20 Plant-Based Dinner Recipes That Are Quick and Delicious (2024)

If you're trying to eat better—for yourself and for the planet—you'll want to add more plant-based dinner recipes to your diet. We all know that eating more plant-based meals is important, but what, exactly are they? A plant-based diet involves eating vegetables, grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes, which results in many vegan meals. But they can also be vegetarian and include dairy, eggs, and other animal-based foods.

It's surprisingly easy to maintain a plant-based diet. If a vegan lifestyle isn't for you (rest assured, you are not alone!), know that just cutting back on animal-based foods is a great place to start. Prioritize having one or two plant-based meals every week—and use these quick and easy dinner ideas to get started. All of these plant-based dinner recipes can be made in 45 minutes or less.

20 Plant-Based Breakfast Ideas That Will Jumpstart Your Mornings

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Vibrant-Green Broccoli Curry

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Creamy but dairy-free, this comforting tofu-and-broccoli curry uses coconut milk and green curry paste as a shortcut to making a rich sauce. Serve it over brown rice for a hearty dinner.

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One-Pan Pasta

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A fan-favorite, this magical tomato pasta cooks in 20 minutes in one pan and tastes sublime. Even better, you can make it any time of the year, since it's based on always-available cherry tomatoes.

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Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

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Eggplant has a hearty texture that makes it a popular option for plant-based dinners. This revolutionary recipe takes everything you love about eggplant parmesan and turns it into an individual grilled entrée that's ready in 35 minutes.

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Chilaquiles Egg Bake

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This plant-based dinner relies on pantry ingredients, so it's a stellar option for those nights when you're short on time and inspiration, and the fridge looks bare. Be sure to stock up on tortilla chips and cans of diced tomatoes and chiles, like Ro-Tel, and always keep eggs on hand so you can make this 35-minute dinner.

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Double-Portobello Burgers With Roasted Tomatoes

Anyone who doubts plant-based meals can be filling should try one of these hefty burgers. Two portobello mushroom caps are sandwiched with gooey melted provolone cheese as the patties.

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Pinto-Bean Burgers

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No bun, no problem! These California-style veggie burgers are plenty filling on their own. They're served with roasted red pepper-studded Greek yogurt, toasted almonds, sprouts, and sliced avocado. A squeeze of lemon brightens the whole dish.

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Mushroom Tacos With Charred-Corn Salsa

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These hearty portobello tacos require just over 30 minutes to make and are absolutely delicious to eat. Take this smoky dinner vegan if you like—just skip the sour cream.

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Cheater's Mac and Cheese

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Easy, cheesy, creamy, and quick, there's a lot to love about this comforting pasta dinner that takes just 20 minutes to make. It gets bonus points for adding healthy broccoli to the mix.

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Very Veggie Fried Rice With Eggs

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You'll want to add this recipe to your regular dinner rotation. Not only is it delicious, but it's also versatile—we like to think of it as a use-what-you-find-in-the-crisper-drawer kind of quick meatless meal. Top each portion with a fried egg and enjoy.

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Asparagus-and-Potato Gratin

Don't you love it when a side can easily become dinner? That's the story of this potato gratin with asparagus and prosciutto. It's rich with goat cheese and Pecorino Romano, and you can be sure the whole family will be asking for seconds. To make it vegetarian, leave out of the prosciutto.

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Taco Salad With Sweet-Potatoes

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Don't think salads have dinner appeal? Try this filling vegetarian option. It's packed with black beans, jalapeños, crunchy romaine, roasted sweet potatoes, and plenty of tortilla chips. It comes together in 35 minutes, and if you skip the goat cheese garnish, it's a vegan dinner.

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Tomato-Eggplant Gnocchi

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Here's a one-skillet vegetarian dinner that's hearty but not-too-heavy. What's more, it's simple to make since it stars store-bought gnocchi. They cook atop an eggplant and tomato sauce. Red pepper flakes add a touch of heat that's tempered by a little bit of creamy ricotta.

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Avocado, Salsa, and Cilantro Omelet

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Inspired by huevos rancheros, this omelet is stuffed with creamy avocado, salsa, and plenty of cilantro. We're skipping the cheese tonight for a healthy but flavor-filled meal.

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Creamy Broccoli and Spinach Soup

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Vibrantly colored and velvety textured, this weeknight-friendly broccoli soup gets an extra boost of nutrients from baby spinach and silky sautéed leeks. A drizzle of tangy crème fraîche and a few crunchy pretzel nuggets serve as the finishing touches to this comforting, wholesome bowl.

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Swiss-Chard and Almond Pasta

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When you need a quick pasta dinner but fancy something just a little different, try this spin on spaghetti. It's made with rainbow chard, toasted almonds, and a hint of lemon zest.

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Mezze Salad

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This meatless dinner gathers everyone's favorite Mediterranean foods on one plate. We're talking lemony yogurt, cucumber salad, easy roasted chickpeas, and grape leaves. Make the components ahead and assemble just before dinner.

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Soba With Sweet Potatoes in Miso-Lime Broth

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You'll want to eat this noodle soup again and again once the temperatures start dropping. Bok choy, shiitakes, miso, lime, garlic, and fresh ginger all act as immune-boosters, while sweet potatoes thicken the broth and give it body.

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Rice-and-Bean Salad Bowl With Tahini Sauce

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It's the tahini-and-lemon sauce over a rice and bean salad with sliced red cabbage, avocado, roasted bell pepper, cucumber, and watercress that truly takes this vegan recipe to the next level. (Our recipe calls for making the brown rice in advance, but even if you start from scratch, you can get the whole dish on the table in under an hour.)

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Mushroom Tortellini With Arugula

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Use fresh or frozen cheese tortellini for this vegetarian dinner that's ready in half an hour. It's paired with a mix of sautéed mushrooms and peppery arugula, and finished with cool crème fraîche.

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Beet Noodles With Parsley Pesto and Parmesan

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Your most colorful dinner yet? Cutting beets into thin noodles means you can roast them in just 10 minutes. Pairing the crimson-hued "pasta" with bright-green parsley-walnut pesto makes for a striking presentation and a deliciously healthy meal.

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20 Plant-Based Dinner Recipes That Are Quick and Delicious (2024)

FAQs

How do you make plant-based eating easy? ›

Start by experimenting with plant-based foods that taste and look familiar, rather than jumping to unfamiliar ingredients and dishes. If you like cereal for breakfast, switch to a plant-based milk. If you like chili for lunch, use your usual recipe but just stick with beans or swap in a ground beef substitute.

How do you make plant-based food taste good? ›

Rich, savory seasonings can make plant-based food delicious

But meat-free foods like miso, mushrooms, or seaweed can offer a "tsunami of umami," particularly when combined with herbs, spices, and sesame or olive oil for richness, Buettner said.

What happens if you only eat plant-based food? ›

Plants are high in fiber.

Eating a plant-based diet improves the health of your gut so you are better able to absorb the nutrients from food that support your immune system and reduce inflammation. Fiber can lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar and it's great for good bowel management.

What 5 foods do you eat that are plant-based? ›

Vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, seeds, and nuts are the stars of all plant-based diets. More and more people seem to be making the switch to plant-based diet foods.

What are the super six plant-based foods? ›

Spotlight the Super Six:

When it comes to the plants you eat, you want to eat from across the six different plant groups: vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes (beans and pulses), nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices.

What is the downside of a plant-based diet? ›

Some studies have shown that those on a plant-based diet are found to have lower plasma vitamin B12 levels and higher levels of vitamin B12 deficiency than those who consume animal products. Vitamin B12 is an important cofactor in DNA synthesis, and deficiency can lead to anemia and severe neurological dysfunction.

What are 2 plant-based foods? ›

Start with oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, or barley. Then add some nuts or seeds along with fresh fruit. Go for greens. Try a variety of green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach, and other greens each day.

What is used to make plant-based meat taste like meat? ›

Soy protein concentrate and pea protein are common ingredients used to mimic the true taste and texture of real meat. Editor's note: Some plant-based meat options, notably Impossible Foods products, contain GMO soy.

How do you eat plant-based and feel full? ›

Dietary fibre: Foods full of dietary fibre - like fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds - help promote feelings of fullness. Solid foods: The process of chewing food - and chewing slowly, to boot - helps send fullness cues to your brain, promoting feelings of satiation.

Why is plant-based food so expensive? ›

For the rather obvious reason that it needs more processing and ingredients to make. And there aren't so many made - it's cheaper if you can produce things in bulk. Trying to make something that isn't meat meaty is not easy. In part you're also paying for the development costs as well.

What to cook for dinner when nothing sounds good? ›

WHAT TO EAT FOR DINNER WHEN YOU LACK INSPIRATION OR DON'T FEEL LIKE EATING
  • Homemade queso + chips.
  • Popcorn. ...
  • Eggs on or with toast.
  • Omelet – very accommodating to whatever you might have in the fridge!
  • Grilled cheese and soup. ...
  • Cereal. ...
  • One skillet meals like rice, chicken and veggies.
  • Pesto pasta.
May 27, 2020

What is a healthy meal when you have no time? ›

Choose veggie-based entrees or those with baked, broiled or grilled fish or skinless chicken. Look for meals that aren't greasy or oily. For example, instead of ordering cheese-covered chicken enchiladas, get the grilled chicken or fish tacos. Choose food items without creamy sauces or gravies.

What is a plant-based diet simplified? ›

Plant-based or plant-forward eating patterns focus on foods primarily from plants. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans.

How do you eat mostly plant-based? ›

It's based on the following principles:
  1. Eat mostly fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
  2. Focus on protein from plants instead of animals.
  3. Be flexible and incorporate meat and animal products from time to time.
  4. Eat the least processed, most natural forms of foods.
  5. Limit added sugar and sweets.
Jan 12, 2022

How do I start a slow plant-based diet? ›

Start gradually
  1. Start by eliminating two animal-based foods and replacing them with a healthier alternative. ...
  2. Increase consumption of whichever fruits and vegetables that you love or already have at home. ...
  3. Try new fruits and vegetables that you don't eat regularly, adding one or two a week.
Aug 8, 2023

Can you eat eggs on a plant-based diet? ›

Eggs can and should be part of a plant-based diet, and these five suggestions showcase how easy it is to incorporate the incredible egg into your plant-forward dishes.

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