My dad gave me a few pepper plants at the start of the growing season a few months ago. We always grow a selection of hot ones and some regular sweet bells too. None of my pepper plants are doing great this year, but I noticed that my bell pepper plant had a bunch of perfect-looking, weirdly miniature red peppers hanging amongst the leaves. It was odd to me that they were so small! I figured I messed something up in terms of location or watering.
But nope! They were mini bell peppers this whole time. Silly me :). They are so sweet, delicious, and undeniably cute. Perfect for stuffing and snacking on.
When I have my life together enough, I love to do component cooking and produce prep so that my meals come together a little bit smoother. One of my favourite things to add to my prep list is a walnut and lentil-based crumble. You can store it in a sealed container in your fridge for up to 5 days, and it effortlessly fits into dinners like tacos, hearty bolognese-like tomato sauces, burrito bowls, and (you bet) stuffed vegetables of all kinds. This savoury crumble is a total weeknight dinner saviour with lots of protein and flavour.
Here, we grill the pepper halves for a little smoky char, fill them with that spiced crumble, top them with a rustic olive and parsley salsa, and finish them all off with a vegan, cashew-based “parm.” You get all these mingling flavours of warm spice, citrus, sweetness, peppery parsley, and the salty olives. I guarantee that no one will miss the meat 🙂
GRILLED MINI PEPPERS WITH SPICED WALNUT & LENTIL CRUMBLE
SERVES: Makes 20-22 stuffed pepper halves, about 6 servings as a main NOTES: If you don’t have a grill or grill pan, you can simply toss the pepper halves in oil, salt, and pepper, spread them out on a baking sheet, and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until slightly softened.
-I get asked about my food processor a lot! I have the Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup model and I love it. Best food processor I’ve ever used. Linking to it here (affiliate).
⅓ cup French lentils, rinsed
¼ cup pitted olives (green or black)
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, packed
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup walnut halves
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, plus extra
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
10-11 mini sweet bell peppers
vegan “parmesan”, for serving (optional)
Place the lentils in a small saucepan and cover them by about 2 inches with water. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat with the lid on. Bring the lentils to a boil and then simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside.
On your cutting board, chop the olives, parsley, and lemon zest all together, forming a sort of rustic salsa relish. Once the olives are nicely chopped, set the mixture aside in a bowl.
In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, combine the cooked lentils, walnuts, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, and lots of salt and pepper. Pulse until you have a coarsely ground mixture that holds together when pinched. It should be slightly paste-y with little chunks of walnut and lentils. Give the crumble a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Heat a medium (preferably nonstick) skillet over medium heat. Scrape all of the walnut and lentil crumble into the pan. Break it up with a spatula. Cook the crumble, stirring constantly, until it’s slightly drier and a bit deeper in colour, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the walnut and lentil crumble from the heat and set aside.
Cut the mini sweet bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the ribs and seeds and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat the peppers.
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Once heated, place the mini peppers–cut side down–onto the grill. Cook until light char marks form on the underside, about 4 minutes. Flip the peppers over and cook for another 4 minutes or so. The peppers should be slightly softened, but still holding their shape. Remove the grilled peppers and place them back on the baking sheet.
Arrange the grilled peppers–facing up–on your serving tray. Stuff each grilled pepper half with 2 tablespoons of the spiced walnut and lentil crumble. Top each stuffed pepper with a bit of the olive and parsley mixture. Finish the peppers with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan, if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.
We vegetarians often run into the trap of turning into a “carbatarian” – someone who mostly eats foods high in (refined) carbohydrates. This often happens when we replace meat with the “wrong” stuff.
Simply put: too much white bread, pasta, rice and heavily processed foods like breakfast cereals, frozen pizzas and other snacks.
But fret no more!
Whether you’re on a weight-loss journey or building muscle programme, these well-tested recipes will help you achieve your goal. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, we’ve covered it all!
Before we dive into the recipes let’s quickly answer how much protein we actually need and what vegetarian foods provide a proper amount of protein.
How much protein do we need?
The RDA, recommended daily allowance, is at a minimum of 0.36g of protein per pound of body weight (0.8g per kg bodyweight).
By percentage that would be roughly 10% of your daily caloric income. Note that is the minimum requirement for a non-active sedentary person to avoid a protein deficiency and get sick as a result. That means a full-on couch potato would just get by on that daily intake.
But how much protein does an active person need?
Of course this depends on your goals. But in general you can safely say if you want to build muscle you need more protein than that basic daily recommended allowance.
A higher protein intake is also likely to be beneficial for weight loss.
So, if you’re an active person, who does sports regularly, a healthy recommendation would be between 0.75g-1g of protein per lb of bodyweight per day (about 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kg bodyweight).
By percentage that would be roughly 20-30% of your daily caloric income.
This is based on studies that have investigated the rates of something called muscle protein synthesis (essentially, new muscle being created) and how it differs depending on protein intake.
How much protein per vegetarian meal is realistic?
For most people, reasonably sized healthy meals have around 600kcal, give or take 200kcal.
If we want to hit protein requirements and aim to eat a wide variety of foods (not just cheese and processed meat replacements), here are the protein amounts we believe a vegetarian meal should at least have to be considered “high protein”:
Meal size
Protein
~300kcal
12.5g+
~400kcal
16.5g+
~500kcal
21g+
~600kcal
25g+
NOTE: high-protein vegetarian meals can easily go up to 35g+ protein per 600kcal, if using cheese, eggs and processed meat replacements.
We purposefully took lower numbers per meal as a benchmark, because it allows for a wider variety of foods while still hitting protein goals even for sporty people.
And let’s be honest, to make protein account for 20%+ of your daily caloric intake, you have to make compromises as a vegetarian.
This means either a heavy focus on eggs, cheese, soy, seitan and other meat replacements or including protein shakes in your diet.
Make sure to check out our free meal plans, where all the calculations are done for you:
As you can see there are many protein rich vegetarian foods around. But notice that some foods also come with a high amount of calories, like seeds and nuts.
But this list should help as a rough guideline. So, if you’re prepping a meal without a recipe make sure to use one or more of these ingredients for a protein boost.
How can I add protein to my vegetarian meal?
To an already-finished meal think of sprinkling nuts, cheese or nutritional yeast over the top. To replace meat within the meal try tofu, seitan, lentils or different types of cheese.
You can also add chia seeds to virtually any pancake batter – you’ll get a nice omega-3 boost, too!
Of course, the recipes below can use all types of the food in this list.
Recipe by:HurryTheFoodUp Bonus: works as a breakfast or snack
Boasting 22 grams of protein per serving due to the smoked tofu, cheddar cheese and eggs. Ever had a French Tarte Flambee? That’s what these egg muffins taste like!
Bonus: Swap Greek yogurt for “skyr”, if you have it available in your location for an extra protein boost.
This yogurt dish is relatively low in calories at roughly 303 kcal per serving. That’s enough to make a filling breakfast and still leave you plenty of calories left for the rest of your meals, if you are on a weight loss diet.
Bonus: works well for breakfast, lunch or dinner 😉
Hearty and filling Farmer’s Breakfast. Full of protein and energy to keep you going. Perfect any time of the day. Ready in 30 mins. Embrace your rustic side.
Bonus: very quick and easy, can be stored for a while in the fridge, sooo yummy 🙂
This deliciously smooth cashew milkshake can be made any way you like – just follow the simple instructions and you’ll be drinking a mega shake in five minutes!
Spinach, chickpeas, eggs and feta make this dish a premium protein source for vegetarians. On top it’s easy, delicious and super healthy- a breakfast your body will thank you for!
This tempeh sandwich is THE new vegan sandwich. Mega tasty and super nutritional, it sets the new bar for all sandwich lovers out there. Whole grain sandwich bread is a great option to increase protein a little more.
After a cool and refreshing summer drink that is healthy too? Try our pineapple and spinach smoothie with fresh mint! Greek yogurt, flax seeds and cashews give this smoothie a serious protein boost!
Not sure whether lentils really work in a pancake batter? We’ve tried and tested this recipe and can say these pancakes are not only delicious, but this is also a clever way to increase the amount of protein per serving.
Red lentils belong to the legumes with the highest amount of protein. They’re also super quick to cook making them one of the “most efficient” plant based protein sources out there. Luckily, this soup is a staple in the Turkish cuisine, not because of its high protein content, but because of its good taste.
Bonus: suitable for a quick lunch, nice party snack
If you are looking for a satisfying high protein alternative to hummus and give this recipe a bash. This dip is also very versatile. Out of black beans? Use white or kidney beans instead!
Bonus: works as a side, but excellent as a main dish for a quick lunch
With feta, spinach, and chickpeas, this salad features a few of the best high protein ingredients the vegetarian diet has to offer. But not only that, the dressing is the secret star of this recipe. I was hooked for months!
With some mozzarella, spinach and whole grain tortillas you’ll get in a proper amount of protein. Granted, not the healthiest of all dishes in this list, but delicious nonetheless.
This ramen soup comes with a proper amount of vegetarian protein (egg, tofu, edamame, sesame seeds). What I really like about it though is the versatile spicy Thai style broth. Try it out with any veggie combo you like! Delicious.
The real star of this recipe is the honey mustard dressing! It’s such a good fit for the red onion, red bell pepper and lentils. Make this dish vegan by using maple syrup instead of honey. Wanna add some carbs? I love adding some simple microwaved potatoes as a side!
Bonus: new, fresh, tangy, works as a side dish or main meal
With beets and oranges as main ingredients this dish is best eaten in autumn and winter. Chickpeas and sunflower seeds contribute as a protein source. But hey, a salad is only as good as its dressing and this parsley dressing kicks ass, if I may say so!
Bonus: quick and nutritious, easy to make, full of health benefits
Full of protein, fiber and loads of other nutrients this halloumi salad will keep you feeling full for hours – and you’ll secretly be looking forward to more!
Bonus: amazingly tasty and nutritious, can be stored for a while in the fridge
This is the perfect vegetarian food for a busy weeknight dinner. 10 minutes prep time, then for 20 minutes in the oven. High in vitamins A, C and B6, protein and fiber.
Vegan stuffed peppers featuring tempeh, nutritional yeast and quinoa, three vegan sources high in protein. Quinoa is particularly cool, because it’s one of the few vegan foods that contain all nine essential amino acids!
Vegan Bolognese. It was about time we veganized the Italian classic. And we’re proud to say we were successful. Please welcome, the amazing Anti Bolognese!
These pizza pancakes are perfect for lunch or dinner – super simple and full of the most exciting base and taste combos make it the best of both worlds!
This traybake meal features two of my favorite ingredients, quinoa and halloumi. The latter is not only tasty but works as a pretty good meat replacement due to its consistency.
Dal khichdi is a very traditional Indian dish that works nicely as a weight loss dinner! It’s healthy, light but still filling, and a source of complete protein.
Bonus: Super versatile dish: don’t have kidney beans at home? Just use black beans.
Who said meat-free recipes can’t deliver? This meatless (aka vegan) chili proves that you can still enjoy your favourite meals, but in a new, animal friendly way.
Another healthy vegetarian traybake dinner with plenty of protein featuring broccoli, lentils and halloumi. So easy to make and 32 grams of protein each serving!
I think you should give this recipe a shot, how about writing the ingredients onto your shopping list right now? The recipe is right below! 🙂
Cut the broccoli into big florets and slice the red onion in half and then each half into four pieces lengthwise. Thinly slice the chilli pepper if using.
Seasoning
In the food processor add the cashews with 5 tbsp of water, basil, garlic, juice from ½ lime, ½ tsp salt, black pepper, and process until you have a pesto like texture (not fully smooth). Taste and add more salt per taste. If necessary add a little extra water too.
1 chili pepper,2 tbsp cashews,2 handful basil, fresh,2 clove garlic,½ lime,1 tsp salt,¼ tsp black pepper
Assembling
In a baking sheet place the lentils and thinly sliced chilli pepper if using. On top add the red onion, broccoli florets and halloumi.
Drizzle the pesto seasoning on top of the veggies and sprinkle remaining ½ tsp of salt + black pepper per taste. Brush the broccoli florets and halloumi with the olive oil.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the broccoli florets are tender. Turn on the grill or broiler of the oven at the highest temperature and bake for 3-5 minutes, until the veggies are golden brown.
Top with chopped fresh parsley or dill and serve immediately. Serve with a side of ciabatta bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
63 High Protein Vegetarian Recipes: Focused on Fitness
Amount per Serving
Calories
561
% Daily Value*
Fat
17
g
26
%
Saturated Fat
7
g
44
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
7
g
Sodium
1830
mg
80
%
Potassium
1455
mg
42
%
Carbohydrates
78
g
26
%
Fiber
19
g
79
%
Sugar
11
g
12
%
Protein
32
g
64
%
Vitamin A
1649
IU
33
%
Vitamin C
247
mg
299
%
Calcium
447
mg
45
%
Iron
7
mg
39
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Alright, that’s it for this post!
If you’re still on the recipe hunt, check out even more high protein recipes over here.
Let us know how you liked this collection of high-protein vegetarian recipes! Was there anything you liked and want to see more of? Leave us a comment below 🙂