21 One-Pot Vegetarian Recipes to Add to Your Weekly Dinner Rotation

These simple vegetarian dinners are easy to prep, and quick to clean up.

Cannellini-Bean and Greens Stew — Credit: Julia Gartland

Whether made in a saucepan, stockpot, or baking dish, these one-pot vegetarian meals take the guesswork out of what to make for dinner. Ideal for busy weeknights, one-pot recipes typically involve fewer steps and less cleanup than many of the meals we're used to preparing.

This collection of plant-based meals embraces all kinds of seasonal produce, plant-centered proteins, whole grains, and legumes to create delicious dinners. Each easy vegetarian meal is simple, hearty, and family-friendly. Some are extra indulgent, while others are on the healthier side. Either way, we guarantee you won’t even miss the meat.

01 of 21

Tomato-Eggplant Gnocchi

tomato eggplant gnocchi — Ren Fuller

This saucy gnocchi is a nod to the traditional Italian pasta alla norma, pairing eggplant with tomatoes and plenty of spices. It all comes together in one skillet, and we like to serve each portion with a generous dollop of ricotta cheese. Use canned tomatoes if fresh ones aren’t in season.

02 of 21

Super-Grain Soup With Watercress and Mushrooms

super grain soup with watercress and mushrooms — Justin Walker

In under one hour, you can create an absolutely delicious, umami-filled bowl of soup with less than 10 ingredients (and most of them are already in your pantry!). Sauté sliced red onions and mushrooms, then add tri-color quinoa and vegetable broth to cook. Serve with watercress and lots of grated Parmesan cheese.

03 of 21

Roasted-Vegetable Couscous Bowl

vegetable couscous bowl — Justin Walker

Try this inspired method for cooking couscous. Instead of boiling it on the stovetop, roast it along with chickpeas, cauliflower, and chopped carrots. Garnish the bowl with crumbled feta cheese and chopped cilantro leaves.

04 of 21

Spanish Gazpacho

Spanish Gazpacho — Dana Gallagher

Cool off with this tomato and red pepper-based chilled soup. The unexpected, extra-summery ingredient is 1/3 cup of orange juice, which brightens the base.

05 of 21

One-Pot Pasta With Broccoli and Lemon

One Pan Pasta with Broccoli and Lemon — Bryan Gardner

Six ingredients, 25 minutes, and one-pot. Sign us up! Penne and broccoli are tossed with the juice and zest of a lemon, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese.

06 of 21

Split-Pea Soup With Spinach and Barley

Split-Pea Soup with Spinach and Barley — Kate Mathis

Take a peek inside your pantry before making this meal. We bet that most of the necessary ingredients—such as barley, dried split peas, and vegetable broth—are already in there. The soup takes a couple of hours to come together, so plan in advance for this hearty vegetarian meal.

07 of 21

Customizable Vegetable Soup

big batch vegetable soup recipe

You decide the outcome of this delicious, super healthy soup. Choose your favorite starchy vegetables, quick-cooking vegetables, cooked grains, and chopped leafy greens. Your expert creation is best served with Parmesan cheese and herbs.

08 of 21

Pressure-Cooker Corn Risotto

corn risotto with basil and tomato — Marcus Nilsson

Corn on the cob is the MVP of late summer. Here, both the cob and the kernels are used to impart everyone's favorite creamy rice dish—Italian-style risotto—with plenty of fresh, seasonal flavor.

09 of 21

Vegan Lentil Soup

vegan lentil soup in bowl on blue table — Justin Walker

We always advocate for keeping dried lentils in your pantry, and this soup is the reason why. French lentils are cooked with shallots, cumin, coriander, and crushed tomatoes, then broccoli rabe is added at the end for color and texture.

10 of 21

Creamy Lemon Pasta With Pistachios

creamy lemon pasta with pistachio — Johnny Miller

A few things make this pasta dinner extra special: homemade breadcrumbs (trust us, they're worth it), 2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese, and chopped pistachios and chives for color and crunch. Best of all, the whole dish is ready in 25 minutes.

11 of 21

Egg Noodles With Asparagus and Grated Egg Yolks

egg noodles with asparagus and grated egg yolks — Ryan Liebe

Mascarpone, freshly grated Pecorino-Romano, and pasta water come together to make the super creamy sauce in this comforting spring pasta recipe. The extra-special touch is grated egg yolks, which are served over the top.

12 of 21

Vegan Sweet Potato Chili

vegan sweet potato chili — Bryan Gardner

Enjoy this meatless chili recipe on a cold night. Sweet potatoes and black beans give each scoop plenty of might, and chili powder, cumin, and cayenne give it all its heat.

13 of 21

Cannellini-Bean and Greens Stew

Cannellini-Bean and Greens Stew — Julia Gartland

Add tender greens like baby kale, spinach, or chard right before serving this robust stew so that they're just wilted. And don't sleep on the garlic-and-sage ciabatta toasts—they're the ideal vehicles for soaking up all that delicious broth.

14 of 21

Lentil Soup With Crispy Kale

lentil soup with crispy kale — Armando Rafael

Shiitake mushrooms give this restorative lentil soup a welcome hint of umami flavor while homemade kale chips stand in for croutons seamlessly.

15 of 21

Ratatouille and Baked Eggs

Eggs are nestled in a delicious mix of garlic-roasted eggplant, red peppers, and cherry tomatoes in this ratatouille-shakshuka hybrid.

16 of 21

Cheater’s Mac and Cheese

Cheater's Mac and Cheese recipe — Con Poulos

This stovetop mac and cheese is made in one pot and is so decadent and rich. A combination of cream cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and butter creates an Alfredo-like sauce to coat pasta noodles and blanched broccoli florets.

17 of 21

Kitchari

Emily Kate Roemer

Our test kitchen's take on the Ayurvedic savory porridge known as kitchari teams yellow mung dal and basmati rice with all kinds of nourishing spices and vegetables. A lively cilantro-coconut chutney is an inspired finishing touch.

18 of 21

Three-Cheese Skillet Lasagna

More cheese, please! Ricotta, mozzarella, and pecorino Romano are the stars of this super-easy lasagna.

19 of 21

Beet Hash With Eggs

beet hash eggs — Johnny Miller

Soft-baked eggs make scrumptious foils for earthy beets and potatoes in this breakfast-for-dinner recipe.

20 of 21

Vegetarian Gumbo

vegetarian gumbo — Sidney Bensimon

We guarantee no one will miss the meat in this satisfying stew—a vegetarian take on the Southern beloved dish.

21 of 21

Weeknight Vegetarian Chili

weeknight vegetarian chili served with tortillas — Con Poulos

Switching from a pot to a skillet slashed the cooking time in half for this recipe, and the wider pan surface lets spices and aromatics meld quickly for deep complexity.

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