
Vegetarian Easter ideas
Look no further if you want impressive main courses and ideas for a stunning vegetarian Easter menu. We've planned everything you need for an epic feast
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Sometimes it's hard to cater for everyone at a big family gathering. That's why BBC Good Food has planned your perfect Easter menu for veggies, bursting with seasonal treats and hearty mains that won't leave you going hungry. For more inspiration, see our best vegetarian Easter recipes and vegan Easter recipes.
Starters
Kick off your veggie feast with a colourful sharing platter, fresh green soup or light and herby salad.
Spring sharing board
Make veg the focus of your seasonal starter with an easy mix-and-match sharing board. This delectable platter of nibbles features crunchy radishes, chicory, asparagus, quail's eggs and crackers. Serve with a fresh homemade pea & artichoke dip, marinated feta and pink pepper salt so that people can help themselves.
Watercress salad with Jersey Royals, roast shallots & pickled radish
Feeding a smaller group? Keep the springtime flavours coming with our colourful watercress and Jersey Royal salad. Teamed with crunchy pickled radishes, refreshing mint and sweet banana shallots, this dish is full of exciting textures and flavours.
Leek, pea & watercress soup
Serve a warming bowl of vibrant green veg soup for a vegan starter that sings of spring. Packed with seasonal leeks, peas and watercress, this wholesome blend also delivers two of your five-a-day. Add a touch of luxury by swirling through oat crème fraîche and serve with a hunk of crusty homemade sourdough.
Discover more meat-free marvels in our collection of vegetarian starter recipes.
Mains
Serve one of our flavourful meat-free mains for a stunning Easter centrepiece, from veg-stuffed filo pastries and comforting tarts to roasted stuffed cauliflower and butternut squash.
Leek & globe artichoke pie
Hearty veggie pies can make really impressive Easter centrepieces. Even devoted carnivores will want a slice of this cheesy, coiled pie, which is based loosely on the Greek anginaropita.
Not a fan of artichokes? Try our veggie spiral pie instead – a light, crisp pastry stuffed with rice, feta and spinach. For an even simpler version, this crispy Greek style pie uses just five ingredients to make a delicious no-fuss main.
Discover more delicious vegetarian pies.
Cavolo nero, mushroom, potato & fontina strudel
Filo works in strudel-like pastries as well as Greek ones, and is easier to handle than strudel dough. Our impressive savoury version takes a little effort but is well worth it – the result is a creamy, spiced veg filling encased in golden, crisp pastry. If you can’t find fontina, comté or gruyère work well, too.
Find more stunning centrepieces in our collection of vegetarian wellington recipes.
Roasted stuffed cauliflower
Make this gloriously golden stuffed cauliflower the star of your Easter menu. The kale-based filling is packed with the aromatic flavours of rosemary, sage, chestnut and lemon. Cleverly bound together by a linseed paste, this vegan centrepiece has a chestnut and breadcrumb coating, creating a mouthwateringly crisp outer layer.
More like this
For more plant-based inspiration, check out our vegan Easter ideas.
Stuffed butternut squash
Roasted butternut squash makes another satisfying meat-free main. Stuff with a moreish mixture of pearl barley, pine nuts, fresh herbs, leeks, feta and dried fruit. Serve with a lemony tahini and honey sauce and scattering of fresh parsley.
Browse more butternut squash recipes.
Charred courgette, lemon & goat’s cheese galette
Bake this colourful free-form tart for a veggie main with the wow factor. Rye flour gives the pastry a lovely nutty flavour, which marries well with the topping of lemony goat’s cheese, charred seasonal veg and toasted pine nuts. Any leftovers are delicious eaten cold the next day, with a peppery dressed salad. If you’re short on time, use a block of ready-made all-butter puff pastry, instead of making your own.
Try more of our glorious sweet and savoury galette recipes.
Double cheese & spring vegetable tart
A true celebration of spring, this easy make-ahead tart is packed seasonal asparagus, peas and watercress, combined with tangy goat's cheese and mature cheddar in a rich, quiche-style filling. We’ve used shop-bought pastry for ease but given it a personal touch by laminating it with cheddar, which gives the tart a beautifully crumbly base. You could also add herbs like fresh thyme, finely chopped rosemary or some crunchy poppy seeds.
We've got plenty more inspiration for impressive vegetarian main course recipes.
Sides
Roasted new carrots, cauliflower, grains & carrot-top dressing
Accompany your main with a hearty warm grain salad featuring carrots, cauliflower and green beans with pearly barley or spelt. We've used whole vegetables – including their leaves and stalks – to make a deliciously zingy dressing. To save precious last-minute prep time, all the components of this dish can be made the day before and don’t need to be chilled before serving.
Crispy new potato traybake
The veg patch is starting to come into its own in spring, so make the most of homegrown Jersey Royals in this traybake. A little white wine vinegar mixed with punchy capers, olives and a sprig of thyme goes a long way.
Cheesy vegetable gratin and braised carrots
Give cauliflower cheese a springtime twist with fresh purple sprouting broccoli and spinach in a punchy cheddar and chive sauce. Serve alongside a bowl of buttery fennel-braised carrots – the best part? They don't require any chopping or peeling!
Warm spring vegetables
This zingy spring veg dish features delicate, lemony courgette ribbons with seasonal asparagus, peas and broad beans, all drizzled in olive oil and topped with parsley.
Find more fresh spring greens recipes.
Desserts
Whether you want to indulge in Easter chocolate or something fruity and fresh to finish off your feast, spring is a great season for both.
Rhubarb & apple crumble
Use up a glut of rhubarb in this comforting fruit pudding. Ground ginger adds a hint of warm spice to the crumble topping. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Liven up your bakes with more seasonal rhubarb recipes.
Chocolate egg baked tart
For a truly showstopping Easter dessert, this decadent chocolate tart is deceptively easy to make. Try our simple version with eye-catching golden eggs, or give it an extra special finish by dusting with cocoa powder, then decorating with piped ganache, extra golden eggs and chocolate shards.
Treat yourself to more Easter chocolate recipes and Easter egg desserts.
Lemon layer cake
Serve up a slice of citrus cake with soft cheese icing. Adding yogurt to the sponge makes it light and moist, which balances perfectly with the creamy icing. Soak in a warm lemon drizzle sauce and top with candied lemon zest for a super-fresh dessert.
Find more citrusy bakes in our selection of lemon dessert recipes.
Also check out our Easter dessert recipes for more sweet treats.
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What's your favourite vegetarian Easter recipe? Let us know below...