If you are looking for new Slimming World vegetarian recipes then these unofficial recipes I have may help you. Some of them are suitable for Slimming World vegan recipes too either as they are or with small changes.

I am vegetarian and have been since I was 10 years old. For most meal times I cook one meal for myself and one for Stuart and Ben.

I am always looking for new veggie recipes to make so if you have any healthy vegetarian recipes you would recommend I haven’t listed here do let me know.

Just Average Jen is an independent blog. It is not connected with any weight loss plan. None of the contributors have received training from them or worked for them.

The reader is responsible for checking nutritional values, such as Slimming World syn values and WW points. Additionally, they must check any other allowances; any given are approximate.

Sometimes I cook us all a separate meal. Not because I really have to but because I like cooking! Be sure to check out all the recipes I share.

Some are vegan recipes too or could easily be adapted to be vegan. Some are perfect for day-to-day meals, others you might prefer for a vegetarian Christmas.

Making a recipe vegetarian

An easy way to make a meal vegetarian is to swap the meat for a vegetarian alternative such as Quorn.

If you are looking for vegan Slimming World friendly meals many of these are suitable or can easily be adapted with a change of cheese, or swapping eggs for aquafaba etc.

Quorn KFC
Quorn KFC

Other possible swaps are for jackfruit, lentils, chickpeas, mixed beans or just extra vegetables.

For recipes that include Worcestershire sauce, the easiest swap is to Henderson’s relish. They taste very similar but Henderson’s does not contain anchovies.

Hendersons relish bottle.
Hendersons relish

If you are making a recipe that uses oyster sauce then there are some vegetarian and vegan alternatives available in larger supermarkets.

Alternatively, soy sauce or preferably mushroom soy sauce is the closest alternative. Vegetarian Slimming World recipes should already avoid this anyway.

If you worry about if a vegan pregnancy is safe check out this post.

Spinach and mushroom frittata
Spinach and mushroom frittata

Making a recipe vegan

These vegetarian recipes are easy to change to be vegan by substituting any eggs with my suggested egg substitutes.

Cheese can easily be swapped for your favourite vegan alternative.

Milk can be swapped for a vegan plant-based alternative.

Surprising things which you may not realise are not vegetarian

Some foods are surprisingly not vegetarian and you will be shocked at some I am sure. I will spare you the details of what part of the animal is actually used for all of these so you can Google if you are intrigued!

So, if you are looking for veggie recipes and see these ingredients you should be cautious and double-check.

Most healthy vegetarian recipes should be ok, I know all mine are but others online may be less so, personally, I would always check to be sure.

A glass bowl of vegetable stock with a metal whisk in.

Stock – did you know that if a product states “stock” but does not say which sort it could not be vegetarian? Check for it to be marked as vegetarian or choose something which is clearer.

Gelatine – this can be found in many sweets such as Haribo but also in things like the frosting on some cereals!

Pastry – this often contains suit or animal fats such as lard. If it does not say it is vegetarian it probably isn’t.

rolling tortillas

Tortillas – Some of these are made with lard, check before you buy them. A nice snack but not always veggie!

Cheese – Whilst many cheese manufacturers now use a vegetarian rennet, they do not all so it is always worth checking.

Ready meals – If cheese-topped meals are not labelled as vegetarian this could be the culprit, it is not using veggie cheese!

Red sweets – Some red food colourings are not vegetarian, if it states carmine, cochineal, crimson lake or natural red it is likely to be from animals.

Medicines and vitamin capsules – Capsules can often be made with gelatine too so something worth keeping an eye on.

Vanilla flavourings – Some are artificial and some are from animals, it is less common now to use the animal one but do check.

Bowl of salad
Bowl of salad

Healthy meals for a vegetarian

It would be easy to think that to lose weight as a vegetarian, you need to eat lots of vegetables and salad.

This, of course, is not the case. There are so many vegetarian healthy recipes you should have no problem with.

Unfortunately, many vegetarian ready meals are high in calories or syns but of course, so are non-vegetarian ones too!

Keep an eye out for the Slimming World vegetarian and Slimming World vegan ready meals in Iceland too.

Cottage pie
Cottage pie

Potato-based dishes

It is easy to think of potato-based dishes as Sunday roasts, Cottage pie and similar meat-based meals or chips as a side dish.

There are so many more potato-based meals you can have as a vegetarian or vegan so here are some you may love.

A tasty potato pie that tastes like it is so naughty but isn’t is Cheesy leek and potato pie or Homity pie both I believe to be syn free if you use the cheese as a healthy extra a choice.

If shepherd’s pie is more the kind of potato-based meal you like then how about this shepherd’s pie recipe?

This Cowboy cheesy potato bake is a firm favourite in our house too or this slightly different recipe for Cowboy pie, both are, I believe, syn-free (using healthy extra a).

For a great vegetarian or vegan alternative to a cottage pie and full of flavour is Gardener’s Pie which is amazing with Henderson’s relish drizzled on top.

There is nothing at all stopping you from using vegan alternatives and still having cottage pie though!

Jacket potatoes with salad and baked beans.
Jacket potato

Jacket potatoes are usually syn-free on Slimming World (depending on topping choice) and often forgotten as great easy meal options. I love mine with cottage cheese or cheese and baked beans. Vegans could swap to vegan cheese or similar easily.

This Sausage traybake is, syn free (depending on sausages) and easily made for however many portions you need. This can be easily made a vegetarian recipe with the right sausages and even good for a vegan meal too!

Another easy dish is Aloo Gobi. A great traditional Indian dish made easy with this healthy Aloo Gobi recipe.

Being vegetarian doesn’t mean you can’t have something a little different as this Sweet potato and spinach quesadilla has a few more syns or calories but is delicious.

Egg-based dishes

Have you seen my whole post full of tips with eggs? It is definitely worth a read if not! Eggs can be a great healthy basis for a meal and of course, are great on healthy diets such as Slimming World.

Spinach and mushroom frittata is a perfect example.

Spinach and mushroom frittata
Spinach and mushroom frittata

Similar to quiches, these Courgette bakes are healthy and delicious with a tomato sauce and salad as a starter or with boiled potatoes as a main course.

Courgette bakes
Courgette bakes

Quiches don’t have to be made using pastry so why not try these Mini pepper quiches which are low in calories, points and syns?

mini quiches
mini quiches with crust

If you prefer something without a crust then perhaps these Rosemary and caramelised onion mini quiches will be perfect for you.

mini quiches
Mini quiches

If you like a soft-boiled egg then you will love this Spanish chickpeas, spinach and egg recipe.

Spanish chickpeas
Spanish chickpeas

Sweetcorn Fritter is one of our regular go-to meals and is healthy and great with salad and tomato salsa.

A similar meal with different vegetables is this spinach and pea frittata.

Have you ever had Shakshuka? It is a great lunch or quick meal to make with leftovers or when you are on a budget!

Pasta-based dishes

I absolutely love pasta and have written a whole article full of pasta-based meals! Here are the vegetarian and vegan ones I enjoy.

For a pasta bake, why not try Cherry tomato and butternut squash pasta bake which is now of my most popular pasta recipes?

Butternut squash pasta bake
Butternut squash pasta bake

Alternatively how about this Garlic mushroom and spinach pasta also popular?

Mushroom and spinach pasta in a frying pan
Mushroom and spinach pasta

If you prefer a pasta bake with a bit of spice then this Spicy sausage pasta bake may be perfect. This is one of my favourite veggie recipes and I love it with Richmond meat-free sausages.

Pasta arrabbiata
Pasta arrabbiata

Sometimes we just want a super cheesy dish like macaroni cheese. This Leek macaroni cheese is perfect and includes a good share of vegetables too without losing the cheesiness!

Leek and macaroni cheese
Leek and macaroni cheese

Do you like lasagne? If you are bored of using meat replacements like Quorn then how about this Mediterranean vegetable lasagne? It is so full of vegetables it is really healthy and an amazing healthy vegetarian recipe even if I do say so myself.

Mediterranean vegetable lasagne
Mediterranean vegetable lasagne served with salad

Spaghetti bolognese is a popular meal and this recipe includes hidden vegetables for fussy kids!

Spaghetti Bolognese in a bowl topped with a sprig of basil.
Spaghetti bolognese

If you have spaghetti to use but want something different how about this Spaghetti primavera which is delicious?

Spaghetti primavera
Spaghetti Primavera

Another really easy pasta dish is pasta arrabbiata which is really easy to make and the sauce can even be made in a big batch and frozen in advance.

Pasta arrabbiata
Pasta arrabbiata

For a lighter pasta dish how about this hearty vegetable pasta soup?

Pasta soup with small pasta tubes, peas and a tomato sauce.
Pasta soup

For a tasty pasta salad how about my bruschetta pasta salad or tomato and mozzarella pasta salad?

Tomato and mozzarella pasta salad
Tomato and mozzarella pasta salad

Rice, couscous and quinoa recipes

It is all too easy to use rice and forget about other grains so here is a nice selection of healthy vegetarian recipes with different grains for you to try out.

Recipes like this Wholesome vegetable couscous will give you something different to try and love. Alternatively, how about this roasted vegetable couscous?

vegetable couscous in a white bowl
Mixed vegetable couscous

Stuffed peppers made with rice are filling and tasty. This recipe uses turkey mince but it can easily be swapped for a vegetarian or vegan mince so why not try slow cooker stuffed peppers?

These black bean burritos are equally tasty and something a little different!

Black bean burritos
Black bean burritos

If you like beans then how about trying these Black bean and veggie quinoa burgers?

I love risotto and it is a meal not many people feel confident making but my perfect risotto tips should help you.

butternut squash risotto
Butternut Squash Risotto

I love Butternut squash risotto or Mixed mushroom risotto most. Another I sometimes make is Garlic mushroom risotto.

Garlic mushroom risotto in a beige bowl
Garlic mushroom risotto

Do you like Mushroom stroganoff? I love it and it does not have to be full of cream as my recipe shows and it is delicious! I make it in a healthy way and it is one of my favourite healthy vegetarian recipes and most popular with my followers.

Nigerian Jollof rice is delicious spicy rice that you need to try if you haven’t before. Perfect hot or cold you will love it. This is one of those veggie recipes all the family can enjoy even the meat-eaters!

jollof rice
Nigerian jollof rice

For something really different why not give Quinoa breakfast bowl a try for your breakfast?

Quinoa breakfast bowl
Quinoa breakfast bowl

Another quinoa recipe you will love is Roast plum, sweet potato and quinoa salad.

Stuffed peppers are a meal I love but never make often enough. As I often do, you can stuff them with rice as in this recipe or couscous. I imagine they would be lovely stuffed with the jollof rice actually too.

stuffed peppers with a cheese topping
Stuffed peppers topped with cheese

This Vegetable and chickpea paella is syn-free and shows you can have paella as a vegan or vegetarian so why not enjoy it?

Asparagus pilaf is a really easy vegetarian and vegan recipe, why not give it a try?

Asparagus pilaf
Asparagus pilaf

If you want a nice vegetarian rice-based side dish how about egg fried rice which can easily be made healthily with this recipe.

Curry dishes

There are so many curry recipes I made a whole post about them. They are generally really easy to adapt to vegetarian versions, here are my favourites.

Cauliflower and chickpea curry is a delicious option perfect for vegans and vegetarians alike.

Cauliflower and chickpea curry
Cauliflower and chickpea curry

Malaysian red pepper and Quorn curry at 0.5 syns per portion (approx) is a bit different to the usual Indian curry and tastes great.

If you fancy an Indian how about Mixed vegetable biryani, Quorn and mushroom curry, Quorn Keema, Quorn Jalfrezi or Quorn Tikka Masala all of which are healthy?

vegetable biryani with rice in shades of yellow and grey.
Vegetable biryani

A quick easy Indian idea may be Aloo Gobi, check out my traditional recipe.

Aloo Gobi cooked and served in a grey bowl sprinkled with chopped coriander.
Aloo Gobi

We also love Mushy Pea curry which is healthy and a great way of making a basic curry. For a quicker option, you could also make it in an Instant Pot.

Mushy pea curry
Mushy pea curry

Or how about trying this delicious homestyle vegetable curry which is full of vegetables and so aromatic?

vegetable curry
Vegetable curry

Do you like chickpeas? This lovely curry loaf is made of them, or how about this delicious chickpea curry?

Veggie recipes for burgers and fakeaways

There are so many lovely burger recipes out there for veggie burgers there is no reason you should miss out.

I love Black bean and veggie quinoa burgers and Butternut and sweet potato veggie burgers.

butternut squash veggie burgers
Butternut Squash veggie burgers

Do you like the flavour of KFC but are not too keen on their vegetarian and vegan options? Why not make your own Fakeaway KFC with Quorn or perhaps tofu?

Quorn KFC
Quorn KFC

For a Chinese how about this Quorn in black bean sauce which is only 1 syn per portion? Great as an alternative to a takeaway.

Other healthy vegetarian recipes

Have you ever used jackfruit? This BBQ-pulled jackfruit is healthy and amazing, no need to miss out if everyone is enjoying pulled pork.

BBQ Jackfruit
BBQ Jackfruit

For a great snack why not try my Curry loaf it is syn free, delicious and even good for the SP plan on Slimming World!

Lentil and vegetable moussaka is a great healthy meal to try if you like aubergines and moussaka. With the lentils in you may even be able to pretend to meat-eaters it has meat in!

Lentil moussaka
Lentil moussaka

Moroccan tagine could be another different choice if you are wanting something you don’t normally have. This recipe is vegan too.

Moroccan tagine
Moroccan tagine

We all love Sausage casserole here, it is syn free (I believe) if using syn free sausages and a lovely warming meal that is so easy to make in the slow cooker saving you time for other things.

Sausage casserole
Sausage casserole

Check all the best sausages and both meat and vegetarian to keep you on plan!

If you are happy to use more calories or syns then how about trying Sesame teriyaki savoury porridge or Smashed avocado on sourdough toast?

Smashed avocado meal on a white plate
Smashed avocado

Another option could be marinating tofu or Quorn to make kebabs? Check out these Tofu kebabs with syns depending on the amount of marinade used.

Geetas kebabs
Kebabs

Great vegetarian healthy side dishes

Tasty ratatouille is great for vegetarians as a side dish to any meal.

ratatouille
Ratatouille

If you like refried beans as a Mexican side dish then I have a great healthy version here.

selection of dips and crudites
Selection of dips with crudites

Vegetarian salad recipes

If you want to liven up your salad then here are some tasty healthy vegetarian recipes and options you could try.

Mexican Salad

Easy Greek Salad

Roasted plum and quinoa salad

Here are some salad dressings you might like to try.

plate of roasted vegetable salad
Roasted vegetable salad

Making recipes with Quorn

It is really easy to adapt recipes to use Quorn, as a vegetarian myself I do it often. It is always worth remembering that Quorn takes less time to cook when substituting it for chicken or mince.

Check out my selection of Quorn recipes, all perfect for all the family whether vegetarian or not, some are vegan too.

Quorn mince and chicken pieces
Quorn mince and Quorn chicken pieces

More recipes you may enjoy

Check out all my recipes and see which ones you can adapt to become healthy vegetarian recipes. Curries and pasta dishes are particularly easy to adapt.

Check out The Vegetarian Society for more information and ideas on vegetarian foods.

You may also like to check out mistakes to avoid making on a plant-based diet.

Keema curry
Keema curry

If you are considering or already following a vegan lifestyle then these articles may be helpful.

A few vegan recipes that are popular – Moroccan tagine, banana pancakes, aubergine soup, carrot soup, how to marinate tofu, chia pudding,

Banana pots
Banana pots

Vegan drinks you may enjoy in the summer

How to raise a vegan child to be healthy

Vegan and vegetarian recipes

Benefits of a vegan lifestyle

Can a vegan pregnancy be healthy?

Myths about being a vegan

Top tips for going vegan

Mistakes to avoid on a plant-based diet

Vegan alternatives to eggs

Chocolate chia pudding
Chocolate chia pudding

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About Author

Hi, I’m Jen Mellor; I live in Nottingham, UK. and use my knowledge and experience in weight loss and confidence to help you become your own cheerleader and best friend. I am usually seen wearing colourful leggings and love to wear bright colours. Wear what you love, and be proud of your style and choices!

4 Comments

  1. Rebecca Sutton says:

    These receipes look delicious, must have a go at some of them.

  2. Ellen Stafford says:

    Some great ideas here. I am trying to eat less meat. I like Quorn mince.

  3. Alison Johnson says:

    There are some lovely recipes on here which I’m going to try. I’ve been vegetarian for 30 years but I am trying to lose weight so these recipes will help.

  4. Ellen Stafford says:

    Great ideas. I am trying to eat less meat.

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