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These easy vegetarian recipes bring incredible flavor in every bite, from quick weeknight dinners to satisfying breakfasts and lunches. Find your new favorite plant-based meal with my tested, family-approved recipes.

Easy Vegetarian Recipes
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Looking to find vegetarian recipes? It’s actually the reason I started this website! My husband Alex and I fell in love with eating plant-based meals, started sharing recipes online, and went on to write an acclaimed vegetarian cookbook.

What I’ve found after years of recipe testing is that many vegetarian recipes are unsatisfying: they lacking either plant-based protein or flavor. So, here is a list of my very favorite easy vegetarian recipes that have been a hit with my real life family and also get great reviews from readers. Some are vegetarian dinner ideas, some are lunch and breakfast recipes, and I threw in a few treat recipes too!

My Top Easy Vegetarian Recipes

Vegetarian Recipes by Type

Most of the recipes in the list above are vegetarian dinner recipes. If you’re looking for other categories, here are more options:

Making Vegetarian Meals Part of Your Weekly Rotation

Starting with vegetarian dinner ideas doesn’t mean you need to completely overhaul your cooking routine. If you’re just starting out, I suggest picking 2 to 3 recipes from this list to try first: maybe a pasta dish, a taco or burrito night, and a soup or curry. Master those, then gradually add more vegetarian meals to your rotation.

One nice thing about of plant-based cooking is that it can help to expand your culinary skills. You’ll get better at building layers of flavor without relying on meat, and you’ll find new ingredients and techniques.

Each recipe in this collection has been tested and actually loved by my children and usually, one or more outside friends or family. I hope you’ll find that they are reliable favorites like I have!

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50 Easy Vegetarian Recipes

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole in pan

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 23 reviews

This vegetarian enchilada casserole is a delicious and filling vegetarian dinner idea! It’s simpler to make than rolling enchiladas and makes a crowd-pleasing meal where no one will miss the meat. It’s a spin on our popular enchilada casserole with chicken—and we like it just as much!

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Baked
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  •  1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 15-ounce can refried pinto beans
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced (1 cup)
  • 4 or 5-ounce can mild diced green chilis (optional)
  • ¾ cup canned corn
  • 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and smoked paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • 12 corn tortillas, cut in half
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups mild red enchilada sauce (about 18 to 22 oz)
  • Finely minced red onion, green onion, and cilantro, for the garnish
  •  

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a large bowl, make the filling by mixing the black beans, refried beans, red pepper, green chilis, corn, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and kosher salt
  3. Spoon some of the enchilada sauce to just cover the bottom of a 9 x 13” baking dish, then make the layers. Top with 4 tortillas to cover the entire dish (see photo), then spoon over ½ cup enchilada sauce. Add half of the filling on top of the sauce, then ½ cup cheese and about ½ cup enchilada sauce.
  4. Add another 4 tortillas, the remaining filling, ½ cup cheese, and ½ cup enchilada sauce. 
  5. On the top, add one more layer of 4 tortillas. Top with the remaining enchilada sauce (about 1 cup) and sprinkle with the remaining cheese (about 1 cup).
  6. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered 5 minutes. If desired, broil for about 1 minute until browned. 
  7. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with sliced red onion, green onion, and optional cilantro. Slice into 12 pieces and serve.

Notes

For vegan: Use dairy free cheese (we like Daiya brand).

For spicy: Adjust the spice in this recipe by using mild or hot enchilada sauce, or add chopped jalapeños for extra kick.

For green enchiladas: Use salsa verde instead of red enchilada sauce.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi there! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of two cookbooks, busy parents, and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share simple, seasonal recipes and the joy of cooking. We now offer thousands of original recipes, cooking tips, and meal planning ideas—all written and photographed by the two of us (and tested on our kids!).

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33 Comments

  1. Renae Thompson says:

    Hi, I just saw the video for your chickpea couscous bowl and I can’t find the recipe on your site, nor your facebook page. Would yous end it to me please? Thank you

  2. Marisol says:

    Super happy to have found your site! I grew up as a meat-lover. My son is a vegetarian. Many times I had no idea of what to make for him when he visits. Your recipes looked very appealing so I am going to try them and to share them with my him. Maybe I also change and star eating more vegetables at my 73 yrs. Who knows!

    1. So glad to hear this! Thanks for making.

  3. John says:

    Thanks for the recipe.

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