Skip to content

Top Navigation

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAYS
  • ENTERTAINING
  • HOME
  • GARDENING
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING
  • WEDDINGS
  • SHOP
  • DIY
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS
  • LIFE
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Pin FB

Explore Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart Martha Stewart
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Tips on Organizing Your Home

      Tips on Organizing Your Home

      From the kitchen and bathroom to the bedroom and laundry room, here are 40 ways to simplify, streamline, and banish clutter throughout the house. Read More
    • These Are the Paint Colors You'll See Everywhere in 2022

      These Are the Paint Colors You'll See Everywhere in 2022

      Upgrade your spaces with new—and old—classics. Read More
    • 39 Make-Ahead Holiday Dishes That Are Perfect for Festive Family Gatherings

      39 Make-Ahead Holiday Dishes That Are Perfect for Festive Family Gatherings

      These classic recipes will help you get a head start on the festivities. Read More
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    • Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Cooking How-Tos
    • Baking
    • Menu Planning
    • Food News & Trends
    • Wine
    • Mastering the Holiday Meal
    • What's for Dinner
    • All Recipes
  • HOLIDAYS

    HOLIDAYS

    See All HOLIDAYS
    All of Our Best Valentine's Day Crafts to Make from the Heart

    All of Our Best Valentine's Day Crafts to Make from the Heart

    Express your love with handmade Valentine's crafts like paper cards, gift ideas, and decorations.
    • Valentine's Day
    • St. Patricks Day
    • Passover
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Father's Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
    • Christmas
    • New Year's Eve
  • ENTERTAINING

    ENTERTAINING

    See All ENTERTAINING
    Will We Entertain Differently in 2022? These Are the New Trends Hostesses Should Bookmark

    Will We Entertain Differently in 2022? These Are the New Trends Hostesses Should Bookmark

    Secure your role as the host with the absolute most.
    • Seasonal Entertaining & Decorating
    • Baby Shower Ideas
    • Dinner Party Ideas
    • You're Invited
  • HOME

    HOME

    See All HOME
    How to Hang and Arrange Pictures

    How to Hang and Arrange Pictures

    Amp up your home décor with perfectly placed frames.
    • Home Design & Decor
    • Paint Colors & Palettes
    • DIY Home Projects
    • The Well-Kept Home
  • GARDENING

    GARDENING

    See All GARDENING
    Six Houseplant Mistakes to Avoid This Winter

    Six Houseplant Mistakes to Avoid This Winter

    Don't let your varieties fall victim to the perils of poor cold-weather maintenance.
    • Container Gardening
    • Flower Gardens
    • Houseplants
    • Landscaping
    • Vegetable Gardens
  • CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    CLEANING & ORGANIZING

    How to Deep Clean Your Oven with Baking Soda

    How to Deep Clean Your Oven with Baking Soda

    Our easy tips will make this cleaning task a lot less daunting.
    • Cleaning
    • Storage & Organization
    • Laundry & Linens
  • WEDDINGS

    WEDDINGS

    See All WEDDINGS
    Your Ultimate Wedding-Planning Timeline

    Your Ultimate Wedding-Planning Timeline

    Ready, set, go! Our no-nonsense guide will help you learn how to plan your wedding like a pro.
    • Real Weddings
    • Wedding Party
    • Wedding Planning & Advice
    • Wedding Ceremony & Reception
    • Wedding Jewelry
    • Dresses & Style
    • Wedding Beauty & Wellness
    • Wedding Registry
    • Wedding Showers & Parties
    • Love & Marriage
    • Wedding Travel
  • SHOP
  • DIY

    DIY

    See All DIY
    How to Knit: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide

    How to Knit: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide

    Learn how to knit your own mittens, hats, scarves, and more. We'll take you through the step-by-step instructions and teach you how to cast on, knit, purl, and cast off.
    • Dyeing
    • Holiday Crafts
    • Kids' Crafts
    • Knitting
    • Paper Crafts
    • Sewing
    • Rescue & Revamp
  • BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    BEAUTY & WELLNESS

    Your Complete Guide to Restoring Moisture Back Into Your Skin

    Your Complete Guide to Restoring Moisture Back Into Your Skin

    Take a multi-pronged approach if you're experiencing excess dryness.
    • Beauty
    • Health & Wellness
    • Live Well
  • LIFE

    LIFE

    See All LIFE
    • Family
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • Net Worth
  • NEWS
  • MARTHA'S BLOG
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Martha's Blog
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Your Content
  • Logout

More

  • Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home!
  • Martha's Blog
  • Weddings
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. marthastewart.com
  2. Food & Cooking
  3. Recipes
  4. Healthy Recipes
  5. Vegan Recipes
  6. 22 Totally Delicious and Truly Satisfying Vegan Main Dish Recipes

22 Totally Delicious and Truly Satisfying Vegan Main Dish Recipes

Rebecca Morris, Freelance Writer
By Rebecca Morris Updated August 31, 2021
Skip gallery slides
Pin
tofu tomatillo stew
Credit: Con Poulos

This modern collection of satisfying vegan main dishes puts our favorite superfoods, including sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and legumes, to work in salads, curries, tacos, and other tasty options.

Start Slideshow

1 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
brothy beans and greens on toast served with lemon wedges
Credit: Con Poulos

There's a common misconception out there that preparing a vegan meal will require a lot of time in the kitchen and an expensive, exhaustive list of ingredients. In actuality, a plant-based diet can be quick, affordable, and even cheerful if you find the right recipe. Consider our Brothy Beans and Greens on Toast, pictured here. If you have a hunk of bread and a can of beans in your pantry, then you're already halfway to a delicious and downright fancy-feeling meal in minutes.

In a vegan diet where meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy are left out of the equation, there can sometimes be a feeling of panic that the meal is not "complete" enough. But when developed with care like our recipes featured here, you'll never have to worry about being hungry an hour later. That's because so much consideration has been given to the different forms of plant-based proteins, which are essential to a healthy vegan diet. In our Cauliflower-Sweet Potato Curry, for example, nutritious vegetables like cauliflower, baby spinach, and zucchini, will practically melt in your mouth after simmering in a rich coconut milk broth, but it's the handful of frozen shelled edamame tossed in that will provide a boost of that all-important protein to keep you feeling full.

So, whether you're already a seasoned vegan or you're dipping your toe in the pond of plant-based cuisine for the first time, the recipes ahead aim to inspire you to fill your cart with whole, nutritious foods like fresh vegetables, hearty grains, and exciting new spices.

1 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Vibrant-Green Broccoli Curry

vibrant-green broccoli curry with tofu
Credit: Frank Frances
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In this nutritious grain bowl, both the tofu and the broccoli will bring loads of calcium to your plant-based dinner table.

2 of 22

3 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Fresh Shelling Bean Minestrone

shelling-bean minestrone topped with fresh parsley and red-pepper flakes
Credit: Marcus Nilsson
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

If you've never cooked fresh shelling beans before, then you're missing out on a flavor and texture paradise. This hearty soup that follows closely to a classic minestrone demonstrates the filling power of legumes like cannellini and butter beans.

3 of 22

Advertisement

4 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Eggplant Roti Pachchadi

Eggplant Roti Pachchadi
Credit: Gentl + Hyers
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Eggplant becomes velvety and tomatoes are saucy in this dish that starts with a curry paste made with coriander, cumin, and fenugreek seeds.

4 of 22

5 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rice-and-Bean Salad Bowl with Tahini Sauce

rice and bean salad bowl
Credit: Johnny Miller
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A natural candidate for when you need a make-ahead meal, this recipe calls for cooked brown rice, canned beans, and a handful of vegetables that will hold up just fine when chopped a day or so before. The real star of the show, however, is the easy tahini sauce that is drizzled over top.

5 of 22

6 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cauliflower-Sweet Potato Curry

cauliflower-sweet potato curry served with cilantro and lime
Credit: Con Poulos
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

When cooked, sweet potato will become creamy in texture but contains enough natural pectin hold its shape, which makes it perfect for a dish like this comforting coconut curry.

6 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Roasted Eggplant Sandwich with Soy-Lime Glaze

eggplant banh mi topped with cilantro
Credit: Con Poulos
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In this vegan tribute to the Vietnamese pork sandwich that is a banh mi, slices of eggplant are roasted until deeply caramelized, then layered into a baguette with pickled carrots, radishes, cucumber, sliced chiles, and cilantro.

7 of 22

8 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Tofu-Tomatillo Stew

tofu tomatillo stew
Credit: Con Poulos
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Broiling the tofu is a great way to get a crispy texture in a mess-free, hands-free way. In this Mexican-inspired tomatillo stew, the tofu is served on top at the end so it stays crisp.

8 of 22

9 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Green Coconut Zoodle Soup

West African Peanut Stew recipe
Credit: Lennart Weibull
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Absolutely no one will be able to call plant-based recipes boring or uninspired after being served a bowl of this vibrant and dynamic main course soup.

9 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
Credit: Chris Simpson
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Roast a batch of these beautiful spuds on Sunday and you won't need to do much more than open a can of beans to have a healthy meatless main for lunches all week long. For a truly vegan meal, swap the crème fraîche in the recipe for this easy Whipped Coconut Cream (and omit the sugar!).

10 of 22

11 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Crispy Brussels Sprout Rosti

Crispy Brussels-Sprout Rösti
Credit: Lennart Weibull
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

With just four ingredients, it couldn't be simpler to whip up this savory vegetable-packed pancake. Perfect for showing off fresh Brussels sprouts, you can make even quicker work out of this recipe by using the shredder attachment on your food processor.

11 of 22

12 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mushroom Tacos with Charred-Corn

mushroom tacos with charred corn salsa
Credit: Chris Simpson
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

It seems as if portobello mushrooms have been the vegetarian stand-in for beef patties for as long as we can remember, but that doesn't mean that burgers should get to have all the fun. Merge your theme nights and eat these delicious vegan tacos on meatless Monday.

12 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

All-Purpose Baked Tofu

all-purpose baked tofu cubed on baking sheet
Credit: Con Poulos
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Commit this five-ingredient recipe to memory, and the sky will be the limit for all the quick vegan meals you can make. This is a particularly great thing to make at the beginning of the week, so if a meal ever feels a little light on the protein, you can just toss a few cubes into your salad or sandwich.

13 of 22

14 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Soba and Sweet Potatoes in Miso-Lime Broth

noodle dish with cut limes
Credit: Marcus Nilsson
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Bolster your immune system before cold and flu season hits with this restorative broth. With nutrient-dense foods like shiitake mushrooms and sweet potatoes and a Japanese-inspired flavor profile with white miso paste and ginger, this flavorful soup will help keep you healthy and well-fed all winter long.

14 of 22

15 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Vegetarian Chow Mein

vegetarian chow mein on white plate with fork
Credit: Justin Walker
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

There's so much going on in this vegan main that no one will miss the meat. Crispy noodles and easy-prep vegetables like broccoli florets, carrots, and baby corn are tossed in a punchy fermented black bean sauce to create a quick and easy stir-fry.

15 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Vegan Lentil Soup

vegan lentil soup in bowl on blue table
Credit: Justin Walker
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In this satisfying vegan soup, the naturally bitter bite of broccoli rabe is tempered by the creamy lentils, sweet carrot, and crushed tomatoes.

16 of 22

17 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Taco Salad with Sweet Potatoes

sweet potato taco salad served in pink bowl
Credit: Lennart Weibull
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A good main course salad must involve a lot of different textures and flavors to keep things interesting to the very last bite. This salad demonstrates just that with tender roasted sweet potatoes, creamy black beans, spicy pickled jalapeños, and crunchy crushed tortilla chips.

17 of 22

18 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Vegetarian Gumbo

vegetarian gumbo
Credit: Sidney Bensimon
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This vegan version of gumbo combines okra, yellow squash, canned black-eyed peas, and more to create a simple, satisfying bowl that will fill you up and delight your taste buds.

18 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Soba-Noodle Bowls with Tofu

soba noodle bowl with tofu recipe plate
Credit: Sidney Bensimon
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

They take just 30 minutes and require minimal cooking, which is why we say that these ginger-spiced noodle bowls are just what you need to make for a vegan dinner on an extra-hot day.

19 of 22

20 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Vegan Sweet Potato Chili

vegan sweet potato chili
Credit: Bryan Gardner
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Toasted ancho chiles provide a smoky layer of flavor in this fabulous, protein-packed sweet potato chili.

20 of 22

21 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Brown-Rice Bowl with Kabocha Squash and Shiitakes

brown rice bowl with squash and shiitakes
Credit: Alpha Smoot
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

To make this recipe vegan, a smoky tea called lapsang souchong was used to flavor the broth to recreate a traditional dashi, which contains katsuobushi or bonito flakes which are made from tuna.

21 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Spaghetti with Collard Greens and Lemon

pasta-with-leafy-greens-mbd109398.jpg
Credit: Johnny Miller
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

All you need to do to make this super simple pasta a strictly vegan affair is omit the Pecorino cheese. If you're serving this for a diverse group of diners, have the cheese on the side along with a bowl of cheese-like nutritional yeast.

22 of 22

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Rebecca Morris

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 22
    2 of 22 Vibrant-Green Broccoli Curry
    3 of 22 Fresh Shelling Bean Minestrone
    4 of 22 Eggplant Roti Pachchadi
    5 of 22 Rice-and-Bean Salad Bowl with Tahini Sauce
    6 of 22 Cauliflower-Sweet Potato Curry
    7 of 22 Roasted Eggplant Sandwich with Soy-Lime Glaze
    8 of 22 Tofu-Tomatillo Stew
    9 of 22 Green Coconut Zoodle Soup
    10 of 22 Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
    11 of 22 Crispy Brussels Sprout Rosti
    12 of 22 Mushroom Tacos with Charred-Corn
    13 of 22 All-Purpose Baked Tofu
    14 of 22 Soba and Sweet Potatoes in Miso-Lime Broth
    15 of 22 Vegetarian Chow Mein
    16 of 22 Vegan Lentil Soup
    17 of 22 Taco Salad with Sweet Potatoes
    18 of 22 Vegetarian Gumbo
    19 of 22 Soba-Noodle Bowls with Tofu
    20 of 22 Vegan Sweet Potato Chili
    21 of 22 Brown-Rice Bowl with Kabocha Squash and Shiitakes
    22 of 22 Spaghetti with Collard Greens and Lemon

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Martha Stewart

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Customer Service
    • Media Kit
    • Martha's Blog
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • FAQ
    • Corporate
    • International
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMartha Stewart is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Martha Stewart. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.marthastewart.com

    Sign in

    View image

    22 Totally Delicious and Truly Satisfying Vegan Main Dish Recipes
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.