15 Easy High Protein Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

Vegetarian dinners will offer you high-protein meals with protein sources like lentils, beans, tofu, cottage cheese, quinoa, and eggs. When you cook with high protein vegetarian dinner recipes, you’re going to have nice, defined times, and it’s easy on a busy weeknight.

High Protein Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

1. Ratatouille Lasagna

A healthy and delicious variation of a classic favourite, this zucchini, eggplant, tomato, cottage cheese, mozzarella and parmesan noodle-free lasagna is a truly delicious way to enjoy it.

Cut zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant into long strips. Dice the onions, garlic, peppers, and crushed tomatoes, and sauté to make the sauce. Add cottage cheese and egg, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

Combine the sauce, vegetables, and cheese mixture in a baking dish and pour on top of one another. Bake in the oven, preheated to 375°F (190°C), for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow 10 minutes to rest before slicing. Most of the protein is found in cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese.

2. Stuffed Shells with Cottage Cheese

Before you make, wash pasta shells and boil them for 9-10 minutes. Steam for 1 minute, drain the water, and dice.

Add cottage cheese, parmesan, pesto, egg, spinach, and seasonings. Spoon marinara sauce into the shells.

Wrap with foil and bake at 400°F (205°C) for 40 minutes. For a more browned cheese topping, peel the foil towards the end.

4. Cottage Cheese Pizzas

Brush oil on lasagna sheets and prepare them until they are soft, but still flexible. Mix cottage cheese with parmesan, egg, spinach, and Italian seasoning.

Spread filling on the pasta sheets and roll tightly. Top the rolls with the marinara sauce. Top with mozzarella.

Cover and bake until hot and bubbling, 375F (190C). Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. It’s great for family dinners, as you have the chance to put it together early.

4. Tofu Poke Bowls

Press the extra-firm tofu to squeeze out the extra moisture. Cut into cubes and marinate in soy, garlic, and spices.

Dip tofu in the cornstarch. In a skillet, heat sesame oil and fry tofu until golden on each side, about 2-3 minutes.

Use brown rice, greens, edamame, cucumber, avocado, and tofu to make the bowl. If you’re going to refrigerate leftovers, leave the avocado separate.

5. Vegan Quinoa Bowls

Make sure to have quinoa, edamame, broccoli, sweet potato, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and arugula.

Cut vegetables into even-sized pieces to cook together evenly. Season with salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder.

For around 25 minutes, roast the veggies at 425°F (220°C). Cook quinoa and mix with edamame, lemon juice, lemon zest, and nutritional yeast.

Place arugula in each bowl, and then add roasted vegetables and quinoa.

6. Lentil Bolognese

Add onion, carrots, and mushrooms and fry for 8–10 minutes in the olive oil. Add the tomato paste and garlic. Cook for 5 more minutes.

Add tomatoes, veggie broth, lentils, and Italian seasoning. Turn down heat when mixture simmers.

Cover and cook (simmer) 35-40 minutes until lentils are tender. Cook pasta and serve with sauce.

7. Tofu Curry with Spinach

Divide tofu into 2cm cubes. Fry until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Cook onions for another 5 minutes in oil, then add ginger, garlic and turmeric and cook gently.

Add the light coconut milk, tofu and juice of ½ lime to the mix, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add spinach and coriander to it and cook for 1 minute, then serve with chapati.

8. Sweet Potato Lentil Curry in Lentil 

Sauté onion in oil until soft. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry powder. Stir for 1 minute.

Stir in lentils, chopped sweet potato, vegetable stock and chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils and sweet potato are tender. Add chickpeas at the end and heat through. Serve with yogurt and naan if you wish.

9. Easy Lentil Curry

Approximately 8 minutes are required to cook the onions till they become golden. Add curry paste and cook for another minute.

Add vegetable stock and frozen vegetables. Cover; simmer for 5 minutes. Cook for 15-20 minutes again, adding red lentils.

Rinse and cook Basmati rice in a separate pot. Serve with rice, fresh parsley or coriander.

10. Teriyaki Tofu & Broccoli

Cube firm tofu. Fry until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes, turning frequently.

Add broccoli and spring onions to the same pan and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the teriyaki sauce and mix.

Place tofu back into the pan and fry for 1-2 more minutes. Serve with cooked rice or noodles.

11. Chickpea Curry

For around 8 minutes, cook the onion and chilli, diced. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, garam masala, tomato purée and the cooked onion to a bowl and blend into a paste.

Cook the paste for 2 minutes. Add drained chickpeas and chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add in creamed coconut and cook for 5 more minutes. Add spinach and sauté until wilted. Serve with dhal or rice.

12. Tofu and Spinach Cannelloni

Fry onions and garlic, add spinach and spices. Combine filling with cooked tofu.

Stuff cannelloni in tubes and place in a baking dish. If using, top with tomato sauce or cheese.

Bake until pasta is tender and the sauce is bubbling. Useful make-ahead dinner since it can be made in advance and assembled before baking!

13. Black Bean Chilli

Cook onion, garlic and peppers, softening them. Add spices, tomatoes, vegetable stock and black beans.

Bring to a simmer, and cook until beans are softened and sauce is thickened, 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.

Serve over brown rice, avocado, Greek yogurt or fresh coriander.

14. Indian Chickpeas with Poached Eggs

Add tomato, onion, garlic, and Indian spices; heat over a high flame. Simmer until thickened.

Add eggs to the chickpea paste. Cook until the whites have set, while the yolks remain slightly soft.

Serve immediately on whole grain bread, roti or with a small salad. The major protein sources are in the chickpeas and eggs.

15. Lentil and Cauliflower Curry

Sauté onion, garlic and spices until aromatic. Add lentils, cauliflower, tomatoes and vegetable stock.

Bring to a boil and then turn down. Simply cook until lentils are tender and cauliflower is cooked.

Mix occasionally; if the curry is thick, add some stock. Serve on rice or whole grain flat bread.

What to Do to Make These Dinners More Protein-Rich

Every dish will include only one protein source. Have tofu or edamame with rice. Add cottage cheese when baking pasta. Add lentils or chickpeas to curry/tomato sauce. For meal preparation, use the prepared lentils, quinoa, or rice. Never let them touch the vegetables! Planned meals can be well served by the quinoa bowl, tofu poke bowl, and lentil Bolognese.

Store canned beans, lentils, tofu, frozen spinach, and whole-grain pasta for quick vegetarian dinners! These ingredients will shorten the preparation time while keeping protein in the meal.

Finally

These high protein vegetarian dinner recipes are high protein and feature easy-to-find ingredients that make delicious, meat-free dinners. Serve tofu, lentils, chickpeas, cottage cheese, quinoa, eggs, and edamame as protein sources. Be careful to follow the cooking times, particularly when making pasta dishes or cooking lentils, so they are just as tender in each portion.