Friday Food 5: Vegetarian Recipes

I had Wednesday and Thursday off for snow days, which was so nice! I did not really do much, but its always nice to be able to sleep in 3+ hours later than I usually can, and wear a t shirt all day! I've been living in long sleeve lacrosse tournament tees and leggings for the last few days. Having only two days of school this week has been amazing, to say the least.

I have been on Pinterest a ton over the past few days. You can check out my account in the tabs above! One of the things that I have been posting on Pinterest are some healthy vegetarian recipes. I have been a full on vegetarian for over a year and a half now, so I love finding new recipes to shake up my normal go to favorites. Some of my favorite go-to meals are pasta with homemade tomato sauce, homemade macaroni and cheese with some sort of vegetable on the side, black bean tacos, homemade vegetarian chili, and pumpkin soup from Williams Sonoma (that they unfortunately only sell in the fall, and i am out and suffering majorly). Some days when I am too tired to make a big meal, I will just have a can of black eyed peas, or a bowl of butter beans.

I love going out and finding great vegetarian lunch items. Some of my favorite options are from Panera and Chipotle. At Panera I get the creamy tomato soup in a bread bowl with an apple on the side. I absolutley love this. I get it literally every single time I go. The bread bowl is sourdough and it goes perfectly with the tomato soup. And no matter where you go, I encourage you to put croutons on tomato soup. I do this where ever I go and it really makes a difference. I highly recommend!

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Garfunkle on Pinterest. Not owned by me!

At Chipotle I get a bowl with black beans, hot salsa, pico de gallo, corn salsa, lettuce, and extra cheese (with chips on the side that I share with my mom!). Other times I will get basically the same thing, except as hard shell tacos. Another place I love is Noodles & Company. They have the best pastas, and its a similar type of ordering format as Panera. Of course I have a lot of local favorites that are locally owned and delicious, but I think these are great options that you can find all over! What are your favorite places to grab a great vegetarian lunch?

I found some great vegetarian recipes that I totally want to try! Here are my 5 favorites.

1. "Gingered Pumpkin Soup" from Eat Yourself Skinny (find it here!)

Photo from Eat Yourself Skinny

Totally reminds me of the Williams Sonoma pumpkin soup that I have fallen in love with. At only 85 calories a serving, it sounds not only delicious, but also really healthy too!

2. "Parmesan Roasted Asparagus" from the Barefoot Contessa (find it here!)

Found on tumblr

My family actually had this for dinner last night, in a recipe from a really old Homestead cookbook. Coincidentally, I have seen this photo on both tumblr and Pinterest, and knew it would make it onto this post. Parmesan on asparagus is heavenly. I could not find the original recipe my family used last night, but I know that the Barefoot Contessa's recipe is basically identical. This is a great side dish that is really simple to make. You can easily make it without strictly following a recipe, for sure.

3. "Olive Garden Inspired Minestrone Soup" from Eat Yourself Skinny (find it here!)

Photo from Eat Yourself Skinny

I love minestrone soup, and order it all the time at Italian restaurants. I also sometimes eat it from a can that I got from the grocery store, and it never really compares. I would love to try this recipe and make my own healthy version!

4. "oregano roasted brassicas with maple + dijon dressing" from The First Mess (find it here!)

Photo from the First Mess

Unlike most American teenagers, I actually like Brussels sprouts. This dish sounds right up my alley. I can see it served at Thanksgiving, or just an average weeknight at my house. I feel like I would have some sort of potato with it, and my parents would have chicken! Looks fresh and amazing.

5. "Spring Vegetable Lo Mein" from Half Baked Harvest (find it here!)

Photo from Half Baked Harvest

I love Asian pasta dishes, especially for a light lunch. the only thing that I would change about this recipe is to take out the mushrooms! Otherwise it looks fresh and healthy.

I hope that you've enjoyed this post. Its a little bit different from the other stuff that I've recently been posting, but I hope you like it! Let me know if you try any of these recipes, or if you have any suggestions!

XOXOXO,
Kelsey