While all of my American friends get ready for Thanksgiving next week, I thought I’d slide in with a quick, hearty, and delicious vegan dinner to hold us all over before the big holiday. If you’re still planning your menu. This recipe for vegan mushroom risotto may just entice you to pick up an Instant Pot from one of the (no doubt) many places putting it on mega-sale next week.
I really love my Instant Pot. Does it cook things in an instant? Not really. Most recipes need a good 15 minutes to come up to pressure in addition to the stated cooking time. Does it save me time despite the lack of true instantaneousness? 100% yes. If we’re using this recipe as an example, once I cook the base, seal the pot up, and get my remaining ingredients ready, I’m on easy street for a cool 15 minutes before the timer goes off. I don’t have to stir this risotto constantly. It’s a complete meal that I don’t really have to babysit while it cooks. This is very worthwhile! I’m not being paid to say this; just love my IP so much. I have a very basic 6 quart one (affiliate link!) that I got on a Black Friday sale a few years ago.
I use mine to cook beans from scratch, large batches of steel cut oats (and other grains) that I can reheat throughout the week, extremely fluffy brown basmati rice, flavourful vegetable stock, amazing chana masala, quickly steamed butternut squash for silky soups, excellent spicy smoosh-y pinto beans, and now this hearty risotto.
I will say that this version of risotto is not precisely as creamy as the hand-stirred variety, but the time trade-off is worth it to me. You could also just make the base risotto without the mushrooms and add whatever roasted/sauteed vegetables that you like on top. It’s a good weeknight back pocket recipe for all levels of eaters.
Hope that you’re having a great week! I can’t believe that the holiday season is in full swing. It feels like we JUST rang in 2019 honestly. Let me know if you try this Instant Pot risotto and what you think. Curious to ALSO know what plant-based things you’re all making in your Instant Pots!
VEGAN INSTANT POT MUSHROOM RISOTTO WITH SPINACH & MISO
Recipe very lightly adapted from Epicurious. SERVES: 6
NOTES: I used Bon Appetit’s mushroom-forward vegetable stock for this recipe.
-Finishing with a vegan “parm” sprinkle is essential in my opinion. I like to make the recipe in this large batch format to have on hand for all the things that need a little extra flavour/saltiness.
LARGE BATCH VEGAN “PARM”:
1 cup sliced & skinned almonds (for nut-free version, try a mix of sesame, hemp & raw sunflower seeds)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
INSTANT POT MUSHROOM RISOTTO:
2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 shallots, small dice (about ½ cup diced shallots)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons thyme leaves, minced
2 cups arborio rice
¼ cup white wine
5 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons light miso (I used chickpea miso)
2 tablespoons vegan butter (optional)
3 cups baby spinach, packed
the vegan “parm”
Make the large batch vegan “parm.” In a food processor, combine the almonds, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Pulse the mixture until you have a fine meal, similar to almond flour. Store the “parm” in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a month.
Make the Instant Pot mushroom risotto. Turn the Instant Pot to the SAUTE function. Pour in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add all of the mushrooms at once and leave them alone for 1 full minute. Stir them up and then leave for another full minute. Once the mushrooms are glistening and letting off lots of liquid, season them with salt and pepper. Keep sauteeing them and stirring them occasionally until all of the liquid is evaporated and the mushrooms are browned, about 5 minutes. CANCEL the SAUTE function. Transfer all of the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
Carefully remove the insert from the Instant Pot and thoroughly wipe it out with a damp cloth. Return the insert to the Instant Pot and turn on the SAUTE function again. Add the remaining oil to the pot.
Add the shallots to the pot and stir. Saute the shallots until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme to the pot and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the arborio rice to the pot and stir. Cook/toast the rice until the edges of the grains have turned translucent, about 2 minutes. Avoid actual browning here. If the rice is sticking or you’re noticing browning, add more oil.
Pour in the white wine and stir. Cook until the wine is almost totally evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock and stir. CANCEL the SAUTE function.
Secure the lid to the Instant Pot, ensuring that the release valve is in the SEALING position. Select the MANUAL pressure cooking option and set it to 4 minutes at HIGH pressure. Once the time is up, hit CANCEL, and immediately (and carefully) release the pressure valve.
Once the pin drops, open the lid and stir the risotto. Add the miso and vegan butter (if using) to the pot and season the whole thing with lots of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the reserved mushrooms and spinach to the pot and stir. Close the lid and allow the spinach to wilt for about 1 minute. Serve the Instant Pot mushroom risotto hot with vegan “parm.”
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 🙂