Meat-free Monday ideas
Many people are incorporating one vegetarian day into their weekly schedule as a way of helping the planet and their health – make it even easier with our delicious ideas
Meat-free Mondays are a great way to incorporate more plant-based meals into your weekly schedule without having to adapt your diet too significantly. Did you know almost a third of all land on Earth is used for livestock production? Not only a great option for the planet, incorporating more vegetables, grains and pulses into your diet is beneficial for your health and your purse-strings.
What have you got to lose? We've included quick and easy storecupboard staples for hectic Mondays, as well as options for when you're feeling a little more ambitious. For meat-free Mondays and beyond, try our most popular vegetarian recipes, vegetarian family classics and healthy vegetarian comfort food ideas.
If you're feeling inspired to take it a step further, read our article about what would happen if everyone went vegan and then try our best vegan family dinners, easy vegan recipes and budget vegan recipes.
Meat-free Monday ideas
1. Bulgur & veg soup with sizzled mint oil & potato flatbreads
Make a hearty soup with blended red lentils, bulgur and root veg that can be frozen in advance for busy Mondays. The cumin and paprika spiced mint oil adds a burst of extra flavour and colour, and if you have time to make the homemade potato flatbreads you will be greatly rewarded with a seriously satisfying weekday dinner.
Why not get ahead of meat-free Mondays with our freezable vegetarian recipes?
2. Storecupboard saucy pasta & chickpeas
If you don't fancy a trip to the supermarket, this easy pasta makes the most of any fresh veg and herbs you have lying around in your fridge, bulked out with filling chickpeas for extra protein. It serves two, so scale it up to feed the family or simply enjoy for one and look forward to leftovers for lunch the next day.
Try more vegetarian storecupboard recipes.
3. Aubergine milanese
If you have a little more time on your hands on a Monday, this aubergine dish will get your week off to a great start. The tomato caper sauce packs a punch to serve alongside golden panko-fried aubergine slices. Make sure to find a vegetarian parmesan alternative with no animal rennet.
Find out how to cook aubergine and then put your skills into practice with our vegan aubergine recipes.
4. Next level mushroom risotto
When it comes to vegetarian classics, you can't beat a silky mushroom risotto. Barney Desmazery takes his version to new heights with dried porcini mushrooms, sizzled garlic and plenty of handy tips for making your best risotto ever – vegetarian or otherwise.
Discover more vegetarian risotto recipes.
5. Red pesto minestrone soup
This veg-packed minestrone is a great option for a healthy, low-calorie and high fibre dinner that doesn't scrimp on flavour. The jar of pesto does most of the heavy lifting so it's quick to prep - swap out for your favourite pesto or use spicier varieties if you want to take the heat up a notch.
Warm yourself up from the inside out in with our vegetarian soup recipes.
6. Lerato's Tanzanian banana curry
If this isn't your first meat-free Monday, you might be ready to push the boat out a little. This east African recipe from food writer Lerato Umah-Shaylor uses unripe green bananas or firm yellow plantains which are simmered with warming spices, coconut milk and chickpeas for an easy yet nourishing vegan curry.
Get inspired with more of our best vegan curry recipes.
7. One-tray baked gnocchi
Trailblazing zero-waste chef Max La Manna shares his deluxe pasta bake recipe, all made in one tray in 30 minutes. Use whatever leafy greens you have in your fridge – spinach and kale both work well.
Listen to his podcast episode on reducing food waste and then try our recipes that are planet-friendlier, plus ideas for using up leftover rice, leftover bread and leftover potato.
8. Katsu aubergine noodles
For a quick Monday night dinner, make your katsu sauce at the weekend and simply reheat until piping hot. The aubergine slices taste great with the creamy curry sauce, but you could also experiment with other veg or slices of tofu to switch things up.
Next try our vegetarian Japanese-inspired recipes and our top vegetarian fakeaway recipes.
9. Turmeric & lemon cauliflower bowl
Make a nourishing bowl with roasted – or air-fried – cauliflower, crispy kale and a pre-cooked pouch of quinoa and lentils for ease on a weeknight. Top with hemp, sunflower and pumpkin seeds for more texture and flavour. Even better, it serves two with leftovers for the next day.
Try more healthy vegetarian ideas.
10. Smoky mushroom & chickpea fajitas with charred spring onion salsa
Chestnut mushrooms with chipotle make a great umami-rich stand-in for meat in these easy veggie fajitas. Everyone will love helping themselves to the charred spring onion and chive salsa, creamy natural yogurt for dolloping on top and a generous grating of cheddar.
Discover even more vegetarian fajita recipes.
Don't want to stop at Mondays? Get inspired for meat-free meals every day of the week:
Vegetarian recipes
Top vegetarian student recipes
Vegetarian Italian recipes
Quick vegetarian meals
Vegetarian barbecue recipes
Which one will you try first? Let us know in the comments...
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