20 best vegetarian recipe ideas | Features

Whether you’re a total veggie or are just looking for more ways to cut down on meat, you’re going to love this selection of our favourite vegetarian recipes.

Pack in the nutrients with added bursts of flavour from beautiful herbs, spices and store-cupboard staples by rustling up our top vegetarian dishes. From one-pan wonders to quick and easy recipes, be inspired by these fabulous veggie meal ideas and keep them to hand for the next time you want to wow a crowd. 

Check out our full bank of vegetarian recipes for even more meal-time inspiration, or visit our budget-friendly hub for more everyday recipes.

If you’re looking for a 20-minute meal that’ll feed a crowd and look great on the table, this veggie recipe for mushroom stroganoff has you covered. The mushrooms cook down in a gorgeous, creamy sauce and are topped with crunchy cornichons and capers to give the dish extra bursts of zingy flavour. Plus, it’s perfect for a romantic dinner for two.

This moreish Mediterranean-style vegetable stew is perfect for a super-healthy midweek supper. Serve with crusty bread for mopping up all the sauce.

Our Indian-style chip butty gives the ‘real’ version a serious run for its money. The spicy, crispy potato patties sandwiched amongst sweet mango chutney and fresh mint yoghurt taste insanely delicious – we just can’t get enough. Whip it up in just over half an hour for a casual dinner or, alternatively, you can break up the patties and serve with chapati and mixed salad for an Indian-style twist on a wrap.

Once you see how simple and tasty this pizza recipe is, that takeaway menu will stay firmly in the drawer! This is a classic Margherita, but you can add whatever toppings you’d like – olives, roasted veggies and little bombs of pesto are all great ways to switch it up.

This veggie chilli is a hearty, delicious alternative to traditional chilli con carne, packed with good stuff. It’s delicious topped with soured cream and guacamole, with rice or tortilla chips.

This fresh, fragrant curry is a great recipe to whip out for any occasion. Infusing saffron in the coconut-based sauce and topped with a sprinkling of toasted flaked almonds for some added crunch, it won’t disappoint on the flavour-front. Plus, it’ll taste just as delicious as leftovers the next day, if not even more so!

This one-pan veggie recipe is the easiest quiche you’ll ever make. Just layer your filo pastry and fill with your beautiful fresh greens, cheese and egg. Let the oven crisp it to perfection and cut yourself a generous share served with a lemony salad on the side. Fancy adding some meat? Go nuts and use up whatever you have in your fridge!

This is a cheap and easy dish. You could add chopped cauliflower, red pepper or aubergine before the sweet potato; or serve in a flatbread with grated carrot, coriander and shredded lettuce.

This is an oldie but a goodie from Jamie’s Italy. This classic northern Italian recipe is a great way to serve aubergines. By layering them with Parmesan and tomatoes and then baking them you get an absolutely scrumptious vegetable dish. Also great served with fish or roasted meats, if you’re not vegetarian.

This is a real showstopper of a dish that can be prepared ahead in just an hour. Use whatever vegetables you have in your fridge such as aubergine, courgette, carrot, onions or pepper – it’s brilliantly versatile, meaning it’s also easy to please a crowd. Serve alongside some light and fluffy couscous with a dollop of yoghurt and fresh herbs on top.

Aubergine is the star of the show for this one-tray, easy oven dinner. Packed with flavour from using a bunch of store-cupboard staples and lovely fresh ginger, it’s a winning meal to cook for any occasion. 

Don’t know what to do with your leftover tamarind paste? Check out our gorgeous veggie pad thai recipe

Inspired by street food vendors in Delhi, this veggie recipe uses wholewheat chapatis, mango chutney, Bombay mix and more fabulous ingredients to put a beautiful, spicy twist on a frittata. Dig into it with a side of crunchy salad and fresh chilli with a squeeze of lemon and olive oil. Ready in just 25 minutes, this is a real winner of a dish.

Hearty and nutritious, minestrone soup is a tasty crowd-pleaser and is super-easy to tweak according to whatever vegetables you have in the house.

This beautiful baked pasta dish is one of the greatest vegetarian recipes. It’s surprisingly simple to put together, but does take a bit of time so is a good weekend project.

If you love a dish that combines sweet, savoury and spice to perfection, then this is the recipe for you. Crispy tofu, charred pineapple, finely crushed wasabi peas and, of course, sticky miso peppers form this unbelievably tasty dish, all in just 25 minutes.

All you need is a handful of ingredients to pull off this ultimate veggie curry recipe. Soft aubergine, fresh tomatoes and an easy rogan josh spice paste, sprinkled with a handful of finely chopped pistachio nuts to give it an extra crunch – our vegetarian rogan josh always goes down a treat.

This is a great introduction to pasta for kids – loads of fun to eat, and a brilliant base for all kinds of other flavours. Once you’ve made this a few times you can try adding other simple ingredients, such as baby spinach, chopped rocket leaves, or fresh or frozen peas to your basic tomato sauce to totally transform it.

This super-speedy weeknight winner comes together in just 15 minutes. To make it fully vegetarian, swap Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese instead. 

There’s nothing more comforting than an oozy risotto. This simple vegetarian recipe is delicious as it is, or as a foundation for loads of delicious flavours: grilled mushrooms, fresh artichokes, roasted tomatoes and even humble frozen peas are all great additions.

This veggie traybake is ideal for an easy dinner. Full of healthy vegetables with a kick from the harissa, and drizzled with gorgeous homemade minty yoghurt, you can count on this cauliflower recipe to hit the spot with everyone around the table.

Looking for more inspo? Order your copy of Veg, Jamie’s new book, which is all about celebrating really good, tasty food that just happens to be meat-free. You can also find out more about the wonderful world of veg at the Vegepedia!

Want more? Watch Jamie cook his veggie black bean enchiladas in our video recipe below!