Looking to go veggie or cut down on your meat intake? Boost your vitality with these healthy, meat-free, vitamin-packed vegetarian recipes, complete with a range of nutritious superfoods…
Related: How to boost your metabolism: nutrition & exercise tips
Goat’s cheese & red onion pizza
Try this speedy, low-carbohydrate meal, it’s perfect after a workout…
- Serves: 1
- Preparation time: 5 minutes
- Cooking time: 10 minutes
- Per serving: 326 calories | 11g protein | 23g fat | 11g sat fat | 39g carbs | 5g fibre | 1g salt
Ingredients:
- 1 red onion, peeled
- 1 tsp sunflower oil
- Dried oregano
- Black pepper
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 wholemeal tortilla
- 30g goat’s cheese, thinly sliced
- Basil leaves
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Thinly slice the red onion, add to a pan with a dash of sunflower oil and cook for two to three minutes to soften. Add a good pinch of dried oregano, a generous grind of black pepper and the cherry tomatoes. Mix well and remove from the heat.
- Place the wholemeal tortilla on a baking sheet and spread the onion and tomato mixture evenly over it. Top with 50g of thinly sliced goat’s cheese, broken into pieces.
- Bake for four to five minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt. Remove from the oven, scatter with roughly torn fresh basil leaves, then serve.
Related: How many calories should I eat per day?
Vegetarian spaghetti bolognese
If you’re looking for vegetarian recipes the whole family will love, try this healthy meat-free spin on the UK’s favourite pasta dish…
- Serves: 6
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 30 minutes
- Per serving: 434 calories | 15g protein | 4g fat | 0.5g sat fat | 57g carbs | 13g fibre | 0.7g salt
Ingredients:
- A dash of sunflower oil
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- ½ red pepper, finely chopped
- ½ yellow pepper, finely chopped
- ½ green pepper, finely chopped
- 1 courgette, finely diced
- 2-4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 heaped tsp dried basil
- 2 heaped tsp dried oregano
- Good pinch of salt and plenty of pepper
- A glass of dry wine (white or red)
- 2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 400g can puy lentils
- 400g wholemeal spaghetti
- A handful of freshly chopped parsley
- Freshly torn basil leaves
- Parmesan cheese shavings
Method:
- Put the oil in a pan and gently cook the onion until well browned, stirring regularly.
- Add the carrot, peppers and courgette, and continue to cook gently for 10 minutes, still stirring.
- Stir in the garlic, dried herbs, salt and pepper, then add the wine, followed by the tomatoes and lentils.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if too much liquid evaporates and it starts to stick to the pan.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet and drain.
- Add the fresh parsley and basil to a large bowl with the sauce and spaghetti. Mix well and serve with a little Parmesan cheese.
Related: 7 healthy cooking methods & best ingredient swaps
Fresh herb pesto pasta
Supermarket pesto can be filled with unhealthy additives. By making this nutritious sauce yourself, you’re opening the door to a range of healthy (and delicious!) vegetarian recipes…
- Serves: 4
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 10 minutes
- Per serving: 552 calories | 15g protein | 22g fat | 2.5g sat fat | 77g carbs | 5g fibre | 0.6g salt
Ingredients:
- 150g mixed fresh herbs – mainly basil and parsley, with a little coriander and mint
- 100g frozen peas, defrosted
- 100g rocket leaves, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- ½ tsp salt
- 100ml cold-pressed hemp oil
- 400g dried pasta
- Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Method:
- Roughly chop the mixed fresh herbs. Add them to a blender with the defrosted frozen peas and chopped rocket leaves and the garlic, salt and cold-pressed hemp oil. Blend well.
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet and drain, reserving 50ml of the cooking liquid.
- Place the pasta in a bowl, then add the pesto and pasta water and toss well. Add plenty of finely grated Parmesan cheese and mix again, then serve.
Related: How to read food product labels & packaging
Cauliflower soup
Boost your immunity with this comforting winter favourite…
- Serves: 6
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 25 minutes
- Per serving: 159 calories | 7g protein | 6g fat | 0.8g sat fat | 11g carbs | 4g fibre | 0.4g salt
Ingredients:
- 1 potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 whole cauliflower
- 750ml chicken or vegetable stock
- White pepper and salt
- 3 tbsp ground almonds
- 1 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche
- Toasted sliced almonds
- Chopped chives
Method:
- Add the potato to a pan with the onion and cauliflower broken into florets.
- Add the chicken or vegetable stock, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 25 minutes.
- Blend thoroughly, taste and season with white pepper and salt, then add the ground almonds and half-fat crème fraîche. Blend again and serve. Garnish with a few toasted, sliced almonds and some chopped chives.
Healthy vegetarian Caesar salad recipe
Classic Caesar salad recipes can be laden with fat and salt, so try this healthy vegetarian version.
- Serves: 4
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 10 minutes
- Per serving: 203 calories | 9g protein | 9g fat | 3g sat fat | 21g carbs | 2g fibre | 0.9g salt
Ingredients:
For the salad:
- 1 cos lettuce
- 1 little gem lettuce
- 20g Parmesan cheese shavings
For the dressing:
- 30g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 2 tbsp live low-fat organic yoghurt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Juice from ¼ of a lemon
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- A large pinch white pepper
For the croutons:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 sprigs fresh or 1 tsp dried rosemary
- A little ground black pepper
- Half a stale baguette, cubed
Method:
- Break the lettuce into individual leaves, wash and thoroughly drain.
- Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together and leave to infuse.
- For the croutons, add the olive oil to a bowl with crushed garlic (crush it further with the back of a spoon). Add the rosemary and season with black pepper. Mix well and coat the insides of the bowl with the mixture.
- Add the bread cubes to the olive oil mixture and toss so the bread is coated with some of the oil and herbs.
- Spread the cubes onto a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C/gas mark 4 for about 10 minutes, turning a couple of times with a spatula and being careful not to burn.
- To assemble the salad, layer the lettuce in a shallow bowl or plate, saving the smaller leaves until last so you can create concentric circles.
- Drizzle with the dressing, sprinkle with croutons and top with the shaved Parmesan.
Superfood salad recipe
Get maximum nutrients with this simple summer dish…
- Serves: 4 as a starter
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Per serving: 144 calories | 6.3g protein | 10g fat | 1.3g sat fat | 7.5g carbs | 3g fibre | 0.1g salt
Ingredients:
- 200g mixed leaves
- 160g marinated tofu pieces
- 100g pomegranate seeds
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 orange
- Cold-pressed hemp oil
Top tip: Hemp oil is lower in saturated fat than olive oil and contains more beneficial fatty acids!
Method:
- Add the mixed leaves to a bowl, sprinkle with a pack of the marinated tofu pieces, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds.
- Add the zest and juice of an orange and a drizzle of the hemp oil.
Related: The truth about cooking oils
Falafel wrap
Boost your nutrient intake with this simple, satisfying lunch…
- Serves: 1
- Preparation time: 5 minutes
- Per serving: 390 calories | 13g protein | 17g fat | 3g sat fat | 45g carbs | 6g fibre | 1.4g salt
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 wholemeal tortilla
- Alfalfa, radish or sunflower sprouts
- 2-3 crumbled falafels
- 1 tbsp tahini
Method:
- Spread the low-fat cottage cheese onto the tortilla and add a handful of mixed sprouts.
- Add mixed falafels and drizzle with the tahini. Roll it up and enjoy!
Chef’s tip: Good health food shops sell a range of sprouted seeds and pulses. Try making a range of healthy vegetarian recipes, like houmous with sprouted chickpeas, lemon juice and tahini.
Related: Vegan diet staples: best protein, iron & calcium sources
Puy lentil chilli
Enjoy this healthy vegetarian dish, with all the warming qualities of traditional chilli recipes…
- Serves: 10
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 45 minutes
- Per serving: 136 calories | 7.5g protein | 2g fat | 0.3g sat fat | 22g carbs | 8.5g fibre | 1.1g salt
Ingredients:
- Sunflower oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 mixed peppers
- 1 large carrot
- 1 courgette
- 1 aubergine
- 1 apple
- 400g can puy lentils
- 400g can kidney beans
- 400g can cannellini beans
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 350ml boiled water
Method:
- Heat a dash of sunflower oil in a pan, add the chopped onions and brown for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Meanwhile, chop the mixed peppers, carrot, courgette, aubergine and apple. Drain and rinse the puy lentils, kidney and cannellini beans. Mix together the oregano, cumin, paprika, cayenne (or chilli) and salt in a small bowl.
Butternut squash risotto
A vibrant orange, this healthy vegetarian dish is much lower in fat than traditional risotto recipes, yet still tastes rich.
- Serves: 3
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 30 minutes
- Per serving: 447 calories | 9g protein | 9g fat | 3.7g sat fat | 60g carbs | 6g fibre | 1.1g salt
Ingredients:
- 1 medium butternut squash, cubed
- 1 large white onion
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1l vegetable or chicken stock
- Dash of olive oil
- 150g risotto rice
- Salt and black pepper
- A knob of butter
- 1 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil to serve
Method:
- Halve, peel and de-seed the butternut squash and roughly dice into a mixture of 1 and 2cm cubes. Finely chop the onion and crush one or two cloves of garlic.
- Put the vegetable or chicken stock into a pan (stock cubes are fine), bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat and keep it simmering gently.
- With a dash of olive oil in a separate saucepan, add the onion and cook for five minutes over a low-medium heat, until starting to brown. Now add the butternut squash and risotto rice, stirring well.
- Season with the garlic, a few grinds of pepper and a good pinch of salt. Stir for two minutes, then add two ladles of stock and stir again.
- Regularly stir the risotto for 20-25 minutes, adding hot stock a little at a time so the rice is just covered. The risotto should be very gently bubbling. Test the rice to make sure it’s cooked ‘al dente’ (slightly firm), adding any remaining stock if needed.
- Finally, add the butter, crème fraîche and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir vigorously for one minute, cover and allow to stand for two minutes. Serve with extra Parmesan, black pepper and fresh basil.
Pastry-free vegetarian quiche
Try our waistline-friendly version of this classic dish
- Serves: 4
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 15 minutes
- Per serving: 261 calories | 15g protein | 21g fat | 5.5g sat fat | 3g carbs | 2g fibre | 0.4g salt
Ingredients:
- 250g asparagus
- A bunch of spring onions
- Olive oil
- 6 free-range eggs
- 1 tbsp reduced-fat crème fraîche
- Salt and white pepper
- A little grated Cheddar
- Sunflower oil
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°/gas mark 4. Trim the stalks from the asparagus. Cut the tender spears to 6cm lengths, then chop the rest into 5mm pieces. Trim a bunch of spring onions and cut into 2cm lengths.
- Add a dash of olive oil and the 5mm pieces of asparagus to a pan and cook for two minutes. Add the 6cm spears, stir for two minutes, then add the spring onions and cook a further two minutes. Cover and turn off the heat.
- Beat the eggs with the reduced-fat crème fraîche and a generous pinch of salt and white pepper.
- Brush four 10cm individual flan trays with sunflower oil, divide the veg mixture between them, sprinkle with a little grated Cheddar. Then add the eggs and bake for 10-15 minutes.
