When you think of the keto diet, the first foods that come to mind are probably meat and cheese. That's understandable because they're the go-to sources of protein for many who decide to follow this low-carb eating style. What you may not realize is there are vegetarian keto recipes that can totally help you hit the ideal macro ratio for this diet plan.
Finding the right type of protein is often the biggest challenge for those who are meat-free. "If you're vegetarian, your main protein sources are beans, lentils, and whole grains," says Roxana Ehsani, RD, a nutritionist in Miami, Florida. "These are excellent sources of plant-based protein, but they also contain carbs, which could be more than the keto diet allows."
If those are some of your favorite foods, you can still enjoy them in small portions. You can also add other keto-friendly protein options to your meals, including tofu, eggs, seitan, tempeh, full-fat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and nuts and seeds.
Of course, low-carb fruits and veggies are your new best friends here, such as leafy greens like kale, romaine, arugula, and celery, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, and berries like strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. And choose healthy sources of fat whenever possible, says Ehsani, such as olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, canola oil, avocado oil, and olive oil.
It’s definitely not easy to put together meals that check all the boxes for two different diets. Thankfully, these dietitians and recipe developers have done the legwork for you and come up with these 30 healthy vegetarian keto recipes that are yummy and make staying within your dietary restrictions a breeze.
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1
Crispy Brussels Sprouts Salad With Lemon Dressing
There's something so freaking satisfying about a giant, crunchy green salad, and this Brussels sprouts dish definitely fits the bill. Pecans and seeds add even more chewy goodness and beef up the fat content to keep you full.
Per serving: 485 calories, 46 g fat, 10 g net carbs, 7 g fiber, 7 g protein
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2
Broccoli Lemon Parmesan Soup
Warm, comforting, cheesy, and packed with healthy veggies? What more could you ask for in a soup?! This low-carb broccoli soup is a perfect lunch or starter for dinner.
Per serving: 371 calories, 28 g fat, 12 g net carbs, 8 g fiber, 15 g protein
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3
Mashed Cauliflower
Meet the answer to healthy Thanksgiving: buttery keto and vegetarian mashed cauliflower. *Drools*
Per serving: 62 calories, 3 g fat, 8.5 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 3.5 g protein
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4
Roasted Pumpkin And Halloumi Salad
Look, pumpkins aren't just for carving. If you haven't added them (or halloumi, a delicious semi-hard cheese) to your diet, you're seriously missing out. Go all in and try them together in this tasty savory salad.
Per serving: 538 calories, 46 g fat, 11 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 19 g protein
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5
Greek Cauliflower Salad
Look, cauliflower is the official mascot of keto, I don't make the rules. Mix it up by pairing it with meaty olives and Greek flavors in this yummy salad.
Per serving: 266 calories, 22 g fat, 7 g net carbs, 4 g fiber, 7 g protein
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6
Avocado Smoothie
Totally customizable for both diets (use a milk and sweetener of your own choosing that meets your preferences), this smoothie is creamy, dreamy, and perfect as a healthy breakfast or filling snack.
Per serving: 71 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 1 g protein
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7
Classic Egg Salad
It’s classic because everyone loves it—but it’s also a good base recipe. It can be easily jazzed up with any number of keto-friendly spices or add-ins (like pickles!).
Per serving: 185 calories, 16 g fat, 1 g carbs, 10 g protein
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8
Vegetarian Loaded Potato Skins
Any recipe with the word “loaded” in it must be bad for you, right? Nope. These zucchini skins are packed with roasted mushrooms and spicy paprika for a flavorful side dish or snack that comes in just over 100 calories.
Per serving: 109 calories, 8 g fat, 4 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein
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9
Vegetarian Keto "Crab" Cakes
Some vegetarians eat crab. But if you avoid seafood completely, no worries. These faux “crab” cakes made with hearts of palm will fill that void and become one of your new favorite healthy vegetarian keto recipes.
Per serving: 434 calories, 41 g fat, 10 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 10 g protein
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10
Vegetarian Keto Club Salad
You don’t need bacon to make a delicious cobb salad. This recipe—with crunchy romaine, high-protein hard boiled eggs, and an amazing homemade dressing—has got you covered.
Per serving: 330 calories, 26 g fat, 7 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 17 g protein
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11
Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
Quiche is basically a triple threat since it can be served at any meal with a no-cal side (like fruit or arugula). And this one is also crustless to keep the carbs down.
Per serving: 174 calories, 12 g fat, 5 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 13 g protein
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12
Roasted Tomato Soup
Roasting veggies before pureeing them into a soup is a surefire way to make your dish literally explode with flavor...and this recipe does not disappoint.
Per serving: 95 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 3 g protein
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13
Vegan Eggplant Shakshuka
This Middle Eastern dish basically has it all: It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, is packed with veggies and a filling tofu scramble, and can be prepared in just 30 minutes.
Per serving: 155 calories, 8 g fat, 16 g carbs, 5 g protein
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14
Teriyaki Grilled Eggplant
Miss steak? This teriyaki grilled eggplant will be your new go-to healthy vegetarian keto recipe, giving you similar flavors that satisfy.
Per serving: 163 calories, 12 g fat, 14 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 4 g protein
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15
Sautéed Breakfast Salad
Salad for breakfast? Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. And you’ll want to try this one, with sunny side up eggs served over sautéed vegetables and microgreens.
Per serving: 370 calories, 29 g fat, 13 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 17 g protein
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16
Five-Ingredient Grain-Free Granola
If you love a bowl of cereal in the morning, this grain-free granola will satisfy your craving (and is basically screaming to be topped with fresh fruit).
Per serving: 169 calories, 16 g fat, 5 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein
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17
Stir-Fry Cauliflower Rice
You haven’t been able to indulge in fried rice from your favorite Chinese takeout for a while, huh? Problem solved with this super healthy keto vegetarian recipe.
Per serving: 283 calories, 9 g fat, 44 g carbs, 11 g fiber, 10 g protein
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18
Zucchini Rollatini
You probably already know that zucchini can easily replace carb-loaded pasta (looking at you, zoodles). But this rollatini recipe takes that one step further, wrapping zucchini around ricotta cheese and baking it with mozzarella and marinara.
Per serving: 318 calories, 18 g fat, 19 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 21 g protein
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19
Avocado Caprese Salad
With fresh basil and tomatoes, this healthy keto vegetarian recipe is basically late summer in a bowl.
Per serving: 284 calories, 26 g fat, 8 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein
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20
Rainbow Salad With Pomegranate Vinaigrette
You can literally taste the rainbow when you eat this colorful and delicious salad for lunch.
Per serving: 138 calories, 12 g fat, 7 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein
