Need some meatless meal ideas this season? Here’s a 7-day vegetarian meal plan for mid winter including prep tips and serving suggestions!
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Hello, Rhubarbarians! Here's your vegetarian meal plan for mid winter. A full weeks worth of dinner ideas for you that use mid winter produce.
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January and February can really seem to drag on, right? With short days and long nights, you need meals that are simple for busy weeknights, as well as a mix of comfort food and vibrant produce.
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?
What to eat in mid winter
Your vegetarian meal plan for mid winter is packed full of seasonal fruits and vegetables! Enjoy winter greens, root vegetables, vegetable soups, and vibrant citrus.
Don't forget to add in some cruciferous veggies, maybe some green kiwis, and lemon in your water or tea!
Here's our February seasonal produce and recipes guide for you.
Meal plan
- Monday: Golden beet salad with arugula and goat cheese
- Tuesday: Cheesy broccoli soup with white beans
- Wednesday: Vegetarian chickpea gyros
- Thursday: Easy saag paneer recipe
- Friday: Pesto pizza with mushrooms
- Saturday: Vegan quinoa chili with beans
- Sunday: Lemon chickpea orzo soup
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 (especially for the chili).
On Sunday night, or at the beginning of the week, I recommend making the tarragon salad dressing for Monday's salad and washing all of your greens.
You can measure out the spices for the gyros ahead of time and keep them in a sealed container.
You'll need cooked basmati rice for the saag paneer on Thursday. You can cook it ahead of time and reheat.
The pizza recipe includes homemade pizza dough, but go ahead and buy store bought dough to make it faster!
Monday
Golden beet salad with arugula and goat cheese
This satisfying salad comes together in just 15 minutes thanks to boiling the root vegetables! This salad is also perfect for using those beet greens that you've never really known what to do with. Chop them up and add them to your greens!
Pro tip: you don't have to peel beets and potatoes if you wash them well! But, if the texture of root vegetable skin bothers you, go ahead and peel them.
Recipe tips:
- If you can't find beets with beet greens, that's okay! Just add another green of your choice like spinach or more arugula.
- If you have an herby dressing that you love, go ahead and use that rather than making your own.
- You can make this salad vegan by omitting the cheese or swapping for your favorite crumbly vegan cheese.
Serve with:
- Crispy tofu cubes tossed in
- Crusty bread and butter
- Olive rosemary focaccia bread
Print this beet salad recipe including ingredient list here.
Tuesday
Cheesy broccoli soup with white beans
If your family is anything like mine, you need a dinner that's going to be satisfying and tasty enough to please both adults and children. This broccoli soup hits it out of the park. The white beans get pureed into the soup and create a rich and creamy consistency. You'll never know that creaminess is from beans!
Pro tip: an immersion blender is a life saver for making creamy soups on weeknights!
Recipe tips:
- Fresh or frozen broccoli will work!
- If possible, don't use pre-shredded cheese. The caking agent makes it harder to melt.
- If you'd rather not use canned beans, go ahead and use ½ to 2 cups of cooked white beans. If your beans don't have bean broth, go for the full 2 cups.
Serve with:
- Fluffy butternut squash rolls
- Extra shredded cheese and croutons on top
- Arugula salad with lemon chickpeas
Print this broccoli soup recipe including ingredient list here.
Wednesday
These chickpea wraps are inspired by Greek gyros, but adapted for a vegetarian diet. We take all the flavors and toppings of your favorite Mediterranean gyro and make it a delicious, 20-minute vegetarian meal.
Pro tip: removing the chickpea skins is optional, but worth it for a better consistency!
Recipe tips:
- The chickpeas can get dry while cooking, so you'll want to keep a glass of water nearby to add to the mixture. Don't worry, it won't become watery!
- Make sure to pat the chickpeas dry after rinsing them so that the big pieces of chickpea skins are removed. Pick them out of the chickpeas and discard. Again, no need to spend a lot of time on this, just spend 1-2 minutes removing the big pieces.
- If you can't find Mediterranean pita bread, use some mini naan breads or thick tortillas.
Serve with:
- Your favorite gyro toppings
- Greek fries
- Classic tabbouleh
Print this chickpea gyro recipe including ingredient list here.
Thursday
For this saag paneer recipe, we use a mix of spinach, mustard greens, and kale. We mellow out the bitter flavor of the greens by blending them with heavy cream. A great way to use up winter greens.
Pro tip: you'll need to marinate the paneer ahead of time for a minimum of 10 minutes. Starting early to marinate the paneer and get your rice cooking is a great idea.
Recipe tips:
- Swap the cream for light coconut milk for a lighter option.
- You can use any greens that you have on hand. Or make palak paneer with just spinach. You may need to adjust the amount of spices and cream if you are switching from bitter greens.
- If you can't find paneer, go ahead and use chickpeas or crispy tofu.
Serve with:
- Basmati rice and naan bread
- Coconut curry lentils
- Veg pulao
Print this saag paneer recipe including ingredient list here.
Friday
Pesto and mushroom pizza with goat cheese
This homemade pesto pizza recipe is perfect for movie night! It's ready in just 30 minutes, the same amount of time it would take for a pizza to be delivered.
Pro tip: there's no shame in using store bought pizza dough and sauce!
Recipe tips:
- Check that your yeast isn't expired!
- Don't add the basil until after the pizza is cooked so it's fresh.
- Add fresh tomato slices after bake. Delicious!
Serve with:
- Your favorite cold beer or glass of wine
- Garlic lemon broccoli rabe
- Vegetarian caesar salad
Print this pesto pizza recipe including ingredient list here.
Saturday
The quinoa really bulks up this veggie loaded chili, so you are definitely satisfied from just a small bowl! It feels hearty, dare I say, "meaty," and delicious just like a chili should be.
Pro tip: There's a lot of chopping involved in this one. If you're short on time, chop the ingredients ahead of time.
Recipe tips:
- Add corn, zucchini (or other veggies), and lime juice to the chili if desired.
- Feel free to swap the beans for pinto beans, tri-bean blend, or even white beans.
- The quinoa is best when toasted for just a couple of minutes before adding the liquid. This step is listed in the instructions, but don't skip it!
Serve with:
- Tortilla chips or fritos
- Street corn salad
- Topped on a baked potato
Print this quinoa chili recipe including ingredient list here.
Sunday
Nothing like a Sunday soup! Greek avgolemono soup is traditionally made with chicken and rice, but we put our own vegetarian spin on it. We swapped out the chicken for chickpeas and the rice for orzo.
Pro tip: Chickenless broth is the key to making this recipe taste like a chicken soup. We love the Better Than Bouillon chickenless base.
Recipe tips:
- You can use short grain rice like arborio rice instead of orzo.
- You can swap the eggs out for a few splashes of heavy cream. Although, we don't recommend whisking the cream and the lemon together. Fully combine the cream into the soup and then add the lemon, stirring the soup constantly to avoid curdling.
- If you're looking for more of an herby flavor, add some fresh dill to your soup!
Serve with:
- Saltine crackers or crusty bread and butter
- Herby potato salad
- Apple cider hot toddy (especially if you have a cold)
Print this chickpea soup recipe including 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!
- I like to use 8 ounce mason jars to make salad dressing. Just screw on the lid and shake!
- These produce saver tupperware containers are perfect for prepped fruits and veggies. I love ours for chopped greens!
- A pizza stone
- An immersion blender
- Soup pot or dutch oven. We love our Lodge dutch oven!
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!
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!
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