15+ High-Protein, Vegetarian Dinner Recipes in 3 Steps

Add these vegetarian dinners to your weekly menu for a flavorful boost of protein! Each serving contains at least 15 grams of protein, a nutrient that helps support healthy weight management, promotes satiety and may also decrease risk of chronic diseases like high blood pressure. Not to mention, all of these dishes are ready in just three steps or less to help make mealtime simple. Options like our Melting Cherry Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta or Pea Pesto Gnocchi with Burrata make for a nourishing dinner that everyone will enjoy.

Melting Cherry Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta

Ali Redmond

This simple yet delicious pasta dish combines cherry tomatoes with mozzarella, highlighting their natural sweetness and mozzarella’s creamy, gooey texture. Mozzarella pearls are the perfect size for mixing into the finished dish. If you can’t find them, chopped fresh mozzarella will work well too.

Pea Pesto Gnocchi with Burrata

Jacob Fox

Here we pan-fry gnocchi to get them crispy, then coat them with a pesto-like sauce made with sweet peas, spinach, basil and cashews.

High-Protein Tomato, Mozzarella & Arugula Sandwich

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, prop stylist: LIndsey Lower

This vegetarian sandwich is packed with protein, thanks to creamy fresh mozzarella cheese and plenty of walnuts blended into the roasted red pepper spread. The spread, reminiscent of romesco sauce, is versatile and can also be served as a dip or sauce, adding depth and complexity to dishes like grilled meats, seafood and vegetables, or as a topping for pasta.

Spinach, Feta & Artichoke Tater Tot Casserole

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

This egg-based dinner casserole is assembled and baked in a single baking dish, making prep (and cleanup!) a breeze. Potato tots nestled on top add a crispy, golden crust. Be sure to squeeze as much moisture as you can from the frozen artichoke hearts and spinach to prevent the casserole from becoming soggy. If you can’t find frozen artichoke hearts, you can use canned—just make sure to rinse them well to remove any excess salty brine.

Baked Feta & Tomato Chickpeas

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell

This simple baked feta casserole recipe turns cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and chickpeas into a hearty, protein-rich vegetarian meal. After baking, it creates a savory-sweet tomato–olive oil sauce ideal for slathering on pita bread. Feta cheese in brine melts more readily compared to dry, crumbled feta, so it’s worth seeking out. For a different take, replace the chickpeas with creamy white beans.

5-Ingredient Brie and Blackberry Jam Grilled Cheese

Photography: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco

This irresistible sandwich pairs creamy Brie cheese with a sweet-and-savory blackberry jam spread for the perfect ultra-quick lunch or dinner option. You can easily double the recipe using a medium pan, or use a sandwich press if you have one on hand.

Cabbage Grilled Cheese

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

This warming cabbage grilled cheese has it all from melty cheese, tender cabbage and crispy sweet-tart apple slices. This sandwich is an easy winner for lunch or dinner served with a green salad. A light layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread is a great way to toast a grilled cheese to golden brown without having to rely on butter. We love tender, sweet Savoy cabbage, but this recipe would work with red or green cabbage as well.

Crustless Caprese Quiche

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

This light and fluffy crustless quiche is dotted with tomatoes, little bites of melty mozzarella and savory pesto. And the best part—it’s mixed, assembled and baked in a pie plate for easy cleanup. Enjoy as an easy breakfast or brunch option or serve for lunch or dinner with a mixed green salad on the side.

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.

One-Pot Lentils & Rice with Spinach

This hearty vegan dish gets its earthy flavor from cumin and brown rice. If you can handle extra heat, try doubling the crushed red pepper for a bigger punch of flavor.

The Best Veggie Enchiladas

Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek

These veggie enchiladas are packed with sweet corn, onion, peppers, zucchini and beans and are coated with store-bought enchilada sauce to save time on prep. Enchilada sauce ranges from mild to hot. We like the earthy flavor of red enchilada sauce, but green enchilada sauce works well too. For a slightly different spin, substitute yellow squash for the zucchini and a poblano for the bell pepper.

Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Brie Passano

The creamy mushroom linguine is ready in 40 minutes, so it’s quick enough for an easy weeknight recipe but it feels fancy enough for entertaining.

Slow-Cooker Three-Bean Chili Mac

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell

Chili meets mac and cheese in this fix-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker dinner. Hot tomato sauce, a Mexican canned tomato sauce that also includes spices and chiles for heat, kicks up the flavor. If you can’t find hot tomato sauce, regular canned tomato sauce with a tablespoon of chili powder mixed in is a good substitute. You can cook the pasta separately and add it in at the end of cooking, or use our alternative method and cook the pasta in the slow cooker with a few adjustments listed below.

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.

Eggs in Purgatory

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Eggs in Purgatory, an Italian favorite, involves gently cooking eggs in tomato sauce (with some regional variations) and can fit neatly into breakfast, lunch or dinner. Our rendition features anchovies for an infusion of savory flavor, and baby spinach to pack in extra veggies.

Caprese Pasta Salad

Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely

This light and fresh caprese pasta salad is brought together with a bright and tangy dressing, with fresh mozzarella pearls adding creaminess to every bite.

Crustless Spinach & Asparagus Quiche with Gruyère

Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Styling / Emily Nabors Hall / ulia Bayless

This light but filling crustless spinach-and-asparagus quiche features plenty of vegetables baked with richly flavored Gruyère cheese. Enjoy a slice for dinner with a salad on the side or as part of a simple spring brunch.

Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale

Greg DuPree

Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying.

Vegan Quinoa Chili

Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Christine Kelly, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin

This light but filling vegan quinoa chili is packed with fresh veggies, with quinoa and black beans adding protein and fiber. Complete this easy one-pot dinner with vegan cheese, dairy-free yogurt or your favorite chili toppings.

Green Goddess Grain Bowl

This healthy grain bowl packs in the greens with peas, asparagus and a creamy yogurt dressing. Tofu adds protein while keeping it vegetarian, but you could also swap in cooked shrimp or chicken for a satisfying dinner or packable lunch ready in just 15 minutes.

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