Roundup of vegan Lebanese recipes
One of my readers asked me:”Are there inherently unboring vegan recipes in Lebanon?”This could be a general perception about vegan food all over the world, but I tell you that bland flavor could be in any cuisine not only in vegan dishes! You can simply intensify and flavor your dishes! Vegan doesn’t have to be boring and Lebanese cuisine has a wide variety of vegan dishes – talk about the subtle flavors of the Middle East: sumac, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, garlic, onions, spices and herbs! These would tease out the the greatest possible flavors!
So thought about a quick roundup of vegan Lebanese dishes that could be helpful for anyone interested to have an idea about these dishes. Happy eating!
Soups:
From my cookbook, this comfy home-style soup is a belly warming treat that my mom made all the time when I was growing up; this was the first soup that I learned because it is an essential and popular soup in Lebanese cuisine. With few ingredients and straightforward instructions, you will surprise and delight your taste buds the best way possible.
Split Lentil Soup with Vegetables
Red lentil soup could be one of the easiest soups to throw together; it is a one that I make so often, it is cheerful, satisfying and speedy to make.
The recipe is my late my grandma’s! Granny or “Teta Roro”, as we used to call her, was known in her community as a highly skilled cook. It is a great recipe, I have enjoyed making for more than 25 years.
Salads:
Fattoush! Vibrant, colorful, rich and bursting with flavor! A Middle Eastern /Lebanese bread salad that you will find on the menu of all Lebanese restaurants around the globe- and a staple salad in all Lebanese homes. Fresh vegetables, toasted or fried pita bread, and a bright dressing composed of freshly squeezed lemon juice, sumac pomegranate molasses, and olive oil.
Most probably you have had tabbouleh at a Lebanese or Middle Eastern restaurant, It is the mother of all Lebanese salads and one of my favorite green salads of all time and a treat year round at our home and the homes of Lebanese around the world. No gathering is complete without a decent bowl of tabbouleh brought together with Romain lettuce or cabbage leaves, the appeal of a beautiful tabbouleh bowl aws as much to its color palette as to its vibrant flavor!
This Middle Eastern Salad is part of our daily fare. It is delicious and healthy and goes with any dish on earth, a “passe-partout“ salad that makes a great addition to barbecues, pilafs, mujadara, stews, hummus, dips or even with any heavy main dish your heart desire.
Potato Green Bean and Avocado Salad
Forget about the mayo potato salads, and talk about garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice and cilantro! Yes, the road to healthy eating could be delicious.
Appetizers:
Fried Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce(Taratour)
The recipe sounds straight forward, yet the result is amazing! Serve it with taratour (Tahini sauce). How delicious!
A classic Middle Eastern roasted eggplant spread flavored with tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, and garlic – drizzled with olive oil and served with pita bread. If you need to order it in a restaurant in Lebanon or the Middle East, you need to know that it is called “Moutabal”, otherwise you will be served a roasted eggplant dip with no tahini.
Main Dishes:
Pumpkin Kibbeh, Kibbet Lakteen
Though making “Pumpkin Kibbeh” is time-consuming and requires an involved preparation, the final result is so delicious and definitely worth preparing!! The payoff here is split between a pumpkin-bulgur dough and a tangy chickpea-onion filling that is loaded with green leafy, sumac, pomegranate molasses and cumin powder!! The end result is a dish singing with flavors!!
A vegan stew packed with the lovely Mediterranean flavors, talk about a velvety eggplant stew studded with onions, garlic, olive oil, tossed with dried mint, and stewed with tomatoes! The taste is incredibly divine!
A hearty, creamy and nutrient slow cooked mujadara that makes a sort of a thick porridge rather than a dry pilaf.
Kamounit Banadoura/Kibbet Banadoura
A southern Lebanese dish that calls for tomatoes, onions, bulgur, extra virgin olive oil and kibbeh spice – rich in vitamins, minerals, fibers and unsaturated fatty acid (from the olive oil). A wonderful combination of earthy ingredients. A home-style recipe that you won’t find on the menu of a Lebanese restaurant. I grew up eating “Kamounit Banadoura”
When you mention the word kibbeh the first thing that pops to your mind is the raw meat kibbeh, baked kibbeh in a tray or even the football shaped kibbeh; you may never think of kibbeh as a plant based dish. Potatoes are hearty and can replace the meat easily. Right now I bet you are thinking how can potatoes replace meat? Well I tell you it can! There is a family of vegan kibbeh dishes in Lebanon that deserve a spot in your repertoire and potato kibbeh is fair representaion of those vegan dishes.
A frugal meal suitable also for vegetarians and vegans and regarded as poor man’s food, entirely made from your pantry, filling and most importantly delicious and nutritious. Serve it with fattoush, Middle Eastern salad or even some plain yogurt on the side! And I tell you, it is a meal fit for a king!!
A home-style dish and a family favorite not only in our home, but in the kitchens all over Lebanon, simple , yet the end result is amazing!
Fasolia Bil Zeit, Vegan Lebanese Style Bean Stew
A delicious one pot Lima bean stew simmered in tomatoes, flavored with garlic and cilantro and heated with a kick of cayenne pepper to boost flavors. An easy meal with minimal washing up. Seriously, can’t be easier to make and so flavorful
If you are trying to find ways to come up with the best lentil dish, then you should make “mujadara hamra”. A specialty of south of Lebanon, frugal, healthy, delicious, vegan and ingredients are most probably found in your household. Yes, the dish is cheap to make as lentils, onions and bulgur make up the bulk of it.
Breads and Snacks
The quintessential Lebanese street bread! A handbag-like shape savory roll covered with sesame seeds – crispy on the outside and chewy a bit when eating, baked in a flame oven and sold through cart vendors in Beirut – a street food and an ideal snack on the go, usually eaten handheld, that can be equally good for breakfast paired with a cup of tea.
These crispy zaatar nibbles go well with labneh, olives, hummus, dips, salsas or even just part of your afternoon snack; they are even delectable with a platter of assorted cheese. Zaatar and sumac are a divine food pairing combination!
A daily ritual and no meal is complete without it; it is eaten to scoop everything up with, a perfect accompaniment to almost all Lebanese and Middle Eastern food.
Desserts:
The fried balls have a crispy brown exterior with a dense sugar syrup interior. A vegan, dairy free and egg free recipe and a crowd pleaser both in taste and quantity – though a bit of project but tasting the final product makes it all worthy!!
A vegan snack with no oil or hydrogenated fats. With few ingredients and a simple method, you will end up with a gorgeous sweet that can be eaten as a dessert or snack.
A thick yellow pudding that uses tahini, sugar, turmeric powder, short grain rice and pine nuts, all cooked together to a thick sticky texture, dense enough to hold its shape when cut with a knife.
The good thing here is that the jam does not require food coloring or even pectin. The flesh of the fruit is beige in color when cut raw that naturally turns to red when cooked.
The jam is made of sun-dried fig that are available year round. The end result is utterly delicious
If you make any of these recipes, share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!Hashtag them #Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine
