People often think a Dutch oven is only good for meat. But this kitchen workhorse is good for vegetarian meals, too. It’s the key to hearty stews, winter chilis, delectable pasta, and anything you can conjure up in one pot. Take it to camp for a comforting lasagna or try your hand at a meat-free jambalaya. Of course, you can’t go wrong with tossing in veggies and letting them meld for an epic veggie stew. Whether you’re hungry now or need inspiration for later, these vegetarian recipes can all be whipped up in your Dutch oven.
1. Easy Cabbage Soup
There are an endless amount of incredible soup recipes to choose from. But if you need one that’s nutritious, easy, and good any time of year, you need cabbage soup. Toss it in a Dutch oven with a medley of veggies, canned tomatoes, and veggie broth for a simple and revitalizing meal.
2. Dutch Oven Vegetable Stew
What better way to stay warm and healthy all winter than with a wholesome veggie stew?! This rustic blend is fully loaded with chunky veggies. It’s full of carrots, mushrooms, celery, and potatoes, and everything is perfectly tender. Add a splash of red wine to the broth to make it more complex. Also, toss in a bay leaf while you’re at it.
3. Homemade Vegetarian Chili
Have a chili cookoff coming up? Blow the competition out of the water with this homemade vegetarian chili. It’s hearty, rich, smoky, and very filling. It has so much flavor and depth, it’s hard to believe it’s vegetarian.
4. Campfire Lasagna (Vegetarian)
The Dutch oven is the perfect tool for cooking over an open flame. The key to this camping recipe is to get the coals hot. Once they’re ready, you can start cooking. Also, be sure to use no-boil lasagna. It makes life at camp so much easier because it cuts down on the work.
5. Dutch Oven Jambalaya (Vegan)
Jambalaya is a classic Louisiana dish that typically calls for sausage. However, you can make it meat-free and it still tastes incredible. Want to know how? Beyond Meat sausage links! This plump vegan sausage has an astounding amount of flavor. Add it to a Dutch oven with veggies, rice, canned tomatoes, Creole seasoning, and broth.
6. Tofu & Broccoli Green Curry
This recipe is great for those who love curry but not super spicy foods. The green curry paste is very mild yet big on flavor. Add it to canned coconut milk with a splash of tamari, garlic, and ginger for a tasty sauce. I love that the combination of tofu and broccoli keeps the main ingredients simple. That, and it calls for frozen broccoli, too!
7. Green Beans Amandine
This green beans amandine is a take on a French classic. Amandine refers to almonds, which is what makes this dish so great. Cook it in the Dutch oven to make a big batch for Thanksgiving, family dinners, or leftovers for weeknight dinners.
8. One-Pot Southwestern Rice
This one-pot wonder is great for barbecues, potlucks, picnics, and more. It takes white rice from bland to toothsome in just 30 minutes. What you’ll need for the rice is corn, black beans, avocado, peppers, and salsa. Well, that and a Dutch oven to cook it all in.
9. Pasta with Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Sauce
Yearning for a big bowl of noodles with nothing but sauce? Your wish is my command. This spaghetti is all about two things: noodles and butternut squash sauce. Plus, it’s vegan! So you can feel good going back for seconds.
10. Creamy One-Pot Butternut Squash Pasta with White Beans and Kale
The Dutch oven reigns supreme when it comes to one-pot meals. And this is by far one of the best Dutch oven recipes around! Butternut squash puree coats tender linguine. So there is no need to make a separate sauce. To add some more pizazz, pumpkin seeds, cannellini beans, kale, parmesan, and a bright basil mixture get tossed into the mix.
11. Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
I love a good red sauce and a cozy white sauce. But there’s something about this pasta sauce that I can’t stop thinking about. Creamy, sweet, and earthy, this 30-minute sauce is a unique find. It’s super nutritious, totally vegan, and great on just about every pasta you can imagine. And here’s a pro tip for you. Roast the butternut squash so it caramelizes for more depth.
12. Tuscan White Bean Soup
Everyone has a go-to soup for something wholesome and warming. Here’s mine. This rustic Italian soup is heavy on veggies and cannellini beans. That means it’s full of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Then there’s the broth, which is perhaps my favorite part. It gets enriched with tomato paste and white wine to accent the flavor.
13. Creamy Celeriac Mash
Mashed potatoes aren’t exactly low-carb. Yet celeriac mash is! Celery root is a healthy alternative to making mashed potatoes. Although they do taste different, they have that same creamy texture you crave.
14. Smoky BBQ Vegetarian Baked Beans
These killer vegetarian baked beans are a barbecue must! They’re slathered in a homemade smoky bourbon barbecue sauce that pales in comparison to anything from the store. They’re also slow-roasted in a Dutch oven for more depth.
15. One-Pot Veggie Pasta
Why cook pasta and the sauce in two separate pots when you can toss it all into one?! The Dutch oven and this recipe are the tickets to making weeknight dinners a breeze. You toss veggies, broth, red sauce, and pasta all into the Dutch oven. Add a handful of Italian seasoning and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Next, add some cheese and it’s time to eat!
16. Caponata
I’ve had caponata twice this week and I’m already thinking about making it again. It’s that good! The tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, and capers meld together in a Dutch oven to create a robust vegetarian dish. This Sicilian classic is mainly an appetizer served with crusty bread. But I find myself gorging on it all the time as a meal.
17. Homemade Potato Soup
There’s one vegetarian soup the whole family will agree on and that’s potato. Super thick and cheesy, it’s almost like mashed potatoes but in soup form. Use a potato masher to keep it ultra thick or thin it out with an immersion blender. You can have a hot batch ready to feed the family in 30 minutes.
18. Tuscan Chickpea Stew
Hearty stews need a pot to match, even vegetarian ones like this. Enter the Dutch oven. Dutch ovens are not only sturdy, but they have a good amount of depth, too. You’ll need that to capture all the veggies and chickpeas that go into this stew. A heartwarming bowl will nourish your body and squelch your hunger with nothing but plant-based ingredients.
19. The Creamiest Creamed Corn
This homestyle creamed corn is so cozy it makes me want to eat a big comforting spread, then veg out. It goes great with the mashed celeriac, almond green beans, and baked beans I mentioned earlier. Use fresh or frozen corn if you like. Just don’t skimp on the butter!
20. Oven-Baked Applesauce
It’s time to stop settling for store-bought applesauce and make it at home instead. I never realized just how good applesauce was until I tried this recipe. You need a bounty of apples and a sturdy Dutch oven to bake the apples. It’s oven-safe and cooks the apples evenly.
21. Traditional French Ratatouille
Cooking a traditional French ratatouille is so much easier when you have a Dutch oven on hand. Use it to saute the eggplant, squash, onions, and bell peppers in batches. Then, throw those all in with the tomatoes, garlic, dried herbs, and white wine. Simmer it on low until all that goodness is fork-tender. Then pour yourself a glass of wine, grab some crusty bread, and dig in!
22. Vegetarian Bulgur Chili
Trying to figure out what to do with bulgur? This chili is super delish! It’s a bold blend of veggies, beans, spices, and bulgur. It’s also got a kick from the jalapeno. You could throw it all into a big pot. But a sturdy Dutch oven lets you simmer it just right to get all those flavors to meld. It cooks evenly and turns out perfect! Speaking of perfect, only the best chilis include toppings. So pile on the shredded cheese, green onions, and sour cream.
23. Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
If you’re looking for the ultimate creamy soup that’s also vegetarian, then you need this butternut squash soup recipe. The velvety smooth texture and sweet squash flavor is the definition of coziness all bundled up into one bowl. Toss the squash, onions, carrots, and celery into the Dutch oven and let it simmer with the stock. Once that’s tender, add your seasonings and puree it with a blender.
24. Red Wine-Poached Pears
Cakes and pies are all fine and dandy, but nothing dazzles and delights quite like red wine-poached pears. They’re a win for date nights and a crowd-pleaser for the holidays. While they look super fancy, they’re actually easy to make. You halve the pears and remove the seeds. Then, place them in the Dutch oven with red wine, vanilla, and sugar, then let them cook. See, easy peasy!
25. Fresh Creamed Spinach
Throw on a pot of creamed spinach next time you’re whipping up a comforting family dinner. It’s cheesy, garlicky, and lavishly creamy. Dressing up spinach like these means everyone will eat their leafy greens. And with the help of your trusty Dutch oven, it’s ready in 25 minutes. Click on a star to rate it!
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