Collection
Vegetarian Lunches from Around the World
A world of lunches that are naturally vegetarian: 84 authentic dishes, each from a real region with its cultural story and dietary swaps built in. Toggle vegetarian on any other recipe and it rewrites itself to match.
84 recipes
Ta'ameya (Egyptian Falafel)Cairo, Egypt · medium · 40 minEgypt’s own falafel, made from split fava beans instead of chickpeas, packed with herbs for a vivid green centre and fried to a shattering crisp.
Dholl PuriPort Louis, Mauritius · medium · 70 minFeather-soft flatbreads with ground split peas hidden in the dough, folded around bean curry and chutney.
Pasta al Sugo e BerbereAsmara, Eritrea · easy · 45 minSpaghetti tossed in silsi, the Eritrean tomato sauce spiked with berbere, the everyday pasta of Asmara.
Arroz de FolhaSão Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe · medium · 70 minSeasoned rice bloomed in red palm oil, parcelled in banana leaves and steamed until the leaf perfumes the grain, a festive Santomean dish.
LoubiaCasablanca-Settat, Morocco · easy · 105 minWhite beans slow-simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce with cumin and paprika, a humble everyday Moroccan lunch.
NdambéDakar, Senegal · easy · 75 minA spiced black-eyed pea stew served in a crusty baguette, Senegal's everyday street breakfast-lunch.
Zanzibar UrojoZanzibar, Tanzania · medium · 60 minA tangy turmeric-and-mango broth piled with fritters, potato, and crunchy toppings, Zanzibar's famous mix.
DikgobeGaborone, Botswana · easy · 135 minSamp and beans (or sorghum) slow-cooked soft together into a filling one-pot, a staple of the Botswana table.
MadesuKinshasa, DR Congo · easy · 105 minWhite beans simmered in a savory palm-oil, onion, and tomato sauce, an everyday staple of the DR Congo table.
Tô with Okra SauceOuagadougou, Burkina Faso · medium · 45 minA smooth, firm millet paste eaten with a slippery okra and tomato sauce, the daily staple lunch of Burkina Faso.
Wassa-WassaCotonou, Benin · medium · 55 minSteamed yam-flour couscous tossed with a spiced tomato and onion sauce, a northern Beninese lunch staple.
Gozo with Groundnut SauceBangui, Central African Republic · medium · 50 minSmooth cassava fufu served with a rich, savory peanut sauce, an everyday plate across the Central African Republic.
Tsebhi BirsenAsmara, Eritrea · easy · 55 minRed lentils simmered with berbere, onion, and tomato into a warming spiced stew, scooped up with injera.
NyekoeMaseru, Lesotho · easy · 105 minA filling one-pot of sorghum and beans simmered slow with pumpkin and onion, the warming everyday lunch of the Lesotho highlands.
MkhwaniLilongwe, Malawi · easy · 30 minTender pumpkin leaves simmered with groundnut flour into a creamy green relish, eaten with nsima across Malawi.
Dan WakeNiamey, Niger · medium · 40 minSoft bean-flour dumplings tossed with oil, spice, and onion, a popular Hausa street lunch of Niger.
SidvudvuMbabane, Eswatini · easy · 40 minSweet pumpkin cooked down with maize meal into a smooth, comforting porridge, a traditional Eswatini favorite.
AseedaJuba, South Sudan · medium · 30 minSouth Sudan's smooth sorghum dough dome, beaten glossy over the fire and eaten by hand from a shared bowl with mullah stew.
GitheriNairobi, Kenya · easy · 105 minBoiled maize and beans finished in a tomato and onion masala, one of the oldest and most dependable Kenyan home meals.
MorohoMaseru, Lesotho · easy · 30 minLeafy greens cooked down with onion and tomato, the everyday vegetable that Basotho eat with papa at almost every meal.
Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk)Zanzibar, Tanzania · easy · 35 minAmaranth greens slow-wilted with onion, tomato and chili, then made silky with coconut milk in the Zanzibari style.
Malakwang (Sour Greens in Groundnut Sauce)Kampala, Uganda · easy · 45 minTangy malakwang leaves simmered until tender then folded into a smooth groundnut sauce, sweet, sour and nutty at once.
Vary Amin'anana (Rice with Greens)Analamanga (Antananarivo), Madagascar · easy · 40 minSoft, soupy rice cooked with leafy greens and ginger, the everyday restorative bowl of the Malagasy highlands.
Jagacida (Cape Verdean Rice and Beans)Santiago (Praia), Cape Verde · easy · 45 minRice simmered with beans, onion, garlic and bay until glossy and tender, the everyday jag of the Cape Verde islands.
Hamli (Eritrean Spiced Greens)Asmara, Eritrea · easy · 35 minCollard greens or chard wilted with onion, garlic, ginger and gentle spices, the everyday greens of the Eritrean platter.
Fasoolia (White Bean Stew)Djibouti City, Djibouti · easy · 50 minWhite beans simmered soft in a spiced tomato and onion sauce warm with cumin and cinnamon, eaten with bread or rice.
Babenda (Greens, Grain and Groundnut Pot)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso · easy · 55 minBitter greens and rice simmered with pounded groundnuts and pungent soumbala into a thick, nourishing one-pot meal.
Imeruli Khachapuri (Cheese-Stuffed Bread)Imereti, Georgia · medium · 45 minA golden, pan-baked flatbread sealed around a molten heart of tangy, salty cheese.
SabichTel Aviv, Israel · easy · 40 minPita stuffed with fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, hummus, salad, and a drizzle of tangy amba and tahini.
Masala DosaTamil Nadu (Chennai), India · medium · 50 minA crisp, golden fermented rice-and-lentil crepe wrapped around spiced potato, South India's iconic anytime meal.
Adjaruli KhachapuriAdjara, Georgia · medium · 45 minGeorgia’s famous boat-shaped cheese bread from Adjara: a molten pool of cheese in a golden crust, finished with an egg and butter stirred in at the table.
FalafelBeirut, Lebanon · medium · 45 minCrisp herb-flecked chickpea fritters tucked into pita with tahini, pickles, and salad, a Levantine street classic.
SpasYerevan, Armenia · easy · 45 minA warming yogurt-and-wheat soup fragrant with mint and herbs, a soothing Armenian everyday bowl.
HummusTel Aviv, Israel · easy · 75 minSilky-smooth chickpea and tahini puree pooled with olive oil, scooped up with warm pita, a Levantine lunch of devotion.
Injo-gogi-bapPyongyang, North Korea · easy · 35 minSheets of soybean 'meat' stuffed with rice and topped with a spicy sauce, a resourceful North Korean street food.
Mujaddara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)Amman, Jordan · easy · 55 minA humble Levantine pilaf of brown lentils and rice cooked together and crowned with deeply caramelized onions, seasoned simply with cumin.
Bolani (Stuffed Flatbread)Kabul, Afghanistan · medium · 60 minA thin Afghan flatbread folded around a spiced mashed-potato and leek filling and pan-fried until crisp, served with a mint-yogurt dip.
Puran PoliMaharashtra (Mumbai), India · advanced · 70 minA soft wheat flatbread stuffed with a sweet, spiced chana dal and jaggery filling, griddled with ghee, made across Maharashtra for Holi and Gudi Padwa.
DovgaBaku, Azerbaijan · medium · 50 minA warm Azerbaijani yogurt soup thick with fresh herbs, rice and chickpeas, stirred constantly so it never splits.
FattoushDamascus, Syria · easy · 30 minA bright Syrian chopped salad of crisp vegetables and toasted flatbread in a tangy sumac and pomegranate molasses dressing.
AshlyanfuBishkek, Kyrgyzstan · medium · 60 minA cold Kyrgyz noodle bowl of wheat noodles and springy starch jelly in a spicy, vinegary vegetable broth with egg ribbons.
Varenyky (Potato Dumplings)Poltava, Ukraine · medium · 90 minHalf-moon dumplings of tender dough filled with mashed potato and fried onion, boiled and tossed in butter, served with fried onions and sour cream.
Tortilla EspañolaMadrid, Spain · medium · 50 minThe potato-and-egg omelette that anchors every Spanish bar, flipped whole, argued about forever.
Šaltibarščiai (Cold Beet Soup)Vilnius, Lithuania · easy · 40 minA shocking-pink chilled soup of beets, kefir, cucumber, and dill, Lithuania’s summer in a bowl, with hot potatoes on the side.
Tarator (Cold Yogurt and Cucumber Soup)Sofia, Bulgaria · easy · 15 minA chilled Bulgarian summer soup of thinned yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, dill and walnuts, finished with a drizzle of oil.
Pizza MargheritaCampania, Italy · medium · 45 minThe original Neapolitan pizza: a blistered, chewy base with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, the red, white, and green of Italy.
LángosGreat Hungarian Plain, Hungary · medium · 105 minA plate-sized disc of deep-fried dough rubbed with garlic and heaped with sour cream and cheese, Hungary's market-day treat.
NalysnykyPoltava, Ukraine · medium · 50 minThin crepes rolled around sweet-savory curd cheese and baked in butter, a comforting Ukrainian home dish.
BoxtyMunster, Ireland · easy · 35 minA soft potato pancake made from both grated raw and mashed potato, griddled golden, an Irish comfort classic.
Smažený SýrBohemia, Czechia · easy · 25 minA thick slab of breaded, deep-fried cheese served with tartar sauce and potatoes, a Czech pub lunch.
Zagorski ŠtrukliDalmatia, Croatia · medium · 75 minThin dough parcels of cottage cheese baked under cream until golden and bubbling, a comforting Croatian classic.
Shopska SalataSofia, Bulgaria · easy · 15 minDiced tomato, cucumber, and pepper under a snowy blanket of grated white cheese, Bulgaria's national salad.
FërgesëTirana, Albania · easy · 45 minPeppers and tomato baked with soft white cheese into a rich, bubbling dish, the pride of Tirana's kitchen.
PasulPristina, Kosovo · easy · 105 minA slow-simmered white bean stew rich with paprika and onion, the everyday food of Kosovo.
KulajdaBohemia, Czechia · medium · 55 minA creamy, sharply sour South Bohemian soup of potatoes and mushrooms thick with dill, finished with vinegar and topped with a poached egg.
Färskpotatis med Dill (New Potatoes with Dill)Skåne, Sweden · easy · 28 minYoung new potatoes boiled with dill and salt, then tossed in butter and fresh chopped dill, the essential Swedish Midsummer side whose arrival marks the start of summer.
Brezn (Bavarian Soft Pretzel)Bavaria (Munich), Germany · advanced · 55 minThe glossy dark-brown Bavarian soft pretzel, chewy-crusted and scattered with coarse salt, dipped in an alkaline bath before baking, carried by the armful at Oktoberfest.
Obatzda (Bavarian Cheese Spread)Bavaria (Munich), Germany · easy · 15 minA rust-coloured beer-garden spread of ripe camembert mashed with butter, paprika, caraway and onion, scooped up with pretzels and radishes.
Bayerischer Kartoffelsalat (Bavarian Potato Salad)Bavaria (Munich), Germany · easy · 40 minWarm sliced waxy potatoes dressed while hot with mustardy broth, vinegar, oil and onion (no mayonnaise), the light southern German potato salad served all through Oktoberfest.
Blaukraut (Bavarian Braised Red Cabbage)Bavaria (Munich), Germany · easy · 75 minRed cabbage slowly braised sweet-and-sour with apple, vinegar, cloves and juniper until glossy and tender, the classic Bavarian side to roast pork knuckle and Oktoberfest roasts.
QifqiTirana, Albania · medium · 60 minGjirokastër's signature fried rice fritters bound with egg and white cheese and heavily scented with mint, served with yogurt.
GromperekichelcherLuxembourg City, Luxembourg · easy · 40 minLuxembourg's funfair favorite: crisp grated-potato fritters with onion and parsley, fried golden and eaten with apple sauce.
KholodnikMinsk, Belarus · easy · 65 minA vivid magenta Belarusian summer soup: cold beets in kefir with cucumber, dill and egg, served with hot boiled potatoes.
Moros y CristianosHavana, Cuba · easy · 90 minBlack beans and white rice cooked together in one pot with a cumin-scented sofrito until every grain turns dusky and savory, the everyday soul of the Cuban table.
Tarta PascualinaMontevideo, Uruguay · medium · 75 minA flaky double-crust pie of chard and ricotta with whole eggs baked inside, an everyday River Plate lunch.
Tostadas GuatemaltecasSacatepéquez (Antigua), Guatemala · easy · 40 minCrisp fried tortillas topped three ways, with guacamole, tomato salsa, or black beans, a light Guatemalan street lunch.
Macaroni PieBridgetown, Barbados · easy · 55 minBaked macaroni bound in a sharp, mustardy cheese custard and cut into firm squares, the Bajan Sunday-lunch staple.
GarnachesBelize City, Belize · easy · 35 minCrisp fried tortillas topped with refried beans, cheese, and pickled cabbage, Belize's favorite street snack-lunch.
Saint Lucian Pumpkin RiceCastries, Saint Lucia · easy · 45 minRice simmered with sweet pumpkin, coconut, and island herbs into a soft, golden one-pot, an everyday Lucian lunch.
Locro de Papa (Potato and Cheese Soup)Pichincha (Andes), Ecuador · easy · 50 minA thick, golden Andean potato soup enriched with milk and fresh cheese, served with avocado and cilantro.
Sopa NegraSan José, Costa Rica · easy · 55 minA silky Costa Rican black bean soup, seasoned with onion, sweet pepper, garlic, and cilantro and crowned with a poached egg, served with rice.
Grenadian Callaloo SoupSt. George's, Grenada · easy · 50 minA creamy Grenadian soup of callaloo (dasheen) leaves and okra simmered in coconut milk with thyme and a whole hot pepper, blended smooth.
Nicaraguan QuesilloManagua, Nicaragua · easy · 20 minA Nicaraguan roadside favourite: a warm corn tortilla wrapped around soft stringy cheese, vinegary pickled onions, and a generous pour of cream.
Chipa GuasúAsunción, Paraguay · easy · 70 minA soft, savoury Paraguayan casserole of fresh sweet corn, eggs and fresh cheese, baked until golden, the juicier cousin of sopa paraguaya.
Fiji Roti ParcelViti Levu, Fiji · medium · 55 minA soft griddle roti wrapped around spiced potato-and-pea curry, the everyday one-handed lunch of Fiji's towns.
SimboroEfate (Port Vila), Vanuatu · easy · 45 minGrated cassava rolled in island-cabbage leaves and simmered in coconut cream, Vanuatu's everyday take on laplap.
Grilled Breadfruit with MitiFunafuti, Tuvalu · easy · 55 minWhole breadfruit roasted over coals until smoky and tender, torn into pieces and dipped into miti, a fresh coconut cream sauce sharpened with onion, chili and lime.
Rourou (Taro Leaves in Coconut Cream)Viti Levu, Fiji · easy · 40 minYoung taro leaves simmered down in coconut cream with onion until silky, dark and rich.
Rukau (Taro Leaves in Coconut Cream)Rarotonga, Cook Islands · easy · 60 minYoung taro leaves slow-cooked with onion and coconut cream into a soft, silky green dish, the Cook Islands staple vegetable.
Poi (Pounded Taro)Honiara, Solomon Islands · easy · 50 minCooked taro pounded to a smooth paste and often left to ferment slightly, the tangy staple side considered the national dish of the Solomon Islands.
Belsiich el Kukau (Pounded Taro)Ngerulmud, Palau · medium · 90 minFreshly cooked taro pounded with coconut oil into a smooth, fluffy paste and steamed, the Palauan staple served with fish.
Fafa (Kosraean Pounded Taro)Palikir, Micronesia · medium · 60 minSoft taro pounded smooth with a stone tok and mixed with coconut milk, the signature ceremonial food of Kosrae.
Te Taki (Breadfruit in Coconut Cream)Tarawa, Kiribati · easy · 55 minChunks of starchy breadfruit slow-simmered in rich coconut cream until soft and silky, an everyday Kiribati way with the atoll's most reliable crop.
DingonYaren, Nauru · easy · 50 minPounded breadfruit or banana worked with fresh coconut and fragrant pandanus, shaped into dense little patties and baked or pan-fried, a classic Nauruan savory food.
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