89 Vegetarian Dinner Party Mains for Easy Entertaining
Planning a vegetarian dinner party is an opportunity to try that dish you’ve been meaning to cook since you saw it in the Epicurious newsletter. It’s a chance to fire up the grill—or get out your prettiest enameled casserole dish. And most important, it’s the moment to go big on whatever looks best at the market. Below you’ll find vegetarian recipes that look and feel impressive, but actually won’t require any fuss or last-minute stress, so you can extend the invite to everyone you’ve been meaning to see lately. Scroll down to start saving all of our vegetarian dinner party favorites.
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Photo by Eva Kosmas Flores1/89Cauliflower Puttanesca
If you need to make sure your vegetarian dinner party is also friendly to folks who eat gluten-free, this quick showstopper is an excellent plan. Instead of pasta, the savory olive-and-caper-packed sauce dresses tender roasted cauliflower.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks2/89
White Pizza With Shaved Vegetables and Pesto
Make it a pizza party with this pretty green pie, topped with a veritable salad of peas, crisp asparagus ribbons, zucchini, leeks, and watercress.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell3/89
Roasted Cabbage Steaks With Crispy Chickpeas and Herby Croutons
Cabbage turns sweet when roasted at a high temperature, but the star of this vegetarian dinner is the luxurious and lemony garlic sauce.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton4/89
Eggplant Parmesan
Be sure to use a vegetarian-friendly parm for this recipe—and lots of gooey mozzarella.
- Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Micah Marie Morton5/89
Tater Tot Chaat
A big platter of chaat makes a festive dinner. And starting with a base of frozen tater tots is even more fun.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich6/89
Pulled Mushroom Tacos With Salsa Guille
If your dinner party is a potluck, everyone could pitch in by bringing fillings for vegetarian tacos, plus salsas and crunchy toppings. But if you’re narrowing it to just one recipe, this is the place to start.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell7/89
Pasta With 15-Minute Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
Transform sweet cherry tomatoes into a silky pasta sauce in just a few minutes.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton8/89
Ratatouille
In summer, there’s no better dinner party menu than a big pot of ratatouille, a big loaf of fresh bread, and glasses of rosé.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton9/89
Fusilli in Creamy Vegan Asparagus Pesto
This verdant pasta sauce uses puréed cashews for richness. Garnish each serving with fresh basil leaves.
- Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell10/89
Green Bean Niçoise Salad
This vegetarian version of the classic French salad is brimming with bright spring vegetables, dressed in a lemony Dijon dressing, and topped with fried capers. It’s one of those dinner recipes you’ll have on repeat during warm weather weekends.
- Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich11/89
Creamy Mushroom Lasagna
Keeping your lasagna tomato- and meat-free means the spotlight really shines on the earthy mushrooms and creamy ricotta. Serve this baked pasta dish with a simple, tart salad on the side.
- Photo by Elena Heatherwick12/89
Confit Tandoori Chickpeas
Slowly cooking chickpeas with olive oil, whole garlic cloves, ginger, tomatoes, chiles, cumin, coriander, and turmeric renders them deeply flavored and perfectly tender.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch13/89
Grilled Jerk Tofu and Plantains With Mango Salsa
If you haven’t been freezing your tofu, you’ll be delighted to see how well it absorbs this flavorful marinade after thawing. Grilled plantains make the ultimate side.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley14/89
Marcella Hazan’s Butter, Tomato, and Onion Sauce
This pasta sauce from Italian cooking legend Marcella Hazan is perfect for spontaneous dinner invites. If you have canned tomatoes, an onion, and butter, you’re ready to rock.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne15/89
Paneer-Stuffed Peppers
Searing the paneer adds a slight smokiness to the saucy spiced tomato filling used for this vegetarian dish.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks16/89
Herb-Crusted Cauliflower Steaks With Beans and Tomatoes
Prep work for this sheet-pan dinner is simplified with an herbed garlic oil used two ways: First, it’s mixed with panko and cheese for a crispy crust for the cauliflower, then tossed with white beans and cherry tomatoes for a zesty side dish.
- Photo by Evan Sung17/89
Roasted Eggplant in Mafé Peanut Sauce
One taste of this iconic Senegalese peanut sauce, and your guests will be asking for the recipe.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow18/89
Chickpea-Mushroom Veggie Burgers
Dinner parties are better when prepped ahead, and these delicious homemade veggie burgers are made in advance, frozen, then crisped up like a smash burger in the oven.
- Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich19/89
Baked Feta Pasta With Chickpeas
Gather any fresh herbs you’ve been keeping around to scatter over this hearty play on baked feta.
- Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell20/89
Pozole Verde Con Hongos
The garnishes are the thing here: Top each bowl with crunchy onion and radish, fragrant oregano, and fresh cilantro, then squeeze in as much lime juice as you please.
- Photo by Facundo Bustamante21/89
Paella Verde
Seafood paella isn’t the only option for the crowd-pleasing rice dish; this all-veg version works in artichokes, zucchini, baby spinach, and broccoli.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele22/89
Chana Masala
Don’t toss the liquid from the cans of garbanzo beans used here—it’s simmered right along with the chickpeas.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell23/89
Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells
This one-pan, stovetop-only pasta turns mushroom-and-spinach-stuffed shells into a dish you can pull together without a lot of fuss. Serve this vegetarian dinner party star with a big kale salad and garlic bread bites, and have your friends bring some wine.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich24/89
Stuffed Squash With Preserved-Lemon Gravy
A showstopping main course for your special occasions, inspired by the flavors of tagine.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews25/89
Chickpea Flatbreads With Burst Tomato Sauce
Turn chickpea flour into crispy-edged flatbreads; then use them to scoop up a saucy, sweet-tart mix of burst tomatoes, chickpeas, feta, and greens.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks26/89
Wild Mushroom and Parsnip Ragout With Cheesy Polenta
This hearty vegetarian ragout—served on a bed of creamy polenta—gets a boost of rich flavor from umami-packed tomato and miso pastes.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson27/89
Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili
You probably already have the pantry staples you need to make this 30-minute chili. Set out a toppings bar with options for everyone.
- Photo by Nik Sharma28/89
Lentil Lasagna
This recipe from Nik Sharma is a favorite among Epi app users and will delight vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews29/89
Spring Greens and Leek Gratin
So you want to eat all the seasonal greens but can’t face another salad? Cream (and butter...and cheese...) to the rescue.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell30/89
Saucy Beans and Artichoke Hearts With Feta
Large, creamy beans get loads of flavor from tomatoes, garlic, and tangy feta here. Browned artichokes make it feel a little festive and fancy.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Simon Andrews31/89
Cheesy Hand Pies
The secret to this super-flaky pastry is to grate frozen butter into the flour before incorporating it into the dough. Serve these hand pies warm as an appetizer or as dinner alongside a big green salad.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Dawn Perry32/89
Beer-Can Cabbage Sandwiches
With this awesome beer can–inspired technique, cabbage becomes the star of any backyard barbecue. Round out your menu with even more vegetarian grilling recipes.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Laura Rege33/89
Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Salad
Grilled veggies turn ho-hum pasta salad into a worthy main dish. If you can’t find a nice full-size tomato, sub in cherry tomatoes here.
- Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich34/89
Cauliflower Steaks With Coconut-Turmeric Relish
Thick-cut planks of roasted cauliflower make for a stunning vegetarian entrée, especially when dressed with a sweet-and-spicy, chutney-like relish.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Laura Rege35/89
Summertime Sōmen Noodles
Pile noodles over ice to keep them ice-cold at the center of the table and serve with an assortment of toppings so each guest can make their own perfect bowl.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne36/89
Baked Rigatoni With Red Peppers and Green Olives
We love a baked pasta to feed a crowd. This one leans on a jar of roasted red peppers for sweet-and-savory flavor.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens37/89
Spiced Quinoa and Chickpea Bites
Inspired by the flavors of kefta, these protein-packed vegetarian bites are equally good tucked into a pita or served on their own.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton38/89
Sri Lankan Cashew Curry
Whole cashews simmer and soften enough to sip up luscious coconut milk, scented with ginger, cumin, turmeric, and fennel. Serve with a squeeze of lime and this crunchy cucumber salad, swapping out the dill for cilantro or mint.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens39/89
Grilled Greens and Cheese on Toast
Pile charred Halloumi cheese, kale, and cherry tomatoes onto grilled bread rubbed with garlic for an almost-instant summer dinner.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton40/89
Butternut Squash Vegducken
This stunner of an entrée is an entirely meatless take on turducken, with butternut squash, eggplant, and zucchini swapped in for the traditional meaty ingredients. Looking for a vegan main course? Follow these simple swaps to remove the dairy and eggs.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Pearl Jones41/89
Cacio e Pepe Pie
This spaghetti pie has all the best parts of cacio e pepe (Pecorino! black pepper!) in a hearty, extra-cheesy baked form.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell42/89
Creamy Squash Risotto With Toasted Pepitas
Miso amps up the savory side of this slightly smoky risotto, which is brightened with a touch of orange zest.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li43/89
Butternut Squash Steaks With Brown Butter–Sage Sauce
Applying the classic steakhouse butter-basting technique to slabs of butternut squash turns it into a hearty vegetarian main.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson44/89
Baked Stuffed Shells
Individual servings of stuffed shells make an impressive presentation. If you have enough individual baking dishes, divide the shells and sauce among them, then top with cheese, keeping in mind that you might need a little more cheese to top individual servings than is called for in the recipe.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks45/89
Cheesy Delicata Squash and Kale Casserole
Thinly sliced squash and kale (plus plenty of ricotta cheese) combine in a lasagna-like casserole that’s pure comfort food.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson46/89
Lemony Pasta With Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Arugula
A vegetarian pasta dinner that’s full of so much fresh arugula, it almost feels like eating a salad. In a good way.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks47/89
Tomato Tart With Chickpea Crumble
A combination of pistachios and chickpeas adds filling protein and rich flavor to this tomato tart.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell48/89
Grilled Whole Eggplant With Harissa Vinaigrette
If you have a charcoal grill, you’re just a few steps away from the best eggplant you’ve ever had. Serve with a basket of flatbread for scooping.
- Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Laura Rege49/89
Shawarma-Spiced Tofu Pita Wraps
Tearing tofu into craggy pieces and then roasting with a heap of spices until the edges turn crisp is the key to these intensely flavorful sandwiches.
- Photo by Hannah Che50/89
Vegan Mapo Tofu
Meat has never been the most important part of mapo tofu; the core of its flavor comes from the fermented black beans, chili bean paste, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and ground red chiles.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks51/89
Vegetarian Brown Rice Salad With Parsnips and Whipped Ricotta
This hearty salad combines roasted parsnips, hazelnuts, fresh orange, and crisp lettuce for a bright, refreshing vegetarian dinner.
- Photo by Luisa Brimble52/89
Deconstructed Falafel Salad
Crispy cumin-roasted chickpeas meet kale, parsley, mint, and a lemony tahini dressing in this refreshing, filling vegan salad.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell53/89
Paneer Butter Masala
This creamy paneer and tomato dish is flavored with ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek, and chile.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce54/89
A Vegetarian’s Dream Sweet Potato Dinner
This comforting dinner has everything you could want in a vegetarian dinner party recipe: roasted sweet potatoes, crisp mushrooms, and tender lentils over a dill-spiked feta-tahini sauce.
- Photo by Eva Kolenko55/89
Spicy Unstuffed Pasta Shells With Roasted Garlic and Chèvre
When you’re entertaining a crowd, maybe it’s better if you’re not hand-stuffing each bite. Unstuffed shells are your lower-effort move.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson56/89
Butternut Squash and Creamed-Spinach Gratin
A generous dose of heavy cream enriches this butternut squash and spinach gratin. Round out the meal with a baguette and some blanched green beans.
- Photo & Food Styling by Hetty McKinnon57/89
Grilled Cauliflower Wedges With Herb Tarator
A whole head of cauliflower is dramatic, but you’ll get more delightfully charred surface area if you cut it into wedges.
- Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani58/89
Torta Pasqualina
Your first pasqualina may not look perfect, but it will taste absolutely amazing if you remember three key steps: don’t sweat the crust, squeeze every drop of liquid out of the greens, and save your chard stems.
- Photo by Candice Kumai59/89
Avocado-Miso-Mushroom Bowl
Tossed with a miso-tahini dressing, this many-textured grain bowl can be topped with whatever seasonal produce looks best. Plus, this dinner party main can be a perfect excuse to show off your pretty new pottery.
- photo by Alex Farnum60/89
Butternut Squash, Kale, and Crunchy Pepitas Taco
These tacos are piled with sweet squash, earthy kale, and crunchy pepitas. The cashew crema can be replaced with store-bought crema if you don’t mind a little dairy in your dinner.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou61/89
Shamey Momos
You’ll often see Tibetan veggie momos stuffed with potato, but this version uses tofu, bok choy, and shiitake mushrooms.
- Gentl & Hyers62/89
Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin
Why bother with a vase of flowers on the table when the main course for your dinner party looks this good?
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Alison Attenborough63/89
Spinach and Artichoke Melts
Your favorite creamy dip—but in a form that feels main course–worthy, even at a dinner party. Serve with a lemony salad of bitter greens.
- Photo by Noah Fecks64/89
Basic Veggie Burgers
Roasted broccoli and seitan add bulk to this vegan burger from chef and cookbook author Tyler Kord.
- Photo by Christopher Testani65/89
Mushrooms With Béarnaise Yogurt
A classic steakhouse-inspired rub and sauce turn grilled mushrooms into a hearty retro-chic meal.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens66/89
Cheesy Loaded Sweet Potatoes
For a quick 15-minute dinner, you can steam these potatoes up to five days in advance. Serve with lots of fixings for an easy variation on the taco bar concept.
- Photo by Detas Studio67/89
Vegan Bánh Mì
The bean-based pâté for these Vietnamese sandwiches is also delicious served on crackers or toast.
- Photo by Issy Croker68/89
Eggplant Tikkas in Creamy Yogurt, Mustard, Chile, and Ginger
Broil these eggplant skewers, or grill them outdoors for a veggie kebab party.
- Photo by Bobbi Lin69/89
Mushroom-Thyme Pot Pies
Brushing the underside of the dough with egg wash for this pot pie recipe creates an airtight seal so that steam will push the pastry lids into a dramatic dome during baking.
- Photo by Marcus Nilsson70/89
Twice-Roasted Squash With Parmesan Butter and Grains
While smaller squash, such as acorn, can be roasted whole, they are more starchy and liable to dry out. Stick with the big boys.
- Photo by Alex Lau71/89
Skillet Phyllo Pie With Butternut Squash, Kale, and Goat Cheese
This savory pie is quite the dinner party centerpiece. It’s packed with kale and pan-roasted butternut squash. Follow it up with a sweet pie for dessert.
- By Nassima Rothacker72/89
Jackfruit Curry
If you stocked up on jackfruit to make these nachos, use the rest in this curry recipe from Chetna Makan.
- Photo by Colin Price73/89
Mushroom Stroganoff
A bottle of red wine + a table of friends + this cozy dish = the recipe for a perfect evening.
- Photo by Ed Anderson74/89
Kale and Wild Rice–Stuffed Winter Squash
Between the kale, the rice, and the squash, this dish is chock-full of fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. And the nutty, salty Pecorino Romano cheese gives it a quiet punch.
- Photo by Zach DeSart75/89
Seared Maitake Mushrooms
Mushrooms bring the drama when served on top of a creamy leek rémoulade.
- Jonathan Lovekin76/89
Cauliflower Cake
Cake for dinner? Sure, when it’s this stunning quiche-like cake from Yotam Ottolenghi. Wrapped well, it will taste even better the day after you bake it, which means you can be the most relaxed dinner party host ever.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou77/89
Braised Butternut Squash in Spiced Coconut Gravy
Almonds bring a lovely contrasting crunch to this luscious braised squash. Serve with steamed rice.
- Photo by Gentl & Hyers, Prop Styling by Ayesha Patel, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich78/89
Risotto al Limone
This risotto uses none of the customary stock, just dry white wine, olive oil, Meyer lemon, and water.
- Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott79/89
Long-Roasted Eggplant With Garlic, Labne, and Tiny Chile Croutons
Here, eggplant gets halved lengthwise, drenched in olive oil, and roasted until creamy and rich. But the best part might be the lemony yogurt sauce you’ll smear on the platter first.
- Christina Holmes80/89
Swiss Chard and Mushroom Galette
This free-form whole wheat pie is packed with creamy ricotta, Swiss chard, and maitake mushrooms. Finish the baked pie with lemon zest and tons of herbs for a boost of fresh flavor.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce81/89
Vegetarian Lasagna With Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce
Roasting the tomato sauce concentrates its flavor. If you have a local spot that sells fresh lasagna sheets, you’ll want to grab some for this recipe.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton82/89
Lentils With Caramelized Onion Aioli and Crispy Chile Oil
The aioli here, flavored with mustard and white miso, brings everyday lentils into special occasion territory.
- Photo and Food Styling by Joseph De Leo83/89
Quick Potato Gnocchi
Impress your friends with fresh gnocchi—without having to start with whole potatoes that need baking. The secret? Potato flakes.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne84/89
Cauliflower Biryani
In this festive vegetarian biryani, some of the rice is swapped for marinated spiced cauliflower.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich85/89
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
Hosting a casual group of friends? Make this chili the day before, then reheat and dish out bowls for everyone.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton86/89
Mushroom Adobo
Adobo is commonly made with chicken, pork, or squid, but this one leans on the savory flavor and meaty texture of hen of the woods or king oyster mushrooms.
- Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich87/89
Cheesy Cabbage Gratin
Roasting the cabbage before it goes into this rich, cheesy gratin does double duty: It deepens the vegetable’s savory flavor and removes excess moisture from the creamy mixture.
- Photograph by Jenny Huang, food styling by Tyna Hoang, prop styling by Sophie Strangio88/89
Creamy Mushroom and Green Bean Masala
Take your time searing the mushrooms here—every bit of browning deepens the flavor of the dish.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kendra Smoot89/89
Big Beans and Tomato Vinaigrette
When tomatoes are finally in season, they deserve their own vegetarian dinner party, starring this glorious platter of sliced heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes, plus herby butter beans, fresh basil, and a tangy vinaigrette.
Joe Sevier
Maggie Hoffman
Emily Johnson
