12 Easy Vegetarian Meals – 30 Minute Magic!
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We present to you our top 12 quick and easy vegetarian meals that can be on your table in minutes, with few ingredients and minimal mess.
If you are new to being veggie, we get it, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. You’re used to focussing your meal around meat, so now the meat is gone, what do you do? You can’t live on potatoes!
These quick vegetarian dinners are chosen for their simplicity and healthiness – perfect for vegetarian newbies. You don’t need much time and you’ll probably already have most of the ingredients in the cupboard.
30 mins + 2 pots = easy vegetarian meals
So what is our criteria for easy vegetarian recipes (it’s similar to what we use for vegetarian recipes for beginners!)?
None of these recipes require any more than 2 pots, which means that washing up will be minimal.
We’ve tried to make sure that the main ingredients are simple staples. For example, the sauce for this peanut veggie stir fry is just peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet chili and maple syrup! Simple!
What’s more, these are all 30 minute vegetarian meals – they all take around 10 mins to prep and 20 mins to cook. Then you can put your feet up!
And finally, they’re as beginner friendly as it gets. You don’t need to be a culinary genius to whip up a healthy easy vegetarian dinner recipe like sweet potato and black bean tacos!
How to keep it simple AND healthy
Often we associate easy cooking with unhealthy cooking – processed veggie sausages and oven chips. But that’s not what we’re aiming for here.
Our super easy vegetarian meals never skimp on healthiness! They are all loaded with protein and use fresh, healthy ingredients.
For example, this lentil and potato salad: all you need are potatoes, lentils and a few spices for an easy vegetarian meal that is still high in protein, super filling and completely free of any processed food! You can save even more time and energy by cooking the potatoes in the microwave.
Now that it’s so easy and so quick to make healthy veggie dinners (and we’ve got cheap family veggie dinners this way), you’ve got plenty of time to get on with your other new year’s resolutions! So, get that book out, get your trainers on or even join a weight loss course!
Subscribe to get our FREE 7-Day Vegetarian High Protein Meal Plan for Weight Loss
1. Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup
Bonus: filling and warming
258 calories per serving
Make the most out of your veg with this Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup – tasty, easy, healthy, full of vitamins and only five mins to prep!
2. Pizza Beans Skillet
Ready in: 15 minutes
Recipe by: BucketListTummy
Bonus: protein packed, super speedy
250 calories per serving
This white bean skillet recipe boasts a combination of white beans, tomatoes, veggies and pizza spices giving it a true flavor like its name, Pizza Beans! It’s a delicious vegan cannellini bean recipe (which wouldn’t be out of place in our amazing vegan mediterranean recipes compilation!).
3. Scrambled Eggs with Cream Cheese
Bonus: quick lunch, high protein
383 calories per serving
Level up your scrambled eggs with cream cheese, an easy way to pile on extra protein in a classic dish. A killer breakfast!
4. Vegan Couscous Tofu Salad
Ready in: 35 minutes
Recipe by: TwoCityVegans
Bonus: simple, fresh veggies
295 calories per serving
This light and fluffy vegan couscous salad with tofu is loaded with fresh and flavorful salad ingredients and a simple lemon juice dressing – perfect as a refreshing side dish or light main meal.
5. Vegan Lentil & Potato Salad
Bonus: super speedy, super filling
420 calories per serving
This protein packed vegan lentil and potato salad is a perfect weight loss recipe. It’s filling, healthy and nutritious, while still tasting amazing!
6. Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Ready in: 25 minutes
Recipe by: TwoCityVegans
Bonus: vegan, low fat
238 calories per serving
An easy vegan mushroom stroganoff recipe that’s creamy, delicious, and comforting! The perfect weeknight dinner, it takes less than 30 mins to throw together, and it’s guaranteed to please a crowd!
7. Heavenly Halloumi Salad
Bonus: fresh veggies, high protein
474 calories per serving
Full of protein, fiber and loads of other nutrients this halloumi salad will keep you feeling full for hours – and you’ll secretly be looking forward to more!
8. Red Pesto Pasta
Bonus: simple, filling
395 calories per serving
Red Pesto Pasta – The natural evolution of a classic dish. The pesto is all vegan and has received so much praise already you won’t believe it!
9. Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos
Ready in: 25 minutes
Recipe by: SavvyHoney
Bonus: super simple, vegan
278 calories per serving
Loaded with tender sweet potatoes, tasty black beans, corn, fresh toppings, and garnished with lime, these tacos make a quick weeknight dinner.
10. Stir Fry with Creamy Peanut Sauce
Bonus: super simple, high protein
592 calories per serving
A delicious peanut sauce compliments this fantastic stir fry with simple to follow cooking tips. Beginner friendly and super quick to make!
11. Creamy Garlic Mushrooms
Bonus: vegan, versatile
326 calories per serving
There’s no better use for mushrooms than with garlic and cream – and if you want it, we know how to make it vegan without sacrificing taste. Your call.
12. Scrambled Eggs with Cheese
Bonus: high protein, super speedy
327 calories per serving
Make the best scrambled eggs you’ve ever had with our quick & easy but simple to follow recipe – so good you’ll never look elsewhere again! Try it now!
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese, grated (or Monterey Jack)
- ½ tsp olive oil (or butter)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 slice wholegrain bread (toasted)
Instructions
- Put a frying pan onto a medium heat and put in the butter or oil.
- Break the eggs into a bowl and beat quickly with a fork.
- Grate the cheese and have it ready.
- Tip the beaten eggs into the frying pan.
- Layer the cheese on top.
- The eggs will start to solidify almost straight away – as soon as they do use a spatula and ‘pull’ the eggs in from the side to the middle.
- Repeat the pulling in several times.
- It doesn’t take long, the idea behind this is you’ll have soft, lightly cooked fresh eggs. It’s hard to undercook an egg really, but very easy to overcook. 2 – 3 minutes cooking time is all you’ll need.
- When the egg has no ‘watery’ bits left, you’re done! Quickly remove from heat and transfer to plate – preferably on top of some lovely, hot, unbuttered bread.
- Add some salt and pepper to taste. Done!
NOTES
Nutrition
And there you have it! Easy as pie (or pasta or quesadillas!) Let us know which easy vegetarian meal is your new weeknight favourite in the comments!
This article has been medically reviewed by James LeBaigue MSc Learn More
James LeBaigue MSc
James has a Masters Degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Human Nutrition.
He loves combining his scientific knowledge along with food in the real world, and these recipes are the result.
He’s on top of all the latest evidence and guidelines to make sure our nutrition advice on the website is as accurate as it can be.
By day he works as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in a busy NHS GP Practice.
Each recipe is tested and then eaten (much to James’ delight), many times before it is deemed worthy to be published. Bon appetit!
Dave Bell
I’m not a foodie, although I do love eating. I believe food should serve us and our goals, not hinder. Taking control and responsibility for what I eat is important to me. Lots of veggie protein is my way forward.
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