12 Vegetarian Easter Dinner Ideas

A collection of ideas for a vegetarian Easter dinner, or any time of year. This collection of dinner ideas is full of vegetarian recipes for bread, sides, main course, along with dessert and a cocktail to serve.

Check these additional ideas for an Easter brunch, which includes tips for hosting a brunch.

A collage vegetarian Easter dinner ideas with text overlay.

The traditional Easter dinner I grew up on featured a ham, basted with some kind of maple-mustard sauce my mom concocted. Maybe you did too. It was fine, but what if you really want a vegetarian Easter this year? And not just the side dishes.

I've got you covered.

I've pulled together some ideas ranging from bread to sides and main dishes. All are vegetarian, some are vegan. And it starts with a perfect cocktail for spring.

C O C K T A I L

Sgroppino

Sgroppino is a 3-ingredient Italian cocktail recipe that's both a dessert and cocktail. Think of it as a Prosecco slushie with lemon sorbet and a little vodka. Serve it in champagne flutes or other pretty glassware with a mint leaf.

B R E A D

Hot Cross Buns

OK, this is technically a traditional bread for Good Friday. It's a yeasted bread, so time needs to be budgeted to allow the dough to rise. But these sweet buns are so worth it. They're flavored with dried fruits and spices, and then finished with a piped cross on top before serving.

A Hot Cross Bun on a plate, topped with a white cross, with more buns in the background.

S I D E S

Potatoes Au Gratin

This is more of a poblano potatoes au gratin recipe which switches up the classic potato gratin by adding roasted poblano peppers. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with cheese and peppers making this a really special casserole. The post includes tips for choosing the best kind of potato, cheeses, and how to make your au gratin creamy.

Potato Gratin with poblano peppers, topped with breadcrumbs, fresh from the oven.

Roasted Asparagus Gribiche

Roast, grill or air fry asparagus, and make this asparagus gribiche for a fabulous, crowd-pleaser side dish for dinner or for a brunch. Gribiche is kind of like egg salad made into a sauce, French style, with hard boiled eggs, capers, parsley and thyme.

A serving tray of roasted asparagus, topped with a gribiche sauce.

Herby Peas and Crispy Green Rice

This crispy, herby rice salad is tossed with sugar snap peas, raisins and fresh herbs, making it green. This salad uses parsley, cilantro, dill and mint, but feel free to use herbs you have on hand. Just make sure you use a lot of herbs - this rice salad is as much about the crispy rice as it is about the herbs.

A bowl of cooked rice tossed with fresh herbs, scallions and raisins.

M A I N S

Baked Artichoke Risotto

I created this creamy artichoke risotto casserole for the Food Network blog a few years ago when asked to create some comfort food recipes for them. It's loaded with artichokes and radicchio, and topped with lemon-caper breadcrumbs.

Best of all, it's baked in the oven, which reduces that all-hands-on-deck thing when making risotto.

A pot of baked risotto with artichokes and radicchio, topped with parsley and breadcrumbs.

Slow Cooker Risotto with Asparagus

This slow cooker risotto recipe is a perfect way to make a super-creamy risotto while you go about your own life. And it's ideal for spring, since it adds asparagus.

A plate of creamy risotto with asparagus, cooked in the slow cooker.

Asparagus Carbonara with Horseradish Breadcrumbs

This asparagus carbonara shows how easy it is to make a classic carbonara without bacon. Instructions for horseradish breadcrumbs are included!

A plate of asparagus carbonara with orcchiette pasta, with Parmesan and parsley in the background.

Cheese Tortellini with Fava Beans and Herbed Ricotta Cheese

This warm dish starts with cheese tortellini tossed with herbed ricotta, tops it with sautéed tomatoes and scallions, and fava beans. If you can't find fava beans in your market yet, the post includes substitutions you can use. Or use green beans, sliced into bite size pieces.

A bowl of tortellini pasta tossed with fava beans, tomatoes and herbed ricotta cheese.

Barley Pilaf with Artichokes Peas and Mint Pesto

This is a vegan barley pilaf tossed with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, green peas and a mint pesto. It's filling, absolutely delicious, and ready in about 30 minutes.

A bowl of barley pilaf with artichokes, tomatoes, peas with a vinaigrette.

Potato Asparagus Salad with Lentils and Lemon Vinaigrette

A spring vegan potato asparagus salad, hearty enough for a meal, loaded with asparagus, potatoes, lentils, radishes, sugar snap peas, and mint - all dressed with a bright lemon vinaigrette. Serve as a warm main dish or at room temp.

A bowl filled with asparagus salad with Yukon potatoes, radishes and lentils. The salad is tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.

D E S S E R T

Farmhouse Strawberry Yogurt Cake

This is a simple lemony, strawberry yogurt cake baked with strawberries that I bake every spring. Eat it plain, with vanilla ice cream, or topped with more strawberries and whipped cream.

Part of a strawberry yogurt cake in a cake dish, and a piece of the cake topped with whipped cream on a plate. Also little dishes of strawberries and more whipped cream.

A very Happy Easter to you and your family. I hope you find something in this collection of vegetarian recipes for your Easter table this year.

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