Vegetarian Recipes
Vegetarian recipes — no meat or fish, as written.
105 recipes
Masala Dosa
A naturally fermented rice-and-urad-dal batter spread paper-thin on a hot griddle until crisp, then folded around a soft turmeric potato filling. The overnight ferment does most of the work.
Mango Lassi
Ripe mango blended with whole-milk yogurt, a little sugar and cardamom into a thick pourable drink. The mango does most of the sweetening, so use fruit that is soft and fragrant.
Lemon Icebox Pie
A cold-set pie of sweetened condensed milk and fresh lemon juice in a pressed crumb crust, sharp and dense, with softly whipped cream folded through to lighten the filling.
Kale Caesar with Crispy Chickpeas
Chickpeas roasted until they rattle stand in for croutons on kale massaged in a lemony Parmesan dressing. The chickpeas hold their crunch for a day, so it packs well.
Jicama and Citrus Salad
Cold jicama batons and orange rounds under lime juice, ground chile, and salt. The jicama stays snappy and faintly sweet, which is the whole point of serving it raw.
Jeera Aloo Cumin Potatoes
Boiled potato cubes tossed in cumin seeds bloomed in hot oil with turmeric and green chile, pan-fried until the edges crisp and finished with amchur and lemon. Dry-textured, meant to go alongside dal and roti.
Hotteok Sweet Filled Pancakes
Yeasted dough sealed around brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts, then pressed flat on a griddle until the filling melts to syrup. Chewy from a little glutinous rice flour, crisp at the edges.
Horiatiki Greek Village Salad
Ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, and onion under a slab of feta, dressed with nothing but olive oil and dried oregano. It stands or falls on the tomatoes.
Haydari Yogurt Dip
A thick Turkish meze of strained yogurt whipped with raw garlic, dill and mint, finished with a spoonful of warm chile butter poured over the top.
Harira Chickpea and Lentil Soup
A tomato-based Moroccan soup of chickpeas and brown lentils spiced with ginger, cinnamon and turmeric, thickened at the end with a flour-and-water slurry that gives it a velvety body.
Gulab Jamun
Indian milk-solid dumplings fried slowly at low heat so they cook through to the center, then soaked in a cardamom and rose syrup until they swell and turn spongy.
Greek Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts
Thick strained yogurt under toasted walnuts and a spoonful of honey. Four ingredients, no cooking, and the contrast between cold tart yogurt and warm honey is the whole point.
Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes
Potato wedges braised in the oven in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano, then roasted uncovered until the liquid reduces to a syrupy glaze and the edges brown.
Gratin Dauphinois
Thinly sliced potatoes simmered in garlic-scented cream and milk, then baked slowly until the top browns and the center sets into sliceable layers. No cheese, no flour, just potato starch doing the thickening.
Goma-ae Sesame Spinach
Blanched spinach squeezed dry and dressed with toasted sesame seeds ground to a coarse paste with soy sauce, sugar and mirin. Nutty and lightly sweet, served at room temperature in small portions.
German Baked Apple Pancake
A thin eggy batter poured over butter-softened apples and baked in a hot skillet until the edges climb the sides and set crisp. Custardy in the middle, dusted with confectioners' sugar.
Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes
Baby potatoes boiled until tender, flattened on a sheet pan and roasted hard so the torn edges shatter, then finished with garlic butter and parsley. The dry-out step after draining is what makes them crisp.
Fried Sweet Plantains
Blackened-ripe plantains cut on a long bias and shallow-fried until the sugars caramelize into dark lacy edges around a custardy center. Salt and cayenne go on while they are still hot.
French Crepes
A thin egg-and-milk batter rested an hour, then swirled into a hot buttered pan until the edges go lacy. Folded around either sweet or savory fillings.
French Baguette
Flour, water, salt and a pinch of yeast fermented overnight, then shaped, slashed and baked with steam. The long rise is what gives the open crumb and blistered crust.
Focaccia
A high-hydration dough given an overnight cold rise, then dimpled under olive oil and baked in a pan so the base fries crisp while the crumb stays open and custardy.
Fattoush
A Levantine chopped salad of romaine, tomato, cucumber, and radish in a lemon and sumac dressing, tossed with toasted flatbread that softens at the edges as it sits.
Falafel Pita with Tahini Sauce
Fried patties ground from soaked dried chickpeas, parsley and cumin, stuffed into pita with tomato, cucumber and lemony tahini sauce. Dried chickpeas are essential; canned ones fall apart in the oil.
Ethiopian Misir Wot
Red lentils cooked down with berbere and onions caramelized dry before any oil goes in, which is what gives the stew its body. Thick, deeply red, and cheap to make.