13 Vegetarian Recipes You Can Make for Easter

Victor Protasio

When you think of Easter menus, they’re usually centered on meat—ham, or the classic lamb. However if you’re hosting vegetarians for the holidays, rest assured your options go way beyond salad and side dishes. We have a carrot osso busco recipe that’s flavored with dried porcini mushrooms; for dessert, avocado and coconut oil make for rich vegan chocolate cupcakes. Check out our full spread of vegetarian recipes below.

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Grilled Asparagus with Pecorino and Meyer Lemon–Poached Eggs

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Top Chef winner Nicholas Elmi tops lightly grilled asparagus with perfectly cooked eggs that are poached in Meyer lemon juice and water.

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Pea Consommé with Mint

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This delicate broth is full of vitamin C, thanks to the simmered pea pods. A garnish of white chocolate shards brings out the peas’ sweetness while adding only a little fat.

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Rustic Vegetable Tart

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This flaky, buttery tart is filled with fantastic spring vegetables like fava beans, asparagus and scallions.

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Mini Pea Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt

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Cookbook author and hunter Georgia Pellegrini purees sweet peas into the batter of her delicate mini pancakes.

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Avocado Hollandaise

CHRISTINA HOLMES

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Luscious, rich and lemony hollandaise gets completely reimagined here in a light, supremely creamy puree of avocado, lemon juice and olive oil. It is delicious drizzled over poached eggs.

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Carrot Osso Buco

LUCY SCHAEFFER

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This playful vegan take on the traditional Milanese veal dish features huge pieces of carrot braised in red wine and mushroom broth until tender.

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Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

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One of Sera Pelle's tricks for making these deep-chocolate vegan cupcakes so moist and rich: she mixes avocado and coconut oil into the batter in place of butter.

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Oven-Fried Baby Artichokes

Christopher Testani

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These oven-fried artichokes deliver all of the crispness of deep-fried with a fraction of the mess.

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Pasta Primavera

Victor Protasio

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This Pasta Primavera is buttery and rich but still feels light from the lemon zest and fresh herbs—it’s the perfect dish to make after a visit to your local farmers market. The colorful play of spring vegetables makes it as pleasing to the eyes as it is to your palate; if you’re lucky enough to find beautiful red or purple carrots, add them after cooking to keep from giving your pasta dish a blushing hue.

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Potato Soup with Sage Butter and Rye Crumbs

Greg DuPree

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The sour rye crumb here makes a great contrast to a creamy, rich soup. Slather extra sage butter on a slice of bread. Verjus, made from the juice of unripened wine grapes, is acidic but gentler than vinegar and helps balance the richness of this soup.

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Crostini with Ricotta, Honey, and Fava Beans

Eric Wolfinger

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This simple, spring-forward appetizer is all about the stellar ingredients in California’s Napa region. Chef Sarah Heller of Radish Leaf Cuisine tops sourdough crostini with sheep’s milk ricotta from Bellwether Farms in nearby Sonoma, along with fresh favas and a drizzle of wildflower honey.

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Baked Spaetzle with Green Pea Pesto

Eva Kolenko

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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.

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Lemon-Buckwheat Shortbread

Victor Protasio

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

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13 Vegetarian Recipes You Can Make for Easter

1 of 13

Grilled Asparagus with Pecorino and Meyer Lemon–Poached Eggs

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Pea Consommé with Mint

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Rustic Vegetable Tart

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Mini Pea Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt

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Avocado Hollandaise

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Carrot Osso Buco

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Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

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Oven-Fried Baby Artichokes

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Pasta Primavera

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Potato Soup with Sage Butter and Rye Crumbs

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Crostini with Ricotta, Honey, and Fava Beans

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Baked Spaetzle with Green Pea Pesto

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Lemon-Buckwheat Shortbread

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