Do you and your family observe the popular weekly event known as Meatless Monday? If you do (or would like to start), we’ve got some amazing Meatless Monday recipes for you to try.
For vegans or vegetarians, going without meat for a day isn’t anything unusual. However, everyone can benefit from eating less meat during the week. Equally important, meat is the most expensive thing in a family’s food budget, so you can save a ton so money by eating meatless meals every week.
In this list of no meat dinner ideas, you’ll find both vegan and vegetarian meals. But first, what exactly is Meatless Monday?
Meatless Monday is a global movement encouraging people to skip meat one day a week in favor of plant-based meals. This initiative not only promotes healthier eating habits but also helps reduce the environmental impact of meat production. By incorporating meatless recipes into weekly meal plans, individuals can experience numerous health benefits while contributing to a more sustainable food system.
The following recipes showcase delicious and accessible meatless options for anyone looking to adopt a Meatless Monday routine or simply expand their culinary repertoire. These dishes are packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein, ensuring that one does not have to compromise on taste or nutritional value when opting for plant-based meals.
What Exactly Is Meatless Monday?
Meatless Monday is a movement that encourages people to go one day a week without meat.
But why would you want to go even one day without meat, especially if you’re a devoted carnivore?
The official meatless dinners movement was launched as a global movement in 2003 with the goal of helping people reduce their meat consumption by up to 15%. When you create easy meatless meals, it’s good for both the health of the planet and your personal health.
Did you know that it takes fewer resources to grow plants than it does to produce meat? For this reason, even if you have already adopted a healthy eating lifestyle, non meat dinner ideas help the planet.
Equally important, a plant-based diet is very healthy, and even if you don’t want to commit to being a full-time vegan or vegetarian, most of us can benefit from consuming even a little less meat.
Another great reason to embrace meatless recipes is that you’ll be forced to eat more veggies, and that’s always a good thing.
Also, no meat recipes are typically a little easier on the budget, so meatless meals are an excellent way to make your grocery budget stretch a little further.
Are you ready to start planning your own no meat meals? Let’s explore these 28 amazing Meatless Monday ideas.
Vegan or vegetarian soups are one of the easiest and most obvious meatless dinner ideas. After all, soups can be full of nutrients and they’re super filling for dinner.
The recipe calls for both butternut squash and sugar pumpkin, so you know it’s loaded with nutrients. Butternut squash is great in any recipe, but we love butternut squash soup.
Spices include curry powder, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and ginger.
The creaminess comes from coconut milk, and a sliced jalapeno pepper gives this creamy soup an extra kick. You can also make this soup in an Instant Pot or slow cooker.
We love Taco Tuesday for dinner, but it’s also fun to do Mexican food flavors on Meatless Monday!
Black bean quesadillas are incredibly easy to make because you can use whatever you have on hand.
However, this quesadilla made with superfoods is super-special. These quesadillas have a black bean base, roasted tomato, turmeric, garlic, leafy greens onion, and shredded cheese such as mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese.
Be sure to serve your black bean quesadillas with salsa, guacamole or avocado, and sour cream.
When you think of meatless meal dinner ideas, beans probably come to mind. After all, beans are an excellent protein source and a popular meat substitute.
Tons of flavor comes from fresh lime juice, Mexican spices like cumin and chili powder, jalapeno pepper, and garlic.
For cheese, we recommend grated Monterey Jack cheese.
Dinner never has to be dull, especially when you use Mediterranean spices and fresh herbs such as cumin, coriander, garlic powder, thyme, onion, powder, and oregano.
A sheet pan dinner is a one pot meal that never fails to satisfy.
With tofu and yogurt tahini sauce, you get plenty of protein, and the fresh veggies (red onion, mushrooms, kalamata olives, and bell pepper) and potatoes round out this vegan meal.
When you want a vegan pasta dish that is super creamy, this recipe for vegan pasta using everything bagel seasoning is here for you.
To make the creamy sauce for this pasta dish, you need non-dairy milk such as almond milk or soy milk. You also need vegan cream cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and vegan butter.
This veggie sandwich takes advantage of jalapeno cilantro hummus, and it’s loaded with sprouts, leaf lettuce, tomato slices, red onion, cucumber slices, and feta cheese.
This vegetarian recipe calls for peppadew peppers, and if you can find them, you’ll be delighted.
With corn, black beans, garlic, shallot, and cilantro, there is plenty of flavor in these burrito bowls.
Serve with your favorite fixings, including shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or cheddar cheese), pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole or diced avocado.
There are times when you want a simple bowl of ramen noodles with tofu for dinner, but there’s no need to resort to the little packets and their questionable seasoning.
You can make your own tofu vegan Korean ramen noodles with this tofu ramen recipe.
To create this delicious crispy tofu ramen recipe, you need shiitake mushrooms, julienned onions, soy sauce, doenjang, soy milk, carrots, cabbage, zucchini, corn, tofu, a chili pepper, syerranmari, spinach, and dumplings.
Who knew you could have Meatless Monday recipes that include not one but two pizza recipe ideas?
To create this Margherita pizza, you can use mozzarella cheese. However, the recipe comes with a cashew mozzarella cheese alternative, so it can be a vegan pizza if you want that.
Everyone knows you can make meatless chili out of beans and other veggies, but who knew you could make sweet potato chili?
There are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but don’t let that scare you. Most of them are pantry ingredients that you already have.
With kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, sliced green onions, and red onions, this chili is loaded with flavor.
Sweet potatoes are so yummy and when you combine sweet potato with the pop of flavor from Thai seasonings and peanut sauce, you have a Meatless Monday meal that will leave you breathless (in a totally good way).
This recipe calls for creamy peanut butter, soy sauce (or tamari), apple cider vinegar, maple syrup or honey, fresh ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Red bell pepper adds flavor and color. Serve your sweet potato dish with Basmati rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice. Garnish the dish with sliced green onions, cilantro, and chopped peanuts.
Yes, you absolutely can enjoy a burger on Meatless Monday. This veggie burger is meatless and it’s made with black beans and quinoa.
Also, this black bean and quinoa burger doesn’t have a bunch of weird ingredients. Just the two protein sources and some delicious spices like garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
You need breadcrumbs and tomato paste to bind the ingredients together for burgers.
Yes, you can enjoy veggie pizza with cheese when you’re eating meat free meals every Monday.
This pizza recipe is a vegetarian pizza, and it’s loaded up with delicious vegetables like green olives, tomato, black olives, bell pepper, and cilantro.
This recipe calls for refried black beans and delicious melty cheese like fontina.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
