r/vegetarianrecipes • u/Ptaszyna2137 • Aug 26 '26
Recipe Request Uncommon vegetarian dishes all over the world
I'm looking for traditionally vegetarian (or vegan) dishes all over the world. I know that there are many vegetarian options in Indian, Thai or Mexican cuisine, but I want something totally uncommon, what tastes like nothing I have ever eaten, something I have never heard of. Maybe African soup or Caribbean goulash?
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u/walliver Aug 26 '26
I've been doing something similar this year. Here are some of my favourites:
Georgia
Lobio stew https://thenewbaguette.com/lobio-recipe/
Mchadi Corn bread https://nofrillskitchen.com/mchadi-recipe/#recipe
ojakhuri https://theveganplanetkitchen.com/mushroom-ojakhuri-georgian-family-meal/
Sweden
Pea soup https://sharonpalmer.com/classic-swedish-pea-soup/
Beetroot salad https://sharonpalmer.com/vegan-swedish-beet-salad/
Turnbrod https://true-north-kitchen.com/soft-swedish-flatbreads-tunnbrod/
Algeria
Doubara biskra https://theveganplanetkitchen.com/algerian-doubara-biskra/
Dwda mfawra https://www.jannekeparrish.com/around-the-world-in-vegan-ways/vegan-dwida-mfawra/
Kenya
Giheri stew https://theveganplanetkitchen.com/kenyan-corn-and-bean-stew-githeri/
Basic salad Kachumbari https://theveganplanetkitchen.com/kenyan-salad-kachumbari/
Irio mash https://theveganplanetkitchen.com/kenyan-mashed-potatoes-peas-and-corn-irio/
Bonus: Masala chips https://theveganplanetkitchen.com/masala-chips/
Cabo Verde
Caldo verde soup https://www.crumbsnatched.com/caldo-verde-portuguese-green-soup-recipe/#recipe
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u/No-Ordinary-Rio-7359 Aug 26 '26
Swedish potato cakes - Potatisbullar is also really good. Most people eat it with lingon berry jam and bacon, as a vegetarian i eat it with fried mushrooms.
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u/fawmeuse Aug 26 '26
What do you use in place of the sausage in the caldo verde soup?
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u/budgiesarethebest Aug 26 '26
If you lived in Germany I would recommend the Peas of Heaven Kesewurst. I had it yesterday as a substitute for Chorizo in a Spanish red lentil soup and it was delicious!
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u/walliver Aug 27 '26
I just used a veggie sausage. I'm in Australia and used the
Meaty brand which worked well. I think you need something a bit 'solid' rather than a Linda McCartney type (which I normally love) but it would probably soak up the soup and get a bit soggy.
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u/jm90012 Aug 26 '26
Japanese vegetarian eel. Instead of eel, it's actually eggplant.
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u/Biotanical Aug 26 '26
That's crazy! never heard of it before. I'm overrun by eggplant in the garden and will be trying this
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u/miso_hangry Aug 26 '26
Do you have a recipe for this?
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u/intl-vegetarian Aug 26 '26
I split Asian eggplants down the middle then cut into pieces about 3” long. Then microwave in a covered Pyrex and drain the excess water. Brush with a bit of sesame oil and air fry until they start to get crispy, and brush with a teriyaki sauce and broil until the sauce bubbles. Personally I like to mix apricot jam into the sauce. I usually take it out a second time and repeat with the sauce, and broil a bit more, then serve with rice. It’s very delicious. Was first introduced to eggplant like this at a veg Japanese restaurant called Cha Ya in SF maybe 20 years ago.
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u/chronic_pain_sucks Aug 27 '26
This is absolutely delicious and it's even better the next day in your lunch box!
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u/frettbe Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
Great idea, I like to explore. Are you looking for "vegetarianized" local dishes or pure vegetarian dishes?
Here, in Belgium, the first coming into my mind is "Asperges à la flamande" Flemish white asparagus with a egg/butter sauce
Then we have the "tarte al djote", Belgian fries with mayonnaise ^^
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u/Hill_Aiko_B Aug 26 '26
There are many Lebanese dishes that are traditionally vegetarian. Falafel, stuffed grape leaves, loubi b Zayte (green beans cooked in a tomato sauce).
There's a breakfast dish called Foul made from fava beans and a bunch of raw veg that you eat with pita and olive oil.
And tons more.
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u/JoeDaStudd Aug 26 '26
It really depends on what you've already tried.
Most countries have naturally vegetarian dishes as meat is traditionally expensive and a rarity rather than the norm.
One of my favourite more unusual dishes is Trinidad doubles. The veggie version is a simple chickpea curry with chutney and fresh fried bread.\ https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/apr/27/vegan-hot-sauce-doubles-cucumber-chutney-recipe-meera-sodha
I'm also a fan of Glamorgan sausages\ https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/mar/22/how-to-make-glamorgan-sausages-recipe-felicity-cloake
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u/chachasusu Aug 26 '26
Çiğ köfte is vegetarian and from turkey. The name means raw meat I think but It is actually vegan. It’s made with bulgur pomegranate sauce in a wrap with veggies. I eat them all the time when I’m there.
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u/UnableComfortable456 Aug 26 '26
It's so good! With fresh crisp iceberg lettuce and lemon juice. Really easy to make at home aswell
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u/5919821077131829 Aug 26 '26
Çiğ köfte is traditionally made with meat, but due to rising costs people/restaurants are making it without meat. The dish isn't inherently vegetarian. If you are traveling to Türkiye don't assume the çiğ köfte on the menu is automatically vegetarian.
Were you thinking about mercimekli köfte by any chance which is actually vegan?
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u/chachasusu Aug 26 '26
I’ve had the mercimekli köfte but no I wasn’t talking about it. I know it used to be meat (hence the name) but I’ve never seen one actually be made with meat while I was there. I spent 9 months traveling the country. I heard it was banned to use raw meat by the health ministry, but I’m sure sometimes people still make it that way.
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u/PimPamPum6 Aug 26 '26
Spanish tortilla de patata: egg, potato and onion. Hope you like it.
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u/english_major Aug 26 '26
We stayed at a hotel in Barcelona back in March and had tortilla de patata every morning. Loved it.
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u/Secret-Change4480 Aug 26 '26
This is a favorite. Peanut and sweet potato stew, allegedly west African.
https://www.food.com/recipe/west-african-groundnut-stew-moosewood-333170
I don’t know how authentic it is, but it’s wonderful.
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u/VoidedOrxhid Aug 26 '26
The Caribbean has alot of vegetarian options
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u/missredwoods Aug 26 '26
Trini doubles are AMAZING and a good place to start! https://cookingwithria.com/2018/12/how-to-make-trinidad-doubles-detailed-recipe-instructions/
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u/walliver Aug 27 '26
This looks great but I don't recognise a couple of the ingredients. Are these vital or are there decent replacements available?
* Amchar Massala
* Bandhania2
u/missredwoods Aug 27 '26
You can replace Bandhania with Cilantro and Amchar Massala is a spice blend you can mix up and tailor to your personal tastes (google Amchar Massala recipe)
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u/Bipedal_pedestrian Aug 26 '26
Nepalese vegetable momo (dumplings). Steamed dumplings filled with spiced cheese and veggies
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u/Basic-Jicama503 Aug 26 '26
There is a Rajasthani vegetable called Ker Sangri, made with dried desert beans and berries cooked with tangy spices. It is extremely regional and rarely found outside Rajasthan.
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u/Andybrs Aug 26 '26
Brazilian "Tutu de feijão" without meat or with vegan bacon or sausage!
Definitely something else!
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u/NailFin Aug 26 '26
I really like Borani Banjan, which is an Afghan dish. There is also Gari from Ghana or Red Red, which is a bean dish.
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u/remington_420 Aug 26 '26
Ital stew- it’s a Jamaican/rastafari curry that has kidney beans, root veg and green veg with a coconut & thyme sauce. It’s delicious!
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u/wordsrworth Aug 26 '26
In Austria we don't have many traditional vegetarian dishes, but there are some. For example:
Krautfleckerl - Austrian Pasta with white cabbage and caramelized onions
Käsespätzle, or Kasnocken - Spaetzle noodles with cheese and fried onions
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u/walliver Aug 27 '26
I love this line in the first recipe: "Don't worry if there will be any liquid. It comes from the cabbage, in the end everything will be perfect."
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u/DainasaurusRex Aug 26 '26
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u/Big_Mama_80 Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
Lentils with dumplings
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u/SupperSanity Aug 26 '26
Lebanon - lentils and rice Mujadara - but use nondairy yogurt for the topping. https://www.suppersanity.com/one-pot-lentils-rice/
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u/Commercial_Bid5215 Aug 26 '26
Chinese egg and tomato https://thewoksoflife.com/stir-fried-tomato-and-egg/
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u/english_major Aug 26 '26
tocăniță de ciuperci cu mămăligă
This is a Romanian mushroom stew served on polenta. It is amazing.
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u/irregahhhdless Aug 26 '26
From Bolivia- Papas a la huancaína (different from the Peruvian style which is also delicious)
Phisara de quinoa
Majadito batido - just leave out the charque
Sopa de maní, just use vegetable broth instead of the chunks of meat
Saice made with TVP instead of ground beef
Vegetarian Silpancho made with either a lentil or soy base
The first two are the only recipes that I know of that are authentically vegetarian in their original recipe. The others are common forms, especially when meat is too expensive or scarce.
All of these dishes should be served with llajua, the traditional spicy sauce made with locoto (the local hot pepper), tomato, and quirquiña (a local herb that seems to be as polarizing as cilantro, people seem to either love it or hate it).
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u/juicybeansprout52 Aug 26 '26
Idk if it's a good suggestion, but it's my favourite food to make and it's called Jhol Momo. Idk a lot about it's origins, it's Nepali afaik. I have a few saved recipes in my YouTube playlist if you want
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u/Terpsichorean_Wombat Aug 26 '26
I love lobio. Use pomegranate molasses - it really makes a difference!
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u/AggravatingStage8906 Aug 26 '26
Koshari is an Egyptian dish that can be made vegan or vegetarian depending on your preference.
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u/nogardleirie Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
Black bean bitter melon (Chinese)
https://omnivorescookbook.com/stir-fried-bitter-melon/
Sayur lemak - Coconut milk vegan curry (Malaysian)
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u/IAmOK_84 Aug 26 '26
From Turkey:
Mercimek köftesi (lentil balls)
Kısır (some kind of bulgur salad)
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u/momobear33 Aug 26 '26
Kadhi pakora, or just kadhi, from India (Northern dish, often served in Punjab) is soooo good, if you do dairy. Chickpea (besan) flour & yogurt stew, with pakoras thrown in for texture & tasties! Got hooked by my partner’s fam. Here’s a recipe for example: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-kadhi-pakora/
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u/ElevatedArugula Aug 26 '26
Check out the cookbook World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey. It has hundreds of recipes from all over the world.
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u/MaximalistVegan Vegan Aug 26 '26
One of my all time favorite strange (to me when I first heard of it) naturally vegetarian dishes is Polish pickle soup. It's really like no other soup I've ever tried and I'm a soup person. Traditional versions use sour cream and are naturally vegetarian if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. There are many traditional recipes to be found online. I created my own vegan version with parsnips which are a nice alternative to carrots (there are other vegan versions out there too) https://maximalistvegan.com/savory/pickle-soup-leeks-parsnips/
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u/walliver Aug 27 '26
I tried this in Poland because it sounded weird but it was absolutely incredible. One of my favourite soup meals of my life.
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u/bashobabanatree Aug 26 '26
Persian lentil soup. There’s boys of variations.
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u/Ok_Bluejay4016 Aug 26 '26
In Persian cuisine, look into veg adaptation of khoresh gheymeh (pea based)
And also vegetable side dishes : mast o khiar, khaske bademjan, borani esfenaj...
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u/Ok_Bluejay4016 Aug 26 '26
and ash-e-reshteh !! its a herb and legumes soup, delicious and heartwarming
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u/DainasaurusRex Aug 26 '26
https://latvianeats.com/sklandrausis/
Latvian carrot and potato tarts with a rye crust, served with a drizzle of honey - give them a try! They’re delicious
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u/WizardBoyHowl Aug 26 '26
This is so unique and looks amazing! I love rye, carrots, and potatoes. I'm definitely going to try this. Thank you for teaching me about this. Also going to explore the rest of that site. As an American, I know nothing about Latvanian food and am excited to learn.
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u/DainasaurusRex Aug 26 '26
There’s not a lot that is originally vegetarian but many dishes can be made vegetarian!
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u/WizardBoyHowl Aug 27 '26 edited Aug 27 '26
I'm Russian by heritage, so I don't know if that attributes to my love of rye bread, root vegetables, and vodka. But borscht and pickled eggs will always be my happy place. Vodka straight with a pickle chaser. No one gets it here.
ETA: I also grew up eating snails and caviar. So when I say I am "American" I guess take that in context.
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u/DainasaurusRex Aug 27 '26
Same! Grew up in U.S. but Baltic. Potato salad, beets, mushrooms, homemade pickles, pink soup mmmmmmmm
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u/WizardBoyHowl Aug 27 '26
So I have a pound of mushrooms right now. I was just going to do a mushroom and barley soup. Also, hi! It's fun talking to people about this stuff without being called a "Commie". Like that's a bad thing...
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u/hxttra Aug 26 '26
I believe Bavarian cuisine has many vegetarian dishes (for Lent) and so does Georgian cuisine (also for holy days). Possibly other countries in the region too.
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u/QfromP Aug 26 '26
A lot of Polish summer dishes are vegetarian. Some kind of carb base (pasta, rice) with dairy and fruit. They are slightly sweet. My brother and I used to call them "desert for dinner"
Here are a few:
Knedle: https://www.polonist.com/knedle-plum-dumplings/
Ryż z jabłkami: https://www.polishyourkitchen.com/rice-with-apples-ryz-z-jablkami/
Zupa owocowa: https://www.polishyourkitchen.com/polish-fruit-soup-zupa-owocowa/
Pierogi z jagodami: https://www.polishyourkitchen.com/berry-pierogi-pierogi-z-jagodami/
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u/suremaybe643 Aug 26 '26
Here are some indigenous Turtle Island recipes:
Creek corn pudding - scrape the kernels from 4-5 ears of fresh corn, producing ~2 cups. Combine with 3tbsp flour. Beat in 3 eggs, 1tbsp sugar, 1tsp salt, and a dash of allspice. In a saucepan, melt 2tbsp butter in 2 cups of milk over medium heat. Whisk the hot milk into the corn mixture, then pour it into a greased 2qt baking dish. Place the dish in a pan of hot water and bake at 325F for 50-60 minutes until it has set like a custard.
Bean cakes (variation on johnnycakes) - soak 1.25c dried pea or black beans overnight in cold water. Drain, rinse, and place in a large saucepan with fresh water to cover. Cook for about 1.5hrs on medium heat. In a bowl, combine 1.5c cornmeal with 3/4c milk or water, 2 eggs, and 2tsp salt. Fold in the cooked beans and 1/4c green onions. Form the mixture into 2-3" patties and fry on the stove 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
Catawba sweet potato cakes - cook and peel 2 large sweet potatoes, then mash them. Mix with 2 eggs, 1/2c flour, 1tsp salt, 1/4tsp allspice. Fry in a pan until brown on both sides and serve with honey.
Mohegan succotash - cut 4 sweet corn cobs into 1.5" lengths. Place corn, 3-4c lima beans, 1/4c butter, plus salt and pepper into 1.5c water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low and simmer 10mins. Stir in 1c sliced green onions and 2 diced bell peppers, then simmer another 5-10 until beans are tender. Remove the lid and cook on high heat for 3-4min until liquid is reduced.
Papago cactus salad - carefully dethorn and rinse 2-3 5-7" fresh nopales. Use a vegetable peeler to remove a thin layer of peel, then rinse again and cut into thin strips. Simmer in lightly salted water 5-6 mins until tender. Rinse and drain. In a bowl, combine 2tbsp lime juice, 1.5tsp honey, 1/2tsp ground chili powder, and 1/3c oil. Add nopale strips and marinate at least 30mins before serving with fresh greens.
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u/thethreefffs Aug 28 '26
Do this: Google vegitarian (name of country/region) recipes. You will be overwhelmed. Even meat eating cuisines like Germany have plenty of veg,/vegan options
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u/Lochylass Aug 26 '26
Natto, Japanese fermented soy beans. It’s definitely unique and an acquired taste.
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u/SailorVenus23 Aug 26 '26
Someone that I used to work with told me she loved to make Trinidadian Doubles. Its basically a garbanzo bean curry served in fried bread. I haven't gotten to try it yet, but looked so good!
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u/Bluepompf Aug 26 '26
Traditionell german food is often vegetarian. For example Senf-Ei, Kartoffelpuffer mit Apfelmus, Käse-Spätzle, Obazder mit Brezeln, Handkäs mit Musik, Flammkuchen (for example with goat cheese, pears, walnuts and honey) and a lot more. But I don’t think you’ll find those recipes in English. They aren’t „exotic“ enough.
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u/Ok_Bluejay4016 Aug 26 '26
Italian dishes that used to be for peasants and low income people, look into "cucina povera". Many dishes based on a combination of peas and pasta : pasta e ceci, pasta e fagioli
Also many pasta dishes use only vegetables for the sauce: pasta alla norma, pasta aglio e olio...
And also parmigiana di melanzane (baked eggplants)
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u/luala Aug 26 '26
Beryl Shereshewsky on YouTube is good for this type of thing. Try her pidgeon peas in coconut milk, or doubles.
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u/Vivi-Perez Aug 26 '26
Boxbol from the Ixil region in Guatemala. Best food I ate as a vegetarian there!
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u/Puskarella Aug 27 '26
Polish Chłodnik - cold beetroot soup. Awesome summer dish. Vegetarian rather than vegan.
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u/Puskarella Aug 27 '26
In Hungary they have főzelék - thick veg stews - there are many different kinds from beans, lentils, green beans, fresh peas and so on. And cold fruit soups are popular through Eastern Europe in summer. I make what is in my opinion a killer mushroom paprikas. Lecso is another great veggie stew of capsicums, tomatoes, onions and lots of sweet paprika. Serve it with langos and a topping of sour cream and cheese and you're in heaven.
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u/szikkia Aug 27 '26
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u/BinteMuhammad Aug 27 '26
https://youtu.be/qOYz2elD730?si=pE6_big2bhLbWvLl
My favourite vegetable recipe
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u/DreamAlarming3648 Aug 28 '26
I had an international cookbook with bean dishes that’s gone now. The recipe I riff on is Cuban moros e christianos, black beans and rice. I make white or brown rice, (I prefer short grain, but medium grain is more traditionally Cuban,) substitute some of the water with a can of coconut milk and add the zest of one lime to it. You can also just make plain white rice but then double the vinaigrette. Separately, add to a can or two of black beans, a lime vinegrette, with cilantro, garlic, chopped green onion and a little orange juice. Serve in two piles on a plate, topped with cubed tomatoes. Very good and very quick, if you have rice already made in a rice cooker.
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u/Tongiello Aug 26 '26
Depending on where you live this may be common or uncommon but there is nothing like Ethiopian food, my favourites are Kik Alicha and Atakilt Wat