Your guide to plant-based Greek flavors
Although Greek cuisine is often associated with meat, it also offers a rich selection of vegetarian dishes. Greek cooking is known for using high-quality ingredients, aromatic herbs and spices, and, of course, the famous Greek olive oil. This cuisine thrives on seasonal vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains, making it ideal for vegetarians and vegans alike. Here’s a selection of vegetarian Greek dishes that can satisfy even the most steadfast meat-eaters among you.
Starting with appetizers, choriatik is a traditional salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta cheese, olives, olive oil, and oregano. Another famous salad is the Cretan dakos, featuring a round, water-dampened barley rusk topped with chopped tomatoes, crumbled feta or myzithra, olive slices, capers, and oregano. For side dishes or mezedes, try fried or grilled vegetables such as zucchini patties. Saganaki (fried cheese) and fried eggplant slices are also must-try summer dishes.
Accompany your vegetarian appetizers with some great-tasting dips with olive oil such as taramosalata, a mousse made from fish roe, lemon, and bread; tmelitzanosalata a smoky eggplant puree with garlic and vinegar; tzatziki, Greek yogurt mixed with cucumber, garlic, and dill; and skordalia, a dip of mashed potatoes or bread, garlic, and vinegar, typically served with boiled beets.
When it comes to main dishes, legumes have been essential to the Greek diet since antiquity. Lentils, black-eyed peas, gigantes (large white beans), and yellow split peas are full of essential minerals and are key components of the Mediterranean diet. Pulses are typically cooked in soups during the winter and made into salads with herbs in the summer. Greece yields top-quality pulses: beans from Lake Prespes; lentils from Kozani and Lefkada; yellow fava beans from Korinthia and from Santorini Island; and chickpeas from Larisa and Grevena.
Try ladera, dishes that feature fresh or dried vegetables slowly cooked in olive oil, retaining their natural flavors and nutrients. Popular dishes include: peas and okra stewed in tomatoes; artichokes à la polita (cooked with carrots, potatoes, dill, and lemon); briam (potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and eggplant in tomato sauce); Imam (eggplant stewed with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and parsley); and gemista, oven-baked stuffed vegetables like tomatoes or peppers filled with rice, herbs, and spices. For an extra treat, enjoy these dishes with a slice of feta cheese.
Pies, which come in many variations, are also a staple of Greek cuisine. Whether savory or sweet, made with flaky pastry or traditional phyllo dough, Greek pies highlight seasonal ingredients. They can be served as a main dish, a side, or as a snack. Some of the most popular varieties include spinach pie, cheese pie, leek pie, and pumpkin pie.
Discover the rich and flavorful variety of vegetarian dishes in Greek cuisine, where tradition, fresh ingredients, and healthy choices come together to satisfy every palate!
