25x amazing vegetarian dishes: from deep-fried aubergine with lime sambal to loaded fries with pulled jackfruit
There was a time when the dry vegetable patty was the most exciting meat substitute in the supermarket. And tofu and tempeh were tasteless, yellowish-white blocks that you secretly preferred to put in your dog’s food bowl rather than eat yourself. How wonderful that we’ve long since left those days behind. No, these days there are so many delicious vegetarian options. It was actually difficult for us to stop at ‘just’ 25 amazing vegetarian recipes!
The very best tofu
Here’s immediate proof that tofu is incredibly delicious these days. This tofu dish by Suzie Lee (from the cookbook Chinese!) is honestly one of the best we know. No surprise, because it’s crispy and spicy thanks to the chilli oil. Yes, that has completely won us over, of course. Another tip: nutritional yeast flakes also work wonders for your tofu. Truly.
Deep-fried aubergine with lime sambal
Aubergine is a popular meat substitute. That’s because the vegetable has fairly meaty flesh. You can prepare aubergine in countless delicious ways, including by deep-frying it. Curious? We recommend the deep-fried aubergine from the book Java by Maureen Tan. Crispy, sweet and fresh-spicy thanks to the lime sambal. A wonderful combination.
Crispy garlic potatoes with cheese
Admittedly: everything tastes better with cheese. But these crispy potatoes with garlic and Parmesan really are in a category of their own. They’re crispy, slightly salty and also a little sweet from the garlic. The ideal side dish for your favourite meat substitute, if you ask us.
Spaghetti with crispy breadcrumbs
Crispy, seasoned breadcrumbs (also known as pangrattato) are exactly what takes a plate of spaghetti to the next level. This recipe for spaghetti with pangrattato is one of our favourites. An added bonus: it’s a great way to use up leftover stale bread. Win-win.
Vega(n) Bounty cake
This Bounty cake is completely vegan, so it contains no milk or eggs. Is it still delicious? Absolutely, we can say wholeheartedly. Coconut milk and dates are the substitutes here. Combined with chocolate, you really do get a cake that tastes like the well-known Bounty (which, these days—oh my God—you can even get as a single Celebrations box!).
Turkish noodles with cheese and walnuts
These Turkish noodles are a wonderfully comforting dish. The cheese and walnuts make it perfect for a dreary autumn day, although it’s 100% delicious all year round. The dish comes from The Bible of Turkish Cuisine. Because it’s so easy to make and contains very few ingredients, we’ve already made it at least ten times over the past year.
Provençal tomato tart
I (Jeske) don’t think there’s anything in the world more delicious than tomatoes. If I could eat only tomatoes for the rest of my life, I’d be completely fine with that. But preferably also in the form of this Provençal tomato tart. Because besides juicy beef tomatoes, this tart also contains homemade olive tapenade. And yes… I really can’t resist that.
Savoury vegetarian pancakes
Generally speaking, pancakes are already vegetarian—unless you add bacon, of course. Still craving something savoury? Then make these savoury pancakes by Sharon de Miranda. With spinach and red onion, these pancakes are just a little more exciting than a simple cheese pancake.
Tagliolini with black truffle
I’ve mentioned it before, but Toscanini is one of our favourite Italian restaurants in Amsterdam. Besides their cacio e pepe and aglio e olio, we’re also addicted to their tagliolini with black truffle. Why? Because once again, they excel at something simple and classic. And that always goes down well.
Gratinated sweet potato with red curry
We’ve eaten plenty of curries in the editorial office, but the gratinated sweet potato curry from Mezcla is high at the top of the favourites list. The gratinated sweet potato on top is a stroke of genius. Finger-licking good!
Tobias Camman’s celeriac ceviche
Traditional ceviche is made with fish. Many vegetarians don’t eat this. Still want to try a good ceviche? Then we recommend Tobias Camman’s ceviche. Instead of fish, this recipe uses celeriac. The flavours are excellent, as is the presentation. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a delicious starter or main course for a culinary vegetarian dinner.
Deep-fried guacamole with tortilla chips
In our opinion, the ultimate drinks snack. Everyone loves guacamole, but deep-fried in tortilla chips?! Holy, we should have discovered this much earlier. We would have had the title of Vega Drinks Queens in the bag for years.
Vegetarian Chinese bami goreng from Chin. Ind. Rest.
Traditionally, bami goreng is made with meat or prawns. Yet vegetarian Chinese bami goreng is just as delicious. Especially when you make the version from the book Chin. Ind. Rest. , with mushrooms, leek and tinned bamboo shoots. You truly won’t miss the meat.
Savoury lentil pancakes with spinach pesto
Are you a savoury (vegetarian) breakfast person? Then try this super breakfast by Lenna Omrani: lentil pancakes with homemade spinach pesto. Delicious, on the table in no time and satisfyingly filling. Plus, it’s a budget winner. This breakfast costs less than € 3.50 per person.
Summer corn-riblets
Vegetarian and barbecuing? Then you sometimes have to be a little more creative with what you put on the grill. These barbecued corn cobs are so delicious that even meat eaters would pass up their portion of spare ribs for them. Bet you?
Ottolenghi’s garlic courgette
Courgettes shine even more when you dress them up a little. Season them well and turn them into something exciting. The courgette with six cloves of garlic from Ottolenghi’s book Flavour does exactly that: it shines. Six cloves of garlic, as well as lemon and rose harissa, are responsible.
Vega(n) shawarma from the book BBQ-tijd
I hear it regularly from vegetarians around me: what they miss most after a night out is a shawarma pita—with plenty of garlic sauce. Fortunately, this vega(n) shawarma puts an end to that. You make it on the barbecue, and secretly it’s actually even better than the version from the shawarma shop.
French onion mac ’n cheese
Another fantastically delicious comfort dish that everyone loves: mac ’n cheese. You’d think this simple dish wouldn’t need much more. But it does: French onions. The sweetness they add to the dish… That’s what it had been missing all along. You’ll want to try this mac ’n cheese with plenty of French onions today, trust me.
Vegetable fritters from Karsu’s Kitchen
In my opinion, Karsu’s vegetable fritters are the perfect snack. They’re easy to make, and you probably already have many of the ingredients at home. You may only need to pick up some pul biber, but believe me: the trip to the (Turkish) supermarket is absolutely worth it.
Sticky spicy aubergine fries
Berenjenas con miel, or crispy aubergine strips with honey, are my favourite part of a Spanish tapas spread. These sweet-and-spicy aubergine fries remind me of them. There’s just one difference: I like them better than the classics. The spicy flavour adds exactly the extra touch the aubergine strips need.
Melanzane alla Parmigiana with beer by Job & Perry
Melanzane is a little like lasagne. It consists of lots of layers of aubergine, tomato and cheese. Job & Perry’s Melanzane alla Parmigiana is our favourite version. And that’s really not only because it contains a generous splash of beer.
Cauliflower tempura from Asian Soul Food
The drinks platter no longer has to consist solely of bitterballen and mini frikandellen. Or, if you want to eat vegetarian, dry chicken nuggets without the chicken. Go for crispy cauliflower tempura: a winner from the book Asian Soul Food. The crispy, spiced coating immediately shows that you can give a slightly dull cauliflower floret a fantastic makeover.
Ottolenghi’s shakshuka
A simple, classic shakshuka (with poached eggs, tomatoes and peppers) is already incredibly delicious on its own. But once you’ve tried this recipe for Ottolenghi’s shakshuka… You’re slightly spoiled. The sweet potato, sriracha butter and pickled onions—the stars of this dish—mean you won’t want it any other way from now on.
Grilled courgettes with warm yoghurt and saffron butter
We’ll admit it right away: this is another Ottolenghi recipe. Well, he does know how to turn vegetarian food into a real celebration. His grilled courgettes come from the book Test Kitchen – Shelf Love. I think the warm yoghurt and saffron butter are a brilliant addition. Fresh, sweet and a colourful party on your plate.
Loaded fries with pulled jackfruit
Who says delicious loaded fries have to be topped with big chunks of fried meat? Come on, these vegetarian loaded fries with pulled jackfruit are every bit as good. Interestingly, they contain coffee creamer. Huh? Yes, really. And that’s precisely the secret to the beautiful, thick cheese sauce on top.
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