Written by Megan Ayala. Last Updated: October 13, 2022
Looking for some amazingly delicious vegetarian recipes, that can also help you lose weight? Here are our top 11 vegetarian recipes for weight loss so far this year (we will add to this list as we try new recipes):
1. Tofu Scramble
Contents
Ingredients
For this recipe, you’ll need two tablespoons of olive oil, one chopped onion of your choice, a cup of sliced button mushrooms, a red pepper that has been chopped and 2-3 garlic cloves.
Also, you need a block of tofu, 500 grams of it.
Finally, don’t forget about 2-3 cups of black beans. If you want spices, then use a teaspoon of ground cumin, 2-3 tbsps of yeast and about a teaspoon of turmeric and/or garlic powder.
Instructions
Mix the spices after adding them to a bowl and then heat it over medium heat after placing the spices in a large skillet.
Next, add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and pepper and saute everything for around 10 minutes.
Next, add the tofu and keep mixing the ingredients before adding the black beans and cooking for another 10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
The tofu scramble contains approximately 175 calories. It only has 10 grams of carbs and 14 grams of protein.
It’s easy to see why this could be a good breakfast option for those who are trying to lose weight.
2. Chickpea Stew
Ingredients
You need a can of chick peas that have been drained, a large carrot that’s been diced and a tablespoon of olive oil.
Other ingredients include chopped up red bell pepper (a handful worth), and a chopped up medium-sized potato.
The rest of the ingredients include a teaspoon of both dried parsley and dried basil, as well as a tablespoon of both sea salt and tomato paste, and one onion that has been minced.
Feel free to use 3-4 cloves of garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to add a kick to the stew. Don’t forget about vegetable broth too.
You’ll want at least a cup of broth.
Instructions
Soak the chickpeas overnight and the next day you’ll want to boil the chickpeas over medium heat for about an hour.
Then, drain the chickpeas and add them to a saucepan over medium heat before adding the the onions, garlic, pepper, and everything else except the tomato paste.
Stir and mix for around five minutes and then add the paste to the mix.
Next, reduce to a simmer for a half-hour. Then you’ll mash up the chickpeas. Now, wait for it to cool down and enjoy.
Nutritional Facts
Contains approximately 400 calories, 20 grams of protein and 27 grams of carbs.
3. Vegetarian Lasagna
Ingredients
You need 8 ounces of fusilli, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a chopped onion. Also needed is 3-4 cloves of garlic, a handful of small mushrooms and a teaspoon of both salt and pepper.
Other ingredients include a cup of ricotta cheese, 8-10 cups of baby spinach and a teaspoon of red pepper that has been crushed.
Instructions
Boil your pasta for about 10 minutes before draining it and putting it in a large bowl. Then, heat it in a skillet for a minute before adding your garlic and onions, as well as your salt and mushrooms.
After a few minutes, add the spinach, red pepper and tomatoes for another 5-10 minutes.
Then you’ll toss the pasta and the sauce together before serving it with ricotta.
Nutritional Facts
It has 338 calories, just 9 grams of fat and 18 grams of protein. Contains 53 grams of carbs.
4. Eggplant Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- A garlic clove
- 4 diced tomatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- Small amount of rinsed capers
- Small amount of basil
- 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper
- A handful of angel hair pasta
Instructions
First boil water and then add your pasta to it. While you’re doing that, add the rest of the ingredients to a large skillet and heat for around 15-20 minutes, while the pasta boils until it’s soft. Once finished, drain the pasta and mix everything together.
Nutrition Facts
It has approximately 283 calories, 50 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein.
5. Vegan Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- Tomato sauce
- 1 Bag of or an alternative to Beyond Meat Beefy Crumble
- Teaspoon of chili powder, garlic powder, paprika and onion powder
- Half teaspoon salt
- Tablespoon of hot sauce (vegan-friendly)
Instructions
First, take all of the ingredients and place them in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and mix for 20 minutes or up to 25 if need be.
After that, you can place the ingredients on any type of buns or bread. Also, feel free to add additional toppings.
Nutritional Facts
Each serving contains approximately 119 calories, 4g of fat and 5g of carbs. It’s packed with 17g of protein. It also contains iron, calcium and vitamin A.
6. Cauliflower Curry
Ingredients
For this curry, you’ll need 4-5 cloves of minced garlic, half a cup of chopped shallot and two tablespoons of coconut oil or plain water.
You’ll also want two tablespoons of grounded or minced ginger, a Serrano pepper and between 1-5 tablespoons of yellow curry paste.
The other ingredients include two cups of canned coconut milk, a teaspoon of turmeric and a tablespoon of maple syrup.
You also need a cup of chopped cauliflower. Coconut aminos (two tablespoons) is needed. Finally, you need to cook 1 1/4 cup of chickpeas, but make sure you drain them afterwards.
Instructions
First, add water to a large metal skillet after the skillet has been heated up, and then add your coconut oil, Serrano pepper, the garlic, ginger and the shallot.
Stir for up to 3-5 minutes.
Next, add the curry paste and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes before adding your coconut milk, the maple syrup and the turmeric.
Then you’ll want to add your chickpeas and the cauliflower. Cover the skillet and cool for 20 minutes, and don’t forget to stir occasionally. If you notice boiling, then turn down the heat because you want it to simmer, not boil.
After 20 minutes have gone by, you can turn the heat off and let it sit for a few minutes. When it has cooked down, you can dish out the servings.
Feel free to store your leftovers in the fridge for up to five days or for a month in the freezer.
Nutritional Facts
This recipe contains just 297 calories per serving and just over 13g of fat and nearly 10g of protein. It has 36g of carbs and just over 8g of fiber.
7. Avocado Hummus with a Kick
Ingredients
This is a simple recipe that only requires a handful of ingredients, which includes four avocados, a can of chickpeas that have been rinsed off and diced red onion.
Up to a cup of chopped cilantro and a diced Jalapeno pepper is required too.
The other four ingredients include 1/4 cup of lime juice, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, two teaspoons of Kosher salt and one minced garlic clove.
Instructions
You’ll want to get the food processor out and throw in the chickpeas and avocados.
Throw in the cilantro, garlic, salt, oil and the onion, lime juice and the pepper into the processor too. If need be, feel free to add more cilantro.
Nutrition Facts
This avocado hummus contains just 69 calories per serving and 5g of fat. It has 5g of carbs and 1g of protein.
8. Shepard’s Pie with Sweet Potato
Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe includes a cup of lentils, three cups of water, two large carrots that have been chopped and a lentil and veggie layer, as well as a tiny amount of salt and pepper.
You need 3/4 cup of both frozen corn and frozen peas, as well as half a teaspoon of soy sauce, a teaspoon of garlic powder and onion powder.
Finally, you’ll want up to a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (vegan) or another vegan-friendly sauce of your choice.
Instructions
First, cut the sweet potatoes up into slices and then put them in a large pot with a little bit of water. Next, boil for about 10 minutes before draining the potatoes and then you’ll mash them up before seasoning with pepper and salt.
After that, you’ll continue cooking the potatoes in a skillet, while at the same time saute the carrots in a pot.
Add your lentils, veggie stock and water to the pot and boil for 10 minutes and simmer for another 15 minutes.
The last few steps include stirring in the corn and peas and mixing them with the lentils for 5-10 minutes. Next, season the mixture with the garlic/onion powder, the sauce and the pepper.
Finally, put the lentils in a casserole dish and place it in the oven for 15 minutes. Halfway through, add the potatoes to the top of it and spread it out.
Nutrition Facts
It has approximately 290 calories, 61 grams of carbs. It also has about 1g of fat and 12g of protein.
9. Applesauce
Ingredients
For this weight loss vegetarian recipe, you only need 6-8 cups of chopped apples and a half a cup of water.
A tiny amount of salt is required too. Also, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and a tablespoon of brown sugar is needed.
Instructions
Simply place the spice, brown sugar, apples and salt, as well as water in a saucepan. Boil for about 15 minutes. Next, use a food processor to puree the dry mixture or use a potato masher.
Do this until you get the desired consistency, and then store in the fridge so it gets cold.
Nutritional Info
Contains 75 calories and 3g of fiber. Also has 20g of carbs and 140mg of potassium.
10. Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
The few ingredients you need is a tiny amount of olive oil, a chopped onion and 3-4 chopped cloves of garlic.
You also need 7-9 cups of chopped tomatoes, a handful of basil and a teaspoon of salt. Feel free to use a teaspoon of pepper too.
Instructions
Boil the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes before adding the tomatoes to the mix, but make sure to stir it every so often.
Next, add the basil after you have taken the pan off of the heat. Add the pepper an salt too, and then put everything in a blender for a few minutes. After that, go ahead and serve your soup.
Nutrition Facts
A serving contains 80 calories and 28g of carbs. It also has 1g of fat and 4g of protein.
11. Eggplant & Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
You need around a pound of plum tomatoes, 4-5 tbsps of olive oil, 2-3 tsps of chopped oregano and a grated clove of garlic.
You need both a 1/2 teaspoon of grounded pepper and crushed red pepper, as well as 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
The other ingredients include a handful of penne, 1/2 cup of basil, up to two-pounds of eggplant that has been sliced up, and a 1/4 cup of feta cheese.
Instructions
Boil the tomatoes, oil, pepper and garlic together. Add the oregano, salt and crushed red pepper into the pan too.
Next, grill the eggplant after you have brushed a little bit of oil onto it, and leave on the grill for 8-10 minutes per side and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Then you’ll want to chop it up into small pieces before adding the basil and tomatoes to it.
At the same time, cook the pasta. Then drain it before mixing the tomato mixture with the pasta. After that, serve and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts
It has approximately 450 calories and 12g of fiber. It is packed with 14g of protein and just 19g of fat.
Summary
Those are our 11 best vegetarian recipes for weight loss.
If you want to lose weight effectively, while eating great tasting food, then give the above recipes a try.
Remember, shake things up by trying all of the above and doing them on different days when you start to become bored with eating the same meals.