The keto – or ketogenic – diet is an effective and quick way to lose weight; unfortunately, it’s meat-heavy, so you can’t really do it if you’re a vegetarian.
WRONG!
I have 20 delicious vegetarian keto recipes here that say you can!
So if you need to lose a few pounds quickly but aren’t big into eating meat, don’t worry, you can still do keto!
The key is knowing which veggies give you the most vitamins, minerals, and proteins for the least amount of carbs.
And cheese is definitely your friend on the keto diet.
Oh! And did I mention substituting cauliflower and zucchini for more traditional carb-heavy foods like rice and pasta? Because that works wonders, too.
If that all seems too overwhelming, take a breath and start with these 20 simple and tasty vegetarian keto recipes.
1. Vegetarian Keto Burritos
If you’re a vegetarian and on the keto diet, burritos probably sound like something you can’t have.
But just as you can be a vegetarian and do keto, you can also eat burritos.
Nothing is impossible if you’re creative enough and willing to put in the work, after all!
The trick to veggie keto burritos is making homemade keto-friendly tortillas for the shells and piling them high with peppers, onions, zucchini, kale, cheese, spices, and tons of other yummy stuff.
These are tremendously filling and so tasty, you won’t be able to stop at just one.
Luckily, each one only has nine net carbs, so you won’t have to stop.
2. Keto Broccoli Salad
Broccoli salad is one of those excellent dishes that are already pretty keto-friendly without adjusting it too much.
The only real difference is that you’ll need to use a low-carb sweetener instead of sugar.
Otherwise, it’s the same sweet, crunchy, chock-full-of-veggies side dish you know and love.
3. Keto Skillet Tomato Cheese Pasta
Even pasta isn’t out of the question on the keto diet as long as you’re willing to pick up the low-carb variety.
This pasta is light and has a delectably creamy and flavorful sauce.
You’ll add onions, red pepper flakes, and plenty of herbs to give it a slightly spicy, insanely herby taste that’s out of this world.
It takes 40 minutes to make and is super simple to pull together.
4. Keto Vegan Mushroom and Spinach Spaghetti
If you’re not into low-carb pasta noodles, you can always make your own with zucchini. That’s what you’ll use for this light but filling keto spaghetti.
It’s garlicky and full of low-carb veggies, and you’ll top it off with pine nuts for a bit of added crunch.
It may not be spaghetti in the way that you’re used to it, but it’s every bit as tasty.
5. Zucchini Noodles With Pesto
This creamy, faux-pasta dish requires fewer than ten ingredients and takes only 25 minutes to make. If you enjoy the tastes of pesto and parmesan, you’ll love it.
It’s easy to make and tastes great, and each serving has only 4.2 net carbs.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy lunch or a light dinner option, you can’t beat this one.
6. Keto Vegetarian Bolognese
The noodles may be made of zucchini, and the bolognese might not contain any meat, but I promise you this keto vegetarian bolognese is just as delicious as any of the “real” stuff.
The noodles are light and tender, and the sauce is chunky and has a rich tomato flavor that’s mouthwatering.
Plus, you’ll use a ton of veggies – onions, cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes, and more – making this a hearty dish, despite its lack of meat and carbs.
7. Low-Carb Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
I’m not going to lie; this cauliflower mac and cheese doesn’t taste precisely like authentic mac and cheese, but if you’re craving it and are on the keto diet, it’ll do in a pinch.
Instead of using macaroni, you’ll use cauliflower, and it just doesn’t have the same flavor as macaroni noodles.
Still, you’ll smother it with a buttery cheddar cheese mixture that almost makes it taste like the real thing.
It’s certainly creamy enough, and it tastes pretty darned good.
8. Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Peppers
There aren’t many things that don’t taste good when you stuff them with spinach and artichokes, and peppers are no exception. In fact, they’re delicious.
The baked peppers get tender and slightly charred, but they retain enough crunch to be exciting.
And the gooey spinach and artichoke mixture inside each one is heavenly. Pure bliss.
If you’re making these for appetizers for a larger get-together, be sure you make enough because everyone will want one – maybe even two.
9. Cheesy Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Baked asparagus is another dish that’s naturally keto-friendly without any adjustments or tweaking. It’s also one of my all-time favorite veggie side dishes.
That’s especially true when you cover it in garlic, salt, pepper, and lots of mozzarella cheese.
(I sprinkle parmesan on top of mine when they’re done, as well.)
10. Zucchini Grilled Cheese
Good old grilled cheese sandwiches aren’t something anyone wants to give up, no matter how much they want to lose weight.
Luckily, with this recipe, you won’t have to give them up!
Instead of bread, you’ll make them using what amounts to zucchini fritters.
They have a different texture than a “real” grilled cheese, but thanks to the addition of onions and herbs, I think they taste even better.
11. Vegetarian Mini Bell Pepper Nachos
I bet you’ve never seen nachos as pretty or as colorful as these, and you’ll only need five ingredients to make them (plus toppings).
Instead of chips, you’ll use various peppers as a base. Then, you’ll top them with black beans, pico de gallo, Mexican cheese, and jalapenos.
Bake the concoction until the cheese gets good and gooey, then take it out of the oven and add all your favorite low-carb toppings.
It’s a delightful dish that’s as colorful as it is appetizing.
12. Chipotle Lime Vegan Keto Tacos
These vegan tacos require lots of ingredients, but most are spices and herbs that go into the homemade seasoning mix.
They’re actually effortless to make, taking only 25 minutes.
And if you like your tacos absolutely exploding with flavor, these are the ones for you. They have so much going on that you’ll never even miss the meat.
13. Low-Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Mexican rice is one of those side dishes that kind of goes with everything. Plus, everyone likes it, and it’s easy to make, so most people make it pretty often.
If you’re “most people,” then you can still make it even on the keto diet, as long as you use cauliflower to make the rice.
With onions, garlic cloves, jalapenos, tomatoes, bell peppers, paprika, cumin, coriander, and more, this rice is a real party for your taste buds, and it’ll be hard to tell that it isn’t authentic rice.
14. Keto Vegetarian Casserole
Mmmm… nothing beats a delicious casserole when it comes to hearty, delicious dishes.
And although this one is simple and meat-free, it’s just as good as any you’ve tried.
Each bite is even better than the one before it. Best of all, it takes only 15 minutes of prep work and another 20 to cook it.
15. Keto Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole
So far, most of our recipes have focused on lunch and dinner options, but people on the keto diet need breakfast, too!
After all, it’s the most important meal of the day!
Whip up this tasty breakfast casserole in just 30 minutes with onions, garlic, spinach, eggs, cream, feta, salt, pepper, and butter.
It seems unbelievable that that’s all it takes, but it’s true, and it’s just as yummy and filling as any other breakfast casserole on the menu.
16. Keto Low-Carb Vegetable Soup
When the days get shorter and the weather grows cool, there’s nothing better than a hot bowl of vegetable soup to warm your belly.
Unfortunately, most vegetable soup recipes have a ton of carbs.
Fortunately, this one doesn’t.
By eliminating the tomato soup base that most vegetable soups use and substituting chicken broth instead, the carb count on this soup drops way down.
It still has all your favorite veggies and seasonings – onions, bell peppers, cauliflower, garlic, green beans, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
It’s chunky, filling, and unbelievably delicious, especially on the colder nights of the year.
17. Keto Quesadillas
All you’ll need to make these crispy, cheesy keto quesadillas are Trader Joe’s cauliflower thins, your favorite shredded cheese, and hot sauce.
They take a little over 5 minutes to make, and once you top them off with sour cream and green onions, your tastebuds will be over the moon.
18. Low-Carb Vegetarian Greek Briam
If you’ve never had it, briam is basically Greece’s version of roasted veggies, and it’s incredibly yummy.
This recipe includes onions, eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, and more.
You’ll also cover the briam in tart and tangy feta cheese. It’s relatively low in carbs and packed with healthy fats. It’s every keto dieter’s dream come true.
19. Low-Carb Vegan Dinner Bowl
If you love Asian food and are looking for a dish that’s both vegan- and keto-friendly, you’ll have to try this low-carb vegan dinner bowl.
It combines some of your favorite veggies with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, peanut butter, sriracha, and more. It’s spicy, zesty, earthy, and scrumptious.
20. Keto Eggplant Bake
This keto eggplant bake is similar to eggplant parmesan (assuming you don’t bread your eggplant for that dish).
It takes about 45 minutes to make, and all you’ll need are eggplants, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, and spinach.
It’s tomato-flavored, cheesy, and very good, and if you’re in the mood for Italian, you just can’t beat it.
20 BEST Vegetarian Keto Recipe Collection (+ Low-Carb)
These vegetarian keto recipes are a great way to stick to the diet if you don’t eat meat! From burritos to pasta to casserole, you’ll love these easy keto dishes.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a vegetarian keto recipe in 30 minutes or less!
