16 Vegetarian Recipes That Are Ready in Under an Hour

By Bridget Hallinan
Updated July 16, 2020
Credit: Jennifer Causey
Cooking on a weeknight (or after any long day, for that matter) can feel daunting. Luckily, these vegetarian recipes can be whipped up within the hour. There’s broccoli rabe and avocado salad with lemon dressing and herby eggs, creamy vegan pasta primavera, and shaking tofu, too—some of the recipes included also have helpful make-ahead tips. Read on and save a few for your next busy night.

Note: Some of these recipes include cheeses that are often made with animal rennet. If you prefer not to use that type of cheese, you can omit it or swap in a vegetarian-friendly substitute.
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Chickpeas and Kale in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce

Credit: Constantine Poulos
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Chef Missy Robbins’ riff on spicy pomodoro—one of Food & Wine’s 40 best recipes—replaces pasta with chickpeas and kale.

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Quinoa with Spinach and Roasted Almonds

Credit: © Eva Kolenko
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Kay Chun’s quinoa salad has a short ingredient list—quinoa, curly spinach, radishes, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and roasted almonds—and comes together in just two steps.

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Broccoli Rabe and Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing and Herby Molten Eggs

Credit: Jennifer Causey
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“Spring is the season when warm and cold ingredients ought to mingle on one plate, and this salad brings all that to life,” Andrea Slonecker writes. “To serve, keep the soft-cooked eggs and the roasted rabe on the warm side, rather than cold, and compose the salad on plates with a bit of artistic flare.”

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Squash and Black-Eyed Pea Coconut Curry

Credit: Eric Wolfinger
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This quick recipe from Meera Sodha combines garam masala-roasted acorn squash with a “very lightly simmered coconut curry” that includes plum tomatoes and black-eyed peas.

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Charred Vegetable Ragù

Credit: Victor Protasio
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Kelsey Youngman makes this tagliatelle pasta with a meatless ragù when she wants comfort food on a weeknight. Charring the mirepoix under the broiler adds smoky flavor; it all comes together in an hour.

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Shaking Tofu

Credit: Greg DuPree
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Andrea Nguyen’s recipe for Shaking Tofu (the “meatless sister” to her Shaking Beef recipe) only takes 35 minutes. If you want to save even more time, Nguyen says you can fry the tofu hours in advance and then heat it up with the sauce.

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Za’atar Baked Eggs

Credit: John Kernick
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If you’re in the mood to have breakfast for dinner, give Gail Simmons’ za’atar baked eggs a try. They’re ready in 30 minutes and served with yogurt that’s mixed with finely chopped cucumber, lemon juice, sumac, mint, parsley, and za’atar.

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Creamy Vegan Pasta Primavera

Credit: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
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This vegan-friendly pasta primavera from Ann Taylor Pittman uses pine nuts and macadamia milk (make sure you buy the unsweetened version) to create a creamy texture, and nutritional yeast in place of Parmesan for umami flavor.

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Chilaquiles with Tomatillo Salsa and Fried Eggs

Credit: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland
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These chilaquiles from Jasmine Smith are another terrific breakfast-for-dinner option—if you want to speed things up, you can use store-bought tortilla chips instead of frying your own.

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Vegan Caesar Salad with Chicories and Walnuts

Credit: John Kernick
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Kelsey Youngman recommends using white or chickpea miso in the dressing for this vegan salad. (You can store the dressing in the fridge for up to three days if you want to make it ahead of time.)

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Mushroom-Chickpea Pozole

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
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Marcela Valladolid’s quick, vegetable-packed version of pozole features baby portobello and shiitake mushrooms, and uses chickpeas in place of dried hominy.

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Pineapple Black Fried Rice

Credit: Johnny Miller
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This fried rice recipe from JJ Johnson is packed with edamame, mustard greens, pineapple, bean sprouts, and carrot.

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Cracked New Potatoes with Fennel Raita

Credit: Jennifer Causey
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Bijou Thomas’ vegetarian main course uses a fennel bulb, fennel stalks, fennel fronds, andfennel pollen (or toasted and cracked fennel seeds, if you don’t have any). 

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Double Drive-Thru Veggie Burgers

Credit: DAVID CICCONI
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These veggie burgers from Chloe Coscarelli are paired with a “tangy-sweet vegan take on Thousand Island dressing,” made with tofu, ketchup, yellow mustard, agave, garlic, sweet pickle relish, chopped fresh dill, and kosher salt. It can be refrigerated for up to one week.

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Restorative Ginger-and-Turmeric Noodle Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey
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Hetty McKinnon says this soup is “like a hug” in winter. Garlic oil and ginger-and-turmeric curry paste add flavor—the paste can keep in the refrigerator for up to seven days and can be frozen, too, so it’s easy to prepare in advance. 

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Mushroom Tacos with Salsa Guacamolada

Credit: Abby Hocking
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Juan Pablo Loza pairs mixed mushrooms with a “bright and lightly spicy guacamolada” in this quick taco recipe.

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By Bridget Hallinan