Vegetarian Meals for Beginners: Learn to Cook Healthy!

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These vegetarian meals for beginners can help you get started with cooking your own healthy meals. Here are several quick and simple recipes just right for beginning cooks. Improving your cooking skills can help you have more nutritious and tasty meals, and save money too.

Maybe you are already an accomplished cook, but want to learn how to use legumes and other meat alternatives for meals. The recipes are easy-to-follow step-by-step recipes, perfect for Meatless Monday or anytime you would like to try a vegetarian recipe.

Vegetarian Recipes:

Quick Cherry Tomato Pasta by Carrie Carvalho

This is a great beginner pasta recipe for lots of flavor. Simply switch out the butter for olive oil for an equally delicious vegan meal. I love the flavor of sliced fresh garlic too. Fresh basil or parsley is the best: I am having a lot of success growing both in an indoor hydroponic garden for easy access to them anytime.

Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus from Lost in Food

This is another great recipe for beginner cooks. I love roasting (or grilling asparagus) to bring out its natural flavors. Asparagus is a fresh spring vegetable that will elevate your meal. Just 4 spears (I can’t stop at 4!) contain 89 mg. of folate, which is 22% of the Daily Value.

Folate, a B vitamin found in some fruits, vegetables, and fortified grains, is important as it helps our red blood cells develop as well as the formation of the neural tube in pregnancy, and in creating DNA and RNA (see the same National Institutes of Health article for more details).

Swiss Roll – Gluten-free and Dairy-free by Kate at Gluten-free Alchemist

I just love this dessert – it looks so fancy and there are lots of flavor possibilities. Pictured here is a chocolate mocha buttercream version. It looks like something you would have to buy from a bakery, but it is actually easy to make at home…and you will see how cake actually can have a memory!

More Vegetarian Meals for Beginners

Since getting an Instant Pot recently, I am learning what a great way it is to make quick meals. Here is an easy lentil chili recipe that takes just 45 minutes. Add some rice or whole-grain noodles, cornbread, and/or a green salad for a great dinner. Chili is an easy meal to make in a larger quantity and then store in the fridge for a few days or freezer for easy meal prep on busy nights.

Another favorite is homemade pizza. This recipe explains how to make a quick homemade dough (including some whole wheat flour) and then top with your favorite toppings, for a terrific thin-crust pizza.

The nutrition estimate is 6 grams of fiber, a good contribution to the 25 – 38 grams recommended daily according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.

Kiwi Pineapple Sorbet is another easy recipe with just 4 ingredients, and no ice cream maker is needed – just mix up the semi-frozen fruit in a food processor and freeze

Here are more ideas for 25 Delicious Recipes for Fresh Spring Vegetables and Strawberries.

Keeping your house stocked with staple ingredients is very helpful when you are cooking. Check out these tips for a convenient delivery service: How to Stock a Plant-Based Pantry with Thrive Market

More Tips for Gaining Cooking Skills

• Ask a relative or friend if you can cook with them to learn.
• Look for local classes for hands-on training. You may find these ae local high schools, colleges, or kitchen equipment stores.

Join my Facebook group – Plant-Based, Vegan, and Vegetarian Cooking Community or like my Facebook page to stay up to date on recipes and nutrition news!

What are some of your favorite vegetarian meals for beginners?

Initially published: 5/17/21. Updated: 2/22/25