The Best Vegetarian Recipes for Busy Families
A lot of people think that going vegetarian means spending more time in the kitchen. But that’s not always the case. There are plenty of meals out there that take little time and are totally satisfying. In fact, the best vegetarian recipes are those that make a ton of nutritious, filling food all at once. We’ll share four of those with you, along with some handy kitchen tools for vegetarians. You’ll see that going meatless can by easy. Especially when you use our Amazon discount codes and Target promo codes to save on what you need.
Panzanella Salad
A Tuscan salad made of bread and veggies, panzanella is the perfect vegetarian lunch. Since this salad benefits from a little time spent in the refrigerator, panzanella also makes a great make-ahead item for parties. The best part of panzanella is the vinaigrette. We recommend using a salad dressing shaker to make the perfect dressing. The OXO Good Grips Salad Dressing Shaker ($14.99 on Amazon)allows you to perfectly emulsify your vinaigrette, so the oil and vinegar combine to make a creamy, tangy dressing. This shaker has measuring lines and a open/close nozzle, too, so you can make extra and store it for later. Save your wrist the effort of whisking and use our Amazon discount codes to save on this handy tool.
Ingredients: Day-old, good-quality French bread; 4 ripe plum tomatoes; 1 cucumber; 1 medium red onion; 1 red pepper; 1 yellow pepper; a handful of fresh basil; olive oil; Dijon mustard; red wine vinegar; salt and pepper. Instructions: Slice the bread into bite-sized cubes. With a saute pan on medium heat, lightly toast the bread cubes with a drizzle of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt. Pour the toasted bread into a large bowl. Next, chop the veggies into similar bite-sized pieces, then pour into the bowl. Tear the basil with your hands (no more than two times per leaf) and add to the bowl. For the vinaigrette, add a ½ cup of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and a dash of salt and pepper to the salad dressing shaker. Shake vigorously until the dressing is well-mixed. It should be a creamy yellow. Pour over the salad, and toss. You can serve panzanella right away, but it benefits from 24 or more hours in the refrigerator.
Three-Bean Stew
Three-bean stew is so filling, so nutritious, and so easy to make. Packed with nutrient-rich veggies and fiber-filled beans, this stew is one of the best vegetarian recipes out there. You’ll need a slow cooker for this recipe. If you’re cooking for the whole family, we recommend the Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry ($49.99 at Target). Crock-Pot is well-known for its ridiculously long-lasting slow cookers, and this one can feed an army. Plus, it has secure-lock handles, so you can travel with this stew. Though $50 may seem like a lot for a small appliance, you’ll get good use of out this one. Our Target promo codes bring the price down, too.
Ingredients: 1 can pinto beans, 1 can cannellini beans, 1 can red kidney beans, ½ red bell pepper, 1 sweet potato, ½ butternut squash, 2 garlic cloves, 1 small onion, 16 oz. vegetable broth, 28 oz. can of chopped tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Instructions: Drain and rinse all three cans of beans. Dice the bell pepper and onion. Finely mince the garlic. Cut the sweet potato and butternut squash into bite-sized pieces. Put all of this into the slow cooker. Pour in the broth and chopped tomatoes (undrained). Season with a tablespoon of cumin and chili powder, then just a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. You can garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, or chopped green onions.
Cheesy Ranch Potatoes
Even vegetarians get a craving for junk food every once in a while. These cheesy ranch potatoes are sure to satisfy any craving. They’re versatile, too. You can use whatever cheese you want, and substitute the ranch seasoning for any other flavor. Tex-mex taco seasoning, or just your standard salt and pepper, are two other options. Whatever you do, make sure you cook this on a non-stick pan! Cheese and potatoes are notoriously sticky. The T-Fal AirBake Ultra Mega Cookie Sheet ($12.79 at Target) will get your potatoes super crispy without causing them to stick to the sheet. Plus, as a vegetarian, roasting veggies in the oven is one of the easiest ways to meet your daily nutrition needs. Stock up on bakeware with our Target promo codes.
Ingredients: 4 to 6 red potatoes, 1 package ranch dressing mix, 2 cups of shredded cheese (cheddar is a good option).
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange on a cookie sheet so that no slices are overlapping. Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix on the potatoes. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Each slice should be nearly covered with cheese. Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the potatoes are brown and crispy. Optional garnishes are sour cream, chopped green onions, or even a side of ranch dressing.
Eggplant Parmesan
There’s no reason to miss meat when you have eggplant Parmesan! Eggplant makes a great meat substitute, so it’s no surprise this cheesy indulgence is one of the best vegetarian recipes out there.. It’s also perfect for the family, since every recipe makes a ton. To make the eggplant slicing go faster, try a mandolin, like this Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Plus ($45 on Amazon). How it works is you hold the slicer in one hand, then use the other to quickly move the eggplant across the slicer, resulting in perfectly even slices each time. It’ll cut your cooking time in half. The mandolin is a genius invention, and it can be yours for a low price with our Amazon discount codes.
Ingredients: 2 to 3 eggplants; breadcrumbs (Italian seasoned are best); shredded Parmesan cheese; shredded Mozzarella and/or Romano cheese; 1 egg, whisked; handful of fresh basil; 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce. Instructions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Using your mandolin, slice eggplants into thin, 1/4inch slices. Coat your baking vessel with a thin layer of sauce. Next, arrange a layer of breaded eggplant in the vessel. To bread, first dip the eggplant into the egg, then dip it into the breadcrumbs. After you’ve covered the bottom of the pan with eggplant, cover with the cheese mixture and a sprinkling of fresh basil. (Just tear the basil with your hands.) Then do another layer of sauce, eggplant, cheese, basil. Do this until you reach the top of the vessel. Finish with more sauce and an extra helping of cheese. Bake in the oven for around an hour. Whether you’re planning a party or cooking for the whole family, there are plenty of recipes out there that’ll suit your needs. Being a vegetarian doesn’t mean eating salads all the time. It means using beans, veggies, and other tasty ingredients in inventive ways. The best vegetarian recipes highlight that, too. So take the plunge and get all the kitchenware and bakeware you need to make fantastic meat-free meals. Our Amazon discount codes and Target promo codes are here to help.