After a big weekend, I’m looking forward to some fresh and healthy, restorative meals. You, too? You’re in the right place.

Since we have many new visitors here this year (welcome!), I’ve rounded up 29 of the most popular vegetarian main dishes on Cookie and Kate. Keep in mind that all of my recipes are vegetarian, so it wasn’t easy to narrow down the list to a reasonable number.

These recipes are for you if you’re a vegetarian like me, or you’re:

• Trying to eat less meat this year.
• Looking for Meatless Monday recipes.
• Wanting to eat more veggies and whole grains.
• Interested in trying fun and different recipes.

Basically, they’re for everyone! These crowd-pleasing recipes will convince even the most skeptical carnivores that meatless recipes can be delicious and satisfying.

You’ll find more popular options in our “Reader Favorites” category in the sidebar. If you’re looking for something particular, try hovering over “All Recipes” in the menu bar and you’ll find many more categories to explore. Or for an overview of our most recipe recipes, click “View All.”

For more favorite recipes, check out my cookbook, Love Real Food, which has over 100 recipes (most of which you won’t find on the blog). In no particular order, here are the 29 best vegetarian recipes according to readers.

1) Extra Vegetable Fried Rice

Gluten free and easily vegan

“I made this last weekend and love love loved it so I’m making it again this weekend! My husband really liked it too, and it’s a tall order to get him to eat a lot of vegetables so this will be entered into our regular rotation for sure. So glad I found this blog, I’ve email subscribed and have just purchased your cookbook! Thanks Kate!!” – Julia

2) Best Lentil Soup

Gluten free and vegan

“This is one of my favorite recipes ever. I think I could eat it every day. One time when I was eating it while curled up on the couch, I kept saying, “This is sooo good,” after every single bite. The curry powder and lemon juice MAKE IT. Thank you, Kate!” – Lauren

3) Crispy Baked Falafel

Gluten free and vegan

“Ok, these little babies are literally THE best falafels I have EVER had. I will be keeping this recipe, five out of five!! We had them with whole wheat pita, hummus, vegan pesto mayo, tomatoes, kalamata olives and spring greens. OMG sooo good. Thank You!!! You’re the best! I could cry they are so good!” – Connie

4) Epic Vegetarian Tacos

Gluten free and easily vegan

“Wow, just served them for dinner. “Epic” is a great description. As you said, Kate, the pickled onions complement the other ingredients perfectly! I offered all the condiments you suggested and favorites were shredded cabbage and feta cheese. Gonna make up burritos for lunch tomorrow, with the left-overs (I doubled the recipe, fortunately)” – Erikb

5) Peanut Slaw with Soba Noodles

Easily gluten free and easily vegan

“I have made this recipe so many times! Mostly for myself, but I have also brought it to a few potluck-style gatherings and it was a hit every time. Super simple to make and very addicting!” – Diane

6) Pinto Posole

Gluten free and vegan

“Shortly after making this delicious dish that the whole family enjoyed, I was asking my six year old son about his favorite food. He quickly replied, “That dish you made!” (Pinto Posole). Thank you for this and all of your wonderful recipes!” – Mariah

7) Vegetable Paella

Gluten free and vegan

“Fellow KC resident here! I love La Bodega’s paella, so my expectations were pretty high. I made this recipe last night (with the socarrat) and it was amazing. Absolutely loved it and will be making it again soon!” – Toni

8) Best Vegetable Lasagna

Easily gluten free and easily vegan

“I decided to give the recipe a try and I was blown away by the amazing deliciousness. My experience with vegetable lasagnas has been figuring out how to cover up the watery nightmare hiding under the cheese layer. This recipe left me with the best tasting lasagna I’ve ever made. I had some friends over and no one commented that it was missing meat. Everyone was just eating fast to secure a second piece. Also, I bought all the ingredients on a tight budget, so I spent $8.50!” – David

9) Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Gluten free and easily vegan

“Success! My carnivorous husband expressed worry with “We’re going to run out of lentils.” My carnivorous ten-year-old stepson, who was at first disdainful of a meatless meal, soon claimed he was going to eat ten tacos and that “This dish could be at a fancy restaurant.” Finally, our two-year-old son kept clamoring, “More cauliflower!” The only thing I will do differently next time is to double the recipe!” – Brooke

10) Classic Minestrone Soup

Easily gluten free and easily vegan

“This is THE best minestrone ever! It is so satisfying all around from delicious flavors to ease of prepping all the ingredients to enjoying the hearty soup! (My family thinks it’s a better recipe than the one from the award-winning bakery/cafe near us!) Thank you for creating a true classic!” – Beth

11) Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Gluten free and easily vegan

“This is heavenly! I decided to make dinner for my mom and her boyfriend the night before they left for a vacay to London. Knowing that her boyfriend is vegetarian, I had to turn to google. I came across your page, and I never turned back! The two could not stop raving about this dish. And honestly, either could I! I paired it with Cilantro Lime Rice – perfection. I’m going to be whipping up more of your recipes this coming week. Thank you, Kate!” – Danielle

12) Thai Red Curry with Vegetables

Gluten free and vegan

“Made this yesterday following the recipe quite faithfully. Hubby said it tastes exactly like the red curry at our favorite Thai restaurant! This is a winner and will be bookmarked and made often! The details provided in the recipe such as time to cook at each step ensure that you can’t go wrong with the recipe. And so I would feel confident making this recipe for company too.” – Poornima

13) Lentil Baked Ziti

Easily gluten free

“This was absolutely fantastic! Loved the surprise of the lentil texture it was SO satisfying! Can’t wait for the next recipe… thank you!” – Cait

14) Spicy Kale and Coconut Fried Rice

Gluten free and easily vegan

“I absolutely loved this stir-fry and I’m so happy I stumbled across it! I made it for the first time last week and just made it again today. My husband was not complaining :) I used coconut oil because it was the only oil I had on hand besides olive oil and I used sambal oelek for the chili garlic sauce. This is such a different recipe with unique flavor combinations but it works so well together. Thank you for a fabulous recipe, Kate!” – Moriah

15) Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole

Gluten free and easily vegan

“This was soooo GOOD! Thank you for an awesome recipe that was easy to follow for this newbie cook. I did add some diced green chiles for added flavor but it would have been just as excellent without. I love your website, I am new to cooking vegetarian and your recipes and easy to follow instructions are really helping me build confidence.” – Joseph

16) Roasted Carrots with Farro, Chickpeas & Herbed Creme Fraiche

Easily gluten free and easily vegan

“Oh my goodness! This recipe is just SPECTACULAR! I substituted regular carrots and added an extra tablespoon of pumpkin seeds just because I love them so much! This may be my favorite dish by her yet! Thank you Kate!” – Madison

17) Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls

Gluten free and easily vegan. This recipe features my go-to method for cooking spaghetti squash!

“I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I made it last night for my family girls night. My 4 year old exclaimed “this is so good mommy!” and “I love this!” once she finally sat still enough to eat more than the purple parts. As for me….just what I needed…fabulous flavor amazing color and pretty fast to prepare for our lenten Friday supper. And my husband was out, so no griping about squash! Wins all the way around.” – Erin