Vegetarian Recipes for Kids

Whether you are raising your children to be vegetarian or you are aiming to have at least one meat-free meal per week, as part of your meal plan on a budget, these tasty recipes are ideal for kids.

All of our vegetarian recipes for children are easy to make and you can get your kids in on the cooking action.

Kids’ Pissaladieres >

This classic French dish is a great alternative to pizza, if you are looking for something different to get the kids involved in cooking. You can easily vary the toppings and it tastes great served with a big bowl of salad.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 10.48 fluid ounces (310ml) warm water
• 0.5 ounces dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 45ml good olive oil
• 21 ounces of plain flour, plus extra for kneading
• 2 tsp salt
• Corn flour, for baking

For the assembly of the pissaladieres

• 10 Tbsp tomato paste
• 6 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 17.5 ounces of mozzarella, sliced
• 17.5 ounces of grated white cheddar
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Method

For the dough:

1. Combine the water, yeast, honey and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 15 ounces of the flour, then the salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add another 5 ounces of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Mix the dough on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, until smooth, sprinkling it with flour to keep it from sticking to the bowl.
2. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic.
3. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

For the assembly of the pissaladieres:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/428 °F
2. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, rolling each 1 into a smooth ball. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Roll each dough ball lightly with a rolling pin, then stretch them to 9x11 inch rectangles and place on a baking tray sprinkled with corn flour.
4. Spread the tomato paste onto each dough base, leaving a 0.78 inch border all around. Artfully arrange the sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella on top. Sprinkle with the cheddar, pepper, and thyme. Brush the edges of the dough with olive oil, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is crisp.
5. Serve hot on a cutting board.

Veggie Enchiladas >

Enchiladas are a firm family favorite in our house and this veggie version packs a real punch. We like making this meal on a Saturday night accompanied by a big bowl of healthy rice with salad and tortilla chips on the side. This is a meal that is fun to make and even more fun to taste.

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, divided
• 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 cups of unpeeled zucchini, grated
• 3⁄4 cup of black olives
• 1(4 ounce) can of diced mild green chilies
• Minced garlic clove
• 1 can of reduced sodium black beans
• 2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 20 fluid ounces of homemade enchilada sauce or a canned equivalent
• 1 1⁄2 cups of cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. In a large frying pan, melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
2. Heat the butter and oil together and fry tortillas for about 5 seconds on each side.
3. Remove as soon as they become limp and drain on paper towels.
4. In a separate pan, sauté the onion in the remaining butter until transparent.
5. Stir in the zucchini, olives, garlic, black beans, green chilies, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Heap a rounded ¼ cup of the sautéed mixture in the center of each tortilla.
8. Top with a heaped tablespoon of Monterey Jack cheese.
9. Roll up and place seam-side down in a 9 x 13-inch dish.
10. When all the tortillas are rolled, pour enchilada sauce over all and top with cheddar cheese.
11. Enchiladas may be covered and refrigerated overnight at this point.
12. Bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 350°F for 15 minutes (if enchiladas have been refrigerated, bake 30 minutes).
13. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and green onions.

Lentil Burgers >

This lentil burger is a great alternative to a traditional cheeseburger, for days when you want your child to eat meat free. The ingredients are healthy and packed with vitamins, plus they taste so yummy. The best bit about this recipe is that your kids can get stuck in and get their hands all squidgy whilst making the patties—lots of fun.

Ingredients

• 1 large clove of garlic, peeled
• 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, toasted (see Tips)
• 2 slices of whole-wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon of dried
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups of cooked or canned (rinsed) lentils (see Tips)
• 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, vegetarian (see Note) or regular
• 3 teaspoons of canola oil, divided
• 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted
• 4 pieces of leaf lettuce
• 4 slices of tomato or jarred roasted red pepper
• 4 thin slices of red onion

Method

1. Coarsely chop the garlic; sprinkle with salt and mash to a paste with the side of the knife.
2. Coarsely chop the walnuts in a food processor. Add the bread, marjoram, pepper and the garlic paste; process until coarse crumbs form.
3. Add the lentils and Worcestershire; process until the mixture just comes together in a mass.
4. Form into four 3-inch patties (about 1/3 cup each).
5. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties until browned on the bottom, 2 to 4 minutes. Carefully turn over; reduce heat to medium-low.
6. Drizzle the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil around the burgers and cook until browned on the other side and heated through, 4 to 6 minutes more.
7. Serve on the buns with the lettuce, tomato (or red pepper) and onion.

Veggie-Licious Rigatoni >

Pasta and vegetables go so well together and they are very easy to put together for a quick and healthy meal for when the kids get home from school. You can add whatever vegetables you like to this dish if you don’t have all the ingredients at hand.

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 cups of crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of no-added-salt tomato paste
• 2 cups of bok choy, including some of the white stem, chopped
• 2 cups of broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped green beans (I always use frozen ones)
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1⁄2 lb of firm regular tofu, crumbled (I like some larger chunks, but crumble as fine as you like)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 -5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of oregano
• 2 small bay leaves
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon of black pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste (optional)
• 1 lb of rigatoni pasta

Method

1. Place the carrots and onion in a steamer basket in a large pot with a small amount of water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and let steam 5 minutes.
2. Add the bok choy and beans and let steam 10 minutes more, till well softened (but not mushy!).
3. Transfer the vegetables, any remaining steaming water, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to a food processor. Blend until fairly smooth, still slightly chunky. Scrape the mixture into a medium pot. As you bring it to a simmer, add the tofu, parsley, garlic, oregano, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
4. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook your rigatoni in a large pot.
5. Pour the sauce into the drained pasta, mix it up and serve! (No need for salad!).

Southern Mac and Cheese >

Mac and Cheese is a staple dish for most families as it is quick and easy to make and kids just can’t get enough of it. This Southern mac and cheese recipe uses eggs for extra creaminess and it is extremely comforting for kids after a hard day at school.

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon of butter, melted, plus more for ramekins
• 1/2 pound of elbow macaroni
• 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar (8 ounces)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 slices of white sandwich bread, torn

Method

1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 350. Butter four 10-ounce ramekins. Cook the pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar, eggs, half-and-half, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add pasta, and stir to combine; divide among ramekins.
3. In a food processor, pulse the bread and the melted butter until coarse crumbs form; season with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, top the pasta mixture with 1/2 cup cheddar, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until mac and cheese is golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Your kids are sure to love these healthy vegetarian recipes and there are plenty more where they came from over on our Remember Stuff recipe search.