5 Delicious Middle Eastern Vegan and Vegetarian Dishes
The Middle East is one of the easiest places in the World for you to be vegan or vegetarian. I know that India is amazing for veggie and vegan travelers but in my humble opinion, the Middle East serves up the finest dishes, it’s a tough call and obviously a personal choice, but for me, there is nowhere like the Middle East for animal-free dishes.
If you are unfamiliar with Middle Eastern dishes then read on to discover my favorite 5, incredibly delicious and completely animal free meals which you can enjoy in this part of the World. A lot of the dishes can be found in major cities around the World but if you want to taste the best, then you need to go to the source.
Falafel
Falafel is chick peas which have been pounded down with mint and turmeric and then deep fried in small patties. Generally served with some beautiful arabic flatbread and dressed off with a touch of spicy tomato sauce or yoghurt for the veggies, falafel absolutely delicious. Even if I still ate meat, I can guarantee you that I would replace a hamburger with falafel every single day of the week, beautiful.
Humous
Aaaaaaaa humous, this flexible dip is served as more of a meal in the Middle East, once again with some soft and toasty flatbread. Hummus is tahini mixed with chicken peas and you can find many different variations which will add in things like pepper, lemon, garlic and olives. I could quite literally spending my days dipping cucumber, bread and carrot sticks into this stunning Middle Eastern dish.
Tabouleh
Mint, parsley, tomatoes, bulgar wheat and onion, whisked together with olive oil and a dash of lemon and garlic, that ladies and gentlemen is tabouleh. You can find this gorgeous little dish throughout the Middle East and it makes the perfect accompaniment to any meal. The Arab world has their version of tapas called Mezze and tabouleh is usually found making up a part of this meal, fresh, bright and beautiful.
Mujaddara
This stunning dish comprises of lentils which have been cooked with grains such as groats, and is garnished with onions that have been sautéed. This was a dish that was traditionally eaten by poor people who had limited supplies when it came to ingredients and they would mix these items together with some spices. All I can say that if the poor eat like this, then I can’t even imagine what a rich man’s food must taste like.
Dolma
Dolma is how Arab world refers to the family of stuffed vegetables and you can find these on almost every street corner throughout the Middle East. Peppers stuffed with bulgar wheat and eggplants stuffed with flavorsome lentils that have been generously spiced. Dolma is incredibly deceptive, on first glance you think that it would be impossible for it to fill you up but after just a few of these little beauties you will realize just how filling they actually are, tasty, wholesome and meat-free, awesome!