29 Delicious Vegan Dinner Recipes
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on May 16, 2024
Below, you’ll find wholesome vegan meals made with affordable and protein-rich whole grains, beans, and nuts. You’ll also see plenty of fresh, colorful produce, and occasionally some tofu. No funny meat substitutes here.
As a vegetarian, a lot of my recipes happen to be vegan, or would be if I simply left off a sprinkle of cheese or a fried egg. I’ve enjoyed a few too many heavy meals over the past few days, so I thought we could lighten up a little with my favorite vegan dinners.
I love the challenge of making my favorite recipes vegan, like when I figured out how to make the lasagna and enchiladas in my cookbook without the cheese. Honestly, the cheese-free variations are just as tempting as the originals. In total, the book offers 96 tested vegan/vegan-option recipes.
These recipes are only a small selection of the vegan recipes on Cookie and Kate. Browse the vegan recipe index to see them all!
1) Amazing Vegan Mac and Cheese
“I made this at my daughters request and have to admit I was skeptical as we are neither vegan or vegetarian. It was awesome, all three of my children and my wife raved about it, we will definitely be making this again.” – Patrick
2) Sugar Snap Pea and Carrot Soba Noodles
“Made this for dinner on Tuesday – and it was phenomenal… filling, flavorful, and great the next day too! Love your blog as I try to up my number of meat-free days each week!” – Rebecca
3) Kale, Black Bean and Avocado Burrito Bowl
Gluten free
“I just wanted to thank you for posting this recipe. It’s hard to think of a recipe that is not only this delicious, but where every single ingredient is a great nutrition boost! After eating this, I legit felt like popeye right after he gulps down a can (ew) of spinach. Also, I’ve always been weird about raw kale (even though I’m addicted to the roasted stuff), but this marinated kale was fantastic! So thanks again! This has been added to the top of my list in the recipe rotation.” – Erica
4) Creamy (vegan!) Butternut Squash Linguine with Fried Sage
“What can I say, all 6 kids LOVED this and that’s a first for meat free night in my house. Thank you!” – Miriam
5) Favorite Veggie Burgers
Gluten free (contingent upon your bun situation)
“Yum yum yum! I made them tonight and they are so delicious! Thank you! I am a sucker for sweet + spicy, but holy cow this was particularly delicious. I wasn’t able to get the millet and agree with others that quinoa works great! I know what I’m bringing for lunch tomorrow – very excited for these leftovers. Thank you!” – Krystal
6) Vegetable Paella
Gluten free
“Wow – This dish is amazing! The smoky rice and colorful veggies make this recipe pop both in flavor and aesthetically. My first time making Paella and it came together easily. I was even successful with the socarrat. Thanks for another delicious recipe :-)” – Dani
7) Mujadara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)
Gluten free
“I just made this dish. Friend of mine from Lebanon introduced to me this dish and wanted to try out on my own. You recipe is on point with flavors. Thank you for sharing.” – Ina
8) Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls
Gluten free. This recipe features my go-to method for roasting spaghetti squash.
“I’ve never tried spaghetti squash, but my roommate and I made these last night, and were totally won over! This recipe is such a wonderful alternative to traditional burrito bowls, which tend to leave me more full than I’d like. And, wow, the colors are gorgeous and bright. Thank you so much for sharing!” – Rana
9) Spiced Vegan Lentil Soup (AKA the Best!)
Gluten free
“Just wanted to post a long overdue comment about this amazing soup! I’ve made this around 8 times, and it’s my absolute favorite lentil soup recipe!! Its hearty, filling and delicious!! I love the addition of the cumin and curry powder for a change of taste – my absolute fav!” – Tasha
10) Spicy Sweet Potato and Green Rice Burrito Bowls
Gluten free
“Slam Dunk for dinner tonight!!! I am so happy there is some left over for lunch tomorrow :) And I realized I forgot the pepitas- will toast some for the leftovers. I served it deconstructed on my kids’ plates and they all gobbled it up, even mixing and matching a little. Will definitely be keeping this in the rotation.” – Mary Beth
11) West African Peanut Soup
Gluten free
“This might officially be my favorite of your recipes. I made it last night with kale and homemade veggie stock and it was out of this world good. If I could give it six stars I most certainly would.” – Gwyn
12) Pinto Posole
Gluten free
“Shortly after making this delicious dish that the whole family enjoyed, I was asking my six year old son about his favorite food. He quickly replied, “That dish you made!” (Pinto Posole). Thank you for this and all of your wonderful recipes!” – Mariah
13) Laura’s Burrito-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Gluten free
“We tried the burrito-stuffed sweet potatoes three nights ago, and my family loved them. Tasty, well balanced nutritionally and texture-wise, appealing to the eye (esp. with the shredded purple cabbage)–a terrific find, and not too time-consuming or labor intensive for the cook (moi).” – Elizabeth
14) Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili with Avocado
Gluten free
“I made this recipe today for a dinner party as a vegan alternative to the beef in red wine that I also cooked for the meat eaters. Guess which one was almost totally gone and got the most requests for the recipe? Yours of course!” – Jane
15) Pasta e Fagioli
Potentially gluten free
“This soup is so very comforting and has *spectacular* flavor. Minestrone-like soups have never topped my list of favorites, but I’m a convert with this recipe! Looking forward to making this many times in the cooler months to come.” – Amy
16) Hummus Quesadillas
“I just made your recipe tonight LOVED IT! I used Trader Joe’s sun dried tomato hummus and put spinach, olives, and sun dried tomatoes. Honestly made me wonder why I even ate cheese quesadillas in the first place!” – Katie
17) Best Vegan Lasagna
“This recipe is delicious! I am amazed how yummy the cashew cream is and we never missed the cheese! I couldn’t wait to eat the leftovers the next day. I shared this recipe with several friends because I was so impressed. My husband is not a vegetarian and he loved it too.” – Tiffany
18) Anything-Goes Kale Salad with Green Tahini Dressing
Gluten free
“The dressing on this salad is amazing! For the salad, we did kale, carrots, sliced bell peppers, golden raisins, and pistachios. It was delish! Super excited we still have more dressing left over so we can make it again!” – Raquel
19) Vegan Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
“Just made this last night and it is so so yummy. One of the best sauces that I have had. Would never have thought to put capers and the brine in it but I think is really what made the taste. Can’t wait to eat this again. Thank you Kate for your great recipes!” – Malia
20) Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad
Gluten free
“I’ve made this twice within a week, it is so good! It’s crunchy peanutty goodness! Great for lunches and dinners, super easy to make.” – Jane
21) Crispy Falafel
Gluten free
“Love love love this recipe!! Tried other baked falafel recipes before but had not that were this good! I think it’s the cinnamon which seems to make them seem a little bit indulgent! Awesome recipe! Thanks for sharing!” – Mark
22) Spicy Black Bean Soup
Gluten free
“This recipe is SO GOOD!!! WOW! It’s absolutely delicious and SUPER easy to make (not to mention inexpensive). It made plenty to freeze too so it really makes a great meal for a large family or for people looking to stretch their meals out over a couple days. I’ll definitely be making this frequently! Thanks, Kate!” – Amy
23) Thai Red Curry with Vegetables
Gluten free
“I’m a long time reader, and must say this recipe is so AWESOME I was finally compelled to comment. Your recipes are always just what I am looking for, and this one is perfect. Seriously. Good job! I’m about to make this for maybe the 4th time…” – Elizabeth
24) Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos
Gluten free
“Made these for dinner (using sweet potatoes) and the boyfriend and I loved them! He told me this is his favorite vegetarian recipe I’ve made so far and we plan to make it again soon. I made it with a Mexican inspired quinoa salad over spinach as a side. Thanks for a new favorite recipe, Kate!” – Paige
25) Peanut Slaw with Soba Noodles
“Oh my goodness, I made this slaw for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING. No exaggeration – it was so, so good! (The manfriend enjoyed it as well!) I only used half a cabbage and there are so many leftovers – looking forward to taking them to the office for lunch tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe – this one is definitely a keeper!” – Maresa
26) Build-Your-Own Buddha Bowl
Gluten free
“LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. The carrot ginger dressing is so delicious! A great vegetarian dish. Even my die hard carnivore husband loves it for dinner.” – M
27) Thai Green Curry with Spring Vegetables
Gluten free
“This was absolutely delicious! It definitely rivals the curry at our favorite local Thai restaurant. This is going to become a regular dinner at my house!” – Kristina
28) Thai Mango Cabbage Wraps with Crispy Tofu and Peanut Sauce
Gluten free
“OK, OK, so I’ve always loved this blog and the recipes, but this recipe sent me over the top. It is DELICIOUS. My husband said, “When did you become gourmet?” And then I immediately went and pre-ordered your book. Thanks again for another great recipe.” – Erin
29) Homemade Vegetarian Chili
Gluten free
“I have been making this chili for over a year now. It’s delicious and reheats well. I often add some different or extra veggies or switch up a can of black beans for kidney, depending on my mood and pantry. It’s always a winner! The recipes on this site have never failed me! Great job Kate!” – Tiffany
More resources you might appreciate: 23 healthy make-ahead breakfast recipes, 16 recipes that pack well for lunch and 20 simple weeknight dinners. You might also like my monthly seasonal produce guides and essential kitchen tools. View all roundups and resource posts here.
Oh wow, I’m hungry for all of these right now! Love the butternut squash sage pasta, that looks so delicious :)
Wow, look at all those eye popping veggies! My wife is starting to freak out because I don’t eat veggies all to often, in fact, I pushed the bok choy of my plate last night. But those carrot and snap peas, those look good! I’m sending her the link. Maybe you can have your cake and eat it too. I mean veggies.
Excited to check a bunch of these out! Great round up!
I would buy your cookbook, just sayin.
Seriously!!
I’m not kidding – I need to try all of these! I’m especially curious about your Curried Coconut Quinoa and Greens with Roasted Cauliflower…I’m not a huge quinoa fan; however, I feel like I could get behind it in this dish! And your pesto?! Beautiful! Pinned!
Thanks, Alexa! I don’t love quinoa in every application but I think it’s pretty great with that cauliflower!
yum yum yum yum YUM! Mouth-watering, must go make one of these for dinners – sensational!
tastes rubbish
What an excellent round up! I foresee some of these wonderful dishes gracing our table soon.
As past president of Calgary Vegetarian Society I would like to complement you on your fantastic effort to provide everyone with
the information you publish on line.
We have regular meetups, eat outs and potlucks to encourage vegetarian lifestyle.
Is it possible to obtain permission to print some of your material and distribute it to our members. We have a number of members that have not accepted computer technology.
Can’t wait for your next e-mail… John
Hi John, I prefer that my recipes remain exclusive to my website, but if you’d like to email me more details about which recipes and how you’d like to distribute them, I’ll consider it! Thank you.
Oh my gosh, THANK YOU. This is such a great, visually appealing bunch of recipes. We’re in too much of a rut over here and depending a lot on frozen meat substitutes :\ Pinning and devouring these meals as soon as possible!
Wow, what a great round-up – I want to make all of these! :)
Oh the pictures, and the recipes! They really inspire me to make every meal as tasty and beautiful as I can. And thank you for all the work that went into the index. It is appreciated. I just keep healthy ingredients onhand, and if I’m creatively stumped for ideas I check out the index. I try not to read your posts before meals, because they make me hungry! I’m very hungry!
Thank you, Sandy! I’m so glad you appreciate it. :)
OMG! This post is exactly what I needed! Meal Plan for this week: checked. Thanks Kate!!!
Thanks, Carolina! Hope your week is delicious!
I love these roundups! It’s always nice to bookmark sites that have healthy, weeknight dinners in one spot! I’ve already picked out a few that are on my to-make list in the upcoming weeks. That roasted cauliflower and freekah sounds amazing, not sure how I missed that one earlier!
Thanks, Alex! The cauliflower freekeh dish is one of my favorites.
Those pastas look fantastic! Especially with the butternut squash!
I need to make that hemp pesto again – it’s sooooo good!!
Ah every single one looks so good! Pinning!
I’m drooling over all of these, Kate! Your kale salads are always the best and I’m going through a crazy roasted cauliflower craze right now so these are calling my name!
I’ve bookmarked this post – every single recipe looks so good! I’ve been indulging a bit too much over the past couple of weeks (so much for New Year’s resolutions), and I always feel a bit lighter after sticking to healthy vegan meals for a while – so I might have to give a few of these recipes a try!
What a great assortment of recipes, I needed something good to make for dinner tonight and it was difficult to decide. I fixed #13 as I had all the ingredients on hand (well, barley was the grain as I have never seen the one listed) and all of us would have liked bigger servings, it was so good. This makes two weeks in a row that I have brought home a big cauliflower from the farmer’s market to make a new soup recipe and before that can happen it is cooked up in something else that catches my eye. There is always next week to try again. I think #10 or #16 will be next. Thanks!
Barley sounds like a great substitute! Glad you all loved it, hope you enjoy the others just as much!
Such a great collection of recipes! I’m not vegan, but all of these look amazing. I have been eyeing that West African Peanut Soup for quite some time now and I think it is about time that I finally make it!
These look and sound amazing, yum! I am going to attempt a vegetarian diet for a month and these are definitely going to help, thanks!
Perfect! All of my recipes are meatless, so you are in the right place!
These recipe choices looks so delicious, tasty and healthy.
Yay yay yay! I love these round up posts with the user comments – so bright, delicious and perfect for sifting through on hot summer nights when I just want something fresh and healthy (like, uh, all the time right now!). I’ve tried the black bean burrito bowls a couple of times, with the green rice too – so yum!! Can’t wait to get stuck in to a couple more options. Thanks lovely, as always I’m leaving your site inspired xxx
So excited about all these recipes!!!! Just discovered your blog and am already a fan!!!
What a wonderful line up of meals – they really look stunning – so healthy and so delicious – this makes meal planning SO much easier – thank you!
Mary
Thank you, Mary! :)
Kate, all of these recipes look amazing – can’t wait to try! My sister and I are both huge fans of your site. One thing I struggle with, though, is that I’m single and cooking for one and can’t quite finish a dish entirely on my own before it expires. Also, I like to change things up after a night or two, which means I’ve got a whole lot of wasted dishes by the end of the week! I’d love to hear any tips or strategies you have for cooking for one; do you freeze the unfinished portions? Make smaller portions of a recipe? Thanks so much!
Hey Anna! So glad to hear you both enjoy my blog. I 100% know your frustration! I have a fridge overflowing with leftovers right now. I’m not perfect, but yes, I do often freeze extra portions. Soups and stews usually freeze well and it’s nice to have extra in the freezer. Sometimes I play with leftovers by turning, say, a bean salad into burrito or quesadilla filling, put it on some greens, etc. I really need to start having the foresight to halve recipes, too—that would solve a lot of problems! Hope these ideas help.
I just discovered your blog and all these recipes look absolutely amazing! My husband & I are both meat eaters, but I’m always tempted by a truly yummy-looking vegetarian/vegan recipe – a few have even earned a place on the coveted “when are you making this again?” list. Especially after a month full of celebrations, holidays, birthdays and the like, I’m so giving some of these a try pretty soon!
Only problem is, where I live (Greece) most of those ingredients which are crucial to vegan cooking are really expensive, not to mention hard to find. Quinoa has just recently been appearing in local supermarket stores but is still at 6 times the price of rice. Same goes for coconut milk, sweet potatoes, even avocados are quite expensive here. Flaxseed, chia seeds etc are only sold in bio product stores, in pretty high prices too. It’s like, if you wanna be healthy, pay up! Oh, and we don’t have kale at all, only spinach. :P Still, I’m going to find a way around this if something is as delicious as those above look!
Thanks for saying hello! I’m sorry some of my go-to ingredients are so pricy over there. You might have to sift through some recipes but I think you’ll find plenty that don’t call for obscure ingredients! I don’t use a ton of quinoa, flaxseed or chia. You can do it! :)
Great recipe overview, there are definately a couple I want to try although I am not per se vegan, I just simply love vegetables a lot!
I’m glad I just discovered your blog, it is very inspirational and I adore your photos as they really bring your dishes to life.
Thanks for the great list of veggie recipes. I’ve been trying to make one day a week meat-less and this really helps. They look so delicious!
Just discovered your site…will make something from your list today! I am salivating already.☺️
Welcome, Carol! Hope you love the recipes.
Just discovered your site and made the curried cauliflower soup. It’ very good! my husband even took some to share with his 103 year old mother. He rarely shares my vegan recipes with her, so that is a real endorsement.☺️I only used 1 tablespoon of the curry paste to cut down on the heat and salt. Still flavorful.
Thank you for saying hello, Carol! Glad you found my site and delighted to hear that you all enjoyed the soup!
I think I’m in love with that quinoa and cauliflower recipe! We’ve been trying to go more vegan in our household: food and skin care and I’m not even sure what else is unexpectedly not vegan.
Another great list! I’m not a great cook… but the crockpot I can totally handle! Very excited to try the Curried Coconut Quinoa and Greens with Roasted Cauliflower
Yoo, steak is the best. The juicy, mouthwatering, tast- oh wait… Sorry looooool lool
Oh yah man I love biting into that juicy freshly barbecued perfection
These look amazing!
Thank You for sharing your recipes. I am a personal chef and am always looking for new delicious reipes!
Thank you, Christine! Glad to hear you’ve found inspiration here. :)
Have used a lot of your vegan recipes, love them. Want to try more!
You are killing me with all your recipes! Wanna try all NOW!
Wow! These all look so amazing, I’ve been told by the hospital recently I need to eat vegan recipes and what I just found looks like heaven. Thank you so much!
Oh, I’m so glad, Darcy! I hope you enjoy making these. Best of luck with your health.
These look amazing especially the recipes with roasted cauli! Love your blog!
YES the roasted cauliflower is one of my favorites. I hope you try some, Anna!
I like what I can see regarding the vegan recipes … but your Ads on your pages are SO intense that its locking up my browser just being on your site and I’ve tried rebooting and coming back. I would have liked to have read more but … …
Hi, Jim. Sorry about that! Can you tell me which browser you’re using?
OK Kate, great to see you are also a dog lover! I honestly want to eat ALL of these recipes!!! thank you for sharing them! some of them are a bit complicated for me lazy bum but they look really delicious!
Thank you, Natalia! I hope you try some of them.
These look so good, I absolutely love channa masala!
Me, too! I hope you try this one.
I know this is an old post of yours but wanted to say thanks. While I’m a pro at adapting my food to be vegetarian, I’m not so great at vegan and was beginning to stress about cooking my friend a nice vegan meal (and not just throw salad on a plate!). Thank you!
Hey, Tamara! Thanks so much for the kind comment. I’m glad this helped you out in a pinch!
Great collection. Thank you
So far – 5 for 5 – this site is AWESOME, the recipes are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS, and I just wanted to THANK YOU!!!
:)
Wonderful, Sarah! Thanks so much.
these recipes look incredible and unique! i feel like i see so much of the same vegan recipes everywhere but all of these look creative and delicious
Wow! These recipes look so colorful and divine will definitely be trying a few of these. Just pinned it. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! Be sure to report back on ones you have tried.
I think your recipes are great, especially the effort you make for us plant based folk. Is it possible to start including an Oil Free/Oil substitution option, aka WFPBNO? Thanks!
I will add it to my list, it’s possible!
I really appreciate your effort to make truly delicious vegan dishes and not just ommiting non vegan stuff out of recipes! It’s very clear that you make sure your vegan recipes stand up to the quality of your vegetarian dishes!! This is the reason I bought your cookbook knowing it’s not a solely vegan cookbook! I appreciate your care for vegan recipes while not being vegan yourself! Thank you!!
Thank you for your comment!
Thank you so much for posting! I’ve definitely tried some of these recipes from scouring your website, but there’s lots more that I need to try. I’m excited :)
You’re very welcome! Happy you have tried some already. Be sure to report back as you try other recipes!