15 Hearty Vegetarian Recipes (Photos)

Vegetarian food has a bad rap. Most meat eaters turn up their nose at the sound of it, assuming that it will either be a soy-laden meal or a skimpy salad consisting of a few raw vegetables. But, this is just not the case. Yes, those kinds of dishes are around, but the possibility for hearty and satisfying vegetarian meals are boundless. Many of them will leave you wanting more.

There are a variety of dishes to select from, depending on your mood. And they are not all heavy on carbs or dairy either, so if you have dietary restrictions, you can still find a delicious vegetarian dish to enjoy. From Mexican to Asian to Italian, there are a plethora of flavors to choose from. With mouth-watering dishes such as winter squash tortilla and lasagna with cauliflower puree and spinach, you won't miss the meat for one minute -- and you'll save you some dough, too, by skipping the meat aisle at the store.

What is your favorite vegetarian recipe? Leave a comment below.

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Comments

[Scanner54]

08:23 AM on 02/15/2012

The recipes may be vegetarian but many are not particularly healthy. I am always amazed that cheese seems to be the obligatory ingredient to pretty much every recipe (ever tried to avoid cheese in a restaurant? It is all but impossible). And way too much oil mostly. None of the recipes carry nutritional information. That could be a bit of an eye opener.
Oh, and the link to the cauliflower puree from the lasagne is dead. The puree probably had more dairy and fat in it. Maybe the link died of clogged arteries ;-)
For healthy, delicious, all vegetarian recipes, check out the blogs of Susan Voisin and Bryanna Clark Grogan and Dr John McDougall. I have found them to be great resources.

[Ophie511]

12:00 PM on 02/17/2012

I think that vegetarian doesn't have to equate healthy. Lent starts next week, and a lot of people will be cooking meatless dishes for observational reasons rather than for health awareness. Just a thought. :-)

[DavidMG]

10:12 AM on 02/03/2012

As the coauthor of a cookbook which is considered the "veg Joy of Cooking" I am happy to see this variety of recipes EXCEPT I wish they had used unrefined grains, breadstuff, pasta, etc when called for. There is remarkable nutritional and culinary variety in what we call "Wholefoods Cusine" and I love when people discover it.

[EdMercer]

01:30 PM on 01/30/2012

Wow, these look http://www.vegancookingtipsandsecrets.com amazing, who cares whether it has meat in it or not.

[Bubbawubba Gump2]

10:58 AM on 01/30/2012

Vegi posole sounds good, but then you added that vile soap weed. Friends don't let friends use cilantro!

[CinNYC]

01:29 PM on 02/28/2012

Haha, I love it, but it's not my fault according to this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html

[realwoman8]

09:18 AM on 01/30/2012

Those all look really good. I wish I liked to cook.

[tookie9293]

09:00 AM on 01/30/2012

I sautee tofu in extra virgin olive oil, then add shredded carrots and peas. Then simmer in a Thai or Indian sauce.

[Ma Grady]

07:18 AM on 01/30/2012

Vegetarianism is the humane, healthy and environmentally the Conscionable Right Choice

[stilllearning2b]

05:04 PM on 01/29/2012

My favorite is a Mexican lasagna from "The Gluten Free Vegetarian.". All my carnivorous friends always ask for it!
Http://lessonsfromtheendofamarriage.com

[Lonnie DeVorak]

06:34 PM on 01/28/2012

Isn't the idea of being a vegetarian, eating healthy? This is a multitude of bad carbs and salt.I agree totally with scottsdalebubbe.

[Ma Grady]

07:28 AM on 01/30/2012

NO! it is more so the HUMANE CHOICE! Health is a positive result of a Conscionable choice

[realwoman8]

09:21 AM on 01/30/2012

I've been a vegetarian for 25 years and I look at least 10 years younger than anyone else my age and I have zero health issues (I'll be 49 this year). You don't have to eat "a multitude of bad carbs and salt" . You can make your diet whatever you want, customize recipes, etc. There are a lot of great veggie cookbooks out there. I just wish I liked to cook more, but if you do enjoy cooking, you can really have fun with vegetarian recipes.

[sierraseven]

05:26 AM on 01/28/2012

"Serve with white long-grain rice"

Why not brown rice? White rice has had most of the nutrient value "polished" off - it's almost all starch with little remaining fiber, vitamins, or minerals.

[scottsdalebubbe]

03:37 AM on 01/28/2012

Don't all those cheeses, carbs, and salty foods (Kalamatas?) undo one of the goals of vegetarianism -- heart-healthy meals?

[Sprinks678]

10:51 PM on 01/28/2012

I agree, but you can always modify things to make them more healthy. I don't add salt to anything and always use brown rice and reduced fat cheeses.

[CertifiedApproved]

10:00 PM on 01/27/2012

The green risotto looks really good, however risotto is really hard to make. If there were some tips for a great basic risotto I'd definitely try this one. www.cafepress.com/foodiethreads

[scottsdalebubbe]

03:43 AM on 01/28/2012

Forget all that stirring and watching and adding small amounts of liquid for risotto. Just cook the rice in the liquid like any other rice -- in a covered pot for 25-45 minutes, depending on the rice and your local climate. Then add the goodies at the end so they don't get over cooked. One of our favorites is 1 cup dry basmati rice steamed in 1.5 - 2 C half water, half coconut milk.

[CertifiedApproved]

01:18 PM on 01/28/2012

Thanks! I will try this out. Wish me luck :)

[Sprinks678]

10:48 PM on 01/28/2012

I make mushroom risotto about once a week (my husband's fav). It's really not that hard. You just have to be up for lots of stirring! I saute 1 med. onion, 3 cloves garlic, and about 2 cups of chopped portabella mushrooms with a tbsp of olive oil. I then add 2 cups of arborio rice and let it toast for a minute or two. While I'm doing this I heat 4 and 2/3 cups of vegetable broth in a separate pan. I then add the heated broth a ladle at a time stirring until each ladle of broth is absorbed by the rice until I add another. Save the last 1/3 cup of broth to add right before serving. We sprinkle parmesean cheese on top as well (Of course don't add that if you're vegan). I promise you it will be creamy and delicious! :)

[ClevelandLib]

01:37 PM on 01/30/2012

Love mushroom risotto...try adding dried porcinis and the porcini soaking liquid to the broth...really punches up the flavor.

[aug991]

07:19 PM on 02/28/2012

sounds wonderful as does clevelandlib's addition.....can't wait to make. thanks.

[cyoohoos]

11:32 AM on 01/27/2012

My #1 issue with vegetarian dishes is portions!!! Most vegetarians I know are either the only vegetarian in the family or single!! And who wants a family size crock pot of veggie chili when you're single. It'd be different if I had a deep freezer by I just have a small apartment refrigerator. I need recipes for one no more than two people.

[Kristen Aiken]

02:14 PM on 01/27/2012

Here's a cool trick with Kitchen Daily recipes that you might not know. ... If you open the recipe and see where it says "Serves 4" you'll notice there's a little box around the 4 -- you can edit the number! It will adjust all the quantities of the ingredients in the recipe.

[cyoohoos]

04:08 AM on 01/28/2012

Ohhh, very smart. Division didn't know that. Now I have a blogger to avoid.

[sierraseven]

05:24 AM on 01/28/2012

Cool widget! I had not noticed it before in the recipes.

[livegan]

08:30 PM on 01/26/2012

There is one caveat to vegetarian instead of vegan food. Animal protein, particularly cow milk protein, binds with all the healing antioxidants and renders them USELESS to our body! It's so easy and healthier to be vegan!

Why would else someone choose to be vegan? To help end world hunger for one! Here are two uplifting videos to help everyone understand why so many people are making this life affirming choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKr4HZ7ukSE and http://www.veganvideo.org

[scottsdalebubbe]

03:55 AM on 01/28/2012

Why would someone choose not to be vegan: food sensitivities to soy protein, soy flour and mushrooms; diverticulosis so any nuts except very smooth nut butters are out; hyper-sensitivity to grains-- weight gain and swollen legs and ankles; need for adequate protein, iron, calcium, and nutrients found only in animal products. Even babies are not vegan in their natural state. They depend on mother's milk for survival. Humans are not ruminants. Even animals with a mostly plant-based diet seek out animal protein -- from insects if nothing else. So, is honey out and white sugar in for vegans?