With winter comes the vegetable bounty – a season for the vegetarians to celebrate. Winter gives you the ultimate freedom and an endless choice of making different and unique vegetarian recipes, so much so that at times it becomes really confusing to select and choose only a few of them. So here’s a list of a select 10 vegetarian recipes for winter:

1.    Baked Polenta Gratin: Baked polenta layered with tomato, fontina and gorgonzola and a perfect blend of a variety of other cheeses is indeed a typical winter vegetarian dish. The creamy casserole along with the fragrant herbs never fails to give an immense satisfaction to all the vegetarians – whether served as a family dish or an individual one.
2.    Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms: Portobello mushrooms, stuffed with spinach, cheese, fennel, parsley and fresh tarragon is another flavor-packed winter vegetarian recipe idea.
3.    Japanese Vegetarian Noodles: Japanese noodles or Soba as we generally call it, combined with mushrooms and crispy snow peas, is another great textural vegetarian dish.
4.    Vegetable Moussaka: This is a vegetarian version of the traditional Greek favorite. Made of lentils and yogurt and served with mixed green salad and crusty bread, this is a unique winter vegetarian recipe idea that perfectly combines innovation with tradition.
5.    Orange Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette: Fennel, watercress, orange and citrus vinaigrette combine together to form a great winter salad. The peppery touch of the watercress combined with the sweet fragrance of the oranges is indeed a heartwarming combination.
6.    Apple and Smoked Gouda Salad: Crisp apples mixed in with mildly bitter frisee and crimson radicchio, smeared with smoked gouda cheese and tossed with crunchy nuts is another great winter salad.
7.    Eggplant Parmesan: Talking about winter vegetarian recipe ideas, eggplants baked with parmesan and ricotta cheese is worth a mention. The creaminess and subtle flavor that this warm casserole offers during the cold winter days, simply wins the hearts of even the non-vegetarians.
8.    Sesame-Braised Cabbage and Leeks: One of the most complex and rewarding winter vegetarian recipe ideas. The tender, almost melty quality of the leeks and cabbage complemented with the crunchiness and light crackle of the sesame seeds set a rare and perfect textural contrast.
9.    Mushroom Barley Risotto: An innovative and creative winter dish that brings taste and nutrition to your table. This risotto, served with crisp vegetables, tossed with lemon juice and olive oil and topped with cheese brings a burst of flavors that leaves you speechless.
10.    Vegetable Stock: Carrot peels, celery leaves, onions, leeks – a vegetable stock is probably the most versatile winter vegetarian recipe idea. Add any kind of vegetable trimmings to this and your vegetable stock is ready. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity and subtlety. The nutritional values that it brings along and the soothing warmth that it imparts during the cold winter days are added advantages.

With these 10 vegetarian recipes for winter, you can easily set the winter mood. Warm and delicious, flavorful and aromatic, these recipes are surely to win everyone’s hearts, offering them an immense choice of delicious vegetarian dishes that no one can refuse.

Photo Courtesy: s.plurielles.fr