14 healthy and easy to prepare vegetarian recipes

More and more people are deciding to reduce or stop consuming meat either for ethical or sustainability reasons. However, they can sometimes feel that they are swimming against the current since the consumption of meat in the diets is still very normalized.

It is very important to do this step under the supervision of the nutritionist, since we must make sure that we do not suffer from any nutritional deficit. Therefore, the only drawback of this type of diet is that it requires people to have more training when it comes to combine all foods correctly.

The vegetarian diet, unlike the vegan one, can include products derived from animals, such as dairy and eggs. In today's article we show you some proposals for healthy vegetarian dishes and simple preparation.

• We recommend you read: "18 meals to take to work (or wherever you want)"

14 tasty and healthy vegetarian dishes

Vegetarian food doesn't have to be boring. Let's see what tasty dishes we can prepare!

• You may be interested in: "Is it healthier to be a vegetarian?"

1. Potato pie with vegetables

This delicious and simple recipe is made with ingredients that we all have at home.

Ingredients (for two people):

• 1 green bell pepper
• ½ red pepper
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 8 mushrooms (depending on size)
• 4-5 potatoes
• tomato sauce (to taste)
• cheese for gratin
• milk
• garlic powder
• Pepper
• parsley
• olive oil
• Salt

We put the potatoes with boiling water until they are cooked. In a separate pan, cook the chopped vegetables with a little oil over medium heat and add salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley. When they are almost done, add the tomato sauce and let it cook for 5 more minutes.

Once the potatoes are cooked, we mash them in a bowl with a little oil, milk and salt until we have a homogeneous and creamy paste.

Then, we get ready to assemble the cake. For it, we spread a layer of potato puree and on top a layer of vegetables. We repeat the process one more time and add grated cheese to the last layer of potatoes. Finally we put it in the oven until the cheese is gratinated.

2. Vegetarian Bolognese with Pea Protein

With this bolognese you will not miss the typical one made with meat, in addition to eating the vegetal protein necessary. It is the ideal substitute for meat bolognese to accompany spaghetti or make a delicious vegetarian lasagna.

Ingredients:

• 2 large cups of pea protein
• 2 carrots
• ½ zucchini
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Two tablespoons of soy sauce
• Tomato sauce to taste
• White wine
• Pepper
• Oregano
• Olive oil

The first step is to hydrate the pea protein with 3 times its volume in water. In this case, since we use two cups of pea protein, we will need 6 cups of water. Once the water is added, we leave it for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, we chop the zucchini and carrots and garlic cloves into small squares and sauté them with olive oil until they are cooked. Once the 5 minutes of soaking the pea protein have passed, we strain it and put it in a bowl where we will add pepper, oregano and soy sauce (this very little quantity since it has a lot of Salt). We let this mixture rest for 5 minutes.

Subsequently, we mix the pea protein with the already cooked vegetables in a pan and stir it. Add the white wine and let it evaporate. Finally, we add the tomato sauce and cook it until all the ingredients are well integrated.

3. Zucchini spaghetti with red pesto

Zucchini spaghetti not only helps you add vegetable fiber to the diet, but also combines well with any sauce that is usually accompanied by traditional pasta.

Ingredients for 4 people):

• 2 zucchini
• 6 dried tomatoes
• 1 spring onion
• 40 g of hazelnuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt

The first step is to prepare the zucchini spaghetti. For this step, you only have to cut the zucchini into thin slices and then into strips of 3 or 4 mm wide.

To make the red pesto, put the dried tomatoes in a bowl, cover them with warm water and leave them to soak for about 15 minutes. Then drain them. Clean the chives, peel the garlic cloves and remove the skins from the hazelnuts. Next, add the thyme and chop all the ingredients very fine and mix them in a bowl. Finally, add some grated Parmesan cheese and three tablespoons of oil to the mixture and you will have your red pesto.

Now that we have the dressing, all we need to do is cook the noodles in boiling water with a pinch of salt for a couple of minutes.

4. Spinach cream

If you have never been passionate about spinach, we suggest this delicious and quick way to prepare it.

Ingredients:

• 1 leek
• 1 carrot
• 500 g of fresh spinach
• 1 potato
• Vegetable broth
• Olive oil

Start by browning the leek and carrot in a saucepan with a little oil. Next, add the spinach and a potato cut into small cubes. When the spinach has reduced, add vegetable broth to cover. Cook the mixture for about 20 minutes (making sure the potato is well boiled) and mash everything, and you can enjoy your cream.

5. Noodles with asparagus pesto

The noodles with the usual pesto enriched with asparagus that provide fiber.

Ingredients:

• 400 g of tallarones
• 1 bunch of green asparagus
• Some basil leaves
• 50 g pine nuts
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• 100 ml olive oil
• Salt

To start, clean the asparagus and chop them to cook them in water with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes. When they are cooked, drain them very well. Then cook the noodles in plenty of water for the appropriate time.

Meanwhile, prepare the pesto: put the basil leaves, the peeled garlic clove, the asparagus in a container boiled, the pine nuts, the grated Parmesan cheese, the oil and a pinch of salt and grind everything until you get a homogeneous sauce.

Finally, when the noodles are boiled, drain them and mix them with the asparagus pesto.

6. Julianne soup

This is one of the simplest soups to prepare. Ideal for those cold days when you want a broth but don't have much time to cook.

Ingredients:

• Two carrots
• A branch of celery
• A potato
• One onion
• Two cabbage leaves
• Two tablespoons of couscous
• Olive oil

Put a saucepan with water on the fire and while you wait for the water to boil, clean and chop the vegetables very finely. Subsequently, boil them for 10 minutes and add two tablespoons of couscous. Season it with a little oil and a drizzle of soy sauce to let it cook for 5 more minutes.

7. Quinoa with Vegetables

Quinoa, also known as the golden grain of the Andes, is considered a superfood because it contains all the essential amino acids for humans. This recipe for quinoa with vegetables is ideal to introduce this superfood to our diet. (Note: no food, no matter how "super", can replace a healthy and balanced diet).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups of water
• 1 zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 carrots
• 100 g peas
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

First of all, it is necessary to rinse the quinoa well several times under running water to remove the saponin, which would give it a bitter taste. Once washed, we can cook it with two cups of water (you always put twice as much water as quinoa). We put the pot on the fire and when it starts to boil, we cover the pot and cook it over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. Once cooked, drain it if there is excess water and remove the grains with a fork to separate them.

While the quinoa is cooking, we prepare the vegetables: we cut everything into small cubes, except for the garlic, which we leave whole. In a large frying pan, heat a little olive oil and brown the garlic cloves. Next, we remove the garlic and add the pepper, onion, and carrot.

When the vegetables begin to be done, we add the zucchini and the peas, season to taste and cook everything until all the vegetables are ready. Finally we add the quinoa and sauté it so that it takes the flavor of the vegetables.

8. Microwave stuffed aubergines

If you are the type of person who likes to eat tasty things but does not always have time to cook, we suggest this recipe to improvise a special dish In a blink of an eye.

Ingredients:

• 2 aubergines
• 1 onion
• 200 g vegetarian bolognese
• Grated cheese to taste
• Olive oil

To start, we cut the aubergines in half lengthwise and make some cuts in the pulp while sprinkling a little salt and a splash. Then we put them in the microwave at maximum power for About 10 minutes.

While we wait for the aubergines to cook in the microwave, we chop the onion very small and put it in a pan. Next, we add the vegan bolognese (you have the recipe explained above), to make it over low heat.

When the aubergines are already tender, we remove their pulp to leave a hole for the filling and add it to the pan with the onion and the vegetarian bolognese. To make everything more linked, we can add a few teaspoons of tomato sauce (although the vegetarian bolognese already has).

Finally, we fill the aubergines with the mixture from the pan and cover it with a little grated cheese and take it to the microwave for a couple more minutes so that the cheese melts.

9. Pumpkin cream with coconut milk and ginger

If you want to try a pumpkin cream with an original touch, we suggest this healthy recipe packed with vitamins.

Ingredients:

• 700 g pumpkin
• 1 onion
• 3 potatoes
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 piece of fresh ginger
• Salt and pepper
• Curry powder

Heat a little oil in a saucepan and gently brown the pumpkin, onion and chopped potatoes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and add the coconut milk and water until all the liquid covers the vegetables by a few fingers. Also add a little curry, a very small amount of ginger (it has a very powerful flavor) and leave it on the fire for half an hour.

Once the vegetables are band, remove the cream from the heat and wait for it to cool down a bit. Finally, blend everything well with the help of a mixer or a blender.

10. Brown rice with seasonal vegetables

If you love rice and are looking for a complete plate perfect to take to the office, this recipe is ideal. Thanks to your nutrient combination it works as a single dish.

Ingredients:

• 240 g of brown rice
• 100 g green beans
• 1 carrot
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 50 g of toasted almonds
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Cook the rice and the chopped beans for 20 minutes with the lid (check the rice container as the cooking time may vary) and let it rest for 10 minutes. While the rice is cooking, sauté the vegetables. Chop the onion and fry it in two tablespoons of oil. Then add the pepper and carrot, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.

At the end, make a mince of almonds, garlic and rosemary and fry it in a pan. Next, add the rice, the beans, the other sautéed vegetables and you will have your plate ready to serve.

11. Onion, mushroom and rice noodle soup

This soup not only feels great on cold nights, it is also a great dish. very cheap and easy to do.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 2 mushrooms
• 1 bowl of vegetable broth
• 50 g rice noodles
• Low salt soy sauce
• Basil
• Olive oil

The onion is finely chopped and the mushrooms are sliced ​​and we brown them gently over medium heat in a saucepan. When they are golden brown, add a splash of soy sauce and keep it over medium heat for a few minutes, without letting all the soy sauce evaporate.

Next, we add a bowl of vegetable broth and a pinch of basil to bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Next, we add the rice noodles and let them cook for the time indicated on the package.

12. Chickpeas curry

Chickpeas are a great source of vegetable protein, so they must be present in any healthy and balanced diet. Here we show you a recipe to cook them in a delicious way.

Ingredients:

• 1 pot of cooked chickpeas
• Spinach to taste
• 400 g pumpkin
• Coconut milk
• Curry
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

In a deep pan with olive oil, we cook the pumpkin and spinach over medium heat (the spinach is added when the pumpkin is almost done). The mixture is seasoned and the previously cooked chickpeas are added, with the intention of sautéing all the ingredients. Then, water is added without covering it. When it starts to boil, add the coconut milk and a little curry. Finally, the mixture is left to cook for about 10 minutes so that the chickpeas acquire all the flavor.

13. Hummus

Hummus is another recipe that is prepared with chickpeas, which is very simple to prepare and perfect to share with friends and family. It is a dish that is usually served with toasted pita bread or with crudités. Hummus is a great way to eat legumes in the hottest seasons when stews are not so appetizing.

Ingredients:

• 400 g of cooked chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon of pureed sesame (tahini)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Sweet paprika

It is as easy as blending all the ingredients with a mixer until a smooth paste is made. Finally, it is recommended to sprinkle a little paprika and add a few drops of oil.

14. Lentil Salad

This salad is very easy to prepare and you can add any ingredient you have at home. It will get you out of more of a hurry if you want to eat a healthy dish that is ready in no time.

Ingredients:

• 400 g of cooked lentils
• ½ red onion
• ½ red pepper
• ⅓ green pepper
• ½ cucumber
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Juice of ½ lemon

In a large bowl, add the lentils along with the chopped vegetables. Everything is seasoned with lemon juice, oil and salt. And ready.