40 healthier vegetarian comfort food recipes
We all love comfort food – especially when the nights are closing in. Salad is a no-no at this time of year, and all I want is a big warm bowl of something to curl up with on the sofa under a blanket (…I only mean my legs will be under the blanket, not the food as well. I don’t make blanket forts… though now I kind of want to).
Alas, comfort food is often pretty bad for you – full of carbs and fat, and not much else (I’m looking at you, macaroni cheese). So here are some of my favourite vegetarian comfort food recipes that are just a touch healthier, and perfect for any evening between now and February (or, knowing the UK, April).
Everyone’s definition of ‘healthy’ is different, so all of these recipes are healthy in different ways – some are low carb, some are low fat, some are vegan or gluten-free, some use plenty of veg to bulk out the less nutritious ingredients, and some are simply made with whole food ingredients. Whatever your definition, you’re bound to find something here that you can enjoy eating while feeling good about yourself too.
(One day I’ll do you a round-up of totally not healthy comfort food… but today is not that day.)
Comfort food ahoy!
Cheesy pesto white bean mash (pictured above)
Curried broccoli dal [vegan]
Veggie-packed slow cooker black bean soup [vegan]
Shepherdess pie with creamy cauliflower mash from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary [vegan]
Thai coconut corn and mushroom soup from Bev Cooks [vegan]
Cauliflower pizza crust from Cooking Classy
Eggplant ‘meatballs’ from Connoisseurus Veg [vegan]
Creamy tofu tortilla soup from One Ingredient Chef [vegan]
Garlicky quinoa bowls with broccoli and chickpeas [vegan] (pictured above)
Risotto primavera with parsley pesto [vegan]
Summer vegetable pasta in garlic butter sauce
Richly braised lentils from Tinned Tomatoes [vegan]
Easy lo mein from Damn Delicious [vegan]
Hungarian summer squash with sour cream, paprika and dill from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Cauliflower coconut masala from The Roasted Root [vegan]
Smoky butternut squash sauce with pasta and greens from Oh She Glows [vegan]
Caribbean-style sweet potato stew [vegan] (pictured above)
Restaurant-style black beans [vegan]
Creamed kale with chickpeas
Crock pot black bean and brown rice soup from Kitchen Treaty [vegan]
Artichoke and fava bean tagine from Closet Cooking [vegan]
Shakshouka with kale and mushrooms from The Roasted Root
Cauliflower fettuccine ‘alfredo’ from Oh She Glows [vegan]
Slow cooker spicy brown rice and black bean cheesy bowl from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Weeknight tikka masala (pictured above)
Low-carb cauliflower fried rice
Veggie burrito bowls
Healthy macaroni cheese from Hungry Healthy Happy
Green pea, baby potato and cauliflower curry from An Edible Mosaic
Sweet potato and spinach curry from Kavey Eats [vegan]
Cannellini bean and broccoli rabe risotto from Connoisseurus Veg [vegan]
Black bean and pepper jack stuffed poblano peppers from Oh My Veggies
Vegetarian sausage hotpot [vegan] (pictured above)
Roasted vegetable enchilada casserole
Creamy spring vegetable soup
Mediterranean macaroni cheese from Cooking Classy
Thai green curry lentil soup from Kitchen Treaty [vegan]
Tofu vindaloo from Oh My Veggies [vegan]
Madras lentils from Peas and Crayons [vegan]
Cauliflower ‘risotto’ from Fork and Beans [vegan]
It’s obvious that you’re good at cooking vegetables. Keep it up, Im one of your fan Becca.
Awesome recipes!! Thanks for sharing!!
Great recipe list of yours, I will definitely try each of these, but I can’t still decide which one to try first.
Excuse me while I lick my screen! LOVE the round-up and I’m so thrilled to be included alongside all these yummy veggie dishes! Thanks Becca! xoxo
Great recipes, im trying to eat more veggie food, so great ideas for me to try :)
Oh my goodness – so many great comforting choices here! LOVE this round-up. Thank you so much for linking to my soup recipes!
What a great resource this post is… i’ve pinned it onto my veggie family food board so I can go back to it every week when i’m menu planning the week ahead :-)
A super selection, I especially like the hot pot at the bottom.
My Honey and I were just talking abut comfort food — I suggested a recipe and his eyes got wide and all the calories?? And I responded — it’s comfort food and the taste is fantastic. It isn’t something you eat all the time. Love the vegetarian recipes — we are carnivores but we do like our veggies. I will be pinning many recipes.
Great round-up and thanks so much for including me!
Those look like some fantastic recipes, thanks for sharing!
Happy Blogging!
Blimey! What a massive range. You have literally meal planned November!
What a selection. I wouldn’t know where to start. The best thing to do is show the girls your recipies and get them to choose a selection and off I go. Again, many thanks.
Great list of recipes, it will be really hard to decide which one to make first :)
This is perfect…it’s cold and raining where I live today, so warm comfort food is exactly what I need! Great picks – thank you so much for including a couple of mine! :)