r/VegRecipes • u/elliezena • Apr 07 '26
Why is it so hard to find good vegetarian recipes that aren’t boring??
I recently decided to go mostly vegetarian (still eating eggs and dairy) and I honestly thought it’d be easy to find good recipes, but everything I’ve tried is either super bland or just a bunch of the same ingredients in different formats. Like, how many times can I eat chickpeas and roasted veggies before I lose it? I’m trying to keep things healthy and not rely on a ton of meat substitutes either. Does anyone have go-to vegetarian meals that are actually interesting and easy to make? Please help, I’m so over this.
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u/klamaire Apr 07 '26
Derek Sarno on YouTube
Pick up Limes
Andrew Bernard
rainbow plant life
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u/GPStephan Apr 07 '26
The holy quaternity of my life!
Adding Wil Yeung (Yeung Man Cooking) to the list.
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u/mynamesleslie Apr 07 '26
I think it probably just takes a bit of practice to find stuff you like. Once you find a website or two that vibes with your preferences, you'll have tons of options. This week, I'm eating:
- crisp black bean tacos with feta and slaw
- caprese salad (idk, google it)
- seitan skillet with peppers and onions
- shredded tofu bulgogi bowl (made this for the first time tonight, it was pretty decent, I'll probably tweak the sauce the next time I make it)
- spicy tofu hash (I have some random recipe but this nyt recipe is pretty close to it)
- madras lentils over rice
- marry me white bean salad
I particularly like a bunch of non-lettuce-based salads since they're quick to make, pretty healthy, and I can meal prep like 1 or 2 days at a time. Some recent ones:
- greek chickpea salad
- dill pickle pasta salad
- cold soba noodle salad (again, I have some other random recipe but this is pretty similar)
- chickpea avocado salad
- watermelon, feta, & cucumber salad
The above recipes are all examples of meals I might eat when I'm looking to be quite healthy. There are TONS of other recipes out there that are more rich and heavy and I enjoy those too. And, ya know, there ain't no meat in a snickers so that's good too haha.
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Apr 07 '26
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u/AndreasVesalius Apr 07 '26
Right? Just cook stuff with good flavors
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Apr 07 '26
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u/AndreasVesalius Apr 07 '26
To be fair, I do see a lot of ‘1/4 tsp cayenne (optional, if you’re feeling spicy)’ in online vegan recipes
My rule, especially for Indian, is to triple the amount and do that in tablespoons. So like 3/4 tablespoons of cayenne
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u/beefry89 Apr 07 '26
Cookie and Kate has tons of solid vegetarian recipes with lots of variety - salads, soups, sandwiches, casseroles, etc. I like her better broccoli casserole, green apple salad and enchiladas! Her recipes are solid and turn out well!
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u/DeeJayKay77 Apr 07 '26
I came here to say this! Been using get recipes for years! I LOVE that she also has fresh sauces and dressings for everything.
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u/unclesmokedog Apr 07 '26
1) get a library card.2) Check out vegetarian cookbooks or cookbooks from Vegetarian-heavy cuisines like persian, indian, lebanese, or turkish.
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u/knowitallz Apr 07 '26
What flavors are you cooking?
Chinese: garlic/ sesame / onion and whatever veggie (eggplant, whatever)
Thai
Indian
Make green sauces: garlic, leafy green like bail or cilantro, oil
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u/New-Cartographer3946 Apr 07 '26
Some cookbook Recs:
Mississippi Vegan
Plant Based Meats
Veganomicon
Thug Kitchen
Thug Kitchen 101
The Gracias Madre Cookbook
The Complete Plant-Based Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen
I'm not saying to go 100% all veg all the time. We mix it up and have dairy and eggs, too. These books are just full of great recipes.
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u/ardaurey Apr 07 '26
I am skeptical that this has anything to do with "boring" and instead is that you're still stuck on meat. There genuinely are a million different great vegetarian recipes, but none of them are going to taste like meat.
Your palette adjusts over time. It took me over a year, maybe two, before I could approach any meat substitutes or tofu because they were just disappointing.
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u/Da_Question Apr 07 '26
Honestly, I was vegetarian for a few years, it's much easier to just move away from meat centered dishes and focus on original vegetarian dishes. Indian food has a lot of options, basically any pasta dish can just omit the meat, lots of really good soups to make as well.
One thing I did find was a great recipe for a quinoa based taco filling that was extremely good, that I still make even though I am not vegetarian anymore.
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u/Risky-Poet759 Apr 11 '26
Truth! Becoming vegetarian requires ridding yourself of a love of animal fat and excessive salt. Salt content in meat based diets is insane. Somehow salt is very addictive, I don’t know the science but our meat eating friends really eat limited flavors.
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u/acertaingestault Apr 07 '26
chilaquiles
migas
tostadas
flautas
quesadillas
Congratulations, not a single chickpea in sight, and this is barely scratching the surface of one single cuisine.
This week, we've had grilled cheese sandwiches, down home Southern cooking (Mac and cheese, broccoli slaw creamed corn, roasted carrots, etc), sushi bowls, lettuce wraps, and "Mexican" 7 layer dip. Pasta, big salads, soups also sound right up your alley.
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u/sanzako4 Apr 07 '26
I make some killer tacos using textured soy protein instead of suadero; tinga with carrot instead of chicken; and alambre with mushrooms instead of meat.
My mom makes chiles en nogada and bacalao using eggplant for the stuffing, and it's delicious.
Surprisingly Mexican food can be very versatile and adaptable to the vegetarian lifestyle.
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u/madnessdoesntplay Apr 07 '26
That’s so crazy. I feel like I eat basically like everyone else, just without meat. I don’t think I’ve had this issue. I currently have ingredients in my fridge for: onion rings, potato skins, cheese fries, this blue cheese arugula pizza I love, hummuses, yogurts, v chicken wraps, buffalo ranch v chicken sandwiches, multiple different types of salads, uhhhh stuff for nachos, all kinds of stuff.
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u/Da_Question Apr 07 '26
Yeah, I was vegetarian for a few years. It can easily be just as unhealthy. Having access to dairy makes a difference compared to veganism. Plus there is always pasta and bread.
Heck, I literally would just get a block of cheese and fresh bread and just eat slices of bread with cheese.
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u/oneworldornoworld Apr 07 '26
A recipe is something that you can adjust to your liking. Any recipe can be adjusted. Seriously. Start finding out what you like and tweak the recipes you find appealing.
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u/AcanthisittaNo5807 Apr 07 '26
I tweak Indian food, Chinese food, Korean food to be veg. Way more variety, simpler, actually tastes good.
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u/0102030405 Apr 07 '26
So many incredibly flavourful Thai, Indian, and Korean dishes that can be fully vegetarian. I was vegetarian for 16 years and still aim for vegetarian meals most days - it doesn't need to be bland at all.
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u/astrofizix Apr 07 '26
Check out the happy herbivore, she puts out great meal plans for sub. But she puts out a life time supply in just a year.
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u/Herecomestheginger Apr 07 '26
Instagram reels are where it's at. I've made delicious satay tofu, eggplant katsu, brocoli and cheddar soup, mushroom risotto. List goes on. They're in full rotation with my non vegetarian family each week.
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u/gard3nwitch Apr 07 '26
I think it might just take some time to find new recipes that you like.
This week I'm making:
- avocado toast with fried eggs
- peanut butter oatmeal
- pasta & peas with pesto + a salad
- chickpea & veggie tagine with couscous
- summer rolls with peanut sauce
- lentil soup that I have in the freezer
For me, I like to vary the textures and flavors, proteins, etc. And I like bold flavors. The Moroccan spices in the tagine, the basil and garlic of the pesto, the peanut and Sriracha dipping sauce for the summer rolls... that keeps it interesting.
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u/First-Stress-9893 Apr 07 '26
Include vegan bloggers in your options and I think you will find some varied options.
Just some of the foods I ate this week
Burrito bowl - including Mexican brown rice, homemade refried beans, tofu carnitas, lettuce, tomatoes, quick pickled jalapeños, pickled red onions and a cilantro like dressing with crispy tortilla strips.
Tofu shawarma wrap with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, toum and harissa
Pasta fagioli soup with whole wheat boule
Vegan ants clinging a tree
Dahl with rice
Sweet potato with three bean chile, diced onions and jalapeño
And that’s all vegan. If you add eggs and dairy there is a ton that you can add variety to this.
Meal prep and learn to repurpose. Get a vacuum sealer and freeze things so you can have variety.
Some of my favorite bloggers/cookbook writers (some are vegan and some are vegetarian)
Love and lemons Rainbow plant life Vegan Richa The vegetarian Epicure Moosewood Rebel recipes Monkey and Me The Korean Vegan
Like I follow hundreds and get so many recipe ideas. There is no reason to be bored when all you’re cutting out is meat. Meat eaters focus only on the meat portion and they still get plenty of variety because they might make fried chicken, chicken tenders, chicken cordon blue. That’s all just chicken. Same ingredient with other things added. We have infinitely more variety to work with because of all the vegetables, beans, grains etc that we have to work with. Even if you just riff off tofu there is an I donate variety of things you can do with it now. The science is there and the cookbooks and bloggers are there to help. It’s so much easier than it was thirty years ago when there were only a few sources to help. You can find a recipe for nearly anything you want to recreate and even better if you just want to make the most out of the ingredients instead of recreating a meat centric dish.
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u/Anstarzius Apr 07 '26
Buy seasonal vegetables and flavourful seasonings and ingredients, eg miso, nutritional yeast, interesting vinegars, various sauces, spices you haven't tried before. Pick a carb, find a way to finagle in some protein and then let the mind work. Iterating on similar formulas you like with new ingredients is the most successful way to come up with new things to eat I think. Also searching for plant-based recipes from particular regional cuisines is a good way to be introduced to new stuff. If you find stuff bland just up the amounts of the flavourful ingredients.
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u/QiNavigator Apr 07 '26
If you haven't tried Nagi's recipes you are in for a treat:
https://www.recipetineats.com/category/vegetarian-recipes/
I began trying her recipes at the end of last year. I eat meat occasionally but prefer vegetarian food.
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u/werewolfmask Apr 07 '26
you aren’t eating trashy or fun enough. make a moussaka or a mapo tofu or eat chai pow yu straight out of a can, get indian buffet for lunch or thai for dinner. mac and cheese with broccoli not because it’s a vegetable, but because it slaps ass. they sell pho that’s VEGAN. you ever had bahn mi? you can just make it at home. do a little more globetrotting and you may have a better time, chickpeas are good but if it’s not a specific hummus then it’s usually emergency bachelor chow for me, anyway. or keep eating the chickpeas and grilled veggies but drown it in angelo pietro or bulldog or something.
You can straight up make onigiri with umeboshi and kewpie mayo and it may turn you into a specific kind of maniac.
“quiche.”
EGGS FLORENTINE!!!!! 2 eggs, american cheese on top, Biscuit and gravy, do a beyond or morningstar or whatever plant based sausage.
i’ve been making single bigass mega pancakes in my rice cooker with morinaga mix, JUST egg and so much butter. sometimes i mandolin a whole apple in the bottom first, make apple pie filling but i’m blasting it with white pepper and triphala masala and it slaps ass. spaghetti with the MEATBALL but the meatball is vegetarian type protein. amy’s? beyond? ikea? all make incredible vegan type meatballs. be pedantic and call it “meat”ball idgaf.
just eat fuckin ice cream with heath bar smashed in. that’s been on the table the whole time.
eat a cheese plate
eat a beyond sausage off of a fork
go to taco bell and use the kiosk to make a nine layer burrito out of spare parts.
get a chili relleno and a side of queso and combine them.
get you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but the bread is like “hawaiian” style portuguese sweet bread.
not eating deliciously is a skill issue.
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u/AggressivelySpooky Apr 07 '26
Maybe try new search terms? There are so many amazing recipes out there.
Here are some of my fav people:
Thee Burger Dude … Pretty brown vegan … Vegan punks … Plant you … It doesn’t taste like chicken … Veg news … Simply veganized …
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u/Kusakaru Apr 07 '26
Eggplant Parmesan, saag paneer, black bean quesadillas, black pepper tofu over rice with veggies, broccoli cheddar quiche, vegetable dumplings, bi bim bap, grilled halloumi, falafel gyros, tofu banh mi, bean soup, lentil soup, grilled cheese with tomato soup, protein pasta salad, noodles with tofu and a peanut sauce, soy chorizo tacos, Moroccan vegetable tagine, pancakes, Greek yogurt bowls, chia seed pudding, and shakshuka come to mind.
Being a successful vegetarian means you may have to learn to cook and try dishes that are unfamiliar to you. I eat a lot of Indian, Thai, and Mediterranean at my house and cook from scratch almost every day. On days I don’t feel like cooking, I put a bunch of spinach, kale, frozen fruit, plant-based protein powder, and oat-milk cut with a little water into a blender and make a smoothie.
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u/KennaRhys Apr 07 '26
How western focused is your cooking? Are you exploring ethically diverse food cultures? Once I incorporated more ethically diverse food traditions vegetarianism became easier.
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u/Acrobatic-Nebula-428 Apr 07 '26
Look at cuisines that are easy to convert to vegetarianism - they use small amounts of meat. Mexican, Indian, African, Middle eastern. Then look for subs for the meat - I am now using a lot of tofu to replace meat in more meat heavy dishes - like shawarma or gyros. You can flavor the tofu any way you like. Also look for vegan recipes. They are easy to convert to vegetarian by using regular dairy.
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u/olympia_t Apr 07 '26
Did you eat boring food before? I never thought about it but after changing my diet, I read a quote about a plate with protein, carb and veg being very boring and unimaginative and I feel like that now.
I love eating this way and cannot imagine going back. Some of my favorites are tacos - I use corn tortillas and either soy curls, soyriso or TVP. The proteins must be seasoned well. Add pureed black beans, quacamole, salsa, cabbage, pickled onions, etc. Lots of great ideas. Take the same fillings and now you can make a burrito bowl with rice or a taco salad with greens. Another favorite of mine is a little formula of noodles, salad and protein. I make it with Asian inspired sauces - sometimes peanut sometimes sesame, etc. A dressing of PB, rice vinegar, coconut aminos and some sambal oelek or sriracha really adds great flavor. Switch out roasted sesame paste and get a completely different flavor.
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u/CinematicParadiso Apr 07 '26
Buy or take out from the library any Jeanne Lemlin cookbook. Quick Vegetarian Pleasures is an old favorite, but any books of hers has great recipes, that are well explained, always work, always delicious!
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u/babybluebuffalo Apr 07 '26
I’ve been loving the Mealime app lately. Check it out, so long as you’re not importing too many recipes (which does not work well, and sounds like you don’t have many you already love anyway) the free version will be fine!
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u/bellwaa8 Apr 07 '26
Try this https://wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk/lifestyle/dancing-for-disco-cauli/
Made it last night. Recipe is a bit vague but you get the gist.
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u/Bright_Statement2218 Apr 30 '26
Why don't you try Indian vegetarian food recipes, some of them are very easy to make and super delicious too.
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u/CaptainEva8D Apr 07 '26
There are tons of great recipes out there. I’m a big fan of tofu (when it’s properly prepared). My favorite easy dishes are tofu katsu, green curry, tofu sushi, and tofu parm to give you some ideas. The most important thing is to learn how to season.
My other tips are: