Everyone we know falls in love with the magical Greek cuisine: fresh ingredients, unique taste and many healthy choices. Few knows that the original Greek diet was mainly vegan/vegetarian. (Who would think this seeing the souvalki places in every corner?)
We collected some must-try Greek vegan or vegetarian dishes.
- Gemista: paprika, tomatoes or sometimes zucchini stuffed with rice, pine nuts and raisins (ingredients can differ slightly). Cooked in the oven to melt together.
- Greek black-eyed peas salad: recipes vary, but usually contains tomatoes, onions and grilled paprika. With vinegar and olive dressing. Heavenly and full of vitamins and plant base protein.
- Fasolia: green beans (and usually potatoes) braised in a tomato sauce and different spices. A simple dish full of flavour.
- Fava: split pureed yellow beans – usually served with onions and oil. Filling dish especially if you eat with fresh sour dough.
- Dolmades: well known across the Mediterranean. Wine leaves stuffed with rice and seasoned with dill and lemons.
- Tzatziki : heavenly creamy Greek yoghurt with graded cucumber. Best refreshing food during hot summer days (you can eat it together with the dolmades). Beware it can contain a large amount of garlic though. Many places offer a version without garlic (only cucumber). It is the simplicity that makes this food perfect.
- Grilled Haloumi: Halloumi or haloumi is a semi-hard, unripen, brined cheese made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk. Originated from Cyprus, but it is a big part of the Greek cuisine as well. It has a high melting point – so ideal for grilling.
- Greek salad, horiatiki. The name in Greek is horiatiki. It gained its international name as Greek salad- as it’s unique for Greece and can’t be 100% perfect without the original Greek feta.
- Briam: another type of casserole dish. Sliced eggplants baked with tomatoes, onions and sometimes cheese. Seasoned with fresh parsley.
- Dakos or Cretan salad: a must try dish originated from Crete. It contains dried bread or rusk topped with diced tomatoes and whiote cheese (feta or other white cheese from the great Greek cheese varieties).
You want to know the best places around Athens riviera coast to try those plant based Mediterranean dishes?
Of course you do and of course we have bring those places to you.
Grilled haloumi with caramelized onions: try it in Ark Glyfada. Enjoy all day fantastic menu in Ark- together with the best by the sea place and view in Glyfada.
Fava, black eyed peas and a large variety of starters : go to Sardellaki in Glyfada or Vouliagmeni. Sardellaki is well-known a fish taverna (traditional Greek eatery), and it’s very popular among Athenians. They will bring small starter plates – including vegetarian options – on large wooden trays to your table. Simply impossible to resist.
(Note above places are not pure vegan or vegetarian. They have vegetarian or vegan options in their menu).
We will keep on adding more places to go and try the famous traditional Greek dishes
Read also our guide to the best vegan/vegetarian restaurants on the south coast.