Low Calorie Vegetarian Recipes

There is often a misconception that vegetarian recipes are all low in calories. While many vegetarian recipes are indeed low calorie, however, adding dairy products like cheese, or using seeds, nuts and oils can increase the amount of calories substantially.

And neither does ‘low calorie vegetarian recipes’ have to be synonymous with tasteless and unappetizing food. In fact, there are such fabulously wide varieties in low calorie vegetarian recipes that it will keep you engrossed in cooking, just trying out the ingredients and the flavors. There are several cultures around the world where the traditional cuisine remains largely vegetarian, which can be a source of inspiration for creating low calorie vegetarian recipes.

Given below are some delicious low calorie vegetarian recipes for you to try out:

Low Calorie Ratatouille

1 medium sized eggplant, cut into cubes
2 zucchini, cut into halves lengthwise, and then halved once again, and then sliced across
1 medium sized onion, cut like the zucchini
1 red or green pepper
3 cloves of garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 cans of tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup parsley, finely chopped, or a mixture of basil, thyme, parsley and oregano
fresh chilli, a small amount, to taste

Take a large pot and heat the oil in it. Put in the onions and stir-fry until it softens. Then, add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Next, add the rest of the ingredients, except for the tomatoes, which should be added last. Cover the pot and allow it to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Top it with grated Parmesan cheese and serve it with rice or pasta.

Tofu Burgers

500g of tofu, finely chopped
1/2 cup of flour, whole wheat
3 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
black pepper, ground, according to taste
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 small sized potato, peeled and grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small onion, finely chopped

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them all well. Shape it into burgers and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F or 175 degrees C for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning them once.

This can be served with stir-fried vegetables.

Pasta Salad

300g of cooked pasta, farfalle, penne, or fusilli
150g sun dried tomatoes, soaked until they are soft, and chopped into halves
1 avocado, with the seed removed, and chopped into cubes (sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning
1 bunch of spinach, large leafed
1/4 cup black olives
1/4 cup olive oil
pepper, freshly ground

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and serve. You could use mustard, lemon juice, and yogurt, instead of the olive oil, for a change in the taste.

Cheesy Spinach Filo

500g spinach, frozen
150g pecorino cheese, grated
150g ricotta cheese
1 bunch of oregano, fresh
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon rind, grated finely
6 sheets of filo pastry
olive oil spray can

Begin by preheating the oven to 200 degrees C. Line a large sized oven tray with baking paper. Thaw out the spinach, squeezing out the excess water. Take a large bowl and excepting for the last two ingredients, combine the rest in it. Spray the olive oil on the filo sheets. Then, put two sheets side by side, with one overlapping the other slightly. Spread one-third of the mixture on the filo, taking care to leave about 2 cm of space at one of the edges, and then roll it into a tube. Repeat the process until you get three tubes.. Place these tubes on the baking sheet and plait them together. Press the ends until they close and then spray some olive oil. Put it in the oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. This can be served with roasted vegetables or salad.

Walnut and Carrot Loaf

1 cup dried dates
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 cup water
1 cup grated carrot
½ cup walnuts
1 ½ cups flour, self-raising, whole meal

Put the dates, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, and water in a bowl, and allow it to come to a boil, and then let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Then cool it down.

Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F, or 180 degrees C. Add the flour, walnuts and carrot into the boiled mixture, stirring it in well. Then put it into a greased loaf tin, place it in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes. Turn the loaf out and allow it to cool before slicing it.