The Quickest Vegetarian Meals — 10 Recipes Ready in 25 Minutes or Less!
Quick vegetarian recipes can be so much more than just pasta with a basic marinara. Vegetarian meals can taste just as great and have just as much variety as dishes with meat.
In addition to the environmental and health benefits that a vegetarian diet brings, it can also save you time and money. Without the worry of having to cook meat for a certain amount of time at the exact right temperature, a lot of vegetarian dinner recipes can be prepared much more quickly … without sacrificing on flavor.
Below are some of our favorite quick, meat-free recipes in our Vegetarian Meal Plan that let you enjoy a wide variety of cuisines — from American, to Thai, to Mediterranean, and more. For each of these delicious recipes, we’ll suggest easy vegan swaps as well. Plus, if you want to make any meal even quicker, check out our list of Shortcut Ingredients and how to substitute them into recipes.
10 Quick Vegetarian Dinner Recipes
1. Mashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich
This vegetarian spin on the classic tuna or chicken salad sandwich got rave reviews in our cooking community. If mashed chickpeas are giving you pause, don’t let them scare you! They make for a great creamy and tender texture that is perfect to fill a 25-minute sandwich. And like in any fabulous meal, there are a variety of textures, including crisp lettuce and crunchy chips.
Vegan Smarts:
This recipe is already vegan, as long as you pick up your favorite vegan mayonnaise at the store.
“Delicious! Could have just eaten the chickpea salad with a spoon.” —Jennifer A., member since May 2020
2. Thai Red Curry Tofu Lettuce Cups
These lettuce cups are proof that recipes don’t need to be complicated to be packed with flavor (and 20 grams of protein!). The spice of tofu simmered in a red coconut curry sauce is balanced by crisp, cooling lettuce leaves. These are messy but so fun to eat! Serve them with a refreshing green smoothie that features spinach and frozen peaches.
Vegan Smarts:
This recipe is already vegan!
3. Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Classically Italian, Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans) combines a variety of flavors and hearty ingredients in a single bowl. Though we use meat substitutes sparingly in our vegetarian recipes, we love the flavor and texture that vegan sausage brings to this 25-minute dish. To get the perfect texture of pasta in every bite, cook the pasta and soup separately and combine them just before serving. This works great for leftovers and allows you to make extra servings and freeze the soup for the quickest possible dinner during a busy week.
Vegan Smarts:
Our vegetarian recipe already uses vegan sausage, so all you need to do is pick up vegan parmesan cheese or skip that topping.
“Super yummy. I will totally make again.” —Chandra P., member since December 2016
4. Fattoush with Pan-Fried Chickpeas with Tahini Dressing
Fattoush is a Lebanese salad with crispy pita chips tossed in at the last minute for crunch. Our version includes za’atar-spiced chickpeas and creamy tahini dressing for great flavor and texture. This healthy meal is delicious and also ready in just 20 minutes!
Vegan Smarts:
Use agave in the creamy tahini dressing instead of honey.
5. Southwestern Black Bean Wraps
Filled with black beans, sweet corn, and bell peppers, these cheesy tortilla wraps come together in a flash. Roasting them in the oven warms the filling and gives the tortillas a slightly crisp texture, but they will still be on the table in 25 minutes next to a crisp butterhead lettuce salad with mandarin or clementine segments.
Vegan Smarts:
Use vegan mayo in the salad dressing and pick your favorite melting vegan cheese for the wraps.
“Easy, tasty, fast. A+” —Katharine M., member since July 2016
6. Indian Curried Fried Rice
This Indian-style fried rice is light and fragrant with spices. It takes only 20 minutes to cook up and makes for great leftovers because it freezes and reheats so well. To make it one of the quickest vegetarian meals ever, we have you use frozen cauliflower, peas, and carrots.
Vegan Smarts:
This quick recipe is already vegan!
7. Arugula and Goat Cheese Flatbread
Topping a simple baked flatbread with fresh arugula and a fried egg makes for a quick yet mouthwatering meal. Served with a side of Greek yogurt and berries, this recipe is healthy and ready to be enjoyed in just 25 minutes.
Vegan Smarts:
Vegan feta will work just as well as goat cheese. Substitute the egg for pan-fried white beans and use plant-based plain yogurt and agave with berries.
“This is amazing! All the flavors work so well together. It was too hot to use the oven, so I heated the flatbread on the griddle for a few minutes. Still worked great.” —Chelsea S., member since June 2016
8. Sesame Ginger Lo Mein
A great bowl of noodles is the ultimate comfort food, and this one is ready in 25 minutes. Our recipe is loaded with vegetables, tossed in sweet-tangy sauce, and finished with crunchy cashews. We use broccoli and bell peppers, but you can easily use any leftover veggies you have in your fridge!
Vegan Smarts:
Swap out the honey for agave in the sauce and this meal is good to go!
9. Mediterranean Wraps with Halloumi
Sautéed halloumi cheese gets added flavor from a spice blend in these quick, weeknight-friendly wraps. Top them with lettuce, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and tzatziki, and you’ll have a delicious and quick meal all of your vegetarian (and nonvegetarian!) friends will want the recipe for.
Vegan Smarts:
Instead of pan-frying halloumi in our spice blend, use cannellini beans, which are perfect for the Mediterranean palate. Then use your favorite plant-based yogurt to whip up the tzatziki sauce.
“Great use of halloumi! Delicious. Mint yogurt sauce was a wonderful accompaniment. Very quick.” —Caitlin J., member since September 2018
10. Greek-Style Fusion Quesadillas
Greek flavors give these cheesy quesadillas an unexpected twist. Stuff them with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and spinach and then serve them with carrot sticks and a creamy yogurt dipping sauce. Plus, you can make extras and freeze them for the next busy week that you need a quick vegetarian meal ready to go!
Vegan Smarts:
Use a plain vegan yogurt for the sauce and choose a melting vegan cheese for the wraps.
We hope that these super-quick vegetarian recipes give you great ideas on how to spice up your dinners without adding time in the kitchen! Learn more about our Vegetarian Meal Plan that makes vegetarian dinners quicker and easier while bringing you wonderful variety. Our Instagram stories even have vegan swaps for each meal on the menu every week!
If these quick vegetarian recipes are useful to you, stay tuned for our free resources like 7 Days of Meatless Buffet Meals and Downloadable Guide to Vegetarian Protein Sources by signing up for our weekly email below. Or sign up for a free 14-day trial of our meal plan service!
