Healthy Recipes Healthy Lifestyle Diets Vegetarian Recipes Low-Calorie Vegetarian Recipes 27 Low-Calorie Vegetarian Dinners That Are Packed with Protein By Leah Goggins Leah Goggins Leah Goggins is a lifestyle reporter with three years of experience fact-checking, chatting with sources and scoping out the best celebrity recipes. Her work has appeared in EatingWell, Food & Wine, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Shape and MyRecipes. Leah has a degree in news media and English from The University of Alabama. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 19, 2023 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: Jason Donnelly Add some filling protein to your day with these recipes that pack in at least 15 grams per serving. Whether you're in the mood for a fresh salad, a bowl of creamy pasta or a simmering soup, these meatless meals include plant-based protein sources, like eggs, chickpeas and lentils, for a filling dinner that will leave you feeling satisfied. Recipes like our Cheesy Marinara Beans and Crispy Pea Fritter Salad are delicious, low-calorie meals perfect for tonight's dinner. 01 of 27 Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta View Recipe Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat Serve this spring-vegetable-loaded frittata with an arugula salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Tip: This recipe cooks quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. 02 of 27 Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna View Recipe Greg DuPree Thanks to jarred marinara sauce and oven-ready lasagna noodles, this labor-of-love kind of meal can be ready in about an hour. 03 of 27 Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale View Recipe Greg DuPree Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying. 04 of 27 Red Lentil Soup with Saffron View Recipe Jacob Fox This hearty red lentil soup uses spices common in Persian cuisine: turmeric, cumin and saffron. Enjoy it with a warm baguette or steamed rice. 05 of 27 Cheesy Marinara Beans View Recipe Photography / Nico Schinco, Food Styling / Frances Boswell, Prop Stylist / Paige Hicks This ooey-gooey dish has baked-pasta vibes but features protein-packed beans instead of noodles. Look for dried corona beans, a larger, creamy white bean, at natural-foods stores or online. Cannellini are a good substitute. Serve with a green salad and toasted baguette. 06 of 27 Smothered Black Soybean Burgers View Recipe Photography / Nico Schinco, Food Styling / Frances Boswell, Prop Stylist / Paige Hicks These flavor-packed burgers get tang from kimchi, umami from soy or fish sauce and heat from gochugaru. Topped with caramelized onions and slaw, they're super satisfying. 07 of 27 Crispy Pea Fritter Salad View Recipe Jason Donnelly We mashed together peas, fresh mint and lemon zest with breadcrumbs to make small pan-fried cakes perfect for topping a salad. 08 of 27 Cajun-Spiced Tofu Tostadas with Beet Crema View Recipe Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat Crumbled tofu spiced up with Cajun seasoning is layered onto these tostadas with a juicy mango slaw. A dollop of sour cream zhuzhed up with beet and lime adds even more flavor. Look for precooked beets in the produce department of your grocery store. 09 of 27 Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale View Recipe You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don't forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping. 10 of 27 Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing View Recipe This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers. 11 of 27 Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms View Recipe Sliced Brussels sprouts and mushrooms cook quickly and cling to the pasta in our fall version of pasta primavera. Look for presliced mushrooms to cut prep time. Serve with a tossed salad. 12 of 27 Mushroom French Dip View Recipe Jacob Fox Meaty portobello mushrooms have just the right amount of earthy, savory flavor and the perfect texture to replace beef in these vegetarian French dip sandwiches. 13 of 27 Caprese Pasta Salad View Recipe Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely This light and fresh caprese pasta salad is brought together with a bright and tangy dressing, with fresh mozzarella pearls adding creaminess to every bite. 14 of 27 Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta View Recipe If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare. 15 of 27 Buttermilk Fried Tofu with Smoky Collard Greens View Recipe 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. 16 of 27 Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce View Recipe The creamy mushroom linguine is ready in 40 minutes, so it's quick enough for an easy weeknight recipe, but it feels fancy enough for entertaining. 17 of 27 Tex-Mex Pasta Salad View Recipe A light and creamy green-salsa dressing highlights this easy pasta salad with Southwestern flavors. 18 of 27 Spinach & Feta Scrambled Egg Pitas View Recipe This meatless dinner comes together in only 15 minutes, thanks to the convenience of frozen chopped spinach and crumbled feta. We've added a flavorful burst of sun-dried tomato tapenade to spread over the whole-wheat pita before nestling the scrambled eggs inside. If you can't find it, basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto also work well. 19 of 27 Spring Vegetable Lasagna View Recipe No-boil noodles help get this crowd-pleasing vegetarian lasagna in the oven fast. Using a mandoline isn't essential but will make quick work of producing thin, uniform slices of roots that cook super evenly and look stunning. Serve with a mixed green salad with red-wine vinaigrette and crusty bread. 20 of 27 Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps View Recipe We love the retro vibe of these egg salad lettuce wraps. Iceberg lettuce makes a perfect low-carb swap for bread to serve the egg salad. 21 of 27 Couscous & Chickpea Salad View Recipe Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding chopped fresh tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh. 22 of 27 Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl View Recipe This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top. 23 of 27 Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing View Recipe Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic five-ingredient lunch (or dinner) for one! 24 of 27 Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa View Recipe Photographer: Brie Goldman Food Stylist: Annie Probst Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco Crisping the quinoa in the oven adds delicious texture to this bright and filling kale salad. The lemon-honey-garlic dressing complements the sweetness from the roasted vegetables. Topping the salad with feta and pepitas gives it a savory note. 25 of 27 Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas View Recipe 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. 26 of 27 Easy Vegetarian Chili View Recipe Canned beans and tomatoes make this quick vegetarian chili recipe ready to go in just 30 minutes. Serve over rice or couscous, or with tortilla chips for added crunch, and add extra toppings as you see fit—sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices. 27 of 27 Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing View Recipe Deep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafel still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe—canned chickpeas add too much moisture. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit