastic textures, and a squeeze of lime brightens the flavor for a ramen bowl that's a guaranteed new favorite.

Recipe: Vegan Mushroom Ramen

While udon noodles are a Japanese staple, adding a gojuchang-based sauce is why we call our recipe Korean-Style Udon Noodles. Gojuchang, the Korean chili paste fermented with soybeans that range from sweet and spicy to fiery hot, combines with garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil to make a delectable sauce for these noodles, and we can't get enough. To serve this as a main dish, we recommend adding stir-fried vegetables, tofu, boiled eggs, or seaweed to round it out, but if you want nonstop noodles, we promise not to judge.

Recipe: Korean-Style Udon Noodles

Curry dishes are perfect for meatless meals because they have so much flavor. Garlic, ginger, onions, and curry powder bring the oomph to this robust One Pot of Sweet Potato Curry that takes just 30 minutes to prepare. Sweet potatoes are simmered in a tomato- and coconut milk-based curry sauce, with zesty lime balancing the sweet and spicy notes. Adding crunch to the top with scallions or cashews is optional but recommended, and steamed broccoli or some spinach rounds it out for a delicious and nutritious dinner any time.

Recipe: One Pot Sweet Potato Curry

Our Creamy Avocado Pasta recipe is so fast, nutritious, and versatile that it just may be the pinnacle of vegetarian pasta dishes. You can use any pasta variety, eat it hot or cold, and the sauce is made in the food processor – no cooking necessary. Blending avocado, basil, lemon (juice and zest), garlic, and raw spinach with olive oil, salt, and pepper makes something similar to pesto, only far healthier. You can mix it into hot pasta or make a pasta salad, but halved cherry tomatoes add color and freshness.

Recipe: Creamy Avocado Pasta

A vegetable stir fry is a go-to meatless meal, and our recipe for Broccoli and Mushroom Stir Fry delivers flavors galore along with nutritious veggies to fuel you after a long day. Garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey combine for an aromatic sauce that coats crisp-tender broccoli, peppers, and onions. You'll love this light, fresh stir fry served over rice or noodles with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Recipe: Broccoli and Mushroom Stir Fry

Anyone looking for a bright but luxurious dinner pasta should try our Creamy Lemon Pasta recipe. This one is on the table minutes after the pasta finishes cooking and features caramelized garlic and shallots in a simple sauce of lemon and cream. Garnished with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan, this pasta is sublime as is, but we also love it with broccoli, spinach, or a roasted veggie medley mixed right in for a nutritious, easy vegetarian meal.

Recipe: Creamy Lemon Pasta

There's nothing like a rich, spicy curry when you want a welcoming meal. The scent of cumin, coriander, and turmeric blending with fried garlic, ginger, and onions makes us want to sit and eat. Our Warming Aloo Gobi is a potato and cauliflower curry that will please everyone (and yes, it's vegan) at the table. It comes together in short order, and while it simmers on the stove, you can clean up and get the table set. Fresh lemon and cilantro finish the dish on a bright note for a fantastic dinner you'll love.

Recipe: Warming Aloo Gobi

Pasta is simple, comforting, and satisfying. For anyone wanting a vegetarian meal, it may be the first thing that comes to mind. If you're craving pasta but marinara doesn't appeal, try our Plain Mushroom and Onion Penne Pasta recipe instead. Garlic, onions, and mushrooms caramelized to perfection in butter and finished with Parmesan serve as a sauce for this indulgent yet quick meal. A side salad or steamed veggies would round out this pasta dish for a nutritious, easy dinner.

Recipe: Plain Mushroom and Onion Penne Pasta

Lasagna is a crowd-pleaser, and making vegetarian lasagna streamlines the dish. Our Easy Spinach Lasagna recipe makes this main course into a full meal (although adding a salad and garlic bread makes it even better). If you have time to cook, you can customize this recipe with homemade sauce, but to make this a quick weeknight meal, our recipe uses jarred sauce and no-boil lasagna noodles so you can have dinner ready fast. What could be better than spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella layered with sauce and pasta? We can't think of anything.

Recipe: Easy Spinach Lasagna

We love Alex Guarnaschelli, and her traditional eggplant parm is divine. However, we can't resist tweaking recipes, and our recipe, Alex Guarnaschelli's Eggplant Parm With a Twist, turns the traditional magical. Our version cuts the fat dramatically (the secret is baking the eggplant) and adds extra veggies for a more filling meal with tons of fiber and vitamins. Finally, the most shocking twist: we add a little goat cheese for a French influence on the dish that will have you saying, "Ooh la la!" 

Recipe: Alex Guarnaschelli's Eggplant Parm With a Twist 

Pasta Alla Norma, a Sicilian eggplant pasta dish, is an easy one-dish meal everyone will love, whether or not they eat meat. Named after Bellini's eponymous opera, our recipe for Pasta Alla Norma has thin slices of fried eggplant, plenty of garlic, oregano, and marinara finished with Parmesan. It's worth noting that the traditional recipe uses salted ricotta rather than Parmesan. We find that Parmesan is delicious, but by all means, try both ways and see which one you prefer. Either way, this comforting pasta will transport you straight to Sicily.

Recipe: Pasta Alla Norma

Maybe you never thought about it, but baked ziti can be a slow cooker meal instead of a labor-intensive kitchen marathon. With our recipe for Crock Pot Baked Ziti, you can sit down to cheesy pasta goodness that tastes like Grandma's in a fraction of the time. The pasta, cheeses, and spices cook together for two hours, plenty of time to get other things done. A salad and garlic bread would make this meal complete, and the table can be set while the final mozzarella topping melts into sublime gooeyness.

Recipe: Crock Pot Baked Ziti

When we're in the mood to play chef, our Sesame Cauliflower Stir Fry recipe allows us to chop, mix, bake, and fry to create a restaurant-quality vegetarian dish. Cauliflower florets are baked after dipping them in a savory rice flour batter, resulting in light, crispy cauliflower bites to combine with stir-fried peppers, onions, and snap peas. The sauce is sweet and spicy, with honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and ginger. A sprinkle of sesame seeds completes this dish, so get ready for compliments!

Recipe: Sesame Cauliflower Stir Fry

Ratatouille is a vegetable stew dating back to 19th century France as a way to avoid wasting the harvest. Assembling our Slow Cooker Ratatouille takes knife skills since the veggies should be cut uniformly, but once assembled, your Crockpot does the work. This dish is colorful and flavorful, bursting with fresh vegetables and topped with marinara and spices. Sprinkling Parmesan on top adds flair, and whether you serve it with crusty bread, over rice, or eat it as a stew, we think you'll love it as much as we do.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Ratatouille

Everyone loves lasagna, but if you want to enjoy one that's all veggies and no gluten, our recipe for Vegetarian Zucchini Lasagna hits the spot. If you've made lasagna with noodles, this one will be familiar because you're just substituting paper-thin slices of zucchini for pasta. Seasoning the zucchini slices as you go ensures maximum flavor, and the luscious cheeses and rich marinara are still the stars of the show. This lasagna is a nutritious way to quench any craving for comfort food.

Recipe: Vegetarian Zucchini Lasagna

The search for perfect mac and cheese is over — no more lumpy sauces or lackluster cheesiness. With our One-Pot Mac and Cheese, you don't even have to drain the pasta. This recipe hacks every mac and cheese hurdle. Cooking the pasta in milk and water lets the pasta starch build the cheese sauce without flour, and it uses an (optional) egg yolk and a mix of cheese textures. Bonus: it comes together in 20 minutes, so you can enjoy the best mac and cheese any night of the week.

Recipe: One-Pot Mac and Cheese

Fried rice is a popular takeout item, but you can make it at home with simple ingredients. Our recipe for Vegan Fried Rice tastes like your favorite restaurant but is far better for you. Far less greasy and full of veggies, it also includes shelled edamame, which provides protein, calcium, vitamin C, and folate. The real star of this dish is the sauce, which is spicy and sweet from chili paste and maple syrup balanced with sesame oil and ginger. Leftover rice is ideal for making this quick and tasty meal.

Recipe: Vegan Fried Rice

Lentils are tasty legumes packed with fiber, protein, and vitamins that make you feel full, promote healthy digestion, and are heart-healthy. Our recipe for Spicy Lentil Soup makes a filling vegan meal with a kick of crushed red pepper that can be adjusted up or down depending on your preference. Although lentils are usually sold dried, they only need to simmer for about 20 minutes, so this soup works on the busiest day. It's hearty enough to eat alone, but adding crusty bread and a side salad makes a feast.

Recipe: Spicy Lentil Soup

While Cuban main dishes often include meat, a pot of rice and beans makes a popular vegetarian option. This dish is nutritious, filling, comforting, and inexpensive. Our Cuban Rice and Beans recipe is vegan and can be customized to your taste with different veggies and spices. Canned beans are quick and simple, though, if you have time, cook dry beans for more authentic flavor. Add a side of plantains to complete a superb vegan meal. 

Recipe: Cuban Rice and Beans