Plant-based eating might be a great way to eat more veggies, reduce your carbon footprint, and even save on your grocery bill. But it is also a great way to discover new flavours and save time in the kitchen. From hearty stews to other one-pot wonders, plant-based Dutch Oven recipes are equally as delicious as they are easy to prepare.
These dishes are a great way to shake up your usual dinner routine with vegetarian alternatives and are sure to satisfy your palate. Explore new dimensions of taste with every spoonful, from hearty stews to flavourful Dutch Oven staples.
Le Creuset’s Dutch Ovens combine durability and versatility at its finest, offering the perfect piece of cookware for delicious, meatless meals. This iconic piece of cookware is ideal for a number of cooking techniques, from searing veggies to simmering soups. Perfect for slow-cooking, its self-basting lid allows for set-it-and-forget-it recipes, helping you prepare a delectable and stress-free meal in no time.
Our Nine Favourite Dutch Oven Plant-Based Recipes
There are so many ways to bring together vibrant vegetables and hearty legumes through plant-based dishes that are rich in flavour and texture. Need some inspiration to get you started with vegetarian recipes? Try one of these nine plant-based Dutch Oven recipes. From curries and soups to pastas and other hearty comfort foods, there is no lack of flavour when it comes to plant-based cooking with these recipes.
Corn and Summer Vegetable Gazpacho
Dutch Oven vegetarian cooking opens up a world of culinary possibilities, and this Corn and Summer Vegetable Gazpacho is the perfect place to start your adventure.
Preparing this recipe is as simple as blending together fresh corn, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers with a medley of herbs and spices. Then, let the Chef's Dutch Oven work its magic as it chills the gazpacho to the ideal temperature to enjoy. While primarily associated with providing superior heat retention, the enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven pot is also refrigerator-safe, making it perfect for these types of recipes, as well as for storing leftovers.
The result is a cool and invigorating soup that captures the essence of plant-based cooking in every spoonful, all thanks to the versatility of the enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven. This vibrant recipe serves six and takes just 30 minutes to prepare, making it an ideal choice for a quick and healthy meal – particularly when you are pressed for time.
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Panko Fried Tofu
Tofu stands as a crucial ingredient in vegan and vegetarian cooking, elevating plant-based dishes to new heights. This star ingredient is on full display in our delicious Panko Fried Tofu recipe, delivering a well-balanced meal in no time.
Begin by coating tofu cubes with a harmonious blend of panko breadcrumbs and spices before bringing the Round Dutch Oven to 375°F degrees. Once this versatile piece of cookware reaches its appropriate temperature, deep fry the tofu until golden brown. The Dutch Oven’s tall enamelled cast iron walls create the perfect environment for safely frying ingredients of all sizes.
Serve the fried tofu cubes as is or over rice! This Dutch Oven recipe serves up to four people in just 30 minutes, offering a dish that is equally easy to prepare as it is satisfying.
Recipe created by @ChoosingChia.
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Chickpea Sweet Potato Curry
Our Chickpea Sweet Potato Curry has all the makings of becoming an instant classic in your household, providing a hearty, vegan Dutch Oven recipe for family and friends to enjoy for years to come.
While this recipe can be prepared in our Rice Pot, the Round Dutch Oven is equally up to the task. Begin by sautéing onions, garlic, and ginger in your enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven pot before simmering the medley of spices, sweet potatoes and chickpeas. The combination of ingredients comes together to create a tantalizing symphony of flavours, all expertly orchestrated by the Round Dutch Oven.
This piece of cookware’s versatility is on display, helping you tackle two popular cooking techniques, all the while providing superior heat retention at every turn. This Dutch Oven recipe effortlessly balances convenience and wholesome goodness, requiring just 45 minutes to serve between two and four people.
Recipe created by @ChoosingChia.
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Pearl Couscous with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Couscous is a classic dish for cozy dinners, and this one featuring cherry tomatoes will not disappoint. It also makes for a wholesome alternative to traditional stews and meat-based recipes. Delicious and easy to prepare, this Dutch Oven recipe can quickly become a staple.
Featuring a self-basting cycle and tight-fitting lid to lock in heat and moisture, the Round Dutch Oven ensures the couscous absorbs all the aromatic flavours to perfection. This versatile piece of cookware also works well for roasting the tomatoes before adding the pearl couscous and the vegetable broth, offering superior heat retention and even heat distribution. Alternatively, our Rectangular Roaster can also be used.
Serving four and requiring just 40 minutes, this vegan Dutch Oven recipe is ideal for switching up your weeknight meal plans.
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Spring Greens Soup with Parmesan Croutons
Our Spring Greens Soup with Parmesan Croutons recipe injects some much-needed greens into everyday meal preparation, delivering a soup that is as light and delicious. Our enamelled cast iron Dutch Ovens are tailor-made for simmering soups, locking in heat and moisture thanks to their tight-fitting lid.
Begin by sautéing the leeks and potatoes in the Oval Dutch Oven until tender, and then add a medley of fresh spring greens, including chopped kale leaves, cannellini beans, and fresh peas. Finish by blending the ingredients into a delicious purée with an immersion blender and simmering the soup for approximately five minutes.
This Dutch Oven recipe serves up to six portions and can be ready in just 45 minutes. The result is a harmonious blend of flavours and textures topped with parmesan croutons that perfectly demonstrate the Dutch Oven's culinary prowess.
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Vegan Satay Tofu Coconut Rice
Tofu once again takes center stage in this Dutch Oven recipe, featuring a delightful fusion of sweet and savoury Asian flavours in our Vegan Satay Tofu Coconut Rice.
The enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven is the ideal piece of cookware for crafting this delicious dish, delivering consistent heat distribution, all the while giving home chefs the flexibility to mix and match their favourite ingredients. This versatile piece of cookware is perfect for simmering the coconut rice before pan-frying the tofu for added flavour.
The satay sauce makes for a thoughtful final touch, complementing the tofu and rice wonderfully. Serving eight and requiring just under two hours from start to finish, this dish is sure to become a household favourite in no time.
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Butternut Mac and Cheese
Looking for a unique twist on traditional Mac and Cheese? Look no further than our Butternut Mac and Cheese recipe. Combining chickpeas, garlic, nutritional yeast, mustard and, of course, butternut squash. The butternut squash purée offers a delicious, vegan alternative to tried-and-tested mac and cheese recipes.
The Round Dutch Oven is the only piece of cookware you will need to roast the butternut squash, before cooking the whole wheat pasta. Our enamelled cast iron Dutch Ovens are designed to lock in heat and moisture, allowing the butternut squash purée to gradually infuse its rich flavour and texture into the dish.
This Dutch Oven recipe serves between four and six people and takes less than an hour to prepare. Simply roast butternut squash, add in the ingredients, and let this versatile piece of cookware do the rest!
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Mushroom, Zucchini and Lentil Ragu Lasagna
Have you recently switched to a vegan lifestyle and are missing lasagna? This Mushroom, Zucchini, and Lentil Ragu Lasagna will surely satisfy your cravings. Featuring a number of hearty vegetables, including mushroom, lentils, and cherry tomatoes, this delicious lasagna is filled with texture and flavour.
Le Creuset’s Dutch Ovens have been carefully crafted for recipes like these, where layers of flavours meld together gradually. From thick enamelled cast iron walls and its very own self-basting cycle, the Dutch Oven comes equipped with a number of features ideal for slow-cooked recipes.
Better yet, the vegan cashew nut cheese provides a flavourful substitute for Parmesan and provolone and can quickly become a foundational ingredient in subsequent vegan Dutch Oven recipes. This vegan lasagna takes up to two hours to prepare but can serve up to eight portions at a time.
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Vegan Butter Chicken
Mix up your Indian food night with our Vegan Butter Chicken recipe. Traditionally, butter chicken recipes are prepared on a slow simmer in a spicy sauce enriched with tomatoes, butter and cream. This Dutch Oven recipe, on the other hand, replaces the cream sauce with coconut milk and uses vegan chicken strips.
The Dutch Oven is perfect for preparing this recipe, locking in heat and moisture for a flavourful and tender final dish. Our enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven exposes the chicken to a consistent heat source, as it absorbs the aromatic flavours of the coconut milk and spices.
This Dutch Oven recipe goes from stovetop to table in just under 30 minutes, serving up between four and six portions at a time.
View the recipeExperiment with Vegetarian Cooking with Your Le Creuset Dutch Oven
Exploring the realm of vegetarian cooking with a Le Creuset Dutch Oven is, in many ways, a trial and error process. Whether you are transforming a family staple into a vegetarian delight for the first time or are simply looking to add to your repertoire of classics, the Dutch Oven offers flexibility in the kitchen, giving you the ability to mix and match ingredients and flavours as you see fit.
From our Vegan Butter Chicken to our delicious Mushroom, Zucchini and Lentil Ragu Lasagna, these Dutch Oven recipes offer an ideal vegetarian alternative to staple dishes in your household – without compromising on flavour. The Dutch Oven's impeccable heat retention and even heat distribution ultimately make it an ideal companion for crafting rich and flavourful meatless dishes with ease.
These were just nine of our favourite vegetarian Dutch Oven recipes. For more inspiration, visit our complete catalogue of recipes or our blog and begin experimenting with everyday meal preparation with your Dutch Oven.
