19 Delicious Vegetarian Easter Recipes

Chef Sarah Heller tops sourdough crostini with sheep’s milk ricotta, along with fresh favas and a drizzle of wildflower honey.

While spaetzle is traditionally boiled like pasta, here the mini dumplings are tossed in olive oil and baked with leeks until crisp and browned, then blanketed with a creamy fonduta. The herb-and-pea pesto takes the dish from comfort fare to a vibrant spring side.

Lemon filling highlights the nuttiness of buckwheat flour in these shortbread cookie sandwiches from Nina Compton.

A savory, satisfying addition of a meal, or a main course all itself, this polenta is cooked in milk for extra richness. 

This simple soup comes together incredibly quickly, and can be made with vegetable stock.

In this vegetarian version of classic French onion soup, blue cheese and oloroso sherry bring new layers of flavor and depth. Notes of toasted nuts and fruit compote in the sherry pair well with caramelized onions, and its briny acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese.

This is no featherweight spring cake: Olive oil and almond flour keep it dense and moist so it can hold plenty of juicy macerated strawberries. An infusion of lime in the cake batter and a tangy yogurt whipped cream brightens each slice.

At Molly’s Rise and Shine in New Orleans, diners rave about the yogurt bowl topped with sunny roasted carrot marmalade. This take on chef Mason Hereford’s marmalade gets big flavor from stewing carrots and apple with cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise for a warmly spiced result.

Eggs may be a must at Easter brunch, but they easily can be stepped up from your basic scramble or omelet. Here, we fold spinach and mascarpone into soft scrambled eggs and spoon over crostini for an easy appetizer that fits right in with the other holiday-special dishes on the table.

Roasted asparagus and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms go with any Easter dish, from glazed ham to a spring quiche. The vegetables roast first in olive oil then finish in butter for an extra dimension of flavor and a nice sheen. A drizzle of syrupy aged balsamic balances the earthiness of the mushrooms and slight char on the asparagus. 

Farro has a sweet, earthy flavor and delightful chewy texture; it adds a wonderful hardiness to the fresh, crunchy vegetables and salty olives and cheese in this salad. If Meyer lemons aren’t available in your area, use regular fresh lemon juice and increase the honey to balance the dressing.

Chef Julia Sullivan employs a duo of cast-iron skillets to prepare the tender, crispy-edged mushroom steaks at Henrietta Red in Nashville; one for cooking the mushrooms, the other for pressing them flat so they cook evenly. Buttery roasted almonds balance the sharper notes of garlic and lemon in this rustic French sauce.

Serve this savory-sweet tart as a decadent brunch centerpiece, or cut it into slivers to add to a cheese board. While this recipe is designed for a flameware pan, it can be made in a metal skillet—just monitor the caramel closely.

To develop the socarrat, the crispy crust of rice that’s so integral to classic paella, check the edges with a spoon or offset spatula as it cooks. Once the stock is almost fully absorbed by the rice, begin checking more frequently; it can quickly go from golden brown to scorched. Take a cue from chef Peter Lee and serve the paella with grilled lemon wedges and on-the-vine cherry tomatoes.

Removing the outer leaves and inner thistle of each baby artichoke reveals its lightly astringent, mildly sweet core, tender enough for quick cooking. Be careful to wash your cutting board and knife well after preparing the baby artichokes as they can leave behind a bitter residue.

For the thinnest, most even slices, rely on a mandoline to cut the layered vegetables in this tian. Susan Spungen recommends a cut-resistant glove to use with your mandoline; they’re simple and safe, and they enable you to slice with confidence.

Roasting beets brings out their earthy sweetness, leaving them tender and easy to peel. A vibrant dressing and generous crumbles of fresh cheese complete this elegant side dish.

Here, Chef Kate Williams has shared an at-home riff of her carrot steaks using large carrots, balancing their natural sweetness with plenty of salt and lemon. The silky hollandaise drizzle comes together easily using a blender, which virtually guarantees an effortless sauce.

This meatless ragù gets rich flavor from dried morel mushrooms in this first-course pasta that's hearty without being filling. Save time by chopping the vegetables in a food processor; take care to not puree them.