I’ve enjoyed a few too many heavy meals over the past few days, so I thought we could lighten up a little with my favorite vegan dinners.

Below, you’ll find wholesome vegan meals made with protein-rich whole grains, beans, and nuts. You’ll also see plenty of fresh, colorful produce, and occasionally some tofu. You won’t find any weird meat substitutes here!

As a vegetarian, a lot of my recipes happen to be vegan, or would be if I simply left off a sprinkle of cheese. I love the challenge of making my favorite cheesy recipes vegan, like when I figured out how to make vegan versions of the lasagna and enchiladas for my cookbook.

You can browse my vegan recipe index to see all of my options on Cookie and Kate. For even more, check out my cookbook, Love Real Food, which offers 96 tested vegan/vegan-option recipes. I worked so hard to make the vegan options just as tempting as the originals.

If you’re looking to reduce your consumption of animal products, you’re in the right place. I’ve picked out 29 favorite recipes to highlight today. You’ll find lots of comments below proving that even the most adamant carnivores can fall in love with vegan meals!

“I made this at my daughters request and have to admit I was skeptical as we are neither vegan or vegetarian. It was awesome, all three of my children and my wife raved about it, we will definitely be making this again.” – Patrick

“Made this for dinner on Tuesday – and it was phenomenal… filling, flavorful, and great the next day too! Love your blog as I try to up my number of meat-free days each week!” – Rebecca

Gluten free

“I just wanted to thank you for posting this recipe. It’s hard to think of a recipe that is not only this delicious, but where every single ingredient is a great nutrition boost! After eating this, I legit felt like popeye right after he gulps down a can (ew) of spinach. Also, I’ve always been weird about raw kale (even though I’m addicted to the roasted stuff), but this marinated kale was fantastic! So thanks again! This has been added to the top of my list in the recipe rotation.” – Erica

“What can I say, all 6 kids LOVED this and that’s a first for meat free night in my house. Thank you!” – Miriam

Gluten free (contingent upon your bun situation)

“Yum yum yum! I made them tonight and they are so delicious! Thank you! I am a sucker for sweet + spicy, but holy cow this was particularly delicious. I wasn’t able to get the millet and agree with others that quinoa works great! I know what I’m bringing for lunch tomorrow – very excited for these leftovers. Thank you!” – Krystal

Gluten free

“Wow – This dish is amazing! The smoky rice and colorful veggies make this recipe pop both in flavor and aesthetically. My first time making Paella and it came together easily. I was even successful with the socarrat. Thanks for another delicious recipe :-)” – Dani

Gluten free

“I make this recipe almost weekly and I really love it. In fact, I just made it again last night. My non-vegetarian husband has even requested it sometimes when I’ve asked what I should make. The ingredients are inexpensive and it’s easy to make and tastes great.” – Tonya

Gluten free. This recipe features my go-to method for roasting spaghetti squash.

“I’ve never tried spaghetti squash, but my roommate and I made these last night, and were totally won over! This recipe is such a wonderful alternative to traditional burrito bowls, which tend to leave me more full than I’d like. And, wow, the colors are gorgeous and bright. Thank you so much for sharing!” – Rana

Gluten free

“Just wanted to post a long overdue comment about this amazing soup! I’ve made this around 8 times, and it’s my absolute favorite lentil soup recipe!! Its hearty, filling and delicious!! I love the addition of the cumin and curry powder for a change of taste – my absolute fav!” – Tasha

Gluten free

“Slam Dunk for dinner tonight!!! I am so happy there is some left over for lunch tomorrow :) And I realized I forgot the pepitas- will toast some for the leftovers. I served it deconstructed on my kids’ plates and they all gobbled it up, even mixing and matching a little. Will definitely be keeping this in the rotation.” – Mary Beth

Gluten free

“This might officially be my favorite of your recipes. I made it last night with kale and homemade veggie stock and it was out of this world good. If I could give it six stars I most certainly would.” – Gwyn

Gluten free

“Shortly after making this delicious dish that the whole family enjoyed, I was asking my six year old son about his favorite food. He quickly replied, “That dish you made!” (Pinto Posole). Thank you for this and all of your wonderful recipes!” – Mariah

Gluten free

“We tried the burrito-stuffed sweet potatoes three nights ago, and my family loved them. Tasty, well balanced nutritionally and texture-wise, appealing to the eye (esp. with the shredded purple cabbage)–a terrific find, and not too time-consuming or labor intensive for the cook (moi).” – Elizabeth

Gluten free

“I made this recipe today for a dinner party as a vegan alternative to the beef in red wine that I also cooked for the meat eaters. Guess which one was almost totally gone and got the most requests for the recipe? Yours of course!” – Jane

Easily gluten free

“This soup is delicious! I found your recipe on Friday, made it on Sunday, and am eating it right now and for lunch allll week long. It is sweet, spicy, and hearty. Thanks for sharing the recipe :)” – Christy

“I just made your recipe tonight LOVED IT! I used Trader Joe’s sun dried tomato hummus and put spinach, olives, and sun dried tomatoes. Honestly made me wonder why I even ate cheese quesadillas in the first place!” – Katie

“I’ve decided to try to get my family to eat healthier food, so I set out to find a few recipes online that I thought they might enjoy. This was number one on my list. I made it last night and everyone loved it!!! My teenagers were a bit reluctant to try it, but after they finally took a bite they were pleasantly surprised. In fact, those were the exact words my said used… Pleasantly surprised. Fantastic recipe! Thank you for sharing! Tonight I’m going to try your Roasted Red Pepper And Tomato Soup.” – Diane

Gluten free

“The dressing on this salad is amazing! For the salad, we did kale, carrots, sliced bell peppers, golden raisins, and pistachios. It was delish! Super excited we still have more dressing left over so we can make it again!” – Raquel

“Just made this last night and it is so so yummy. One of the best sauces that I have had. Would never have thought to put capers and the brine in it but I think is really what made the taste. Can’t wait to eat this again. Thank you Kate for your great recipes!” – Malia

Gluten free

“I’ve made this twice within a week, it is so good! It’s crunchy peanutty goodness! Great for lunches and dinners, super easy to make.” – Jane

Gluten free

“Love love love this recipe!! Tried other baked falafel recipes before but had not that were this good! I think it’s the cinnamon which seems to make them seem a little bit indulgent! Awesome recipe! Thanks for sharing!” – Mark

Gluten free

“This recipe is SO GOOD!!! WOW! It’s absolutely delicious and SUPER easy to make (not to mention inexpensive). It made plenty to freeze too so it really makes a great meal for a large family or for people looking to stretch their meals out over a couple days. I’ll definitely be making this frequently! Thanks, Kate!” – Amy

Gluten free

“I’m a long time reader, and must say this recipe is so AWESOME I was finally compelled to comment. Your recipes are always just what I am looking for, and this one is perfect. Seriously. Good job! I’m about to make this for maybe the 4th time…” – Elizabeth

Gluten free

“Made these for dinner (using sweet potatoes) and the boyfriend and I loved them! He told me this is his favorite vegetarian recipe I’ve made so far and we plan to make it again soon. I made it with a Mexican inspired quinoa salad over spinach as a side. Thanks for a new favorite recipe, Kate!” – Paige

“Oh my goodness, I made this slaw for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING. No exaggeration – it was so, so good! (The manfriend enjoyed it as well!) I only used half a cabbage and there are so many leftovers – looking forward to taking them to the office for lunch tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe – this one is definitely a keeper!” – Maresa

Gluten free

“LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. The carrot ginger dressing is so delicious! A great vegetarian dish. Even my die hard carnivore husband loves it for dinner.” – M

Gluten free

“This was absolutely delicious! It definitely rivals the curry at our favorite local Thai restaurant. This is going to become a regular dinner at my house!” – Kristina

Gluten free

“OK, OK, so I’ve always loved this blog and the recipes, but this recipe sent me over the top. It is DELICIOUS. My husband said, “When did you become gourmet?” And then I immediately went and pre-ordered your book. Thanks again for another great recipe.” – Erin

Gluten free

“I just made this chili and OH MY GOSH this is the best chili I have ever had! I used lime instead of the vinegar choices, green bell instead of red, (since that is what I had available) and added one diced jalapeño- WOW. Served over a baked potato! Thank you for this incredible recipe!” – Mello

More resources you might appreciate: 23 healthy make-ahead breakfast recipes, 16 recipes that pack well for lunch and 20 simple weeknight dinners. You might also like my monthly seasonal produce guides and essential kitchen tools. View all roundups and resource posts here.