23 Vegetarian Heart-Healthy Dinners
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
If you’re looking to add some variety to your menu, you’ll want to check out these tasty vegetarian recipes! In order to meet our heart-healthy parameters, these recipes are made low in sodium and saturated fats. Plus, they’re packed with vegetables, legumes, healthy fats and plant-based proteins for something that’s both delicious and nourishing. Try satisfying options like our Grilled Eggplant Tomato Pasta or Chickpea Potato Curry for nourishing and veggie-packed dishes that will support your heart.
General Tso’s Cauliflower
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
This plant-based version of General Tso’s chicken is the perfect weeknight meal, swapping chicken for cauliflower with a boost of vibrant green color and gut-healthy fiber coming from edamame. Serve it over brown rice or whole-wheat noodles to sop up any leftover sauce.
Bhel Puri-Inspired Salad
Ali Redmond
This flavorful salad was inspired by bhel puri, a type of chaat (savory snack) served across India, and features puffed quinoa and lentils for extra protein and fiber.
Slow-Cooker Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Pasta Bake
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
This simple vegetarian pasta bake is rich in protein and comes together effortlessly in the slow cooker, for a convenient one-pot meal. The combination of sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomato pesto and plenty of veggies delivers a mix of sweet and savory flavors with every bite. Feel free to replace the sun-dried tomato pesto with basil pesto, offering a fresh twist on the dish.
Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
This vibrant and wholesome soup recipe helps support your well-being. It’s packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, like tomatoes, which contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help reduce inflammation.
Veggie Fajitas
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
These veggie fajitas are packed with sweet bell pepper and red onion. Creamy avocado and warm tortillas complete the meal. The veggies alone make a great meal-prep recipe to have on hand.
Ash-eh Reshteh (Persian Bean & Pasta Soup)
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco
Ash-eh reshteh is a hearty bean and noodle soup that’s packed with fresh herbs. The vegetarian soup is often made for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, but it’s delicious any time.
One-Pot White Bean, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo with Lemon & Feta
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
This one-pot pasta dish with white beans, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes is lively and vibrant and leaves you with an easy cleanup. Toasting the orzo before adding the broth adds another layer of flavor. Another dark leafy green like chopped kale or Swiss chard can stand in for the spinach, but may take longer to wilt in the pan. If you use a sturdier green, add it to the pan during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Extra-Crispy Eggplant Parmesan
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
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This eggplant Parmesan is creamy in the center with a crispy panko crust on the outside.
Spaghetti with Creamy Lemon-Spinach Sauce
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Give your veggie servings a boost with this easy spaghetti with spinach sauce recipe. Loosely inspired by the flavors of classic pesto, this vibrant pasta packs in plenty of spinach and basil with a garnish of nutty walnuts and savory Parmesan cheese. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and a green salad on the side.
Spiced Cauliflower Chraime
Micah Siva
Chraime is a spicy North African fish stew, popular with Sephardic Jews for Rosh Hashana, Passover and Shabbat. The word “chraime” has roots in an Arabic word meaning “hot.” This meatless version highlights cauliflower, stewed until tender, studded with plump and juicy golden raisins and drizzled with date syrup. Served over couscous, rice or quinoa, this sweet and spicy tomato-based stew is a great weeknight meal. Excerpted from Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine, by Micah Siva. Copyright 2024 by Micah Siva. Published by The Collective Book Studio. Reprinted with permission.
Elote-Inspired Pasta Salad
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Anna Kelly, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This zesty pasta salad draws inspiration from the flavors of elote—Mexican grilled corn on the cob that's smothered in a creamy mayo-based sauce and sprinkled with chili powder, cotija cheese and lime. Corn kernels blister in the hot pan and a sprinkle of smoked paprika brings out the flavor.
Pasta Aglio e Olio (With Garlic and Oil)
A riff on the traditional Italian garlic and oil pasta dish, roasted walnut oil adds an unexpected gentle, nutty flavor. Cool the walnut oil slightly before adding the water to avoid splatters. We think bucatini pasta is the best choice for this dish; however, you also could use whole-wheat spaghetti or angel hair pasta to amp up the dish's nuttiness. For a protein boost, add sautéed shrimp alongside or atop this dish.
Three Sisters Stew
This Three Sisters Stew recipe is easy to make, nutritious and delicious. The Three Sisters are corn, beans and squash, which have been planted together for centuries by Native peoples and have spiritual significance for some. This stew is perfect for a cold winter day, and wonderful as an encore the next day if you have any leftovers. This recipe is part of our spotlight, There's a Movement to Revitalize Indigenous Cuisines and Knowledge—Here's Why That Matters.
Lemon-Garlic Vegetable Soup
Jacob Fox
This light and lovely soup features fresh vegetables, herbs and a splash of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Serve with a dollop of homemade pesto.
Mushroom Stew
Will Dickey
This mushroom stew is hearty and flavor-packed, with both fresh and dried mushrooms adding to the rich taste. Quinoa adds protein and a boost of fiber. This flavorful fall soup will be enjoyed by vegetarians and carnivores alike.
Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale
Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying.
Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas
A crisp, citrusy slaw contrasts nicely with the enchiladas' creamy squash filling.
Root Vegetable & Greens Salad with Red Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette
Red pepper jelly is the key ingredient in this piquant yet sweet salad dressing. If you prefer more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Red Lentil Soup with Saffron
This hearty red lentil soup uses spices common in Persian cuisine: turmeric, cumin and saffron. Enjoy it with a warm baguette or steamed rice.
Baked Frittata with Butternut Squash, Kale & Sage
This easy frittata recipe is full of fall flavors, thanks to creamy butternut squash, plenty of fresh sage, and earthy lacinato kale.
Vegan Mushroom Bolognese
This Bolognese sauce recipe is adapted from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. We swap out the beef and pork for button mushrooms to keep this traditional comfort food vegan yet weighty with umami flavor. And while some recipes call for red wine, this recipe sticks with Hazan's white wine selection.
Stuffed Eggplant with Couscous & Almonds
Smoky almonds, meaty eggplant and whole-grain couscous with herbs make this meal plenty satisfying. Harissa gives the creamy sauce a little kick.
Basil Pesto Pasta with Grilled Vegetables
This dish is an easy way to turn grilled vegetables into a satisfying meal, thanks to hearty whole-grain pasta and a quick homemade pesto.
