44 High-Protein Vegan Recipes That Are Satisfying and Totally Plant-Based

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, gluten free
• Serves: 4 to 6

This marinated white bean and tomato salad is my ideal side dish: It’s gluten free, make ahead-friendly and can be doubled for a crowd. You could even serve it as a main course alongside a green salad or toasted bread.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, one pan, gluten free
• Serves: 4

Chickpeas aren’t just for hummus. Here, they’re cooked low and slow with rich tomato sauce for a dish that’s both comforting and light. Enjoy it al fresco with a glass of white wine, if you feel so inclined.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

Here’s proof that you don’t need a bunch of cheese, butter and cream to make a decadent pasta dish. The secret ingredient is balsamic vinegar, which adds tangy depth of flavor to every noodle.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Thanks to non-dairy sour cream, it practically melts in your mouth. Bonus: The Swiss chard is packed with vitamins C, A, K and B6, magnesium, iron and potassium. How's that for nutritious?

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, low sugar, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2

A plant-based dinner that’s ready to eat in 30 minutes? This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Wait until you try the nut-based Parmesan, which is made from a blend of hazelnuts and almond flour.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
• Serves: 4

With its tender vegetables and rich sauce, this pasta is the next best thing to a sunny Italian getaway. "The Sicilian dish, which hails from from the city of Catania, traditionally stars eggplant, tomatoes, basil and ricotta salata," explains PureWow's recipe developer. But you can sub nutritional yeast for the cheese to keep it vegan.

• Time Commitment: 7 hours and 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, <500 calories, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

Lose the Parmesan and you’re good to go—you won’t even miss it, thanks to the savory beans and broth. The aromatics give this slow cooker soup plenty of flavor without much effort (or dairy).

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <500 calories, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

"I tend to cook beans every week, so I always have them available for easy meals," writes recipe creator Erin McDowell. "And once you have the beans ready, this stew will come together really quickly." (Oh, and the leftovers will reheat beautifully.) Make the quick dish vegan-friendly by swapping the butter for olive oil.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

The sweet, juicy corn kernels paired with the “milk” from the cobs create a flawless cream sauce without using actual cream or any dairy at all. You’re going to want seconds, trust.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, low sugar
• Serves: 6 to 8

Fun fact: Combining rice and beans in one dish isn’t just delicious, but it also creates a complete protein sans meat. "You can serve it as a side dish with your favorite enchiladas or tacos, or eat it with a side of greens as a meal all its own," writes McDowell.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

Like all grains, rice is endlessly versatile. Scoop the fragrant side into bowls, set out an array of toppings (like kimchi, avocado, furikake and chile oil) and watch the crowd go wild.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, gluten free
• Serves: 4

This beats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich any day. You can even make this high-protein vegan recipe up to two days in advance—the hardy greens won’t get soggy in the fridge.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes (+ chilling time)
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, low sugar, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

I’ll be serving these at all my future cocktail parties (and no one will know they’re vegan). A fresh tomato dipping sauce will complete the appetizer, but pesto works too.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

Hot tip: The dressing, squash and beets can be made days in advance and kept in the fridge until assembly. Plus, you can swap in whatever leftover vegetables you have on hand. Roasted sweet potatoes or carrots instead of squash, pickled jicama instead of beets and black beans instead of chickpeas would all be delicious.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, low sugar
• Serves: 6

Pasta and avocado may seem like an unlikely pairing, but the creamy and chewy textures are delightful together. I'm betting even your picky kids will ask for a second helping.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly, vegan
• Serves: 4

When you're tired of tofu and black beans, try jackfruit as your next taco filling. When cooked with spices, it tastes exactly like pulled pork. "You can buy this tangy tropical fruit fresh, frozen or canned at the grocery store," writes PureWow's recipe developer.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

The meatballs are so moist and flavorful, you’ll hardly believe they’re made from tofu. You can use any vegetables, as long as they’re cut uniformly for even cooking.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Pho broth is traditionally simmered for hours, but thanks to the trusty Instant Pot, this high-protein vegan recipe can be ready in much less. All that’s left to do then is assemble your dinner.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, beginner-friendly, gluten free
• Serves: 4

To make it vegan, use plant-based mayo in the creamy lemon sauce. You can serve this stew over any grain, but quinoa would give it an extra boost of plant-based protein.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegan, one pan, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Behold your new go-to dish when you’re craving takeout. The vegetables can be swapped with whatever’s sneaking around in your fridge. "Think broccoli instead of cauliflower, snap peas instead of bell pepper, green curry paste instead of red, you get the idea," writes PureWow's recipe developer.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, make ahead
• Serves: 4

Proof that a vegan salad doesn’t have to be a sad, sparse bowl of lettuce. Bring on the smoky seitan crumble (which is a stellar chorizo substitute) and plant-based sour cream.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Most risotto recipes involve a lot of butter and Parm, but this one gets its creaminess from white bean puree. Plus, the Instant Pot does all the cooking and you don’t even have to stir.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: <500 calories, special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4

It’s pretty damn hard to tell that these tender, crispy nuggets aren’t made with meat. (Thanks again, tofu and seitan.) Serve them with plenty of hot sauce and plant-based ranch dressing.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: low sugar, <500 calories, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2

Tofu comes in all different styles and textures, but my favorite way to eat it is crispy—with romesco and lots of flaky salt, of course. Substitute any vegetable you have on hand if broccoli rabe isn't your thing.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 4

Many homemade veggie burgers require a food processor and a bunch of random ingredients. (Worse, they're often super dry and crumbly.) This one is different—and so delicious.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, special occasion–worthy, <500 calories
• Serves: 4

You don’t even have to turn on the stove to make it. (And don’t get us started on the vegan ricotta.) Fussy eaters will have no complaints once they give this high-protein vegan recipe a try.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2

Bye, bacon, egg and cheese. These breakfast sandwiches get their protein from tempeh, a plant-based protein source made from fermented soybean. It’s glazed in a smoky-sweet sauce for a bacon-y effect.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: <500 calories, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 4 to 6

To make this protein-packed soup totally plant-based, simply skip the anchovies and swap the sour cream for a dairy-free version, or substitute coconut cream or yogurt. Ta-da.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, low sugar
• Serves: 6

Something about the sweet, rich flavor of butternut squash lends itself seamlessly to a vegan “cheese” sauce. Add homemade smoky shiitake mushroom “bacon” to the mix to achieve next-level deliciousness.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, one pan, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 2 to 4

Speaking of tofu, this scrambled version is tasty, filling and infinitely customizable. Even better, you don’t have to press it before cooking. Who needs eggs?

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Since there are no noodles, this one also happens to be gluten free. Each of the components can be made ahead and stored in the fridge if you want to save some time.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: low sugar, <500 calories, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

This hearty salad can be served on its own as a main course or a side. I recommend doubling the pine nut cream in this high-protein vegan recipe, since it will keep in the fridge and can jazz up other salads or crudités at a later date

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, low sugar, <500 calories
• Serves: 4

Forget the hockey puck-like patties of your past. This vegan burger is positively juicy, thanks to balsamic vinegar and portobello mushrooms. Pile on the pickled onions and plant-based cheese, if you're feeling fancy.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes (+ soaking time)
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, low sugar, <500 calories
• Serves: 6

TBH, a creamy salad dressing is superior to all others. Lucky for you, making a plant-based version is as easy as pie cashews. "You can even reduce the amount of water in it to two or three tablespoons to create a more spread-like consistency," suggests recipe creator Aran Goyoaga.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, low sugar, <500 calories
• Serves: 4

When you have chickpea flour in your pantry, eggs need not apply. The protein in the quinoa and the iron in the greens provide an extra nutritional boost to start the day.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: keto, low sugar, <500 calories
• Serves: 4

Who says vegans can’t go keto? And even if you’re not keto, it’s slurp-ably good. Chalk it up to the nutty, spicy coconut broth, spiked with fresh herbs.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, low sugar
• Serves: 6 to 8

Gooey, velvety cheese dip is officially back on your meal plan, thanks to an ingenious combination of potatoes, cashews and a ton of spices. Pass the chips, will ya?

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, low sugar, <500 calories
• Serves: 8

For being plant-based, this casserole is surprisingly indulgent (and delightfully hearty). You wouldn’t know it, but it also happens to be less than 500 calories per serving. Bookmark it now to serve at Thanksgiving.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour (+ soaking time)
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, low sugar
• Serves: 6

This salad is all about the combination of different textures and flavors: buttery, crispy, tart, sweet and herbaceous. Surprisingly, this high-protein vegan recipe is a cinch to assemble once you soak the beans.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: <500 calories, make ahead, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2 to 4

Even so-called eggplant haters will fall for this silky, tender version of the vegetable. The miso-tahini glaze is punchy, acidic, sweet and savory, adding layers of flavor to this meal.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegan, dairy free, gluten free
• Serves: 4

Vegan sausage, along with a raw cashew base, packs this soup with plenty of plant-based protein. Fresh lemon juice, chopped thyme and parsley add vibrancy and herby flavor right before serving.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, vegetarian
• Serves: 2

The tangy marinade would taste divine on pork, salmon and chicken, but I suggest giving tofu a try, even if you’re a skeptic. Soaking it in a salt brine to draw out excess moisture, patting it dry and coating it in tapioca starch will give you the drool-worthy crunch you crave.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, dairy free, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

This dish is filling *and* make-ahead friendly. If bulgur isn’t your fave, swap in quinoa, millet or brown rice. And if you prep it in advance, store the components separately in the fridge up to four days ahead.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 3 to 4

Use vegan butter in place of regular and vegetable stock instead of chicken to make this supper totally plant-based. But most importantly, drizzle on the chili-garlic oil to your heart’s content for rich, spicy splendor in every drop.