Want to eat more vegetables? These easy plant based recipes are hearty, irresistibly tasty, and please everyone around the table.
Want to eat more vegetables? Eating fresh food and a mostly plant based diet can be life changing: health professionals are even finding it can treat and prevent disease. But even better: plant based recipes can be some of the most delicious recipes around! Here’s a list of our top most delicious plant based recipes to add to your regular rotation.
What’s a plant based diet? Put simply, it’s choosing more of your foods from plant sources than from meat or dairy. For the purpose of this list, a plant based recipe is the same as a vegan recipe: it contains no animal products (meat, dairy, eggs, and honey). All the recipes below are plant based dinner recipes; scroll below the list for ideas for breakfast, lunch, sides and more.
And now…our top easy plant based recipes!
One of our top plant based recipes: Falafel Salad! Make a batch of this easy baked falafel, then layer them with crunchy veggies and top with a creamy, zingy tahini dressing. This one is a massive hit with our family: and works for weeknights or dinner parties.
It’s easy to resolve to eat more plant based recipes, but actually doing it is another matter entirely. Here’s one way to make it mega-delicious: Vegan Tacos! They're filled with hearty, spiced walnut taco meat that tastes remarkably similar to the real thing. Add refried beans, your favorite classic toppings, and dollop with a creamy, spicy sauce.
This Moroccan stew is cozy, healthy and full of flavor. It's spiced with cumin, coriander and cinnamon, and the chickpeas are simmered with tomatoes and chickpeas. Sere with a side of quinoa or couscous.
Need a healthy plant based recipe that pleases everyone? Try this Kale Soup with White Beans! Hearty Tuscan kale, white beans and kale float in a tangy broth flavored with oregano and fennel. It’s like a combination of all our favorite soup recipes in one bowl: comforting and full of bold Mediterranean-style flavors. It comes together in just 30 minutes and makes a huge pot that’s great for leftover lunches.
Hello and welcome to the best quick lunch or easy plant based dinner around: the Hummus Bowl! Layer a dollop of hummus with crunchy veggies and serve with pita wedges. It takes just 5 minutes to make this Mediterranean-style meal that’s bursting with creamy, tangy, crunchy, fresh, and savory flavors.
Need a hearty plant-based recipe idea? Look no further than this trusty trick: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes! Bake the spuds whole until they’re moist and tender, then top with savory fillings to make a hearty dinner recipe. The way the savory black beans contrast with the sweet orange flesh makes magic, in our opinion.
Here's a fan favorite plant based recipe: this Easy Sheet Pan Dinner! This recipe has 4 of our best vegetables to eat all at one time: and it’s seriously tasty, too. It’s perfect to meal prep for healthy dinners or lunches throughout the week.
If there’s one plant based recipe that always satisfies, it’s a great lentil soup. Lentils are one of nature’s wonders: they’re full of protein, shelf stable for years, inexpensive, and make for some of the most satisfying filling meals. Try this simple Red Lentil Soup! It’s deliciously hearty, featuring aromatic vegetables, lemon and a hint of smoked paprika.
Let us present another favorite plant based recipe: these incredible sheet pan vegan fajitas! Everyone loves this meal, even meat eaters. It’s a great way to make a fun healthy dinner where no one notices there’s no meat! Roast up lots of veggies on a sheet pan with spices, and serve with refried beans and “guac-ish”.
Want to make black bean soup and don’t have time to cook dried beans? Try this Quick Black Bean Soup! Using canned beans makes it possible to whip up this tasty soup in 30 minutes. It’s creamy, garlicky and hearty, and a big bowl feels positively restorative. Top it with pico de gallo for a bright and zingy contrast in flavors.
Loading up on plant-based protein is key to making plant based recipes filling! And this insanely-tasty healthy chili recipe is full of it: it's got a trio of protein-packed beans, quinoa and is topped with pepitas. It’s full savory, hearty flavor even though it’s meatless!
Vegan Taco Salad to the dinnertime rescue! This genius recipe comes to you by the magic of Walnut Taco Meat: a tasty way to make a plant-based version of ground beef. Walnuts, mushrooms and spices do a spot on job of simulating the savory goodness of meat crumbles. Add to that fresh veggies and a zingy sauce, and you’ve got a hearty meal that everyone will enjoy: including meat lovers!
Here's a plant based recipe in our regular rotation: this quick Vegan Coconut Curry! Here, coconut milk and curry powder make healthy vegetables taste like a decadent treat. And, it takes under 25 minutes to whip up! It’s an ode to the simplicity of plant based ingredients and great seasoning.
Also try: Coconut Cauliflower Curry
Try this irresistible BBQ Tofu recipe! Each bite has just the right chewy texture, bathed in a silky, sweet, savory sauce. You’ll want to keep eating it for days. This plate disappeared very quickly at our house! This recipe is easy to put together and a great starter recipe for people who are wary of the stuff.
Here’s a quick and easy plant based recipe perfect for weeknights: try these Mushroom Tacos! Portobello mushrooms have enormous savory flavor: throw them in a skillet with some punchy seasonings and they make plant based magic. Combine those portobellos with creamy refried beans and the quickest slaw, and you’ve got dinner!
Turns out, you don't need cheese to make a great lasagna. Vegan lasagna is majorly good. In fact, this one is our favorite lasagna, period. You can make this huge pan on a budget, so it’s a healthy whole food plant based recipe that’s affordable to all!
Meet our favorite plant based dinner recipe: the Falafel Burger! These are easy to make with canned chickpeas. The combination of a cumin and coriander-scented chickpea patty with cool cucumber sauce and all the fixin’s is pretty darn epic.
These vegan enchiladas are one of our most crowd-pleasing plant based recipes…ever. Tortillas are wrapped around a veggie filling oozing with flavor, and it’s all doused in a zesty homemade enchilada sauce. With the crunchy veggie topping, this dish looks simply incredible. And it tastes even better than it looks
Here’s a plant based dinner that takes just 30 minutes and results in so much flavor…you’ll put it on your regular rotation immediately. Try this Tofu Curry recipe! The brilliant red broth is flavored with coconut milk and red curry paste, with the zing of lime and a hint of spicy sweetness. The Thai-style flavors are the perfect way to introduce tofu to those wary of it.
Here’s a healthy soup you’ll immediately add to your regular rotation…because it’s just that good. Try this White Bean Soup recipe, full of humble ingredients and huge flavor! Tender white beans float in the cozy broth with soft potatoes and leafy kale. Lemon zest lends brightness and tarragon brings an herby nuance. It’s made of 100% plant based and tastes like a dream.
These tacos are a fan favorite plant based recipe! They star Crispy Roasted Cauliflower, roasted in the oven and covered in a savory, salty, sweet and lightly spicy breading. Cover it all in Yum Yum Sauce, used in Japanese steakhouses and served with seafood. It adds a richness to these tacos that’s out of this world good!
This shepherd's pie is cozy comfort food to the max! Imagine: a creamy gravy filled with tender vegetables, lentils and scented with fennel and sage. Then a fluffy layer of Yukon gold potatoes, topped with fresh rosemary. It’s layered together in a baking dish and then baked until golden. This one’s a plant based stunner.
Here's the very best plant based burrito! This burrito is packed with flavor from Spanish rice, seasoned black beans, peppers and onions, and mashed avocado. Even better, step it up with a zingy vegan sauce. Ready to cook?
Here’s a go-to when you need a plant based dinner that’s protein-packed: this Vegan Meatballs! This recipe takes under 30 minutes to make, and it’s packed with protein! Even better: the flavor is outstanding. Pair it with your favorite pasta, or a few vegan sides.
Try this Sweet Potato Curry! Tender sweet potatoes and bell peppers swim in a luscious broth of coconut milk and Thai curry paste, topped with fresh cilantro and crunchy peanuts. There’s so much flavor going on, you’ll want to take another bite before you’re finished savoring the first.
Here’s plant based recipe to file under dinnertime basics: this easy rice bowl! This 30 minute dinner features these easy black beans, a trick to make a bland can of beans taste amazing in 5 minutes. Pair it with rice and colorful veggies. The kicker? A zingy cilantro lime ranch that you’ll want to bathe in.
Your noodles are destined for greatness with this vegan pasta alfredo! The impossibly creamy sauce is a healthy spin on the traditionally rich pasta. It’s made with nutrient-dense cauliflower and protein-packed cashews instead of dairy. Said one reader: “YUM! I love it! It’s super easy to make. I made it again 2 days later!”
Here’s a favorite plant based recipe: cauliflower stir fry! Fry the florets until lightly charred and tender, then add bell peppers and a punchy stir fry sauce. It’s the best way to make eating your veggies irresistible! Try it as a healthy side dish or an easy plant based dinner (with the protein adders listed in the recipe).
And what better to please a crowd than Sloppy Joes? These vegan Sloppy Joes have a zingy lentil filling that tastes just as good as the meaty version. Put it on a toasted bun with some bread and butter pickles, and WOW! You’re going to love this vegan sandwich (promise).
Poke is a Hawaiian specialty, typically made with ahi tuna. But here's a plant based version of this popular healthy bowl meal: vegan poke bowls! They're bursting with flavor, and they’ve got an unusual ingredient that amazingly gives the same texture and flavor as poke. Beets. Yep, you’re going to have to taste this to believe it…but it really works! Drizzle with spicy mayo and enjoy.
More plant based recipes
Looking for other types of plant based recipes, like breakfast, snacks, or desserts? Head to these posts:
- Add 30 Tasty Vegan Side Dishes or Vegan Salad Recipes to these mains
- Try 20 Plant Based Breakfast Ideas
- Go to 20 Plant Based Desserts Everyone Will Love
- Opt for 20 Plant Based & Vegan Snacks
Want a meal plan? Try our 28-Day Vegan Meal Plan or Plant Based Diet Meal Plan.
How to make vegetables filling
A misconception we hear is that plant based meals are just a pile of carrot and celery sticks and not filling. Au contraire: vegan main dishes need to be packed with plant-based protein! That means focusing on recipes with the following:
- Whole grains like rice, quinoa, farro, bulgur, freekah and millet
- Beans and chickpeas
- Nuts and seeds
- Soy proteins like tofu and tempeh
For more, see Guide to Plant Based Protein. Here are our favorites that are both filling and delicious. Let us know if you make them, and feel free to share with friends and family who are looking to eat more veg.
Print30 Great Plant Based Recipes (Quick Hummus Bowls & More!)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
A hummus bowl makes the best easy lunch or dinner: no cooking required! Layer a dollop with crunchy veggie toppings.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup hummus
- 8 English cucumber slices (or standard cucumber, peeled)
- 1 handful red onion slices (or shallot)
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1 handful Kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons feta cheese, to sprinkle (optional or use vegan feta for vegan)
- 1 handful baby greens or chopped lettuce (optional)
- ½ cup cooked rice or packaged pre-cooked rice (optional)
- 1 pita bread, pita chips, or gluten free crackers
- Optional toppings: Roasted red peppers, caper berries, fresh herbs, frozen or homemade falafel, etc.
Instructions
- Place greens and rice in the bowl, if using (try packaged pre-cooked rice for a quick shortcut). If using rice, season it with salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Top with hummus, sliced cucumber, sliced red onions, sliced tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. Eat with pita wedges, using the hummus as a dip / dressing for the veggies.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: Plant Based Recipes, Plant Based Diet Recipes, Easy Plant Based Recipes, plant based dinner recipes, whole food plant based recipes
These are awesome! I recently decided to try going vegetarian for a month and have started to work through these recipes. They’re really softening the blow of dropping the meat!
I’d love to eat more plant based but I don’t like beans so that can post a challenge! That pizza recipe looks to die for though!
Thank you for the wonderful Cauliflower Curry recipe. It was amazing! Looking forward to trying the pizza recipes.
The best on promoting healthy eating is trying new ideas. How about plant based meat in addition. Your website is scrumptious and I want to get all needy about Live Animal Exports, feeding more and more people, particularly our islander neighbours (don’t we all have them) and the poor mums stuck with halal methods and young impressionable kids.