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Cooking tips · 5 min read

10 Easy Swaps to Make Any Recipe Vegetarian

From bolognese to burgers, here's what actually works when you're adapting a meat recipe — and what doesn't.

Got a family recipe with meat in it and want a vegetarian version that actually holds up? Here's what works.

For mince (ground meat)

Best swap: finely chopped mushrooms browned hard, mixed with cooked lentils. Mushrooms bring umami and moisture-release-then-caramelise the same way meat does; lentils bring body. Works in bolognese, shepherd's pie, tacos and chilli.

For chicken stock

Best swap: a good vegetable stock, ideally homemade from onion skins, carrot tops and celery ends kept in a freezer bag. Add a splash of soy sauce or a parmesan rind for extra savouriness if the dish needs it.

For bacon (the smoky, salty crunch)

Best swap: smoked paprika plus a crunchy element — fried mushrooms, crispy chickpeas, or coconut flakes tossed with soy sauce and liquid smoke if you have it.

For a burger patty

Best swap: don't try to mimic beef exactly — build a bean or mushroom-walnut patty designed to hold together on its own terms, like our black bean burgers. Trying to make beans taste like beef usually disappoints; making a genuinely good bean burger doesn't.

For fish sauce / anchovies (that deep savoury base)

Best swap: soy sauce, miso paste, or a splash of the brine from a jar of capers or olives.

For gelatine

Best swap: agar agar (from seaweed) for jellies and set desserts — use about half the amount by weight and it sets at room temperature, unlike gelatine.

For eggs (in baking)

Best swap: a 'flax egg' — 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, rested for 5 minutes until gel-like. Works well in most cakes, brownies and pancakes; less reliable in delicate meringues or soufflés.

The one rule that matters most

Don't just remove the meat — replace what it was doing in the dish (fat, salt, savouriness, texture) with something else that does the same job. That's the difference between a swap that works and a meal that feels like something's missing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave meat out of a recipe without replacing it?

You can, but the dish will usually taste thinner and less satisfying, because meat was often doing three jobs at once: fat, savouriness and texture. Replacing at least one of those (extra oil, soy sauce, mushrooms) usually fixes it.

What's the best all-purpose swap for minced meat?

A mix of finely chopped, well-browned mushrooms and cooked lentils. It works in almost any recipe that calls for mince — bolognese, chilli, shepherd's pie, tacos.

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