50 High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes

September 11, 2020
Jennifer Causey
Eating a plant-based diet doesn't mean sacrificing protein (or flavor, for that matter). Need proof? These protein-packed vegetarian recipes are healthy, delicious, and completely meat-free. Whether you're looking for breakfast (start your day off in the best way with these Poached Egg Power Bowls), lunch (this Greek Chickpea Lunch Salad is easy to throw together in a hurry), or dinner (you can't go wrong with a bean-based chili), you'll find new favorites in this collection of high-protein vegetarian recipes.   
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Vegetarian Pozole

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Robby Melvin
Vegetarian Pozole Recipe

Plan to put this easy and comforting vegetarian pozole on repeat all season long. The vibrant stew offers the smoky, delicately spicy, and bright flavors characteristic of traditional pozole, simply without the pork. Fresh spinach and red kidney beans add color and hearty texture, while also upping the iron and protein content of the pozole. So whether you or loved ones follow a meat-free diet or are simply looking to cut back a little on the animal protein, it’s a perfect (not to mention, perfectly simple) dish that’s sure to impress. 

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"Meaty" Vegetarian Chili

Sara Tane
"Meaty" Vegetarian Chili Recipe

This is an all-time favorite for a chilly night. The classic meaty beef chili gets a modern makeover with the combination of three hearty beans and vegetarian ground “beef.” Make this dish in bulk and freeze the leftovers for a lazy dinner down the road. Feel free to change up the vegetables in any way you’d like; butternut squash or zucchini are always delicious additions. A recipe so good, even carnivores will be asking for seconds.

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Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro
Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Butternut squash adds slightly sweet flavor to this classic meatless chili. It's delicious as-is, but you can also add in some corn and bell peppers and substitute black beans for white beans, if you'd like.
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Smoky Two-Bean Vegetarian Chili

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Smoky Two-Bean Vegetarian Chili Recipe

A wee bit of canned chipotle chiles goes a long way in infusing this hearty chili with rich, smoky flavor and a hint of heat. (Cost for 4: $4.69)

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Creamy White Bean Fettuccine Alfredo

Photo: Caroline Arcangeli; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Anna Theoktisto
Creamy White Bean Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

Pureed with flavorful aromatics, white beans shine as a dairy-free hero, delivering creamy, rich body to our vegan Alfredo sauce. Whether you follow a vegan diet, you’ve cut out dairy, or you’re simply looking for a delicious (low-fat) new pasta dish to add into your rotation, you’re going to love this flavorful white bean Alfredo. The nutritional yeast is a key ingredient of the sauce, as it provides a near-cheesy umami flavor, so it’s worth picking up even if it’s not already a staple in your pantry. 

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Grilled Tofu with Peanut Sauce

Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Missie Crawford
Grilled Tofu with Peanut Sauce Recipe

This grilled tofu is super tasty and would satisfy vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Grilling tofu gives the exterior a nice char without altering the taste, while the sauce boasts some seriously good flavor. Dusting on a little brown sugar gives the perfect amount of sweetness. The peanut sauce can be made ahead of time and keeps in the fridge for a week. 

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Instant Pot Vegan Beer Chili

Meredith Food Studios 
Instant Pot Vegan Beer Chili Recipe

This vegan chili is full of flavor and tastes like it’s simmered all day: it’s rich and smoky with a good bit of heat, but not too much. The lentils and beans create a hearty bite, while the bountiful veggies offer a juicy freshness. Dried beans in specific amounts, like in this recipe, are great and even more inexpensive to purchase in bulk bins. This whole pot of chili could be made for about $10. If you aren’t following a vegan diet, this chili is amazing and slightly cooled off by topping it with sour cream or cheese.

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Slow Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup

Greg DuPree
Slow Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup Recipe

Simple flavors and a rustic touch will make this soup an instant home-cooked favorite, especially on chilly, wintry days. Inexpensive dried lentils make up the bulk of the soup, helping fill in your fiber gaps and keep you full longer. Chickpeas are the secret ingredient to achieve supreme creaminess, which become delightfully smooth when blended, and sneak in an extra 3g fiber per serving.

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Tortellini, White Bean, and Turnip Greens Soup

Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Tortellini, White Bean, and Turnip Greens Soup Recipe

Looking for a meatless meal that still satisfies? Try this filling soup loaded with pasta, beans, and vegetables. Swap out the tortellini for refrigerated ravioli if you prefer.

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Instant Pot Chana Dal

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Robby Melvin
Instant Pot Chana Dal Recipe
For the ideal bowl of soul-warming comfort, look no further than chana dal. Hearty and tender split chickpeas absorb the toasty goodness of an aromatic, deeply flavorful broth, which is complimented by a bright yogurt topper.

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Cilantro and Kale Pesto Toast with a Fried Egg

Erin Kunkel
Cilantro and Kale Pesto Toast with a Fried Egg Recipe

Sliced bread is the perfect blank canvas, ready to be loaded up with virtuous ingredients. Here is a toast recipe from the Instagram queen of the genre, Diana Ngo (@diningwithdiana), a cook and mom in the Seattle area who is working on her RD.

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Mushroom Frittata

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Mushroom Frittata Recipe

A frittata is a baked, open-faced omelet with Mediterranean flair. This omelet features fresh mushrooms and arugula tossed over the top to invoke a savory and warm start to your day.

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Poached Egg Power Bowls

Greg DuPree
Poached Egg Power Bowls Recipe

This 10-minute dinner features the power trio of protein-packed legumes, seeds, and crisp greens. Quinoa is one of the few plant-based sources of complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. The runny, nutrient-rich egg yolk doubles as a silky dressing in this vegetarian main.

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Baked Eggs with Leeks and Mushrooms

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Fanny Pan
Baked Eggs with Leeks and Mushrooms Recipe

Enjoy this dish hot from the oven, with crusty bread to soak up the runny yolks. For firmer yolks and whites, leave the eggs on the rimmed baking sheet for 4 to 5 minutes before serving.

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Slab Quiche with Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onions

Photo by Ken Carlson, Waterbury Publications, Inc.
Slab Quiche with Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onions Recipe
Everything tastes better in a slab
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Creamy Kale Caesar Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs

Greg DuPree
Creamy Kale Caesar Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs Recipe
We leave out the anchovies for a kid-friendly take on classic Caesar salad. Instead of romaine, we use dark, bumpy lacinato kale leaves; a quick massage makes them perfectly tender. And instead of adding raw egg to the dressing, we add a soft-boiled egg to each serving so the yolk can run over all.

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Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce with Garlic Cheese Toasts

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower, Claire Spollen
Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce with Garlic Cheese Toasts Recipe

We really liked this dish with the fruity heat of Turkish Aleppo pepper, but you can substitute crushed red pepper.

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Fried Egg and Avocado Toasts

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Fried Egg and Avocado Toasts Recipe

Sunny-side-up eggs, fresh sprouts, and salsa amp up avocado toast for a fast, no-fuss meal. It's a sure winner at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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Breakfast Bowl with Tomato, Avocado, and Egg

Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Thom Driver.
Breakfast Bowl with Tomato, Avocado, and Egg Recipe

This is the kind of breakfast that's worth waking up for--and enjoying again for lunch or dinner. If you want a starchy component, add precooked farro or quinoa.

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Wilted Spinach and Fried Egg Wheat Berry Bowl

Jennifer Causey
Wilted Spinach and Fried Egg Wheat Berry Bowl Recipe

Start this hearty breakfast bowl with a batch of perfect wheat berries, and then add a tangy twist and some probiotics with kimchi. Round it out with spinach, peanuts, and an egg. Sprinkle with chile flakes for extra heat. 

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Egg-Topped Quinoa Bowl with Kale

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele 
Egg-Topped Quinoa Bowl with Kale Recipe
Here, the yolk of the fried egg serves as a dressing (without you having to do anything extra) to coat nutrient-dense quinoa.
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Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros Recipe
Brunch just got so much better! Green onion and a squeeze of lime add color and zing to the meatless breakfast classic.

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Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with 6-Minute Egg

Greg DuPree
Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with 6-Minute Egg Recipe

Embrace breakfast’s savory side with this whole-grain bowl. This simple one-dish meal is crowned with a soft-boiled egg; the nutrient-rich yolk creates its own creamy sauce. New research shows that eating eggs with raw vegetables like tomatoes increases your absorption of carotenoids—antioxidants that may protect against heart disease.

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Spinach-Black Bean Lasagna

Spinach-Black Bean Lasagna Recipe

Go green with your lasagna by adding both spinach and cilantro, and add extra heartiness with a layer of black beans.  For more ideas for lasagna, see our collection of spinach lasagna recipes.

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Stir-Fried Tofu and Broccoli Lo Mein

Photo: Iain Bagwell
Stir-Fried Tofu and Broccoli Lo Mein Recipe
This vegetarian twist on chicken lo mein will impress even the pickiest meat eaters.

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Grilled Tofu with Peanut Sauce

Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Missie Crawford
Grilled Tofu with Peanut Sauce Recipe

This grilled tofu is super tasty and would satisfy vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Grilling tofu gives the exterior a nice char without altering the taste, while the sauce boasts some seriously good flavor. Dusting on a little brown sugar gives the perfect amount of sweetness. The peanut sauce can be made ahead of time and keeps in the fridge for a week. 

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Veggie Bowl with Tofu Scramble

Jennifer Causey
Veggie Bowl with Tofu Scramble Recipe

Last night’s soup powers this morning’s breakfast; just cook off most of the liquid to give the soup a porridge-like texture. The seasoned, sautéed tofu is just about a dead ringer for scrambled eggs, especially if you opt to add golden turmeric.

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Spicy Tofu Curry

Caitlin Bensel
Spicy Tofu Curry Recipe

The richly aromatic coconut-curry mixture infuses the tofu with flavor as it slow-cooks in the broth. Cutting the tofu into slices shortly before serving (instead of at the beginning) ensures that the tofu holds together over the long cooking time but still gets an extra boost of flavor at the end. Look for lemongrass—a long, slender, woody herb with an herbal lemon flavor that’s common in Thai curries—near other herbs in well-stocked markets or at an Asian market. Leftover lemongrass will keep the the refrigerator for at least a month or in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.

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Air Fryer Crispy Toasted Sesame Tofu

Liz Mervosh
Air Fryer Crispy Toasted Sesame Tofu Recipe

Tossed in a tangy dressing rich with the flavors of honey, toasted sesame oil, and soy sauce, these crispy cubes of tofu make a hearty supper served over brown rice. The secret to getting tofu nice and crisp is two-fold: First, drain, dry, and press it to remove excess moisture; second, cook it in batches, and turn the cubes during cooking to ensure all sides have a chance to get crunchy.

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Sheet Pan Curried Tofu with Vegetables

Greg Dupree
Sheet Pan Curried Tofu with Vegetables Recipe

This vegetarian one-pan meal is loaded with color and texture, from the soft sweet potatoes to the crisp-tender cauliflower and juicy pomegranate seeds. Preheating the pan will help the potatoes and tofu achieve a crispy exterior; be careful when adding the vegetable mixture to the hot pan. A cool, tangy yogurt drizzle will help balance the slight chile heat from the curry powder. Drizzle the sauce over the pan, or serve at the table.

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Rustic Garlic and Asparagus Tofu Quiche

Photo by Allison Wonderland
Rustic Garlic and Asparagus Tofu Quiche Recipe
If you’ve never made a tofu quiche, it’s time. Dana Shultz, author of Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking, developed this gluten-free, eggless version that’s light in texture, loaded with protein, and gets tons of flavor from garlic and asparagus.

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Orange, Tofu, and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry

Greg DuPree
Orange, Tofu, and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry Recipe

Fresh orange juice perks up this speedy stir-fry, becoming a sticky, glossy sauce for the colorful vegetables. A quick coat in cornstarch helps the tofu develop a supercrisp crust without needing to fry in lots of oil. It's a good idea to have every element at the ready by the stove before you start to cook, as the stir-fry will come together very quickly. You can use bell peppers or any vegetable you have on hand, such as broccoli florets, thinly sliced carrots, or sliced snap peas.

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Churrasco-Style Tofu Steaks with Hemp Chimichurri

Jennifer Causey
Churrasco-Style Tofu Steaks with Hemp Chimichurri Recipe

Be sure to press and drain as much liquid as possible before cooking the tofu (see step 2); it will better absorb the spices from the dry rub and reach its full grilling potential. Hemp seeds lend quality plant protein to zesty chimichurri and are a rich source of heart-healthy fats and fiber.

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Szechuan Tofu with Cauliflower

Szechuan Tofu with Cauliflower Recipe

We combine everything you love about Chinese takeout--the sweet and spicy sauce; the super-crispy tofu; and the crisp-tender, perfectly caramelized vegetables--into a single quick main.

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Beer-Brushed Tofu Skewers with Barley