14 comforting flexitarian recipes for more vegetarian meals

Having grown up appreciating the importance of eating the whole animal — whether it was a pig or a fish, we always ate it from head to tail — I know I’m not likely to give up eating meat and seafood anytime soon. Frankly, being a carnivore is practically in my DNA, and the idea of ​​never sinking my teeth into a perfectly grilled piece of crispy pork belly makes me pretty sad. But I still like to consume animal protein in moderation by incorporating more vegetarian meals and plant-based ingredients into my diet – what some like to call being a flexitarian.

Whether you only eat meat-free a few days a week or eat mostly vegetarian while enjoying the occasional steak or barbecue ribs, we’ve come up with 14 deliciously filling and warming recipes to make flexitarianism an easy endeavor. Most are vegetarian or vegan, like our farrotto, lasagna alla Norma, chili and udon noodle soup, while a few combine meat with a nutrient-rich legume, like our lentils with sausage or our Italian chickpea and pork rib stew. Feel free to modify these recipes as you see fit: top your udon with an egg or your veggie burger with melted cheese, replace it with plant-based sausage and vegetable broth, or add creamy Greek yogurt. Being flexible is the key to the game.