3 Ideas for Meatless Meals During Lent

Lent is upon us. If you observe the Lenten season, you likely fast from meat on Fridays. When I was younger, and not as observant in my faith, fasting wasn’t a challenge for me because, hey, I could just order a cheese pizza or enjoy a big seafood dinner! As I’ve learned more about the penitential season of Lent, though, I have felt called to simplify my meatless meals. I try to place my focus on easy meals and more fellowship.

Simple doesn’t mean boring though! Below, I’ve listed some of my favorite low-key meatless meals. All of them are great for a family dinner or a group of friends. Enjoy!

Spring Quiche

Serves 4-6

I adore quiche. Perfect for any meal. And you can add just about any veggie {or meat} to the egg mixture, so it’s ideal for cleaning out your fridge. I particularly love to serve this meal outside in the springtime, when the weather has a slight bite to it still and a hot, melty quiche can warm you up.

Ingredients

2 frozen pie crusts, thawed, or your favorite recipe (here’s mine)
4 tbsp butter
1 lb yellow onions, thinly sliced
1-2 zucchinis, sliced into half moons {or any spring veggie: asparagus, peas, yellow squash, tomatoes}
1 tsp fresh thyme
5 eggs
1/2 c creme fraiche or heavy whipping cream
3/4 c whole milk
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 c grated Gruyere cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Placed one thawed pie crust disc into a pie pan. Line with a sheet of parchment paper. Add pie weights or dried beans, evenly distributed. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Carefully parchment paper and weights. Poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork. Return to the oven for about 7-8 minutes, until the bottom just starts to turn brown.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add in sliced onions, thyme, a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add in sliced zucchini and cook for another 5-10 minutes, watching to ensure the vegetables don’t burn.
4. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, creme fraiche, milk, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add half the cheese and mix to combine.
5. Spread caramelized veggies over the crust. Pour in the egg/cheese mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 40 minutes, or until set but slightly wobbly in the center. Cool for about 15 minutes. Serve warm with chilled white wine and a salad like this one.

Mason Jar Instant Soup

Makes one serving

I usually roll my eyes at the mason jar meal prep ideas. They seem entirely inconvenient, especially mason jar salads. However, I recently came across a mason jar instant soup recipe. I had a cold, and I wanted something quick, so I tried it out. Y’all, it’s so good! Simple, warm, comforting, and easily customizable. And while you could do this in a bowl, rather than layering everything in a mason jar, the jar is helpful for measuring the amount of water. My version is a vegetarian take on this recipe. Though this recipe is for a single serving, it would be super easy for a crowd {or a family dinner}. You’ll need several jars, and everyone can add their preferred veggies/ingredients!

Ingredients

~ 1/2 cup of garbanzo beans
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 – 1 tsp Sriracha
1 c thinly sliced veggies, such as broccoli slaw, bell peppers, onions, cabbage, carrots
1/2 tbsp roasted chicken Better than Bouillon
1 packet of vermicelli rice noodles

Instructions

1. Layer ingredients in the order listed in a quart mason jar.
2. Add boiling water to the top of the jar. Stir the ingredients
3. together, ensuring the noodles are completely covered by the hot water. Let sit for about 5 minutes. If the noodles aren’t cooked through, you can also then microwave the soup for 2 minutes.
4. Pour soup into a large bowl. Enjoy!

Sesame Noodles with Shrimp and Veggies

Serves 4-6

This is one of my favorite Lenten meatless meals. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. When I’m feeling it, I add in shrimp or scallops and whatever veggies I have on hand. If I’m exhausted and ready to collapse on my couch, I just serve the noodles with the sauce. Both are delicious.

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman’s Simple Sesame Noodles.

Ingredients

1 lb thin noodles, such as spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 zucchini, sliced into half moons*
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
1/2 c frozen edamame
salt and pepper
1/4 c soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, sliced, divided {or minced, if you prefer smaller pieces of garlic}
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp sesame oil
1/2-1 tsp Sriracha
4 green onions, sliced

*These are my favorite veggies to add, but you can add whichever ones you like!

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot of salted water to boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Mix soy sauce, 4 cloves garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and Sriracha in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to hot pan. Don’t overcrowd the shrimp, or they will just steam. Cook 1-2 minutes on both sides until opaque and just cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
4. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan. Add in onions, garlic, and veggies. Saute about 5-10 minutes, until veggies are soft but still have a slight bite to them. {You can obviously saute longer if you prefer more tender veggies.}
5. In a large bowl, or even the pasta pot, combine noodles, cooked shrimp, cooked veggies, and sauce. Gently toss until everything is coated in the sauce.
6. Serve warm with green onions sprinkled on top.

Do you have any go-to meatless meals? Share your recipes with us!

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