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Wondering “What should I make for dinner?” Here are vegetarian dinner recipes that you can use as ideas for whatever ingredients you have on hand.
This post was created in partnership with ALDI. All opinions are our own.
We hear it all the time: “What should I make for dinner?” Or, “It’s too hard to eat healthy on a weeknight, so I end up with takeout.” Don’t we know it. Believe it or not, 8 years ago we were the people who ate breakfast cereal or microwave dinners. Seriously. It makes me laugh when people tell me that’s not possible, because I was absolutely the girl who had no clue about cooking or food. Even making pasta seemed mysterious (where to start without the blue easy mac box instructions?).
Related: Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Lives | Easy Dinner Recipes for Family |Easy Vegetarian Recipes for Beginners
What should I make for dinner? Simple meal concepts
After 8 years of “research,” we’ve figured out a few things about how to eat whole foods, ditch our processed options, and actually enjoy it. It’s not perfect or glamorous, and we don’t have an Instagram-perfect plate every time. However, we make it work with simple concepts that we change up using the ingredients we have on hand. Our diet is about 80% vegetarian, so we’ve become accustomed to meals featuring eggs, beans, and whole grains to keep things filling. We’ve got a few vegetarian dinner ideas for you that aren’t groundbreaking, just simple concepts for a meatless plate beyond the standard meat-plus-2-veg formula.
Some of these vegetarian dinner recipes are part of a 7-day dinner meal plan we created for ALDI’s new Hello, Healthy blog, which features healthy living resources including recipes, tips, meal plans, videos, and eating guides. We know many of you are ALDIfans too (hi there!), and we’re excited that ALDI is committed to carrying better-for-you ingredients and expanding their affordable organic product offerings. We’re happy to join in this effort and hope you’ll check out the new online resource, which includes a new dinner meal plan from us.
What should I make for dinner?
Dinner idea 1: Breakfast for Dinner (Brinner)
It’s simple, but we sometimes forget about it: what’s more fun than breakfast for dinner? Both Alex and I loved this growing up, so it’s a sure hit with kids as well. (We’d love to hear, is brinner a hit in your house?) This concept features our favorite 15-minute black beans method using canned beans and a little canning liquid. You can use these beans on anything: tacos, quesadillas, or on a salad. Here, we’ve paired them with our other favorite method for soft, fluffy eggs that are quite unlike the typical rubbery mess. Adding an avocado and some other fresh veg makes it visually appealing—or try a side of avocado toast.
Chickpea Couscous Bowls with Tahini Sauce
Dinner idea 2: Bowl Meal
A great way to use up vegetables in the refrigerator at the end of the week is a big old salad or bowl meal. We like to jazz it up by using a loose theme, like the Mediterranean flavors we’ve used here. A top notch dressing makes it special, if you have the time. This Lemon Tahini Sauce is one of the most popular recipes on our website. It’s easily made in advance for salads throughout the week. What should I make for dinner? So many times I throw veggies, grains, and proteins (beans, eggs, nuts, etc) in a bowl and call it a meal.
Dinner idea 3: Simple Pasta
Pasta can be considered a cop-out, but it can be one of the most elegant, simple meals. And according to recent research, pasta can actually be good for you. This Everything Bagel pasta is truly simple, and can be whipped up with only a handful of ingredients. Serve with a green salad with homemade salad dressing or roasted broccoli.
Loaded Quinoa Tacos
Dinner idea 4: Tacos
Throw it in a tortilla and call it dinner! There are so many ways to make delicious tacos quickly and without a recipe: from scrambled egg tacos to refried bean tacos. These quinoa tacos are our latest favorite: quinoa is mixed with spices and then loaded with toppings. We made a quick bell pepper slaw by mixing sliced bell peppers with lime, and a spicy sour cream by stirring a bit of hot sauce into sour cream. There are vegan topping ideas in the post as well. When I ask “What should I make for dinner?,” I almost always have tortillas in the refrigerator to whip up a taco creation.
Did you make these recipes?
If you make any of these vegetarian dinner recipes, we’d love to hear how theyturned out. Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and mention @acouplecooks.
Looking for more easy dinner ideas?
Still wondering “What should I make for dinner?” Some of our other top easy dinner ideas on A Couple Cooks:
- Veggie Packed Quinoa Fried Rice
- Coconut Lentil Curry with Greens
- 5 Minute Romesco Gnocchi Sauce Recipe
- Best Stir Fry Vegetables with Teriyaki
- Ultimate Rainbow Vegetable Sandwich
- Vegan Italian Pasta Salad
- Tropical Mango Bowls with Citrus Drizzle
- Vegan Banh Mi Sandwich
- Tex Mex Migas Recipe
- Avocado Black Bean Vegetarian Quesadilla
- Thai Curry Pizza with Naan Bread
- Easy Dinner Recipes for Beginners
- All Easy Dinner Ideas!
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About the authors
Sonja & Alex
Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you’ll want to make again and again.
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