Need some meatless meal ideas this season? Here’s a 7-day vegetarian meal plan for late winter including prep tips and serving suggestions!
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Hello, Rhubarbarians! Here's your vegetarian meal plan for late winter. A full weeks worth of dinner ideas for you that use late winter produce.
Jump to:
Late February and early March are here! This time of year can be really exciting with spring just around the corner.
Although the days are getting longer, you still need meals that are simple for busy weeknights, as well as a mix of comfort food and vibrant produce while you enjoy your last stretch of winter.
All of these recipes are beginner vegetarian friendly and quick enough for weeknights if you prep ahead just a bit (I'll show you how).
Need more ideas? Check out this list of vegetarian dinner recipes to make all winter long or our mid winter meal plan!
What to eat in late winter
Your vegetarian meal plan for late winter is packed full of seasonal fruits and vegetables!
Enjoy vibrant citrus, winter greens, root veggies, and cruciferous veggies. You might see some early asparagus and artichokes popping up at your grocery store!
Now is the time for cozy soups and stews, some green kiwis and oranges for snacking, and lemon in your water or tea!
Here's our March seasonal produce and recipes guide for you.
Meal plan
- Monday: lemon chickpea arugula salad
- Tuesday: broccoli cheddar quesadillas
- Wednesday: coconut cauliflower golden soup
- Thursday: warm brussels sprout and apple salad
- Friday: cheese tortellini with caramelized onion sauce
- Saturday: quick and easy vegan pho
- Sunday: vegan white bean cacciatore
Each recipe below includes a quick description, recipe tips, side dishes to serve, and a link to a printable pdf of the recipe.
Prep ahead tips
Let's set you up for success for the week! If you'd like to, you can pre-chop all of your veggies for the week and have them ready to minimize prep time later on (chop the soup veggies, shred the brussels sprouts, etc).
Monday and Tuesday night's recipes are both 20 minutes and under, so I recommend using some time these nights to prep the dressing for the brussels sprout salad and get the brussels sprouts shredded for Thursday. Also slice all the onions for Friday night. Keep these stored in the refrigerator to save time.
On Saturday night, consider soaking your white beans overnight for Sunday's cacciatore.
Monday
This 15-minute vegan arugula salad is quick, easy, and full of bright flavors from the lemon, arugula, and the rosemary. Top it with creamy avocado and crunchy radish and it's just... chef's kiss!
Pro tip: double the batch of chickpeas and keep half for snacking. They won't last long!
Recipe tips:
- Add a protein of your choice to make the salad more hearty.
- Add parmesan or feta cheese if desired.
- If you can't find meyer lemons, go ahead and use regular lemons but add a bit of sugar or honey to the salad dressing.
Serve with:
- olive rosemary focaccia bread
- meyer lemon old fashioned
- your favorite cheese and crackers
Print this chickpea arugula salad recipe including ingredient list here.
Tuesday
Spiced up broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese, all in a pan-fried flour tortilla. Top with your favorite quesadilla toppings like salsa, avocado, and sour cream and dinner is DONE.
Pro tip: add pinto beans or black beans to the quesadillas for an extra boost of protein.
Recipe tips:
- Feel free to use your own taco seasoning blend if you have one that you love!
- Corn tortillas are a great option, but will not fold as well. I recommend making quesadillas with whole tortillas on the top and bottom like a sandwich if using corn tortillas.
- Add some jalapeno or hot sauce to your quesadilla for a spicy kick.
Serve with:
- Creamy cilantro sauce
- Any of these Mexican inspired sauces for tacos
- Pinto beans or black beans with cilantro lime rice
Print this broccoli quesadilla recipe including ingredient list here.
Wednesday
Coconut cauliflower golden soup
Have you heard of golden milk? It's a Southeast Asian milky, turmeric tea. Made with steamed milk and warming spices. I took this idea of a spiced milk and decided to make a hearty, healing, turmeric soup.
Pro tip: If you can't find kefir, go ahead and use plain yogurt. You may need to thin the soup with a bit of water.
Recipe tips:
- Turmeric has a very strong flavor, so maybe try golden milk before trying out this soup recipe. Or, use less turmeric.
- Be sure to use full fat coconut milk that doesn't have any chemicals in it to keep from separating. You don't need that! Just give a good stir in the can before adding to the soup.
- The lemon is a MUST for this soup. It gives a bit of acidity where it would be lacking without.
Serve with:
- Naan bread
- Vegetable pulao
- Crispy bombay potatoes
Print this golden soup recipe including ingredient list here.
Thursday
Warm brussels sprout and apple salad
The warm brussels sprouts marry very well with the flavors of the pecans, cranberries, apples, and blue cheese. Then it all gets tossed in a simple apple cider vinaigrette.
Pro tip: buy a bag of pre-shredded brussels sprouts to save on prep time!
Recipe tips:
- Don't overcook the brussels sprouts or they will become mushy. Cook them until they are browned but still a bit crunchy. Undercooked brussels sprouts are better than overcooked!
- Don't skip toasting the pecans! It adds such a nice flavor to the salad.
- If you don't like blue cheese, you can substitute with feta cheese or goat cheese.
Serve with:
- Sauteed chickpeas with lemon and rosemary leftover from Monday.
- Roasted butternut squash halves
- Crispy tofu cubes on top
Print this brussels sprout salad recipe including ingredient list here.
Friday
Cheese tortellini with caramelized onion sauce
This simple and delicious vegetarian tortellini pasta has the most flavorful sauce you will ever taste. Your whole family will love this!
Pro tip: If there's a tortellini or ravioli that you love, try that with the sauce instead of cheese tortellini!
Recipe tips:
- Be patient with the caramelized onion sauce. Low and slow is the best way to cook this.
- The sauce takes a while to cook, but it can be prepared a day or two ahead and reheated when you're ready to serve.
- Add your favorite protein to the pasta for a protein boost.
Serve with:
- Roasted rainbow carrots
- Golden beet arugula salad
- Leftover brussels sprout salad from Thursday
Print this tortellini with onion sauce recipe including ingredient list here.
Saturday
Putting authenticity aside, you CAN make a super flavorful broth for this pho in a very short amount of time. This entire recipe only takes 30 minutes!
Pro tip: make a double batch of the broth and freeze it for an easy meal later! You'll just need to add noodles and toppings to the heated broth.
Recipe tips:
- My preferred noodles are flat rice noodles!
- Add a protein of your choice for a more filling pho.
- Choose your favorite toppings. I like bean sprouts, jalapeno, lime, cilantro, basil, hoisin sauce, and Sriracha.
Serve with:
Print this vegan pho recipe including ingredient list here.
Sunday
This vegan version of chicken cacciatore has all the same flavors that you'd expect from the traditional. Flavor is built by sauteeing lots of mushrooms with onions before cooking them in tomato sauce. Then using fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme. The white beans give you that "meatiness" while keeping it completely plant based.
Pro tip: I prefer using the Instant Pot for this recipe because they cook dry beans faster, but the stove top works too!
Recipe tips:
- You can save a lot of time if you make this with canned beans, but it won't be as flavorful.
- If you don't like green olives, go ahead and use black olives.
- I like to serve this over mashed potatoes, but pasta and rice work too. Or just eat it with a spoon!
Serve with:
- Sour cream and chive mashed potatoes
- Crusty bread and butter or garlic bread
- Roasted broccoli or other vegetable
Print this vegan cacciatore recipe with ingredient list here.
Recommended products and resources
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Here are some of the products that I recommend for prepping and cooking these recipes this week!
- These produce saver tupperware containers are perfect for prepped fruits and veggies. I love ours for chopped greens!
- I like to use 8 ounce mason jars to make salad dressing. Just screw on the lid and shake!
- An immersion blender
- Soup pot or dutch oven. We love our Lodge dutch oven!
- An Instant Pot.
Recommended resources:
- Here is a list of all of the vegetarian meal plans on the site.
- Here are all of our winter recipes.
- And all of our dinner recipes!
Looking ahead to spring? Check out our 7-day vegetarian meal plan for early spring!
If you make any of these recipes, let us know on social media or in the comments below. Don't forget to tag us on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians!
LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? GET FREE WEEKLY RECIPES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX! SIGN UP HERE!
Comments
No Comments