30 Vegetarian Recipes to Go Meatless All Month Long (2024)

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Going meatless for the month of January is easy when using a variety of beans, legumes, and eggs to create quick, family friendly meals. The whole family will love Creamy Ziti Florentine, Cauliflower Chickpea Curry, and so much more!

Rachel Knecht

Rachel Knecht turned her home baking into a career in 2016 when she began working as the head baker at The Greenbean Coffeehouse in Seattle, WA. Afterwards, she started Baking with Rachel (her blog), began teaching kids' cooking classes, and recipe tested for the cookbook "Let's Stay In" by Ashley Rodriguez.

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Published January 05, 2021

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30 Vegetarian Recipes to Go Meatless All Month Long (3)

After indulging in my share of sliced salami and holiday roasts, I’m ready to scale back the meat and make more room for vegetables, legumes, eggs, and beans in the month of January. I plan to use my pantry to the fullest and make mouth-watering meatless meals for the whole month.

I’ll serve a combination of comfort foods like Broccoli Cheddar Soup, satisfying pastas such as Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Bolognese, and easy veggie burgers like Pesto White Bean Veggie Burgers, all of which my meat-loving family will devour.

Whether going meatless for the whole month, or just wanting to scale back your meat consumption a few days a week, we have the recipes for success.

Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Bolognese
Start the month with this decadent meatless meal enhanced with lentils. The food processor does the chopping, plus it’s a great make-ahead recipe. It does take a little time so save this one for the weekend.
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Vegetarian Pad Thai with Tofu
Why order in when you can make Pad Thai at home! This recipe replaces the fish sauce with salt for a truly vegetarian dish. Baked tofu can be substituted for extra firm and allows you to skip the step of patting the tofu dry.
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Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with Carrots and Mushrooms
Use up leftover mashed potatoes from the holidays or whip up a fresh batch for this comforting family dinner. A cream sauce is ladled over the vegetables and top with mashed potatoes and cheese. This casserole is freezer friendly and a great make-ahead dinner option.
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Lentil Soup
Make a big pot of soup on the weekend and enjoy it all week long for lunch or dinner. Caramelizing the onions adds a lot of flavor to this quick and easy weeknight meal.
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Continue to 5 of 30 below.
Eggplant Green Curry
See Also
30 Make-Ahead Vegetarian Casserole Recipes To Enjoy All Year The Best Beyond Meat Recipes to Elevate Your Meatless Meals - Drizzle Me Skinny!Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese - Easy Vegan Pasta Recipe!Easy One Pot Vegan Asparagus Mushroom Pasta Recipe
I fell for green curry years ago when we would grab take-out at a local Thai restaurant. Tofu is also an excellent addition to curry.
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Pesto White Bean Veggie Burgers
Use canned white beans and either homemade or store-bought pesto for this quick and easy veggie burger. These flavorful patties need a little time to chill before pan frying in a non-stick skillet.
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Three Sisters Casserole with Cornbread Topping
Casseroles are always a family favorite and I love this one topped with cornbread. Corn, beans, and squash are simmered with Southwestern spices before transferring to a casserole dish and topped with cornbread. Buy pre-cubed butternut squash for an even speedier weeknight dinner.
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Air Fryer Falafel
Reminiscent of meatballs, this recipe uses canned chickpeas to make Greek falafel. Tuck into a warm pita and add a slice of tomato along with the tahini sauce. No air fryer? That’s ok, they can be pan fried or deep fried for a truly indulgent meatless meal.
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Continue to 9 of 30 below.
Veggie Tacos
Taco Tuesday is made even easier with the help of the skillet. Wrap sautéed zucchini, onions, and tomatoes in a warm corn tortilla and top with cojita cheese for a fresh veggie taco. Add black beans to the mixture for a heartier meal. Double the recipe to serve four people.
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Butternut Squash Lasagna
Layering roasted butternut squash and spinach between lasagna noodles and plenty of cheese, makes this vegetarian lasagna recipe just as satisfying as the meaty kind. This is the perfect Sunday meal that can double as lunch the rest of the week.
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Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This soup has become a family favorite. It’s comforting and only has 1 cup of cheese in the whole pot. I also love that it is easy to make with less than 10 ingredients and a prep time of 15 minutes.
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Twice Baked Southwestern Sweet Potatoes
Roasted sweet potatoes stuffed with a combination of beans, corn, bell peppers, and cheese will have everyone running to the table. Both the potatoes and filling can be made in advance and warmed up when ready to serve. To keep it vegetarian, skip the chorizo in the “Dad-Add” but keep the other toppings as desired. Using the microwave, dinner is on the table in less than an hour.
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Continue to 13 of 30 below.
Indian Spiced Lentil Burgers with Cilantro Chutney
Vegetarian patties are my go-to when I need an easy win. These lentil patties are flavorful and wonderful eaten as a burger or deconstructed with the patty served with rice and naan.
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Mozzarella and Tomato Skillet Pita Pizzas
Our family eats our share of pizza topped pita bread and I’m always looking to make them crispy. Cooking the pizzas in a cast iron skillet is the trick! Feel free to substitute other flatbread if pocket pitas aren’t available.
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See Also
The Best Make-Ahead Lasagna Recipe - Food.com
Easy Enchiladas
These cheese enchiladas make a regular appearance at our dinner table. Warming the corn tortillas is a cinch using the skillet to heat a stack ready for filling. I usually double the recipe to ensure leftovers.
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Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
Risotto is the vegetarian meal that I could eat weekly. The Instant Pot version is easier than using the stovetop (no stirring!) and the results are delicious. Use Arborio or Carnaroli rice for the best results. Serve with Mixed Green Salad with Honey Mustard, Eggs, and Toast for a heartier meal.
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Continue to 17 of 30 below.
Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Red Peppers
Sundays are my favorite day to use the slow cooker. I love that I can just add all the ingredients at the beginning of the day. Use the dried beans in your pantry for an easy meal that the whole family will love. Plus, it is gluten free and vegan!
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Easy Tuscan Bean Soup
The addition of small white beans, such as cannellini, adds heft to this 30 minute soup. Plus, I love dunking parmesan toasts in the flavorful broth.
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Root Vegetable Skillet Pot Pie
The cast iron skillet and a pre-made pie crust, turn the pot pie into a tasty weeknight dinner. This one pot wonder includes vegetables that I usually have on hand and that the family enjoys.
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Creamy Ziti Florentine
This creamy pasta is ready in 20 minutes and will be loved by all. The addition of spinach means a salad isn’t needed, making for an even easier dinner hour.
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Continue to 21 of 30 below.
Green Goddess Veggie Burgers
Using canned chickpeas, these veggie burgers come together in a flash and can be made in the skillet instead of the grill for us cold weather dwellers. A ripe avocado gives the mayonnaise-based sauce its green color. Serve on a bun like a traditional burger or on a bed of lettuce.
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Spanakopita
A classic Greek dish, this is made even easier using store-bought phyllo dough to layer between the herbs, cheese, and spinach. Butter the phyllo and keep it covered to prevent it from breaking. Cut into squares, or classic triangles, and enjoy to your heart’s content.
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Easy Vegetarian Chili
This weeknight soup is packed with vegetables, bulgur wheat, and kidney beans for a well-rounded meal. It’s extra easy with the help of the food processor. Make it for dinner and then freeze leftovers for another day. For a spicier chili, try our Spicy Vegetarian Chili.
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Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
I always keep curry powder on hand and this is just the meatless meal to use it in. Cauliflower, a can of chickpeas, canned tomatoes, fresh ginger, and a large handful of cilantro simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over rice.
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Continue to 25 of 30 below.
Marge Perry and David Bonom's Easy Skillet Lasagna
Layering tomato sauce, spinach, lasagna noodles, and cheese in a cast iron skillet results in the meatless comfort food we crave in a fraction of the time. Frozen spinach and canned tomatoes are easily substituted in this dish.
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Easy Vegetable Fried Rice
Fried rice is a quick and easy meal It’s also an incredibly flexible (hurray!) dinner. Feel free to use the vegetables you have in the crisper or know that your family enjoys. Ready in 30 minutes!
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Mediterranean Chickpea Bowls with Tahini Sauce
Bowl dinners are my favorite type of meal to serve on a busy weeknight or the end of a long week. Crispy spiced chickpeas mingle in a bowl of rice with spinach, fresh vegetables, and a divine tahini sauce for a satisfying meal. Each component can be made ahead of time, making dinner even easier. Feta cheese would be a great addition, as well.
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Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Bring on the comfort with this stovetop mac and cheese. To keep it vegetarian, omit the Worcestershire sauce. You could also serve the mac and cheese and broccoli separately and let each person decide how much steamed broccoli to add to their bowl.
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Continue to 29 of 30 below.
Make-Ahead Frittata Squares with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Feta
I don’t know about you, but I’d eat these for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The veggies are quickly cooked in a skillet before adding into the 8x8 pan with the eggs, milk, and cheese. Reheat in the microwave to enjoy throughout the week.
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Easy Vegetable Lo Mein
Lo mein noodles quickly stir fried with vegetables is always a crowd pleaser. Choose quick cooking vegetables that you and your family enjoy and clean out the crisper for this easy dish. A large skillet will work if you don’t have a wok.v
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