My 13-year-old daughter has been toying with the idea of becoming a vegetarian since she was about 3, which is when she asked me where the hamburger on her plate came from. (You don’t think about how weird that conversation is until you have to have it.)
I was born in the meat-and-potatoes Midwest and raised in the meat-and-three South. But I have happily supported her experimentation with vegetarianism, not only because I am a Very Cool Mom but also because it is hard to deny the research that points to a mostly vegetarian diet as better for us and the earth.
That said, it can be difficult to make my teen see beyond salad, pasta and plain cheese, but I continue to try. And so, I present to you a handful of exciting vegetarian recipes that your kid (or your inner kid) just might love.
1. Crispy Halloumi With Tomatoes and White Beans
Halloumi is a near-perfect food: You can grill it, roast it or pan-fry it, and it gets melty soft in the center while retaining its shape and wonderfully squidgy texture. In this recipe from Nargisse Benkabbou, it’s used to top off a saucy jumble of cherry tomatoes and white beans that begs for good bread.
2. Sheet-Pan Bibimbap
My 10-year-old is a big fan of bibimbap, so I am eager to try this reader-favorite sheet-pan version from Eric Kim, with cucumber salad on the side.
3. Sticky, Spicy Tempeh
As a 20-something starving artist, I ate a lot of sad, unseasoned, steamed tempeh, but this recipe from Ali Slagle is decidedly delightful. The tempeh is first crumbled and crisped on the stovetop and then doused in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and chile sauce. Serve it over rice with a green vegetable.
4. Gnocchi With Hot and Sweet Peppers
I don’t know who started this gnocchi-on-a-sheet-pan trend, but I am here for it. In this recipe, Ali Slagle pairs the potato dumplings with bell peppers, tomatoes and canned chipotles for a spicy-sweet sauce. (I’m going to add a can of drained chickpeas for extra protein.)
5. Crispy Tofu Tacos
One reader called this smart recipe from Alexa Weibel “life changing.” For optimal crunch and flavor, she calls for grating blocks of tofu down to little nubbles, then seasoning and roasting until crisp.
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Margaux Laskey is an associate editor of recipe development for NYT Cooking.
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