If you’re like most people, you’re more likely to collapse facedown on the sofa than prepare a fancy meal on a weeknight.
Sometimes, balancing healthy, flavorful, and fast can seem impossible. Most of the time, you can only choose two! (This is especially true when you’re first striving for meatless meals and your options feel more limited.) But getting a quick meal into your mouth doesn’t have to be a lengthy chore. There are plenty of simple vegetarian meal options that are hearty, satisfying, and packed with flavor—not to mention quick to make. Here are some easy veggie dinner options for your next weeknight menu.
Veggie Burgers
If you have some frozen veggie burgers sitting in the fridge, why not toss them into a pan and make a quick, classic dinner? If you want to get fancy, you can make some low-effort oven-roasted fries as a side, or throw together a delicious veggie salad.
Bean Chili
Even most meat lovers adore a good vegetarian chili, so you know this one’s an easy win! Bean chili is easy to make, comforting and warm for cold days, and can be tailored to the types of veggies and ingredients you have on hand. Best of all, it’s classic “set it and forget it” fare: most recipes allow you to toss all of the ingredients into a pot or slow cooker and wait.
Vegetarian Lasagna
There’s no comfort food like lasagna. Though you’ll need to take some time to layer the pasta, sauce, cheese, and veggies, this dish is still easy and quick. Pop it into the oven, and wait for your mouth watering meal to be born! To cut down on the time you spend on it, don’t hesitate to throw in pre-chopped frozen vegetables, like spinach, zucchini, eggplant, and more.
Pasta
Because pasta is often a one-pot recipe (or two at most, when you’re boiling the pasta separately), it’s a great option for a quick weeknight dinner. Plus, you can play with whatever you have on hand: toss in any type of pasta, add the marinara or pasta sauce of your choosing, load up on veggies and cheese, and try some vegetarian meatballs for extra protein as well.
Stir-Fry
When you need to get rid of leftover vegetables, there’s nothing like a veggie stir-fry. You can add classic veggie options in addition to a protein like tofu, eggs, or tempeh, but you can also try throwing in fun extras like cashews, peanut sauce, or mandarin oranges for an interesting, layered flavor.
Burritos
If you have some tortillas on hand, all you’ll need are some extra beans and veggies to make this delicious and fast dish. Stir up some spices into your filling—from paprika to cayenne, depending on your tastes—and consider adding some vegetarian ground meat substitute as well. From classic bean and rice filling to wild options like Thai green curry filling, you can find a huge range of recipes for these online! These veggie-powered dinner ideas have some great flavors and textures, and they’re filling and satisfying when you need a fast energy boost. Pair them with my 7-day vegan meal plan for best results. Here’s to a delicious (and fast) dinner!
