I am not a vegetarian. Obviously. But you don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy vegetarian meals. Good food is good food no matter what category it falls into. With that in mind, I thought I would compile a list of my five favourite vegetarian meals in hopes that it might inspire some of my more meat-centric readers out there to try something a bit different.

I want to say before I begin that I hate vegetarian food that pretends not to be vegetarian. Using fake meat, or just substituting tofu for meat is not creative, interesting, or usually very tasty. The vegetarian dishes that I like, as you will see are not low-end versions of delicious meat dishes. The vegetarian meals that I enjoy eating are vegetarian because they are supposed to be. That’s how they were designed. They are delicious on their own. There is a world of possibility out there when it comes to vegetarian food. Don’t limit yourself.

My Five Favourite Vegetarian Meals

Margherita Pizza

This isn’t really something most people would associate with vegetarian food but there is no meat and it definitely isn’t missed. This pizza is simply dough, tomato sauce, cheese and fresh basil and it is perfect. No meat needed. And, this isn’t just one of my favourite vegetarian foods, this is by far my favourite pizza.

Dal 

There are versions of this dish from many different parts of the world but at its heart, dal is a lentil stew. The flavours are similar to that of a curry.  Generally served with rice and flatbread this is a vegetarian meal that will definitely fill you up. Because the dish is so flavourful and so filling you won’t even think about meat.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

Another classic that most people don’t necessarily think about as a vegetarian meal. Again, this dish has no meat at all. I would describe this as more of a lunch than a dinner but it is delicious none the less. On a cold fall day or in the dead of winter few things fill the belly and the soul like this very traditional vegetarian meal.

Chickpea Curry

A vegetarian staple on menus written by lazy chefs the world over. Chickpea curry is an easy, cheap and delicious way to satisfy that vegetarian craving. Chickpeas, tomatoes, vegetable, and spices cooked together and then served over rice. Even though it is a staple of lazy chef’s who don’t want to take the time to create an interesting vegetarian dish, it is a staple for a reason. People love it.

Black Bean Soup

Years ago I briefly worked in a vegan restaurant. One of my favourite things on the menu was a black bean soup. It had black beans, sweet potatoes, onions, spices, and much more. It was sweet and spicy, flavourful and filling. Served with a slice of homemade spelt bread it was perfection. Again no meat needed.

Eating vegetarian doesn’t have to be hard. It doesn’t have to be difficult. And you don’t just have to eat meat dishes without meat. There are so many great vegetarian meals out there just waiting for you to discover them.

This post was inspired by my friend Peady. You should check out her blog Tempered with Kindness

Thanks, everyone for reading!