Healthy Recipes Healthy Lifestyle Diets Vegetarian Recipes High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes 15 High-Protein, Vegetarian Dinners for Better Blood Sugar By Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Wimberly is EatingWell's Editorial Fellow. As a food and mental health blogger, Camryn explores how food and cooking can help improve mental health and also be an avenue to connect with one's culture and heritage. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 25, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Photo: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Looking for some tasty vegetarian dinner ideas? We’ve got you covered! These recipes are mindful of carbohydrates and calories while also being lower in sodium and saturated fat, making them good choices for a diabetes-friendly eating pattern. Each serving has at least 15 grams of protein and is made with nutritious ingredients like veggies and herbs alongside complex carbs like whole grains and legumes to help you digest food more slowly and maintain stable blood sugar levels. For a filling and nourishing meal, try options like our One-Pot White Bean, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo with Lemon & Feta and Cilantro Bean Burgers with Creamy Avocado-Lime Slaw. 01 of 15 Slow-Cooker Three-Bean Chili Mac Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell Chili meets mac and cheese in this fix-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker dinner. Hot tomato sauce, a Mexican canned tomato sauce that also includes spices and chiles for heat, kicks up the flavor. If you can’t find hot tomato sauce, regular canned tomato sauce with a tablespoon of chili powder mixed in is a good substitute. View Recipe 02 of 15 White Bean, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo with Lemon & Feta Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless This one-pot pasta dish with white beans, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes is lively and vibrant and leaves you with an easy cleanup. Toasting the orzo before adding the broth adds another layer of flavor. Another dark leafy green like chopped kale or Swiss chard can stand in for the spinach, but may take longer to wilt in the pan. View Recipe 03 of 15 Cilantro Bean Burgers with Creamy Avocado-Lime Slaw Lighten up your burger! Bean patties have less saturated fat and more fiber than beef patties. They're also cheaper and easier to cook indoors—and we promise they're just as satisfying, especially with the mouthwatering creamy slaw on top. View Recipe 04 of 15 Slow-Cooker Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Pasta Bake Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell This simple vegetarian pasta bake is rich in protein and comes together effortlessly in the slow cooker, for a convenient one-pot meal. The combination of sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomato pesto and plenty of veggies delivers a mix of sweet and savory flavors with every bite. Feel free to replace the sun-dried tomato pesto with basil pesto, offering a fresh twist on the dish. View Recipe 05 of 15 Chickpeas alla Vodka Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser This Chickpeas alla Vodka is the ultra-quick, fiber-packed dinner you’ve been waiting for! Chickpeas are swimming in a creamy vodka sauce that gets enhancements from sautéed garlic, onion and vibrant green baby kale. Crispy, toasted whole-wheat bread is perfect for dipping. You can customize this dish easily by using chard or spinach in place of kale. View Recipe 06 of 15 Caprese Casserole Sara Haas This healthy casserole comes together easily, making it the perfect choice for any weeknight dinner. Be sure not to overcook the pasta or it will turn mushy. And don't skip the balsamic vinegar at the end—it's a bright finishing touch. View Recipe 07 of 15 Roasted Tomato & Asparagus Crustless Quiche This crustless quiche recipe is a good choice for your next brunch, but it's also nice for a vegetarian dinner served with a side salad and a slice of focaccia. View Recipe 08 of 15 Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables. View Recipe 09 of 15 Cashew, Chickpea & Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Shallot Vinaigrette Sara Haas In our humble opinion, the dressing makes this salad. Tangy and zesty with a bit of a crunch from the shallots, this cilantro-mint-shallot vinaigrette will quickly become your go-to. Make the dressing and chop up the veggies while you wait for the pasta to cook, then mix everything and enjoy! View Recipe 10 of 15 Sichuan Ramen Cup of Noodles with Cabbage & Tofu The Sichuan province in the southwestern corner of China is known for its fiery dishes. Here, the richness of tahini tempers the spicy chile paste in this cup-of-noodles-style Mason jar soup recipe. You can grind the Sichuan peppercorns in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, or crush them with the bottom of a heavy skillet. View Recipe 11 of 15 The Best Veggie Enchiladas Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek These veggie enchiladas are packed with sweet corn, onion, peppers, zucchini and beans and are coated with store-bought enchilada sauce to save time on prep. Enchilada sauce ranges from mild to hot. We like the earthy flavor of red enchilada sauce, but green enchilada sauce works well too. For a slightly different spin, substitute yellow squash for the zucchini and a poblano for the bell pepper. View Recipe 12 of 15 Buttermilk Fried Tofu with Smoky Collard Greens Dipping tofu in buttermilk makes the coating stick for a crispy pan-fried tofu, reminiscent of fried chicken. Spicing up the collards with paprika coats them with smoky flavor while keeping this dish vegetarian. And this quick, easy and healthy dinner comes together in just 25 minutes, so it's great for busy weeknights. View Recipe 13 of 15 Florentine Lasagna Roll-Ups Photography / Fred Hardy, Styling / Ruth Blackburn / Audrey Davis Think portion control with these individual lasagna roll-ups. Leftovers are great for lunch the next day. View Recipe 14 of 15 Basil-Chickpea Flatbread A flavorful combination of chickpeas, cashews and garlic forms a protein-rich base for this homemade flatbread. Store-bought crust makes prep a breeze. View Recipe 15 of 15 Tempeh & Mushroom Tacos Tempeh is a vegetarian protein that crumbles easily; here it stands in for ground meat in this tempeh taco recipe. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit