Sunset’s Most Popular Vegetarian Recipes of 2019
The filling, hearty, and completely meat-free dishes you loved the most this year
Vegetarian options shouldn’t only exist as second-tier side dishes and not-so-filling salads. These stews, pastas, and grain bowls are the recipes you want to make over and over again—and they just happen to be meat-free. Here, the 10 comforting, warming, and tasty vegetarian recipes you couldn’t get enough of this year.
Roasted Cauliflower with Cilantro-Pecan Pesto
Upgrade your usual weeknight roasted cauliflower with this cilantro-pecan pesto. We’re big fans of making extra and using the herby sauce throughout the week on salad, bread, and pasta.
Cashew, Coconut, and Squash Curry
You don’t have to strictly stick to the ingredient list for this sweet, coconut-y curry. Once you get the proportions down, you can change up the main ingredients. Try eggplant or tofu instead of winter squash or toasted almonds instead of cashews.
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Moroccan Carrot Salad
Israeli chef Alon Shaya of Denver’s Safta makes this Moroccan-style carrot salad with young carrots, which he prefers for their super tender skin. Roast them skin-on for added nutrients.
Recipe: Moroccan Carrot Salad
Roasted Kabocha Squash with Farro and Mustard Greens
This warm kabocha salad is sweet, savory, and full of greens and grains. Don’t forget the finishing touches: shavings of ricotta salata or feta cheese and a glass of California Chardonnay.
Recipe: Roasted Kabocha Squash with Farro and Mustard Greens
Mu Shu Mushroom
This umami-packed vegetarian version of the traditional northern China dish swaps out pork in favor of wild mushrooms. You can use cremini or other fresh mushrooms instead, or try wood-ear mushrooms for a more traditional take.
Recipe: Mu Shu Mushroom
Saffron Tomato Chickpeas with Spiced Freekeh and Shaved Brussels Sprouts
Chickpeas, freekeh, parsely, Brussels sprouts, and onions make this fiber-rich grain bowl a healthy weekday lunch. Saffron adds a deep smokiness to the dish, and you can find dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend, at well-stocked grocery stores, Middle Eastern markets, and online.
Recipe: Saffron Tomato Chickpeas with Spiced Freekeh and Shaved Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Cauliflower with Pickled Onion and Yogurt Sauce
This recipe brings Filipino flair to simple roasted cauliflower. The sweet, tangy pickled onions and currants are based on a condiment called atchara, and the vinegar in the yogurt sauce is inspired by sawsawan dipping sauces.
Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower with Pickled Onion and Yogurt Sauce
Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Make these fluffy, pillowy gnocchi for a filling pasta dinner sans meat. Each butternut squash dumpling is slightly sweet, and only needs to be topped with melted butter and parmesan…lots of parmesan.
Recipe: Butternut Squash Gnocchi
