40 High-Protein Vegan Recipes That Are Satisfying and Totally Plant-Based
You’ve committed to upping your protein intake—it’s essential to muscle-building and hormone production, plus you could use the energy boost. But you don’t eat meat, dairy, eggs or any other animal products. Is it possible to follow a vegan diet and still pack your meals with protein? Yep, with tofu, quinoa, beans, nut butters and nut milks (and even some fruits, vegetables and grains), there are plenty of vegan and plant-based meals to choose from. From braised chickpeas to mac and cheese (really!), these 40 high-protein vegan recipes are sure to keep you satisfied.
Psst: Wondering how much protein you actually need? According to Harvard Medical School, the recommended daily allowance for a sedentary adult is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight—but that doesn’t account for activity level. You can use this handy calculator from the USDA to figure out your own daily recommended intake.
Easy High-Protein Vegan Recipes
Chelsea Kyle/For the Table
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, gluten free
This marinated white bean and tomato salad fits our ideal for a side dish: It’s less than ten ingredients, can be made in advance and doubled for a crowd, plus, it’s gluten free. You could even serve it as a main course alongside a green salad or toasted bread.
Lizzie Mayson/The Italian Deli Cookbook
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, one pan, gluten free
Chickpeas aren’t just for hummus. Here, they’re cooked low and slow with rich tomato sauce for a dish that’s both comforting and light.
Rebecca Hincke/The Vegan Pasta Cookbook
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
Here’s proof that you don’t need a bunch of cheese, butter and cream to make a decadent pasta dish. The secret ingredient is balsamic vinegar, which adds tangy depth of flavor.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Thanks to non-dairy sour cream, it practically melts in your mouth. Bonus: The Swiss chard is packed with vitamins C, A, K and B6, magnesium, iron and potassium.
Nassima Rothacker/Happy Food
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, low sugar, ready in <30 minutes
A plant-based dinner that’s ready to eat in 30 minutes? This is exactly what we’ve been looking for. Wait until you try the nut Parmesan, which is made from a blend of hazelnuts and almond flour.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Skip the pecorino and revel in the heaping plate of vegan pasta that’s waiting for you. With its tender vegetables and rich sauce, it’s the next best thing to a sunny Italian getaway.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 7 hours, 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, <500 calories, beginner-friendly
Lose the Parmesan and you’re good to go—you won’t even miss it. The aromatics will give this slow cooker soup flavor without any effort (or dairy).
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Make this quick dish vegan-friendly by swapping the butter for olive oil. Oh, and it reheats beautifully for leftovers.
Jeanine Donofrio/Love & Lemons Everyday
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
The sweet, juicy corn kernels paired with the “milk” from the cobs become a perfect cream sauce without using actual cream. You’re going to want seconds.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, low sugar
You can’t beat a classic. Fun fact, combining rice and beans in one dish isn’t just delicious; it also creates a complete protein sans meat.
Bec Hudson/Vegan One-Pot Wonders
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
Scoop the rice into bowls, set out an array of toppings (like kimchi, avocado, furikake and chile oil) and watch the crowd go wild.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, gluten free
This beats a peanut butter sandwich any day. You can even make them up to two days in advance and the hardy greens won’t get soggy in the fridge.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes (+ chilling time)
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, low sugar
We’ll be serving these at all our future cocktail parties (and no one will know they’re vegan). A fresh tomato dipping sauce will complete the appetizer.
ERIN KUNKEL/MALIBU FARM SUNRISE TO SUNSET
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly
Hot tip: The dressing, squash and beets can all be made days in advance and kept in the fridge until assembly (and, in our opinion, taste better that way). Plus, you can swap in whatever leftover vegetables you have on hand—roasted sweet potatoes or carrots instead of squash, pickled jicama instead of beets and black beans instead of chickpeas would all be delicious.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, ready in <30 minutes, low sugar
Pasta and avocado are an unlikely pairing, but the creamy and chewy textures are delightful together.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
When tofu and black beans need a break, try jackfruit as your next taco filling. When cooked with spices, it tastes exactly like pulled pork.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, special occasion–worthy
The meatballs are so moist and flavorful, you’ll hardly believe they’re made from tofu. You can use any vegetables, as long as they’re similar sizes for even cooking.
Nisha Vora/The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, special occasion–worthy
Pho broth is traditionally simmered for hours, but thanks to your trusty Instant Pot, it can be ready in less than 30 minutes. All that’s left is assembly.
Melina Hammer/Simply Julia
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, beginner-friendly
To make it vegan, use plant-based mayo in the creamy lemon sauce. You can serve this stew over any grain, but quinoa would give it an extra boost of plant-based protein.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, one pan, beginner-friendly
Behold your new go-to dish when you’re craving takeout. The vegetables can be swapped with whatever’s sneaking around in your fridge.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, make ahead
Proof that a vegan salad doesn’t have to be a sad, sparse bowl of lettuce. Bring on the smoky seitan crumble and plant-based sour cream.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, special occasion–worthy
Most risotto recipes involve a lot of butter and Parm, but this one gets its creaminess from white bean puree. Plus, the Instant Pot does all of the cooking and you don’t even have to stir.
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, special occasion–worthy
It’s pretty damn hard to tell that these tender, crispy nuggets aren’t made with meat. (Thanks again, tofu and seitan.)
Linda Pugliese/Help Yourself
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: low sugar, <500 calories, beginner-friendly
Tofu comes in all different styles and textures, but our favorite way to eat it is crispy—with romesco and lots of flaky salt, of course.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
Many homemade veggie burgers require a food processor and a bunch of random ingredients. This one is different—and so delicious.
Nisha Vora/The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, special occasion–worthy, <500 calories
You don’t even have to turn on the stove to make it. (And don’t get us started on the vegan ricotta.)
Peter O’Sullivan & Simon Smith/ Plants-Only Kitchen
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
Bye, bacon, egg and cheese. These breakfast sandwiches get their protein from tempeh, a plant-based protein source made from fermented soybean. It’s glazed in a smoky-sweet sauce for a bacon-y effect.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
To make this protein-packed soup totally plant-based, simply skip the anchovies and swap the sour cream for a dairy-free version.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, low sugar
Something about the sweet, salty, rich flavor of butternut squash lends itself perfectly to a vegan “cheese” sauce. Add homemade smoky shiitake mushroom “bacon” and you’ll achieve next-level deliciousness.
Bec Hudson/Vegan One-Pot Wonders
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <15 minutes, one pan, <10 ingredients
Speaking of tofu, this scrambled version is tasty, filling and infinitely customizable. Even better, you don’t have to press it before cooking.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, special occasion–worthy
Since there are no noodles, this one also happens to be gluten free. Each of the components can be made ahead and held in the fridge if you want to save some time.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: low sugar, <500 calories
This hearty salad can be served on its own as a main course or as a side. We recommend doubling the pine nut cream, since it will keep in the fridge and can jazz up other salads or crudités.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, low sugar, <500 calories
This vegan burger is positively juicy, thanks to balsamic vinegar and portobello mushrooms.
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Aran Goyoaga
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes (+ soaking time)
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, low sugar, <500 calories
TBH, a creamy salad dressing is far superior to all others. Lucky for you, making a plant-based version is as easy as pie cashews.
Gemma Ogston/The Self-Care Cookbook
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, low sugar, <500 calories
When you have chickpea flour, eggs need not apply. Plus, the protein from the quinoa and the iron in the greens provide an extra nutritional boost to start the day.
Helene Dujardin/The Essential Vegan Keto Cookbook
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: keto, low sugar, <500 calories
Who says vegans can’t go keto? (And even if you’re not keto, it’s slurp-ably good.)
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, low sugar
Gooey, velvety cheese dip is officially back on your meal plan, thanks to an ingenious combination of potatoes, cashews and a ton of spices. Pass the chips.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, low sugar, <500 calories
For being plant-based, this casserole is surprisingly indulgent (and delightfully hearty). You wouldn’t know it, but it also happens to be less than 500 calories per serving.
Aran Goyoaga/Cannelle et Vanille
- Time Commitment: 1 hour (+ soaking time)
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, low sugar
This salad is all about the combination of different textures and flavors: buttery, crispy, tart, sweet and herbaceous. Surprisingly, it’s easy to assemble once you soak the beans.
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, make ahead
Even so-called eggplant haters will fall for this silky, tender version of the vegetable. The miso-tahini glaze is punchy, acidic, sweet and savory, adding layers of flavor to this meal.
Senior Food Editor
- Heads PureWow’s food vertical
- Contributes original reporting, recipes and food styling
- Studied English Literature at the University of Notre Dame and Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education
