Vegetarian Meal Plan for the Week: 5 Dinners and a Shopping List

This vegetarian meal plan for the week gives you 5 dinners, Monday to Friday, all Savour main courses that list vegetarian among their diets and each built on a different main ingredient: chickpeas, tofu, paneer, black beans and eggs. Adding the five recipes' stored total times gives 3 hours 1 minute of cooking for the week.

The Vegetarian Recipes page lists every vegetarian recipe on the site. This plan picks five, orders them around their fridge notes, gives one shopping list and a Sunday prep session that stays inside each recipe's keeping time.

The vegetarian meal plan for the week at a glance

Times are each recipe's stored total (prep plus cook). Calories and protein are the recipes' own estimates per serving. This plan is general information, not nutrition advice.

Wednesday is the longest night at 50 minutes. The buddha bowl and the tofu stir fry also list vegan among their diets, and the shakshuka is the one recipe that serves 3 rather than 4.

• 

  Healthy

  Chickpea Buddha Bowl with Tahini Dressing

  45 mins4 servings
• 

  Easy Dinners • Healthy

  Crispy Tofu Stir Fry

  28 mins4 servings
• 

  Easy Dinners • Indian

  Paneer Butter Masala

  50 mins4 servings
• 

  Easy Dinners • Mexican

  Black Bean Quesadillas

  28 mins4 servings
• 

  Easy Dinners • Healthy

  Easy Shakshuka

  30 mins3 servings

Where does the protein come from each night?

In order of protein per serving (estimate):

• Black bean quesadillas, about 24 g: 1 can of black beans and 200 g of shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar.
• Paneer butter masala, about 23 g: 400 g of paneer in a sauce made with cashews and cream.
• Tofu stir fry, about 18 g: a 400 g block of extra-firm tofu.
• Shakshuka, about 17 g: 6 large eggs, which the recipe counts as 2 per serving.
• Chickpea buddha bowl, about 15 g: 1 can of chickpeas and tahini in the dressing; the recipe also credits the quinoa, which is optional.

None of the five reaches the 25 g per serving that Savour's High Protein Recipes tag asks for. The buddha bowl's own variations suggest adding baked tofu or edamame for extra protein; the recipe does not list them as ingredients, so they are not on the shopping list.

Day by day: 5 vegetarian dinners

Monday: chickpea buddha bowl with tahini dressing

Chickpea Buddha Bowl with Tahini Dressing takes 45 minutes in total (15 prep, 30 cook) and serves 4; its diets are vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. Sweet potato and chickpeas roast at 220°C (425°F) for 25 to 30 minutes while you whisk the lemon tahini dressing and prep the toppings.

Its FAQ says to roast the sweet potato and chickpeas, prep the raw vegetables and make the dressing, then store them separately for up to 4 days; the fridge note adds that the avocado is sliced just before serving. Done on Sunday, Monday becomes assembly, with the roasted vegetables served cold, at room temperature or warmed in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The optional 2 cups of cooked quinoa are not in the 45 minutes: the recipe stores no time for cooking them.

Tuesday: crispy tofu stir fry

Crispy Tofu Stir Fry takes 28 minutes in total (12 prep, 16 cook), serves 4 and lists vegan and vegetarian among its diets. The tofu is pressed for 10 minutes, coated in cornstarch and fried for 8 to 10 minutes before the vegetables and sauce go into the same pan, and the recipe serves it over steamed rice.

Its FAQ says you can press and cube the tofu, slice the vegetables and mix the sauce up to 2 days ahead, then cook just before serving, because the tofu loses its crispness once sauced. Prepped on Sunday, Tuesday is the last night that covers, and the cornstarch coating stays a Tuesday job. More dinners of this length are in Quick Weeknight Dinners.

Wednesday: paneer butter masala

Easy Dinners • Indian

Paneer Butter Masala

50 mins4 servings

Paneer Butter Masala takes 50 minutes in total (15 prep, 35 cook) and serves 4; its diets are vegetarian and gluten-free. The onion, tomato and cashew sauce simmers, is blended smooth and simmers again, then cream, kasuri methi and the paneer go in for the last 3 to 4 minutes at a gentle simmer: the recipe warns that a hard boil can turn the paneer rubbery.

Its make-ahead answer: make the sauce up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate it, reheat it gently and add the paneer just before serving. It does not say when the cream goes in, so this plan stops at the end of step 4 and leaves step 5 for Wednesday: soak the paneer in hot salted water while the sauce reheats, then add the cream, kasuri methi and paneer. Made on Sunday, the sauce reaches its 3 days on Wednesday.

To keep the meal gluten-free, the recipe says to serve it with rice rather than naan or roti and to check spice blend labels. More dishes like it are in Indian Recipes.

Thursday: black bean quesadillas

Black Bean Quesadillas take 28 minutes in total (10 prep, 18 cook) and serve 4. A spiced filling of red pepper, onion, black beans and corn is partly mashed, layered with cheese in 4 large tortillas and cooked two at a time over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

The FAQ says to make the filling up to 4 days ahead, then assemble and cook the quesadillas just before serving; from Sunday, that reaches Thursday. Its only listed diet is vegetarian, so read two labels: the recipe says to use a vegetarian cheese if needed, and its vegan variation says to check that the tortillas contain no lard. The quesadillas are also in Mexican Recipes.

Friday: easy shakshuka

Easy Shakshuka takes 30 minutes in total (8 prep, 22 cook), serves 3 and lists vegetarian and gluten-free among its diets; for a gluten-free meal, check the bread you serve with it. The pepper and tomato sauce simmers for 8 to 10 minutes, then the 6 eggs cook in it, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the whites are completely set.

Friday is the one dinner this plan does not prep on Sunday: the fridge note keeps the sauce for up to 4 days, and Sunday to Friday is 5. Make the sauce on Monday or later if you want it ready, then on Friday bring it back to a simmer in a skillet and add fresh eggs, as the reheat note says. The list buys the recipe as written, 6 eggs for 3 servings.

Vegetarian meal plan shopping list

Every line comes from the five recipes' ingredient lists, with quantities and units as stored, buying each recipe as written for its stated servings. Amounts are added only for the same item in the same unit, and the water lines are left off. Check what you already have before you shop.

Produce

• 3 red bell peppers (1 each for the tofu stir fry, quesadillas and shakshuka)
• 11 cloves garlic (1 buddha bowl, 3 tofu stir fry, 3 shakshuka, 4 paneer butter masala)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger (1 tbsp tofu stir fry, 1 tbsp paneer butter masala)
• 1 onion (shakshuka)
• 1 medium onion (paneer butter masala)
• 0.5 small red onion (quesadillas)
• 3 green onions, also called scallions (tofu stir fry)
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, about 600 g (buddha bowl)
• 4 cups mixed salad greens or baby spinach (buddha bowl)
• 2 ripe avocados (buddha bowl)
• 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes (buddha bowl)
• 1.5 cups shredded red cabbage (buddha bowl)
• 225 g cremini or button mushrooms (tofu stir fry)
• 200 g baby corn, fresh, or canned and drained (tofu stir fry)
• 150 g snow peas or sugar snap peas (tofu stir fry)
• 500 g ripe tomatoes, about 4 medium, or a 400 g (14 oz) can of whole tomatoes (paneer butter masala)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (buddha bowl)
• 1 tbsp lime juice (quesadillas)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley or cilantro (shakshuka)
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, optional (quesadillas)
• sliced radish, microgreens and toasted seeds, for topping, optional (buddha bowl)

Tofu, paneer, dairy and eggs

• 400 g extra-firm tofu, 14 oz block (tofu stir fry)
• 400 g paneer (paneer butter masala)
• 6 large eggs (shakshuka)
• 200 g shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, about 2 cups; use a vegetarian cheese if needed (quesadillas)
• 50 g feta, optional (shakshuka)
• 2 tbsp butter (paneer butter masala)
• 80 ml 35% whipping cream, 1/3 cup, plus extra to drizzle (paneer butter masala)

Pantry

• 1 can chickpeas, 540 ml / 19 oz (buddha bowl)
• 1 can black beans, 400 g / 15 oz (quesadillas)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes, 796 ml / 28 oz (shakshuka)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (shakshuka)
• 150 g corn kernels, about 1 cup, frozen or canned (quesadillas)
• 4 large flour tortillas, about 25 cm (10 inch) (quesadillas)
• 60 ml tahini, 1/4 cup (buddha bowl)
• 2 cups cooked quinoa, optional (buddha bowl)
• 35 g raw unsalted cashews, 1/4 cup (paneer butter masala)
• 4 tbsp olive oil (2 tbsp buddha bowl, 2 tbsp shakshuka), plus 1 tsp olive oil (quesadillas)
• 1 tbsp olive oil or butter, for the pan (quesadillas)
• 4 tbsp neutral oil (3 tbsp tofu stir fry, 1 tbsp paneer butter masala)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce (tofu stir fry)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (tofu stir fry)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (tofu stir fry)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch, plus 2 tsp cornstarch (tofu stir fry)
• 1 tsp chili garlic sauce or sriracha, optional (tofu stir fry)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup, or brown sugar (tofu stir fry)
• 1 tsp maple syrup (buddha bowl)
• 1 tsp sugar, or to taste (paneer butter masala)
• 0.5 tsp sugar, optional (shakshuka)

Herbs and spices

• 3.25 tsp salt (1 tsp buddha bowl, 0.25 tsp tofu stir fry, 1 tsp paneer butter masala, 0.25 tsp quesadillas, 0.75 tsp shakshuka)
• 3 tsp ground cumin (1 tsp each for the buddha bowl, quesadillas and shakshuka)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika (1 tsp buddha bowl, 0.5 tsp quesadillas, 0.5 tsp shakshuka)
• 1 tsp sweet paprika (shakshuka)
• 0.5 tsp chili powder (quesadillas)
• 0.25-0.5 tsp chili flakes or harissa (shakshuka)
• 1.5 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, or 1 tsp paprika plus a pinch of cayenne (paneer butter masala)
• 1 tsp garam masala (paneer butter masala)
• 2 green cardamom pods (paneer butter masala)
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi, dried fenugreek leaves (paneer butter masala)
• 0.25 tsp black pepper (shakshuka)

For serving

The recipes give no amounts for these.

• steamed rice and sesame seeds (tofu stir fry)
• fresh coriander (cilantro), naan, roti or basmati rice (paneer butter masala)
• salsa, guacamole and sour cream or plain yogurt (quesadillas)
• crusty bread or warm pita (shakshuka)

Which dinners can you make ahead?

Four of the five have a make-ahead note, and each covers only part of the recipe. The Sunday session below does those parts, and every one stays inside its own recipe's limit, counted from Sunday.

Three of the Sunday jobs are used on their last allowed night. If a dinner moves a day later, do its prep a day later too, or cook that recipe from scratch. The Make Ahead Recipes page lists more dishes with a make-ahead note, and the Sunday meal prep plan with 5 recipes that keep 4 days or more cooks whole recipes in one session instead of parts.

How long do the leftovers keep?

When part of a dinner was cooked on Sunday, count its fridge time from Sunday, not from the night you serve it: each recipe gives one keeping time and does not say it starts again. With the Sunday session, the buddha bowl parts last to Thursday. Wednesday's paneer butter masala has no fridge days left after dinner, so make its sauce on Monday or Tuesday instead if you want leftovers. Thursday's filling is at its limit too, so for leftover quesadillas, make the filling on Monday or later. The paneer and shakshuka sauces also freeze for up to 3 months; the freezer meal plan that cooks 5 dinners in one session works from freezer notes like these.

See every vegetarian recipe