Sheet pan suppers without the meat
It’s no harder to build a sheet-pan supper around a vegetarian protein, and there are more options than you might think
Most sheet-pan suppers rely on meat or fish as the anchor. Toss your chicken or salmon fillets on the pan, surround them with vegetables, and roast until everything turns golden brown, a perfect one-pan meal.
But what if you want your choice of protein to come from plants, not animals? It’s no harder to build a sheet-pan supper around a vegetarian protein, and there are more options than you might initially think.
Take, for example, beans. While they may not be the first ingredient to spring to mind when you think of a sheet-pan supper, they can work wonderfully, whether you want them crunchy and golden, or soupier and more like chili.
Crisping chickpeas in the oven to serve as an hors d’oeuvre or snack is something I’ve been doing for years. Just coat them in oil and spices, and roast at high heat until they sizzle. But to turn them into a sheet-pan supper, I added potatoes. Then, on a separate pan, I roasted chunks of cauliflower strewn with skinny lemon slices. Drizzled with a garlicky herbed yogurt sauce, it’s an incredibly satisfying, richly textured meal zipped up by the caramelized bits of citrus.
Cooking beans in the oven is even easier because you don’t have to worry about browning. To make a topping for bean tostadas, I spread a mix of canned black beans, chipotle chilies, oregano and garlic on a sheet pan, and let it bubble in the oven as it thickened. It comes out just as it would in a pot on the stove.
While the oven is on, I also roasted thinly sliced bell peppers until tender and golden. Then, to serve, the beans, sweet peppers and some avocado get layered onto crisp tortillas for vegetarian tostadas that are easy enough for weeknights.
Building a sheet-pan supper around tofu, tempeh and other sliceable plant proteins is fairly intuitive. Start with the protein, add vegetables, some kind of fat for browning, and any seasonings you like.
One of my favourite tofu recipes calls for marinating it in tamari and honey, coating it in cornstarch, then baking until it’s crunchy and brown.
Turning this basic formula into a sheet-pan meal is a cinch: just stick another pan of veggies in the oven at the same time, and add some herbs and crunchy peanuts as garnish.
Sliced sweet potatoes work particularly well as a pairing. The wedges turn velvety, adding texture to the meal. But broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms or any number or others can work. Watch them as they cook, pulling them from the oven when they’re finished even if that happens a bit before — or after — the tofu is done.
A word of warning: the cornstarch coating will most likely cause the tofu to stick to the pan. Using a small metal spatula, either an offset or a fish spatula, will help pry the pieces off for flipping halfway through. You could use non-stick liner here, but it will inhibit the browning and crunch factor. Or skip the cornstarch entirely.
Tempeh and seitan can be used interchangeably with tofu, though you don’t need to drain them first. And in many cases, they even come marinated and ready to just cut up and bake along with your veggies.
Finally, there is another, even simpler route for a meatless sheet-pan dinner. Simply roast up your favourite combination of vegetables, then add a proteinpacked garnish at the end. Toasted nuts, crumbled cheeses, yogurt sauces, or fried or hardcooked eggs can round out your plate with style and verve — no added meat whatsoever.
Sheet-Pan Tostadas with Black Beans and Peppers
Makes 4 to 6 servings 3 medium bell peppers, thinly sliced (preferably at least one red and one yellow)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
4 thyme sprigs
2 (14- to 16-ounce) cans black beans, drained
1 cup canned diced tomatoes with their liquid
1 chipotle chili in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tsp adobo sauce 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1 tsp dried oregano
3⁄4 tsp ground cumin
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 lime
Sliced avocado, for serving Crumbled queso fresco or grated white cheddar, for serving (optional)
Chopped cilantro leaves, for serving
Total time: one hour
Heat oven to 400 F and arrange racks in the top and bottom thirds of oven. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss together peppers, onion, 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and sage, then spread vegetables out in an even layer. Top with thyme sprigs, and roast on the top rack until tender and lightly browned, 35 to 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes or so.
On a separate rimmed sheet pan, toss together beans, tomatoes, 1/4 cup oil, chipotle chili and sauce, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and salt to taste. Roast on the bottom rack, stirring every 10 minutes, until juices have thickened, 25 to 35 minutes.
Brush tortillas on both sides with oil, then arrange in an even layer on a third rimmed baking sheet (it’s OK if the tortillas overlap slightly). Bake until crisp, about five to seven minutes. Immediately sprinkle with salt while they are still hot.
To make the cumin salt, grate the zest from the lime. In a small bowl, stir together lime zest, 1½ teaspoons salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin. Cut naked lime into wedges.
To serve, top tortillas with beans, peppers, avocado, queso fresco (if desired), cilantro and a squeeze of lime from the wedges. Let people sprinkle on lime-cumin salt to taste.
Spiced Chickpeas with Cauliflower and Roasted Lemon
Makes 4 servings Kosher salt, as needed
1 lemon, preferably a Meyer lemon, thinly sliced and seeded 1 (2 1⁄4-pound) head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
1 1⁄2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tsp tomato paste
1⁄2 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce 3⁄4 tsp ground turmeric 1⁄2 tsp ground cumin 1⁄4 sp ground coriander
1 (14- to 16-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and blotted dry
1 pound baby or fingerling potatoes, cut into quarters 2 rosemary sprigs
3⁄4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (or substitute soy, nut or coconut milk yogurt)
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh dill or mint, plus more for garnish
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1⁄4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
1 large garlic clove, finely grated or minced
Fresh lemon juice, as needed
Total time: 70 minutes
Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of oven and heat to 425 F. Bring a small pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add lemon slices and simmer until softened, about five minutes. Drain, pat dry with a clean kitchen towel and cut slices into quarters.
On a rimmed sheet pan, toss cauliflower, tomatoes and jalapenos with 1/4 cup oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fold in lemon slices. Place pan on bottom rack of oven and roast, tossing every 10 minutes, until well-browned, about 35 to 45 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup oil, cumin seeds, tomato paste, Tabasco, ground turmeric, cumin and coriander.
On a separate rimmed sheet pan, toss together chickpeas, potatoes, spice-oil mixture and salt to taste. Top with rosemary sprigs. Roast on top rack until potatoes are golden, 30 to 40 minutes, tossing mixture halfway through. Remove pan and toss with more salt to taste.
While everything is roasting, make the sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, dill, basil, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed.
To serve, toss roasted chickpeas and potatoes with cauliflower mixture. Drizzle with more oil, yogurt sauce and herbs.