Vegetarian Recipes and Food

Published June 9, 2010 by Elizabeth O’Mara. Last Updated November 8, 2013.

There’s no mystery to creating deliciously satisfying vegan meals. Tasty alternatives to the animal ingredients that you may be cooking with are easier to find than ever, and many are as close as your corner supermarket. We’ve put together a shopping guide to help you find the perfect ingredients to make mouthwatering vegetarian meals and quick-and-easy snacks.

If you’re just getting started, you may want to try simply “vegging up” your favorite recipes. Try tofu or seitan instead of chicken, ground vegetable burger crumbles instead of hamburger, marinated portobello mushrooms instead of steak, and soy milk instead of cow’s milk or cream. We have a stockpile of vegetarian recipes to help you on your way to becoming an expert vegetarian chef.

But there’s no reason to stop there. By investing in some good vegetarian cookbooks (you might borrow some from your local library first to see which recipes you like), you can broaden your horizons to a whole new way of cooking. Americans tend to center their meals around animal products out of habit or custom, but cuisines from other parts of the world focus more on grains, vegetables, and beans. Think about it—there are far more types of vegetables than there are types of meat, so why limit yourself?

Whether you’ve gone vegan “cold turkey” or just want to add more healthy, plant-based meals to your family’s diet, we have the secret—and not-so-secret—tips you need to take the guesswork out of vegan cooking. Use our resources to find the perfect meat, dairy, and egg replacements. Then try some of our recipes to make vegetarian dishes that you and your whole family will love!