Hamdi Saidani Think vegetarian meals are complicated or time-consuming? Think again! We’ve gathered some of the most flavourful and satisfying meat-free recipes from Jamie Oliver’s 15-Minute Meals cookbook. From hearty burgers and creamy curries to crispy falafel wraps, these dishes are designed to be on your table in a flash, proving that vegetarian cooking can be both fast and fantastic.
1. Hearty Veggie Burgers with Old-School Coleslaw
These delicious homemade veggie burgers are packed with beans and spices, served in a soft bap with all the classic toppings and a side of crunchy, creamy coleslaw. A guaranteed family favourite!
SERVES 4 | 619 CALORIES
Ingredients:
- Corn: 4 corn on the cob, 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 lime, 1 pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Burgers: 1 big bunch of fresh coriander, 1 × 400g tin of mixed beans, 200g frozen broad beans, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp ground coriander, 1 lemon, 1 heaped tbsp plain flour, olive oil, 2 large ripe tomatoes, 1 little gem lettuce, 4 gherkins, 75g feta cheese, 4 burger baps, tomato ketchup.
- Slaw: ½ a small white and red cabbage, ½ a red onion, 4 heaped tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt, 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard.
How to Make It:
- Start by putting the corn on the cob into a large pan and covering it with boiling water. Put the lid on and let it cook.
- To make the burgers, put the coriander stalks, drained mixed beans, broad beans, spices, lemon zest, and flour into a food processor. Blitz until combined.
- Tip the mixture onto a floured surface, divide it into four, and shape each piece into a patty.
- Fry the burgers in a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, pressing them down with a spatula and flipping them when golden and crispy.
- While the burgers cook, prepare the toppings. Slice the tomatoes, lettuce, and gherkins, and crumble the feta onto a serving board. Warm the baps in a low oven.
- For the slaw, grate the cabbages and red onion in the food processor. Tip into a bowl and mix with the yoghurt, mustard, chopped coriander leaves, and lemon juice.
- Serve the cooked corn drizzled with olive oil, lime juice, and a pinch of cayenne. Let everyone build their own burger using the warm baps, ketchup, and fresh toppings.
2. Speedy Falafel Wraps with Grilled Veggies & Salsa
Whip up crispy homemade falafels and serve them in warm tortillas with charred peppers, a fresh tomato salsa, and a cooling chilli-cottage cheese dip. It’s a fun, hands-on meal perfect for sharing.
SERVES 4 | 602 CALORIES
Ingredients:
- Falafel: 1 × 400g tin of mixed beans, 1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, 1 lemon, 1 tbsp harissa, 1 heaped tsp allspice, 1 heaped tbsp plain flour, 1 bunch of fresh coriander, olive oil.
- Sides: 2 mixed-colour peppers, 4 spring onions, 8 small wholewheat tortillas, 1 tbsp Lingham’s chilli sauce, 250g low-fat cottage cheese, optional: pickled red cabbage.
- Salsa: 1 big handful of mixed-colour ripe tomatoes, ½–1 fresh red chilli, ½ a clove of garlic, 1 lime.
How to Make It:
- Make the falafel mixture by blitzing the drained beans and chickpeas, lemon zest, harissa, allspice, flour, and coriander stalks in a food processor until smooth.
- Shape the mixture into 8 small patties. Fry them in a pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, turning when golden and crisp on both sides.
- Chop the peppers into chunks and halve the spring onions. Place them on a hot griddle pan and cook until nicely charred.
- For the salsa, blitz the tomatoes, chilli, coriander leaves, a squeeze of lime juice, and half a garlic clove in the food processor until fine. Pour into a serving dish.
- Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 45 seconds. In a small bowl, stir the chilli sauce into the cottage cheese.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the charred veggies. Serve everything on the table and let everyone build their own wraps with the falafels, grilled veg, salsa, and chilli cheese.
3. Creamy Keralan Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry
A fragrant and colourful South Indian-style curry packed with charred cauliflower, chickpeas, and sweet pineapple in a creamy coconut sauce. Serve with fluffy rice and crispy poppadoms.
SERVES 4 | 725 CALORIES
Ingredients:
- Curry: ½ a cauliflower, 2 tbsp rapeseed oil, 1 heaped tsp black mustard seeds, 1 heaped tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 heaped tsp turmeric, 1 handful of dried curry leaves, 1 piece of ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, 6 spring onions, 1 fresh red chilli, 1 bunch of fresh coriander, 2 ripe tomatoes, 1 × 400g tin of light coconut milk, 1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, 1 × 227g tin of pineapple chunks in juice, 1 lemon.
- Rice: 1 mug (300g) of basmati rice, 10 cloves, ½ a lemon.
- To serve: 4 uncooked poppadoms, 3 tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt, ½ a bunch of fresh mint.
How to Make It:
- Slice the cauliflower into 1cm thick pieces and place them on a hot griddle pan, turning when lightly charred.
- Cook the rice by putting 1 mug of rice, 2 mugs of boiling water, the cloves, and half a lemon into a medium pan. Cover and let it simmer.
- In a large casserole pan, heat the oil and stir in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, and curry leaves.
- In a food processor, blitz the ginger, garlic, spring onions, chilli, and coriander stalks until fine, then stir this paste into the casserole pan.
- Chop and add the tomatoes, followed by the coconut milk, drained chickpeas, and the pineapple with its juice. Add the charred cauliflower, cover, and bring to a boil.
- Cook the poppadoms in the microwave for a minute or two until they puff up. Make the minty yoghurt by mixing chopped mint leaves with yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Finish the curry with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, scatter with coriander leaves, and serve with the rice, minty yoghurt, and poppadoms.
4. Crispy Spinach & Feta Parcels with a Modern Greek Salad
Light and crispy filo pastry parcels filled with a delicious mix of spinach, feta, and chickpeas, served alongside a fresh and crunchy Greek-inspired salad.
SERVES 4 | 516 CALORIES
Ingredients:
- Parcels: 1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, 100g feta cheese, 100g baby spinach, 1 lemon, ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika, 4 large sheets of filo pastry, olive oil.
- Salad: 1 cucumber, 1 small red onion, ½ a bunch of fresh coriander and mint, 20g blanched almonds, 1 handful of black olives, 650g mixed ripe tomatoes, 1 romaine lettuce, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
- To serve: fat-free natural yoghurt, runny honey.
How to Make It:
- Make the filling by blitzing the drained chickpeas, feta, spinach, lemon zest, and paprika in a food processor until combined.
- Fold a sheet of filo pastry in half. Place a quarter of the mixture in the centre, then bring the sides up and loosely pinch it together to form a parcel. Repeat to make 4 parcels.
- Fry the parcels in an ovenproof pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil for a couple of minutes until the bottoms are crisp, then transfer the pan to a hot oven to bake until golden.
- Prepare the salad by slicing the cucumber and onion in the food processor. Tip into a bowl and mix with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Toast the almonds and olives in an empty, hot pan with a little olive oil.
- Arrange the sliced tomatoes and lettuce on a large platter. Top with the cucumber and onion mixture, then scatter over the toasted almonds and olives.
- Serve the hot, crispy parcels with the fresh salad, a dollop of yoghurt, and a drizzle of honey.
5. Golden Camembert Parcels with Autumn Salad & Cranberry Dip
A perfect treat for a cozy evening. These crispy filo parcels are filled with melting Camembert and walnuts, served with a vibrant autumn salad and a sweet and tangy cranberry dipping sauce.
SERVES 4 | 651 CALORIES
Ingredients:
- Camembert Parcels: 200g Camembert cheese, 100g shelled walnuts, 1 bunch of fresh chives, 1 lemon, 4 large sheets of filo pastry, 1 tsp olive oil.
- Cranberry Sauce: 75g dried cranberries, 1 pinch of ground cloves, ½ tsp ground ginger, 125ml port.
- Salad: 1 pomegranate, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 red and green chicory, 1 eating apple, 100g watercress.
How to Make It:
- For the filling, blitz the Camembert, walnuts, half the chives, and the lemon zest in a food processor until combined.
- Fold a sheet of filo pastry in half. Place a quarter of the mixture along the bottom edge, then roll it up loosely into a long cigar shape. Repeat to make 4 parcels.
- Rub each parcel with a little olive oil and cook in a frying pan, turning until golden and crispy on all sides.
- Make the dipping sauce by bubbling the cranberries, cloves, ginger, and port in a small pan with a splash of water.
- Prepare the salad dressing on a large platter by squeezing the juice from half a pomegranate and mixing it with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
- Finely slice the chicory bases, grate the apple, and add them to the platter with the chicory leaves and watercress.
- Blitz the cranberry mixture in a liquidizer until smooth and pour it into a small bowl for dipping.
- Serve the hot, crispy parcels with the salad and cranberry dip. Bash the remaining pomegranate half over the salad so the seeds tumble on top.
6. Veggie Chilli with Crunchy Tortillas & Avocado Salad
A rich and smoky vegetarian chilli packed with peppers and beans. It’s served with a portion of rice hidden in the middle and a fresh, crunchy salad topped with homemade tortilla crisps.
SERVES 4 | 749 CALORIES
Ingredients:
- Chilli & Rice: 1 dried smoked chipotle chilli, ½ a fresh red chilli, 1 red onion, 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1–2 garlic cloves, 1 big bunch of fresh coriander, olive oil, 2 mixed-colour peppers, 1 × 400g tin of chickpeas, 1 × 400g tin of black beans, 700g passata, 1 × 250g pack of cooked rice.
- Salad: 4 small corn tortilla wraps, 2 ripe avocados, 3 heaped tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt, 2 limes, 1 romaine lettuce, ½ a cucumber, 1 handful of ripe cherry tomatoes.
How to Make It:
- Make the chilli base by blitzing the chillies, onion, paprika, cumin seeds, garlic, and coriander stalks in a food processor until fine.
- Tip this paste into a large, hot pan with oil. Add the chopped peppers, drained chickpeas, and black beans, followed by the passata. Stir well, cover, and let it simmer.
- Slice the tortillas into thin strips, spread them on a baking tray, and bake in a hot oven until golden and crisp.
- Make the dressing by blending half an avocado with yoghurt, the juice of 2 limes, and most of the coriander leaves until silky smooth.
- Prepare the salad by tossing chunky wedges of lettuce with ribbons of cucumber, the crispy tortilla strips, and curls of the remaining avocado.
- Just before serving, make a well in the centre of the simmering chilli and tip in the cooked rice. Cover with the lid for a few minutes to warm it through.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and top with halved cherry tomatoes and the remaining coriander. Serve the big pan of chilli at the table alongside the salad.
7. Sweet & Sour Veggies with Schezuan Eggy Rice
A super-fast and flavourful stir-fry with a sweet and sour pineapple sauce, served with a special Schezuan-spiced eggy fried rice and a crisp, crunchy side salad.
SERVES 4 | 481 CALORIES
Ingredients:
- Rice: 1 tsp Schezuan pepper, 2 × 250g packs cooked brown rice, 1 lemon, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 2 large eggs.
- Stir-fry: 2 mixed-colour peppers, 1 bunch of asparagus, 1 fresh red chilli, 1 piece of ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, sesame oil, 125g baby corn, 1 bunch of fresh coriander, 1 heaped tsp cornflour, 1 × 227g tin pineapple chunks in juice, 1 tbsp runny honey, 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, 200g beansprouts, soy sauce.
- Salad: 2 carrots, 200g sugar snap peas, 1 bunch of fresh mint, 1 lime.
How to Make It:
- Start the rice by adding the Schezuan pepper and cooked rice to a hot frying pan. Squeeze in the lemon juice and toss regularly.
- Chop the peppers and asparagus into chunks. Finely chop the chilli, ginger, and garlic, and add them to a hot wok with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil.
- Add the peppers, asparagus, and baby corn to the wok and toss regularly.
- Make the salad by grating the carrots and slicing the sugar snaps in a food processor. Tip into a bowl and toss with mint leaves, lime juice, and a little oil.
- Add the cornflour to the wok, followed by the pineapple (with its juice), honey, and vinegar. Stir well, then add the beansprouts.
- Push the rice to one side of its pan. Pour the sweet chilli sauce into the empty space, let it bubble, then crack in the eggs and stir them into the sauce, gradually pulling the rice back in to combine.
- Serve the sweet and sour veggies and the eggy rice sprinkled with fresh coriander leaves, with the crunchy salad on the side.