high protein vegetarian dinner recipes
October 22, 2022 3:01 AM Subscribe
This will be a challenge because I'm a picky plant-based eater! But I need the protein for muscle hypertrophy. Give me your best recipes!
Requirements: ovo lacto vegetarian (so eggs/dairy are ok), and at least 25g of protein per serving, preferably close to 30g.
Servings should be around 500-600 calories but that part is more flexible. Ratio of fat/carbs also flexible.
I hate or have bad physical reactions to: imitation meats of all kinds (Beyond, Impossible, etc), seitan, tempeh, and lentils
I like (or tolerate): tofu and soybeans, all nuts and nut butters and seeds and seed butters, nutritional yeast, all types of canned beans, yogurt, cheese, eggs, most vegetables and grains, pasta with the added protein (like Barilla brand)
(I'm also not opposed to adding unflavored protein powder to meals if the texture won't change)
Any ideas?
Requirements: ovo lacto vegetarian (so eggs/dairy are ok), and at least 25g of protein per serving, preferably close to 30g.
Servings should be around 500-600 calories but that part is more flexible. Ratio of fat/carbs also flexible.
I hate or have bad physical reactions to: imitation meats of all kinds (Beyond, Impossible, etc), seitan, tempeh, and lentils
I like (or tolerate): tofu and soybeans, all nuts and nut butters and seeds and seed butters, nutritional yeast, all types of canned beans, yogurt, cheese, eggs, most vegetables and grains, pasta with the added protein (like Barilla brand)
(I'm also not opposed to adding unflavored protein powder to meals if the texture won't change)
Any ideas?
I don’t have a particular recipe for you, but when I need a lot of vegetarian protein, I rely heavily on Wildwood High-Protein Tofu. It has a lot more protein than regular extra-firm tofu, so 1/3 block would get you very close to 25g by itself. I like to fry slices in coconut or olive oil, douse them in soy sauce, then put them on top of whatever is around— usually some grains and fermented veggies or a salad.
posted by juliapangolin at 4:39 AM on October 22, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by juliapangolin at 4:39 AM on October 22, 2022 [4 favorites]
Re: meat substitutes -- you've probably already tried Quorn, but if you haven't, it's different enough and generally good enough that it's worth trying. These are good if you're in the mood for vaguely italian stuff.
posted by amtho at 5:43 AM on October 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by amtho at 5:43 AM on October 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Grab some Indian cookbooks. You could have something like chana masala with hard-boiled egg.
posted by haptic_avenger at 5:46 AM on October 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by haptic_avenger at 5:46 AM on October 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
1 cup of cooked lentils has about 25g of protein. I make this recipe from a Mark Bittman cookbook quite often; and it’s really easy to make, too.
posted by rhymedirective at 6:10 AM on October 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by rhymedirective at 6:10 AM on October 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Oh sorry, I missed where you said you didn’t like lentils, scratch that!
posted by rhymedirective at 6:19 AM on October 22, 2022
posted by rhymedirective at 6:19 AM on October 22, 2022
Seconding that Wildwood tofu. I take it from the package, slice or dice it-- it comes cut into large pieces-- and toss it into a skillet with a little bit of whatever sauce I have around. Currently I'm using a couple of Little Goat sauces. I don't even put oil in the pan, just heat small amounts of sauce and let it form a glaze on the tofu. You can also do something like saute mushrooms and throw the tofu in.
Tofu noodles are wonderful too. Not the shirataki noodles made with yam flour; they don't have the nutrition you want. You can also just tear or slice up tofu for any noodle recipe, but actual tofu noodles are really special. I use a brand called Jenny's, but that is local to Chicago.
A lot of times, all I eat for breakfast and lunch is Fage yogurt with some oatmeal and peanut or almond butter. Very filling and tons of protein.
posted by BibiRose at 6:43 AM on October 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Tofu noodles are wonderful too. Not the shirataki noodles made with yam flour; they don't have the nutrition you want. You can also just tear or slice up tofu for any noodle recipe, but actual tofu noodles are really special. I use a brand called Jenny's, but that is local to Chicago.
A lot of times, all I eat for breakfast and lunch is Fage yogurt with some oatmeal and peanut or almond butter. Very filling and tons of protein.
posted by BibiRose at 6:43 AM on October 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
How about Cuban style black bean soup? Or African peanut soup (there's multiple versions but they're all pretty high in protein). Either served over rice gets you a balanced amino acid diet and a lot of protein.
posted by Candleman at 6:49 AM on October 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Candleman at 6:49 AM on October 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
My favorite vegetarian recipe just happens to be high in protein. I always add more cheese than the recipe calls for (because: cheese), and I usually use a 12- or 16-oz bag of frozen spinach. It reheats wonderfully, for leftovers.
Cheese Spinach Pie
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 16-oz carton small curd cottage cheese, full fat or low fat
3 eggs
1/4 c melted butter
1 c sharp cheddar, shredded or diced
3 T flour
2 T dried minced onion
1/2 t garlic powder
Mix ingredients thoroughly. Turn into a buttered 8x8 pan. Bake 1 hour, 15 minutes at 325F.
posted by DrGail at 6:58 AM on October 22, 2022 [16 favorites]
Cheese Spinach Pie
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 16-oz carton small curd cottage cheese, full fat or low fat
3 eggs
1/4 c melted butter
1 c sharp cheddar, shredded or diced
3 T flour
2 T dried minced onion
1/2 t garlic powder
Mix ingredients thoroughly. Turn into a buttered 8x8 pan. Bake 1 hour, 15 minutes at 325F.
posted by DrGail at 6:58 AM on October 22, 2022 [16 favorites]
Tortilla Espanola (The recipe says 10 grams of protein pr serving, but those are very small servings, maybe because it is quite fatty. If that isn't an issue for you, eat more!)
Sometimes when I need a protein-rich meal for some reason, I eat a large serving of ful medames with a boiled egg on top. In general, a mediterranean breakfast spread with ful, hummus, labneh, eggs and some fresh fruit and vegetables and flatbread is good all day. Another healthy meal is shakshuka. There are tons of variations.
Lentils are really king when you need protein, don't you like any lentils? One of my adult children dislikes all Indian preparations but loves a French lentil stew or salad made with Puy lentils or Beluga lentils.
Yesterday, my appetite was small, so for dinner I had: walnuts, Gorgonzola dolce and a pear. I easily got to 30 grams of protein.
posted by mumimor at 7:05 AM on October 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Sometimes when I need a protein-rich meal for some reason, I eat a large serving of ful medames with a boiled egg on top. In general, a mediterranean breakfast spread with ful, hummus, labneh, eggs and some fresh fruit and vegetables and flatbread is good all day. Another healthy meal is shakshuka. There are tons of variations.
Lentils are really king when you need protein, don't you like any lentils? One of my adult children dislikes all Indian preparations but loves a French lentil stew or salad made with Puy lentils or Beluga lentils.
Yesterday, my appetite was small, so for dinner I had: walnuts, Gorgonzola dolce and a pear. I easily got to 30 grams of protein.
posted by mumimor at 7:05 AM on October 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
COTTAGE CHEESE
Cottage cheese is great despite the bad reputation. Find a brand you like. I prefer 4% fat though 2% is ok small curd - Trader Joe's, Breakstone, Aldi's are all good. 1 cup is 25 grams of protein. Scoop how much you need on top of whatever you are eating for dinner. Makes any meal a protein meal.
Cottage cheese omelet, cottage cheese and baked beans. Cottage cheese added to spaghetti and marinara.
Hearty toast (Ezekiel's) plus cottage cheese plus nutritional yeast. Yum!
GREEK YOGURT
Find a greek yogurt brand you like. Fage tastes chalky to me lately as if they are adding powdered milk. The Trader Joe's brand is my favorite - full fat best, 2% good, 0% is okay. 20ish g of protein per cup.
My favorite savory is cubed cucumber, tomato, ranch powder.
My favorite non-savory is sliced almonds, raisins and/or chopped dates, chopped apple/banana/orange, handful of rolled oats, coconut flakes, honey and a scoop of cottage cheese.
My favorite sweet is favorite whey protein powder plus peanut butter or peanut butter powder and favorite fruit on top (frozen cherries, frozen raspberries or any fresh).
NUTRITIONAL YEAST GRAVY
2 T of nutritional yeast is 8 g protein. Stir 2 T of nutritional yeast and 2 T of flour until smells nutty but not burned (so flour is cooked and doesn't taste raw), add 2 T of oil, then slowly pour and whisk in 1/2-1 c water to the right consistency for your purpose, simmer, add about 1 T soy sauce. Pour over vegetables.
You might like vegetarian cookbooks from the 70s. Lots of dairy and eggs and nuts and beans.
posted by RoadScholar at 7:26 AM on October 22, 2022 [4 favorites]
Cottage cheese is great despite the bad reputation. Find a brand you like. I prefer 4% fat though 2% is ok small curd - Trader Joe's, Breakstone, Aldi's are all good. 1 cup is 25 grams of protein. Scoop how much you need on top of whatever you are eating for dinner. Makes any meal a protein meal.
Cottage cheese omelet, cottage cheese and baked beans. Cottage cheese added to spaghetti and marinara.
Hearty toast (Ezekiel's) plus cottage cheese plus nutritional yeast. Yum!
GREEK YOGURT
Find a greek yogurt brand you like. Fage tastes chalky to me lately as if they are adding powdered milk. The Trader Joe's brand is my favorite - full fat best, 2% good, 0% is okay. 20ish g of protein per cup.
My favorite savory is cubed cucumber, tomato, ranch powder.
My favorite non-savory is sliced almonds, raisins and/or chopped dates, chopped apple/banana/orange, handful of rolled oats, coconut flakes, honey and a scoop of cottage cheese.
My favorite sweet is favorite whey protein powder plus peanut butter or peanut butter powder and favorite fruit on top (frozen cherries, frozen raspberries or any fresh).
NUTRITIONAL YEAST GRAVY
2 T of nutritional yeast is 8 g protein. Stir 2 T of nutritional yeast and 2 T of flour until smells nutty but not burned (so flour is cooked and doesn't taste raw), add 2 T of oil, then slowly pour and whisk in 1/2-1 c water to the right consistency for your purpose, simmer, add about 1 T soy sauce. Pour over vegetables.
You might like vegetarian cookbooks from the 70s. Lots of dairy and eggs and nuts and beans.
posted by RoadScholar at 7:26 AM on October 22, 2022 [4 favorites]
I don't figure my meals in servings so I'm not 100% sure, but I am a vegan and I think most of what I eat matches your requirements.
I eat a lot of tofu and it is pretty protein-dense (I always buy the firmest available, which generally means the highest protein:water). I have two main hacks that I use to make it easy to cook with and palatable. In my experience they make a huge difference to the kinds of results available, and if you find yourself ambivalent about tofu you should check them out.
My go-to meal is tofu oven-roasted with on-hand vegetables in one pan ("tofu surprise") which I will post in a separate comment.
posted by grobstein at 8:17 AM on October 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
I eat a lot of tofu and it is pretty protein-dense (I always buy the firmest available, which generally means the highest protein:water). I have two main hacks that I use to make it easy to cook with and palatable. In my experience they make a huge difference to the kinds of results available, and if you find yourself ambivalent about tofu you should check them out.
My go-to meal is tofu oven-roasted with on-hand vegetables in one pan ("tofu surprise") which I will post in a separate comment.
posted by grobstein at 8:17 AM on October 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
Tofu surprise (oven-roasted tofu with on-hand vegetables)
This is a simple framework for a recipe that can be elaborated in many different ways. The basic is as follows.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Chop 1lb. tofu into blocks (I tend to use halved 1in. cubes). (This recipe works best with tofu that has been frozen and thawed per the tofu hack, but tofu straight from the supermarket is fine as well.) Chop an onion. Chop garlic and ginger. Take about half a large head of cauliflower, trim, and chop into 1-2in pieces. Chop a large sweet potato into 0.5in cubes.
Combine all ingredients in a large cast iron skillet (you can also use any high-walled oven pan). Sprinkle liberally (liberally!) with salt, and pepper. (Golden Sun brand madras curry powder can also be added liberally at this stage. It is salty.)
Add olive oil. I don't measure this. The oil contributes flavor and helps distribute heat but more importantly you don't want the stuff sticking to your pan. You'll have to experiment with the amount. I usually drizzle it over the top, making a couple wide zig-zag passes over the skillet.
Toss and mix the ingredients, oil, salt and pepper with a small fork. Give it a real good mixing around. Ideally you'd like every piece of food in the pan to have a bit of oil on it.
Now put the skillet in the oven.
Congratulations. You are basically done.
You're actually done when everything is nicely browned, approximately 1 hour (but, depending on your oven, perhaps as long as 90 minutes). You should check on it every 20 minutes or so till it's done. Eyeball it, take it out of the oven, and mix it around with the fork again so it cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the bottom. I like to put it in the oven and then do some bodyweight exercises or take a swim.
Variant ingredients: the only hard constraint I observe in making the dish is you should have some starch to balance things, so if you take out the sweet potatoes, you should use something else starchy. Pretty much anything goes otherwise. However, the more (and the wetter) ingredients you include, the longer your cooking time will be, so plan accordingly.
* Potatoes can be added or substituted into the dish without changing any of the procedures.
* Ditto for brussels sprouts.
* Same for carrots (just make sure to chop them up a bit -- doesn't have to be superfine, but these are the longest-cooking ingredients in the dish; let's say make the pieces no larger than the sweet potato pieces).
* For broccoli, or other lighter vegetables, only put them in for the last 20-30 minutes for best results.
* Rice, already cooked (either fresh or refrigerated) can be added in for the last 30min or so of the cooking time. You can use anywhere from a couple spoonfuls to a couple cups of cooked rice, depending on what you have and how ricey you want the dish to be. If you like crunchy rice, make sure to give the rice enough time to get well and roasted.
* Cheese over the top, added in the last 5-20min, makes this pretty indulgent. I used to melt a few Trader Joe's "string cheese" type product, which at least has a lot of protein if you're already wandering into this market segment. But cheese is not at all necessary to make a rich and flavorful Surprise.
* Field Roast vegan sausages can be used (chop into disks or half-disks), but they tend to dry out a bit, so don't add them till the last idk 20min or so.
* Mushrooms work pretty well (they will and should be wet at the end). Peppers don't "break" the recipe but I don't really like them in this dish.
posted by grobstein at 8:21 AM on October 22, 2022 [6 favorites]
This is a simple framework for a recipe that can be elaborated in many different ways. The basic is as follows.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Chop 1lb. tofu into blocks (I tend to use halved 1in. cubes). (This recipe works best with tofu that has been frozen and thawed per the tofu hack, but tofu straight from the supermarket is fine as well.) Chop an onion. Chop garlic and ginger. Take about half a large head of cauliflower, trim, and chop into 1-2in pieces. Chop a large sweet potato into 0.5in cubes.
Combine all ingredients in a large cast iron skillet (you can also use any high-walled oven pan). Sprinkle liberally (liberally!) with salt, and pepper. (Golden Sun brand madras curry powder can also be added liberally at this stage. It is salty.)
Add olive oil. I don't measure this. The oil contributes flavor and helps distribute heat but more importantly you don't want the stuff sticking to your pan. You'll have to experiment with the amount. I usually drizzle it over the top, making a couple wide zig-zag passes over the skillet.
Toss and mix the ingredients, oil, salt and pepper with a small fork. Give it a real good mixing around. Ideally you'd like every piece of food in the pan to have a bit of oil on it.
Now put the skillet in the oven.
Congratulations. You are basically done.
You're actually done when everything is nicely browned, approximately 1 hour (but, depending on your oven, perhaps as long as 90 minutes). You should check on it every 20 minutes or so till it's done. Eyeball it, take it out of the oven, and mix it around with the fork again so it cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the bottom. I like to put it in the oven and then do some bodyweight exercises or take a swim.
Variant ingredients: the only hard constraint I observe in making the dish is you should have some starch to balance things, so if you take out the sweet potatoes, you should use something else starchy. Pretty much anything goes otherwise. However, the more (and the wetter) ingredients you include, the longer your cooking time will be, so plan accordingly.
* Potatoes can be added or substituted into the dish without changing any of the procedures.
* Ditto for brussels sprouts.
* Same for carrots (just make sure to chop them up a bit -- doesn't have to be superfine, but these are the longest-cooking ingredients in the dish; let's say make the pieces no larger than the sweet potato pieces).
* For broccoli, or other lighter vegetables, only put them in for the last 20-30 minutes for best results.
* Rice, already cooked (either fresh or refrigerated) can be added in for the last 30min or so of the cooking time. You can use anywhere from a couple spoonfuls to a couple cups of cooked rice, depending on what you have and how ricey you want the dish to be. If you like crunchy rice, make sure to give the rice enough time to get well and roasted.
* Cheese over the top, added in the last 5-20min, makes this pretty indulgent. I used to melt a few Trader Joe's "string cheese" type product, which at least has a lot of protein if you're already wandering into this market segment. But cheese is not at all necessary to make a rich and flavorful Surprise.
* Field Roast vegan sausages can be used (chop into disks or half-disks), but they tend to dry out a bit, so don't add them till the last idk 20min or so.
* Mushrooms work pretty well (they will and should be wet at the end). Peppers don't "break" the recipe but I don't really like them in this dish.
posted by grobstein at 8:21 AM on October 22, 2022 [6 favorites]
I really like these baked tofu bites. You can eat them hot or cold, use them as snacks, or throw them on top of other foods to increase the protein. If you don't like this flavoring, there are lots of other recipes if you google "tofu bites."
posted by FencingGal at 8:45 AM on October 22, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by FencingGal at 8:45 AM on October 22, 2022 [5 favorites]
When I went shopping, I was reminded that peas have a very high protein content. Try something like this, but where you up the peas a bit, and you can use the protein-pasta if you need to.
Or make a pea soup, with cream.
I use fresh or frozen peas in salads a lot.
posted by mumimor at 9:08 AM on October 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Or make a pea soup, with cream.
I use fresh or frozen peas in salads a lot.
posted by mumimor at 9:08 AM on October 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
A quick note from the peanut gallery that the OP didn’t say that they don’t *like* lentils, but that they have had a bad physical reaction to them. Good to keep in mind!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 10:06 AM on October 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 10:06 AM on October 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
Chickpeas are really good in stew-/curry-type things that are designed for them (like chana masala) and also in stew-/curry-type things where other people might normally use chicken.
posted by lapis at 11:23 AM on October 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by lapis at 11:23 AM on October 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
If you want a Greek yogurt recco the full fat plain Aldi brand yogurt is my very favorite and so inexpensive.
posted by phunniemee at 11:56 AM on October 22, 2022
posted by phunniemee at 11:56 AM on October 22, 2022
I'm an unpicky vegetarian who also needed to up her protein and I ended up just throwing whey protein isolate into most food and drinks since it adds 25 grams of protein in one scoop. Much easier.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 9:26 AM on October 23, 2022
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 9:26 AM on October 23, 2022
I struggle with this too, particularly with the sheer volume of non-meat food that needs to be consumed for muscle gain levels of protein - I often just physically can't eat that much. I also hate drinks/food based on rehydrating powdery substances, and have never got on board with protein shakes for that reason.
However, I've recently become aware that water with added protein exists, as does clear fruit-flavoured whey protein isolate powder that can be mixed into something that's more the consistency of a drink than a smoothie or shake. I'm considering trying this rather than further attempts to cram in the protein via solid matter.
posted by terretu at 7:51 AM on October 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
However, I've recently become aware that water with added protein exists, as does clear fruit-flavoured whey protein isolate powder that can be mixed into something that's more the consistency of a drink than a smoothie or shake. I'm considering trying this rather than further attempts to cram in the protein via solid matter.
posted by terretu at 7:51 AM on October 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pyro979 at 3:48 AM on October 22, 2022