21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (2024)

Forget about CrockPots — the Dutch oven is the OG of slow-cooking kitchen tools, and it’s a lot more versatile than anything you have to plug into the wall. Because of their thick walls and bottoms, these heavy-lidded cast-iron pots conduct heat evenly even at low temperatures, making them ideal for cooking over an open campfire, simmering spicy chili on the stove top, and baking bread in the oven. But what you might not expect is that they’re great at coaxing out deep flavors and meltingly tender textures from vegetarian recipes too. These 21 meatless recipes will convince you to add a Dutch oven to your kitchen cabinet.

What You Need

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (1)

Dutch ovens are a kitchen essential you'll use again and again. They come in different sizes and can be beautiful enough to leave on your stovetop. This adorable limited edition set from Great Jones x Laura Chautin Dutch Oven is our new favorite! They are heavy too, another reason you might not want to stow away but also why they make your food taste so good. Other brands to try are Le Creuset, Staub, and Caraway.

20 Dutch Oven Recipes To Try

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (2)

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A few caring instructions before you start cooking! Avoid using harsh abrasives or metal utensils on your naturally non-stick oven. Wash by hand using a soft sponge or brush and mild soap. Dry well and keep lid slightly off when storing to keep your oven from rusting. Occasionally check the seasoning on a bare cast iron Dutch oven and re-season if needed!

Cauliflower Chili

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (3)

Cauliflower lovers will enjoy the dish with a kick, made with pinto beans, poblano peppers and sweet potato. (via Crowded Kitchen)

Vegan Potato Jackfruit Stew

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (5)

This hearty stew is made with meaty jackfruit, carrot, smoky spices and tomatoes. Serve with toasty bread to mop up the delicious plant-based gravy. (via Veggie Society)

Mushroom and Lentil Bourguignon

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (6)

Build amazing flavor in this classic dish with tomato paste and must-do wine reduction, then serve with mashed gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, or noodles for a divine dinner! (via Chef Bai)

One Pot Brothy Beans

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (7)

Comfort food in one pot -- make the brothy beans with white beans, herbs, and a few spices that are slow-cooked for 1-2 hours. You'll want to eat up this creamy spiced beans and broth for lunch or dinner! (via Munching With Mariyah)

Ratatouille

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (8) Master this French classic in your Dutch oven. The key is cooking each vegetable until it’s so tender, it almost melts in your mouth. (via Cupcakes and Kale Chips)

Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (9) This light Italian soup is made with whole wheat pasta and plenty of veggies. Serve it with crusty bread, so you can sop up every last bit of the rich broth. (via Gimme Some Oven)

Fresh Corn and Zucchini Chowder

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (10) When you get your summer bumper crop of corn and zucchini, reach for a summer chowder full of vegetables. Add diced jalapeños for a kick that keeps the dish from getting too heavy for warmer weather. (via Little Spice Jar)

Campfire Nachos

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (11) Cooked over a campfire or on the grill, these nachos are sure to hit the spot after a long day in the sun. The Dutch oven helps all of the cheese melt evenly, while preventing the chips from getting burnt. (via Fresh Off the Grill)

Baked Risotto With Squash, Mushrooms, and Sage

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (12) Take the work out of risotto by cooking it in the oven instead of stirring it constantly on the stove. It gets just as creamy as with the traditional method, but you won’t have to be in the kitchen the whole time it cooks. (via Ciao Veggie)

Chickpea and Potato Curry

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (13) This dish tastes like a long-simmered stew, but in fact it cooks up in just half an hour. Serve it with some naan from the store for a fast but satisfying meal. (via The Healthy Tart)

One-Pot Veggie Pasta

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On nights when you don’t have the bandwidth to cook a complicated meal, you can always count on one-pot pasta. The starch from the pasta thickens the cooking liquid into a silky sauce, and a sprinkle of fontina cheese on top makes the whole dish taste decadent. (via Yin and Yolk)

Italian Rice and Beans Soup

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (15) Dried beans get deliciously tender when they’re cooked low and slow in your Dutch oven. Along with Arborio rice, they make each bite of this Italian soup super creamy. (via Philos Kitchen)

Dutch Oven Potato Chilaquiles

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (16) Adding potatoes to your chilaquiles makes for a meal hearty enough to move from breakfast to dinner. Top with the usual suspects, and marvel at how well the tender-yet-crisp potatoes go with the rest of your dish. (via Climbing Grier Mountain)

Vegan Pasta e fa*gioli Soup

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (17) Navy beans and pasta make up the bulk of this soup. It’s one of those meals that’s made with just a handful of simple ingredients that come together to make something extraordinary. (via The Full Helping)

Tahini and Root Vegetable Stew

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (18) Tahini paste is the secret ingredient here, adding an earthy, nutty flavor to each bite. (via Almond to Zest)

Lentil Soup

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (19) We grew up on lentil soup from a can, but it’s a million times better, and almost as easy, when you make it from scratch. (via Tasty Seasons)

Oven Baked Whole Roasted Cauliflower

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (20) Impress your guests with this eye-catching vegetarian entree. A whole cauliflower is roasted with a fragrant mix of herbs and spices; carve it table-side for an extra fancy presentation. (via The Healthy Foodie)

Lentil Bolognese Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

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Robust lentil bolognese makes a flavorful filling for these cabbage rolls that are cooked until spoon-tender in a Dutch oven. (via The Mostly Vegan)

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Hero image: Chef Bai

Justina Huddleston

Justina Huddleston is a food writer living in Los Angeles. When she's not busy writing, she spends her time in the kitchen creating both virtuous and decidedly junky vegan food. Buffalo chickpea pizza, anyone? She's also been known to eat a plain block of tofu or beans straight out of the can for lunch, but somehow those culinary adventures don't make it to her Instagram. You can follow Justina on Twitter or see what's cooking in her kitchen on her blog, A Life of Little Pleasures.

21 Vegetarian Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is a Dutch oven good for vegetarians? ›

The Dutch Oven pot is extremely easy to use and is ideal for plant-based one-pot recipes. Whether you're looking to make a vegan lasagna, or a hearty soup, the Dutch Oven is versatile enough to be used for these recipes, offering home cooks and professional chefs alike to tackle new cooking techniques.

Why is a Dutch oven so heavy? ›

Weight- A Dutch Oven is heavier than a lot of the other cookware appliances around. This is because of the enameled cast iron used to build the pot. The weight of this appliance is a big advantage because it provides the sturdiness and heat retention that is required in a Dutch Oven.

Why are Dutch ovens good to cook with? ›

Because it can withstand high heat and has a tightly fitting lid, Dutch ovens are used in some bread recipes, like our No-Knead Seeded Overnight Bread. The pot is preheated, and once the dough is added and the lid set in place, steam is created inside the pot as the bread bakes.

Is there anything you shouldn't cook in a Dutch oven? ›

Be Mindful When Cooking Acidic Foods

Erosion of the protective coating may also affect its non-stick capability. In an enamel-coated Dutch oven, prolonged cooking with acidic ingredients may discolor the interior coating but doesn't erode it.

What percentage of Dutch people are vegetarian? ›

A total of 5 percent of Dutch people eat no meat at all: 2 percent eat no meat but do eat fish (also known as 'pescetarians'), 2 percent eat neither meat nor fish (vegetarians) and 0.5 percent eat plant-based foods only (vegans).

What are the disadvantages of a Dutch oven? ›

Dutch Oven: Advantages and Disadvantages

However, this cookware can be heavy to lift and move around. It requires regular seasoning or maintenance to prevent rusting or chipping. It may also react with acidic foods such as tomatoes or vinegar and alter their taste or colour.

Why is Le Creuset so expensive? ›

I put that down to the quality of the craftsmanship. Each Dutch oven is cast in sand, polished and finished by hand, then coated with porcelain enamel for durability and fired for heat resistance. I've made a lot of meals in my Le Creuset pot, from simmering stews on the stovetop to baking bread in the oven.

What is better than a Dutch oven? ›

Another versatile alternative to a Dutch oven is the classic pot or stockpot - and the best thing about this substitute is that every kitchen should already have a large pot! Stockpots work particularly well, as they have high sides and a lid that will allow you to simmer your ingredients for an extended time.

What are the 2 types of Dutch ovens? ›

  • Cast Iron Dutch Ovens. Cast iron Dutch ovens are uncoated and require seasoning and some maintenance to maintain a nonstick quality and avoid rust. ...
  • Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Ovens. Enameled cast iron Dutch ovens offer an enamel coating, making them low maintenance and easy to clean. ...
  • Round vs. Oval Dutch Ovens:
Oct 21, 2023

What is the difference between a Dutch oven and a cast iron Dutch oven? ›

Raw cast iron needs to be seasoned to make it nonstick and rust-resistant, while enameled Dutch ovens are somewhat nonstick and protected out of the box. High-quality enamel coatings are expensive, which is why enameled Dutch ovens cost more than their standard cast iron counterparts.

What is a Dutch oven fart? ›

But in slang, a Dutch oven is when you pass gas in bed and pull the covers over someone else's head, trapping it in like a Dutch oven traps heat.

Can Martha Stewart's Dutch oven go in the oven? ›

The lid fits good and tight, with concentric circles on the underside to help condensation drip down to the center of the food during cooking. The metal knob is safe in the oven up to 500 degrees, so I have no qualms going from stove to oven. I think what I like most is the pot's pretty paint job.

Why use Le Creuset Dutch oven? ›

Two main perks of Dutch ovens: they are versatile but also beautiful enough that you'll want to keep yours out on the stove. What sets Le Creuset apart from others is quality, performance (more on that later), and durability.

Can you use a Dutch oven for everything? ›

A Dutch oven gets hot and stays hot, meaning it can accommodate a wide range of cooking techniques. Of these techniques, the most common are braising, stewing, browning, frying, and baking.

Are all Dutch ovens non toxic? ›

With a healthy living Dutch oven, you won't have to worry about toxic chemicals getting released into your food. Ceramic and cast iron Dutch ovens typically feature an enamel coating, giving them nonstick capabilities without the dangers of PFOA. They also don't leach aluminum, even at very high heat.

Why does food taste better in a Dutch oven? ›

So what is a Dutch Oven and why does food taste so delicious in them? A Dutch Oven is a a cast iron, aluminum or ceramic cooking pot with a thick bottom, thick sides, and a heavy and tightly fitted lid that locks in moisture and flavor.

Can I use my Dutch oven like a skillet? ›

The dutch oven is also great for deep or shallow frying your crispy, golden favorites or creative new recipes such as Deep Fried Cappuccino Pastry S'mores. For shallow frying, add about an inch of oil and for deep frying fill the dutch oven about halfway with oil.

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