Looking for high protein vegetarian meals that don’t have tofu? I’ve got you covered. These tofu-free vegetarian meals will leave you full and satisfied.
25+ High-Protein Vegetarian Meals That Aren’t Tofu
1. Vegan Stir Fry
A tasty and hearty stir fry that has a whopping 42 grams of protein – 11g from edamame and 23 from black bean noodles.
This recipe also adds broccoli, butternut squash, kale, beansprouts and ginger paste into the mix for extra nutrients and flavor.
2. Chickpea Scramble
Skip the eggs and tofu with this chickpea scramble, which mimics the flavor and texture of a classic egg scramble breakfast. But this recipe has more protein and nutrients without the extra cholesterol from traditional eggs. Serve with fresh greens and roasted potatoes for a tasty meal.
You’ll need a food processor to mash the chickpeas.
3. Poke Bowl
This vegan poke bowl is loaded with protein, thanks to the chickpeas and aquafaba (chickpea water). Edamame beans and vermicelli noodles add more protein, while the veggies add nutrients and fiber. Top your dish with sliced avocados and sliced lemon for a tasty lunch you can enjoy any time of year.
4. Marry Me Chickpeas
If you’ve heard of marry me chicken, then you’ll love this vegetarian version of this dish, which has sundried tomatoes, coconut milk and plenty of spices.
The best part? It’s ready in just 20 minutes.
5. Cottage Cheese Egg Bake
Some of the best tofu-free high protein vegetarian meals have cottage cheese. Why? Because one cup has 25 grams of protein and just 185 calories.
This egg bake also has extra protein from whole eggs (9 to be exact!). But it also has other tasty ingredients like spinach, sundried tomatoes, feta cheese and cheddar cheese.
6. Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
A satisfying, vegan and high-protein soup with tasty mushrooms, wild rice, vegetable broth, coconut milk and fresh herbs. The great thing about this soup is that it’s so easy to make, and even the pickiest of eaters will love it.
We like to serve this soup with toasted bread.
Related: 17+ High Protein Vegan Meals You’ll Want to Try ASAP
7. Slow Cooker Lentil Taco Chili
Want something zesty and flavorful for dinner? Start this slow-cooker vegetarian chili before you head out to work in the morning and be ready to eat when you walk back in the door.
This dish is loaded with protein, thanks to the lentils and black beans. Crushed tomatoes, salsa, peppers, spices and fresh cilantro add tons of flavor to this dish. If you’re okay with dairy, you can top it with grated cheese or sour cream.
8. Moroccan Lentil Carrot Salad
A lentil-based salad with grated carrots, celery, mint, currants, walnuts, Kalamata olives and a delicious homemade dressing with turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and other spices.
The lentils and walnuts add plenty of protein, while the spices keep things interesting. If you’re looking for something different to serve for dinner or lunch, you’ll love this dish.
9. Homemade Seitan Stir-Fry
Seitan is a great alternative to tofu. It’s made with vital wheat gluten instead of soybean. I know that it’s not always easy to find prepared seitan at the store, but the great news is that it’s easy to make it yourself at home.
You can find vital wheat gluten on Amazon, and one bag is enough to make a lot of seitan. This recipe adds nutritional yeast, coconut aminos, peanut butter and other tasty ingredients to the seitan “dough.”
10. White Bean Pesto Soup
Beans are the MVP when it comes to plant protein. They’re so versatile and can easily be added to just about any recipe for an extra kick of protein.
The pesto is not a traditional recipe, but it is so good. It adds fresh parsley, cloves, almonds and nutritional yeast into the mix.
The soup is super simple – cannellini beans and tons of vegetables cooked in vegetable stock.
11. Sweet Potato Lentil Stew
An easy stew that’s packed with protein, thanks to the lentils and sweet potatoes. The curry powder, lemon juice and soy sauce add more flavor, and the vegetables kick the nutrient count up a notch.
Serve with toasted bread or a side salad for a hearty meal.
12. Cottage Cheese Pancakes
A quick and satisfying breakfast that will leave you full all morning. Cottage cheese adds tons of protein to these pancakes, along with the eggs. The rest of the ingredients are similar to traditional pancakes, so you likely have them in your pantry already.
We love to serve these with fresh berries and a touch of maple syrup.
Related: 18 Delicious Cottage Cheese Recipes for a Healthy Protein Hit
13. Vegan Lentil Bolognese
High protein vegetarian meals don’t have to be boring, and this vegan lentil Bolognese is proof of that.
Lentils replace the beef in the traditional recipe, which adds lots of protein and mimics the texture of ground beef.
Tomato sauce, spaghetti, and fresh herbs tie this simple dish together, making it easy and quick to make.
14. Garlic Herb Marinated Tempeh
If you’re not a fan of tofu, try tempeh, which is a fermented soy dish. This recipe is super simple, too. Marinate the tempeh in garlic, onion, balsamic vinegar, vegan butter and spices/herbs.
You can add tempeh to just about any dish for a punch of protein.
15. Mujadara
Mujadara is a Lebanese dish that’s rich in protein, thanks to the lentils and rice. Caramelized onions and spices add tons of flavor to this meal. Top with yogurt for extra protein and creaminess.
16. Moroccan White Bean Stew
White beans add protein to this tomato-based stew, which has fresh herbs, vegetables and spices. Cook it once and enjoy it over several days for a healthy meal prep idea.
17. BBQ Tempeh Vegan Burrito
Simple, healthy and quick to make, these vegan burritos have the healthy fat of avocado, barbeque sauce, tempeh, diced jalapeno, lime, tortillas and a handful of other ingredients to add flavor.
You can add rice and beans or vegan cheese if you like, but even without it, each serving has 12 grams of protein.
Related: 20 Easy High Protein Salads for Meal Prep
18. Crispy Persian Rice
Persian rice is so good – you have to try it. And when you add in spiced golden chickpeas, it’s even better. Almost a comfort food, you’ll cook up two cups of rice, use plain yogurt for a topping and top with golden chickpeas that have turmeric, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, raw sesame seeds and other ingredients.
19. Lebanese Fasolia
I hear Lebanon has some of the best food in the world, and while I’m not sure if this dish is authentic or not, I will say it’s one of the best-tasting high protein vegetarian meals I’ve had. It’s chewy, thanks to the bulgur wheat, yet flavorful with an array of spices.
Red kidney beans are also added to give this meal over 17 grams of protein.
20. One Pan Mexican Quinoa
Mexican-inspired, this dish is simple to make, high in protein and it includes things, such as:
- Red pepper
- Jalapeno pepper
- Black beans
- Corn kernels
- Quinoa
- Salsa
- Vegetable stock
21. Middle Eastern Rice and Lentils
Middle Eastern dishes are always filled with flavor, and while this meal does take over an hour to cook, it’s fairly easy. You’ll cook up rice with yellow onion, red bell pepper, tomato paste, garlic, water and vegetable broth.
But what makes this dish so tasty is the harissa seasoning, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon and a great yogurt tahini garlic sauce.
22. Cauliflower, Potato & Toasted Red Lentil Vegan Hummus Wrap
Sometimes, you just want to eat a wrap that is good for you and not too heavy. This wrap includes multiple types of lentils, tomato, salt, cumin powder, garlic powder, cayenne, Sriracha sauce and other ingredients.
Related: 23 Surprisingly Easy Gluten-Free Flatbread Recipes That Will Make You Forget Pizza
23. Lentil and Mushroom Stew over Potato-Parsnip Mash
What a tasty meal! This dish takes about one hour from prep to taking your first bite. You’ll cut the parsnips and potatoes into chunks before boiling them for about 20 – 30 minutes. You’ll need to heat oil in the skillet before adding in the mushrooms and onions.
Wine and spices add additional flavor.
Thyme, tomato paste, garlic cloves, vegetable broth, soy sauce, brown lentils, butter and milk are just a few of the ingredients that you’ll need for the recipe.
24. Cajun Cabbage and Rice
High protein vegetarian meals rarely taste this delicious. You’ll cook up brown rice with yellow onions, jalapeno pepper, celery, red and green bell pepper, garlic, green cabbage, vegetable broth, tamari, petite diced tomatoes, liquid smoke and kidney beans.
Herbs and spices are also added in.
Calories in each serving are 258, and the meal has 11.5 grams of protein.
25. Caramelized Sweet Potato and Kale Fried Wild Rice
Fried wild rice is delightful and filled with flavor. You’ll learn how to make a maple-Dijon vinaigrette that will top the rice and is made out of balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, olive oil and garlic.
You’ll add water into a wok, salt and kale to cook it up before melting butter in a skillet to cook sweet potatoes and brown sugar.
Related: 25+ Best High Protein Dinner Ideas to Meal Prep For Your Whole Family
26. Potato Curry with Peas
Curry is always filled with flavor, but it will take some time to cook. If you make this dish, you’ll need quite a bit of ingredients that you may not have available: garam masala, ghee, fennel seeds and sriracha.
But these are just a few of the dozens of ingredients this meal requires.
You will need a ramekin, Dutch oven and a little over an hour to make this curry.
27. Warming Pesto Butter Beans
I do want to warn you that this recipe cooks up just a single serving but it’s easy to double or triple the recipe. Your pesto butter beans only need garlic, pine nuts, fresh basil, olive oil and lemon juice.
For the salad, you’ll add butter beans, spinach, pumpkin seeds and pomegranate seeds.
