Vegetarian cooking has deep roots in cultures around the world, from the plant-based traditions of India to the hearty bean dishes of Central America. Here are 12 exceptional vegetarian recipes from different countries that prove you do not need meat to eat magnificently.
1. Dal Makhani (India)
Slow-cooked black lentils in a rich, spiced tomato and cream sauce. Dal Makhani is the pride of Punjabi cooking, traditionally simmered overnight in a tandoor oven until the lentils turn extraordinarily creamy.
2. Spanakopita (Greece)
Crispy golden phyllo pastry filled with spinach, feta cheese and dill. This Greek savory pie is one of the Mediterranean’s greatest vegetarian contributions to world cuisine.
3. Shakshuka (Middle East)
Eggs poached in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce, shakshuka originated in North Africa and has become a global breakfast icon. Simple, quick and profoundly satisfying.
4. Caprese Salad (Italy)
The simplest and most elegant of salads: thick-sliced ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves and a generous drizzle of the best olive oil you can find. When the ingredients are perfect, nothing compares.
5. Gado-Gado (Indonesia)
A colorful Indonesian salad of blanched vegetables, hard-boiled eggs and tofu, served with a rich and complex peanut sauce. Gado-Gado is Indonesia’s most important vegetarian export.
6. Ratatouille (France)
The Provencal classic: slow-stewed eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and onions with olive oil and herbes de Provence. The secret is cooking each vegetable separately before combining.
7. Mujaddara (Lebanon)
Brown lentils and rice topped with a mountain of deeply caramelized onions. This humble Lebanese dish dates back centuries and remains one of the most comforting and nutritious meals in Middle Eastern cuisine.
8. Aloo Gobi (India)
Dry-spiced cauliflower and potato curry with turmeric, cumin and coriander. Aloo Gobi is perhaps the most-loved home-cooked vegetable dish across the Indian subcontinent.
9. Brazilian Black Bean Feijoada (Brazil)
Traditionally made with pork, the vegetarian version of feijoada uses black beans cooked with smoked paprika, cumin, garlic and orange peel. Served with rice, collard greens and farofa, it is deeply satisfying.
10. Mapo Tofu (China)
Silken tofu in a fiery sauce of Sichuan chili bean paste, fermented black beans, garlic and the numbing tingle of Sichuan peppercorns. Mapo Tofu is one of China’s most celebrated dishes and is often made vegetarian.
11. Injera with Vegetarian Stews (Ethiopia)
Ethiopian vegetarian fasting food (tsomfood) is among the world’s finest. Misir (red lentils), gomen (collard greens) and tikil gomen (cabbage and carrots) are all deeply spiced and served on spongy injera bread.
12. Patatas Bravas (Spain)
Crispy cubed potatoes served with a spicy tomato sauce and aioli. This Spanish tapas staple is vegetarian, deeply satisfying and endlessly popular in bars across the Iberian Peninsula.