If you’re looking for some recommendations on meat-free, high-protein meals, you’ve come to the right place.
Whether you’re vegetarian or vegan, or simply trying to cut down on your meat intake for whatever reason, these meals will satisfy your appetite and keep you feeling full throughout the day.
1. Healthy and Hearty Black Bean Soup
his recipe comes together with really inexpensive ingredients — like black beans, stock, and lots of spices — and the result is creamy, filling, and makes for excellent leftovers.
Recipe: Healthy and Hearty Black Bean Soup
I won’t go so far as saying this is better than Chipotle, but there’s something about lentil walnut “taco meat” that’s texturally irresistible. Load it up with tortilla chips, a corn and bean mix, and extra guacamole, and it gets pretty close.
Recipe: Vegan Burrito Bowl
A mix of vegetables, lemon juice, curry powder, and other herbs and spices create a depth of flavor you’ll want to mop up with a piece of crusty bread.
Recipe: Veggie-Packed Lentil Soup
4. Mongolian Seitan and Broccoli
If you want a vegetarian dish that’ll make you feel like you’re eating takeout, check out this seitan recipe. Seitan sometimes gets a bad rep because many people don’t know what it is (high-protein wheat gluten), but personally, I love it for its super-chewy and meat-like texture.
Recipe: Mongolian Seitan and Broccoli
5. Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas
Is there anything better than a sky-high slice of quesadilla for dinner? Load it up with cheese and black beans, and pair with a side of sour cream and fresh herbs.
Recipe: Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas
This classic vegetarian dish is a favorite among meat lovers and vegetarians alike. Replace the chicken bouillon for a veggie one for a completely meat-free meal. Make sure to stick to the recipe, lest you end up with a runny egg salad.
Recipe: Classic Egg Salad Sandwich
If you’ve ever tried the national Brazilian dish known as Feijoada, then you know what an explosion of flavor is. This vegan variation mimics the flavor with a clever combination of liquid smoke, smoked paprika powder, soy sauce, and savory mushrooms.
Recipe: Vegan Feijoada
Chili powder, paprika, and maple syrup transform tofu into a savory crumble you’ll wish you made double portions of. Add sliced avocado and sour cream for even more flavor.
Recipe: Vegan Tofu Tacos
9. Pea Pesto Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes
If you have a bag of frozen peas lying around, then this dish could be its rags-to-riches story. Blend it up with Parmesan, lemon juice, and pine nuts, and you’ve got an intensely flavorful pesto.
Recipe: Pea Pesto Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes
These are great to make a lot of in advance and pop in the microwave (or eat cold) on your next lazy night. Pair them with tahini or ranch.
Recipe: Chickpea Fritters
11. Tostadas With Banana Peel Carnitas
If you’ve got a bit of time, try tostadas made with banana peel carnitas. Banana peels might have never struck you as edible, but once cooked, they’re actually soft and pretty meaty in texture.
Recipe: Tostadas With Banana Peel Carnitas
12. Spicy Baked Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Cheese has way more protein than you might think (what can’t it do?). Here, a single serving of 3 ounces of cheddar yields 21 grams of protein.
Recipe: Spicy Baked Mac ‘n’ Cheese
13. Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Personally, smashed chickpea sandwiches make the perfect intact beach or picnic food, particularly when they’re made with hearty, crusty slices of bread. They’ll hold up even after a morning spent in your picnic bag, and will fill you up after an hour spent swimming with your friends.
Recipe: Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich
14. Tofu Scramble
Don’t let your eyes deceive you: This scramble is egg-less and composed solely of pressed firm tofu, nutritional yeast, soy milk, and spices. It’s great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and pairs perfectly with rice or tortilla wraps.
Recipe: Tofu Scramble
If you have a bit of leftover kimchi, I swear you can turn any smattering of ingredients into a dish. Take this recipe, where collard greens, broccoli, beans, and rice come together for the perfect last-minute dish.
Recipe: Rice, Beans, and Greens
This pantry salad is super easy to make with ingredients you probably already have in your fridge.
Recipe: Grilled Halloumi Salad
17. Espagueti Verde (Spaghetti in Poblano Sauce)
To make this traditional Mexican dish, roast green poblano peppers directly over a gas stove. Then, drop them in a plastic bag and let them sweat for five minutes. You can then finish the sauce by blending the roasted peppers (with skins peeled off) with onion, garlic, and milk.
Recipe: Espagueti Verde (Spaghetti in Poblano Sauce)
18. Black Bean Burger With Slaw
Black bean burgers were my gateway vegetarian food, and they’ll forever be one of my favorite BBQ foods. Here, potato starch and bread crumbs make sure those patties stay crispy with every bite.
Recipe: Black Bean Burger With Slaw
19. Eggplant Parmesan With Fresh Mozzarella
The key to a good eggplant parmigiana? Making sure the eggplants are crispy, dried, and ready to soak up all the tomato sauce.
Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan With Fresh Mozzarella
20. Jamaican-Style Kidney Bean Curry
Scotch bonnet peppers might not be crucial to making this dish, but in my opinion, they are essential to authentic flavor, so don’t skimp out on them!
Recipe: Jamaican-Style Kidney Bean Curry
21. Cauliflower and Black Bean Tacos
Don’t worry — this cauliflower recipe won’t require you to squeeze water out of five pounds of cauliflower. Just cover your florets with lime juice and spices, roast them, and they’re ready to eat.
Recipe: Cauliflower and Black Bean Tacos
22. Creamy Garlic Mushroom Tagliatelle
Garlic, Parmesan, and mushrooms are always a quick shortcut to an explosion of savoriness — especially when you combine the three together. Here, a bit of full-fat cream cheese binds all the flavors together.
Recipe: Creamy Garlic Mushroom Tagliatelle
23. Cheesy Slow Cooker Lentils
If you’ve ever felt like lentils can be a bit bland, then you’re not alone. That’s why this simple recipe, which combines a cup of grated cheddar cheese with lentils, is kind of perfect.
Recipe: Cheesy Slow Cooker Lentils
24. Ricotta Gnocchi
Four ingredients are all you need to make this ricotta gnocchi a reality. To serve, you can dress it up with something as simple as butter and Parmesan, or your favorite jar of pasta sauce.
Recipe: Ricotta Gnocchi
25. Sweet Potato Bisque With Crispy White Beans
This sweet potato bisque (sans shellfish) should honestly be a dessert soup because it’s that good. Add red pepper flakes for a balanced flavor.
Recipe: Sweet Potato Bisque With Crispy White Beans
What’s your favorite protein-rich vegetarian meal? Share in the comments!
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