Traditionally Greek, authentically vegan, everyone’s favorite – dolmades!
Dolmades, or stuffed grape leaves, are one of the most iconic of Greek dishes. I can eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner!
Thing is, we’ve always had a bit of a running debate about the name in my family. My mom’s side of the family calls them dolmades as do most Greeks. My dad’s side, with his dad hailing from Smyrna, use the more Turkish name of Continue Reading →
traditional Greek stewed cabbage
One of my very favorite ways to eat cabbage, I often serve this traditional Greek ‘cabbage in a pot’ (λάχανο κατσαρόλας) over rice or, for carb-conscious friends, over cauli rice and it’s a hit every time!
The cabbage leaves are sweet and tender, the stewed juices are so flavorful, you can always feel free to tuck into a bowl all on it’s own with a big piece of crusty bread and go to town – can’t tell you how many times I have 🙂
It all comes together in one pot with a few herbs, spices and aromatics and cooks up in about Continue Reading →
traditional Greek rice pilaf
This platter of golden, fluffy, perfect pilaf is so simple to make and positively lovely to eat. Often served as the show-stopper at weddings back in the day when rice was very expensive, pilafi was a dish reserved only for the most special occasions. Even now, when rice is readily available and very inexpensive, this humble dish will wow you every Continue Reading →
traditional Greek braised cauliflower
You have NEVER had cauliflower this good before! Braised cauliflower (kounoup-I-thi kapam-A) is indescribably delicious and this from a person who normally quite dislikes cauliflower. With basically 5 ingredients and about 45 minutes, you can enjoy one of the simplest, most wonderful dishes in all of traditional Greek cooking – can you tell I’m a fan yet?!
Oh, and BONUS: your kitchen, probably your whole house, will smell positively divine while this is cooking. In advance, you’re welcome 🙂 Continue Reading →
traditional stewed artichokes with fava beans
These tender, lemony artichokes with meaty, sweet fava beans in a golden, buttery, light broth make the most delicious, filling meal and in less than 30 minutes!
A very traditional Greek favorite, stewed artichokes and fava beans / aginares me koukia / αγκινάρες και kουκιά is one of the few recipes on The Greek Vegan where I recommend using canned/frozen veggies. They’re a big time saver of course and, the way this dish is prepared, you really lose nothing in terms of overall flavor. It’s just the perfect quick, healthy and yummy dinner on a busy night. Continue Reading →
traditional Greek chickpeas and orzo
This dish is a favorite of our mom’s side of the family. Every one of the six siblings enjoyed it and made it regularly and now you can too 🙂
Chickpeas and orzo is a very traditional Greek meal, very filling and very delicately flavored. The secret to it’s creamy, ‘buttery’ goodness is to cook the orzo and canned chickpeas right into the dish, not separately and then added in to the rest of the ingredients as you might find in other variations of this recipe. By ‘stewing’ both the orzo and the chickpeas together with the veggies and broth as the dish cooks you get plump, perfect orzo and tender, meaty chickpeas. You can’t beat it! Continue Reading →
creamy, golden, delicious revithosoupa – traditionally vegan Greek chickpea soup
Revithosoupa / ρεβιθόσουπα is one of my very favorite meals. It’s ready in a quick hour and a half and is a staple of traditional Greek home cooks everywhere. And seriously, every time I make this dish the delicate, creamy broth amazes me with each spoonful!
Simply prepared with simple ingredients, revithosoupa – accent on the THO – is a hearty, healthy dish that will warm you through. And this delicious (gluten free!) authentic chickpea soup with carrots, celery, sage and thyme cooks up all in one pot for easy cleanup! Continue Reading →
bulgur salad
So incredibly simple to prepare, you’ll be floored by how amazing this traditional Greek bulgur salad tastes! Similar to the Middle Eastern dish tabouli, and in Cyprus actually called tambouli, – this dish is a flavor packed, nutritional powerhouse. Light, fresh herbs and crunchy vegetables, a simple dressing of just lemon juice and olive oil all mixed with hearty bulgur (pligouri/πλιγούρι in Greek or cracked wheat), bulgur salad is another fantastic example of traditional Greek salads that make an amazing meal!
Some packages of bulgur will recommend that you boil your wheat but there’s really no need. The traditional prep of bulgur is to soak and not boil the grains for about an hour. Once soaked, you can leave the bulgur aside for 24-48 hours until your ready to use it – a nice window Continue Reading →
revithia sto fourno / baked chickpeas
Revithia sto fourno, baked chickpeas, is something everyone MUST make at least once – it’s just that good. Using only five of the most ordinary of ingredients, this positively perfect authentic, rustic peasant dish is a cinch to make for the modern home cook.
Two big time-savers include subbing in canned chickpeas (good quality, of course) for dried and making your caramelized onions up to 4 days ahead. Fresh chopped rosemary, olive oil and salt/pepper round out your shopping list for this one so seriously, give it a try – YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. i promise! Continue Reading →
a beautiful bowl of traditional Greek bean soup – lefki fasolada
Fasolada, or white bean soup, is a HUGELY popular – and authentically vegan – dish in Greece and throughout the Greek diaspora. Creamy white beans, sweet carrots, delicate celery and bright parsley in a light, delicious broth – it’s just the perfect comfort food and there’s never a single bean left behind!
Lefki fasolada (λευκή φασολάδα) is the variation featured here, traditionally made without tomato. For me, the soup tastes sweeter and really, more flavorful when the tomato is absent. The veggies and herbs are really allowed to shine and shine they do. The prep for lefki fasolada couldn’t be simpler and with just a handful of ingredients probably in your fridge right now, this rustic, peasant dish will show you exactly how simply perfect a simple soup can be. Continue Reading →
traditional Greek stuffed tomatoes
Stuffed tomatoes are another in the delicious line of traditional Greek stuffed vegetables, or gemistes. This recipe also features the very Greek use of sweet, dried fruits in savory dishes.
Currants, toasted pine nuts, fresh herbs and fluffy rice fill these tomatoes to the brim with so many wonderful flavors – they’re the most perfect meal imaginable! And once you see how simple stuffed tomatoes are to make, they’ll be
traditional skordalia with beautiful beet salad
Skordalia is one of the most traditional dishes in all of Greece. It’s so so simple to make with a just few everyday ingredients and remarkably delicious – if you haven’t already, this one is a must-try!
Often described as Greek garlic mashed potatoes, traditional skordalia is much more than that. Creamy, ‘buttery’ potato goodness with the pop of mashed raw garlic folded in – it’s indescribable really. And skordalia is in no way overwhelmingly garlicky, just almost peppery with that bite of raw garlic coming through the velvety potato.
Have only 1 russet potato and a few cloves of garlic in the house? Then you’re about 15 minutes away from crazy amazing skordalia! Spread it on EVERYTHING or pair it with it’s bestie, a simple beet salad / pantzaria salata. However you choose to enjoy it, you’ll love every Continue Reading →
traditional Greek squash fritters / kolokithokeftedes
Kolokithokeftedes are light and crispy and so jam packed with flavor, these traditional fried squash patties that will have your tastebuds singing happy happy songs!
Zucchini squash, onions, potatoes, carrots, lemon zest and a sprinkle of nutmeg come together in the most delightful combination. The whole lovely veggie mix is bound together with a go-to ingredient Greek cooks have been using for hundreds of years and that is just now catching on in the US, can you guess what it is?? Continue Reading →
traditional Greek toasted bulgur pilaf
Bulgur has recently become the new ‘it’ whole grain here in the US and it’s about time too. In Greece, people have been enjoying it for eons – well, at least millennia! A nutritional powerhouse, bulgur is very tasty and boils up quickly with a unique cracked wheat texture; perfect for a light pilaf. This recipe for bulgur pilaf includes the traditional (and delicious!) standard vegetable mix-ins but the possibilities are endless and you’ll find info below to help you create variations of your own too!
So simple to cook up with very easy prep; you can have this nutty, bright, one-pot-wonder on your table in a little over half an hour. Try the recipe exactly as it is here with carrots, green peas, coriander, fennel seeds, fresh thyme and a pinch of cloves or go ahead and let your tastebuds Continue Reading →
Greek Potato Stew / Patates Yahni
Made with just 5 ingredients with one pot in just under an hour, this traditional Greek potato stew (πατάτες γιαχνί) is rustic potato perfection. Red ripe tomatoes, fresh parsley, sweet red onions, minced garlic and yellow potatoes simmered in olive oil combine to create one of the simplest, most authentic and amazingly delicious Greek dishes you will ever enjoy! Continue Reading →
traditional Greek beet salad
Greek beet salad is a fantastic choice for take-to-work lunch and summer picnics too! If you are planning on taking it to work with you as part of your lunch, make sure you use a metal lunch box set instead of plastic lunch boxes that aren’t eco-friendly. The great part of being vegan is how much better it is for the environment so why not continue being pro-active for the world by using a metal lunch box?
This beeeutiful traditional beet salad will have you fighting for seconds it’s so good! Gorgeous earthy boiled red beets, tiny tiny minced garlic pieces, flecks of fresh mint and parsley, Greek olive oil, red wine vinegar, ground coriander, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper combine to make a mouthwatering main course and the perfect side dish to just about anything – as delicious as it is lovely and incredibly easy to prepare.
Pantzaria salata is served all over Greece and is most often paired with a plate of skordalia (Greek garlic smashed potatoes). Truthfully they are amazing together but I also love beet salad all on it’s own with a big piece of crusty bread. So flavorful and satisfying, the authentic Continue Reading →
from the oven – gigantes plaki
Gigantes plaki, or baked giant beans, are about as Greek and about as good as a dish can be.
There are countless variations of this classic dish and the recipe below is our family’s favorite. This recipe calls for parsley, celery, oregano and mint to flavor the delicate tomato sauce and beans. This combination is a bit lighter, brighter and slightly sweeter in taste than other versions with dill, carrot and/or cinnamon. Truth be told though, I don’t think I’ve ever met a plate of gigantes I didn’t like!
Busy schedule? No worries – gigantes plaki can easily be made in parts or stages, I do it all the time. Prep your gigantes (or large lima) beans up to 2 days ahead, make your sauce the day before and then assemble and bake when you’re Continue Reading →
oven charred stuffed peppers
Stuffed peppers are such a classic Greek dish and traditionally vegan! Meat was only added to the rice mixture on special occasions and feast days. Every day stuffed peppers were meatless and, as you’ll see with this recipe, absolutely magnificent!
One of my all time favorite meals, stuffed peppers are a simple, easy to make ahead, healthy, so yummy dish. Green bell peppers are used most often but feel free to shake things up with yellow, orange or red bell peppers for
caramelized leek and onion filling in light, flaky olive oil tart
Golden brown, savory sweet caramelized leeks and onions piled on top of a flaky, delicate olive oil crust – in every way, awesomeness. This extremely versatile leek and onion pie is delicious for weekday dinner, on the go lunch and is fantastic for parties. Make it as a single pie or individual tarts and even make days ahead. You’ve got a winner here.
Of all our Yiayia’s pitas this was my favorite. Usually she made pitas wrapped in either store bought or more often home made horiatiko filo dough and some were even wrapped in bread dough but her leek and onion pie was special. Baked in a light, flaky butterless, eggless perfect pie crust – these were always a treat. Since Yiayia passed away, I’ve tried so many times to recreate this incredible crust with little success……. UNTIL NOW!!!!! Continue Reading →
Greek peas with tomato and dill
Plump, sweet little green peas swimming around in a sauce of tomatoey, dill goodness – how good does that sound? Add a piece of crusty or grilled bread to help sop up all the crazy yummy soupy extra and you’ve got yourself one of the tastiest and simplest meals in Greek cooking.
Greek peas are phenomenal and hands down our absolute favorite way to enjoy peas. They’re perfection right off the stove and even a bit better than that a day or two later! This dish is infinitely scalable and very easy to reheat. In Greece a big bowl of arakas kokinistos is often enjoyed as a meal in itself and Greek peas are also an amazing side dish to Continue Reading →
tourlou tourlou of summer vegetables
Tourlou tourlou, which literally means all mixed up, is really the most wonderfully delicious mix up of vegetables! Perfect for summer when garden fresh veggies are everywhere, a few simple ingredients and you’re on your way to one of the best traditional vegetable meals in all of Greek cooking.
This dish also goes by the name briam from the Turkish version and is also very similar to the traditional French dish ratatouille. Full of flavor and so satisfying, you can enjoy tourlou tourlou hot right from the oven or the next day at room temperature. Serve as a filling meal or as a tasty veggie side dish to Continue Reading →
marathopites / fennel frond pies
Fresh wild greens, aromatic fresh herbs and olive oil all wrapped in a simple dough = handheld heaven! Pites (or singular, pita) are a general word to describe hand held pies of all sorts. The variety of fillings is endless, many many of which are traditionally meat/dairy free. This particular pita, marathopita, comes from the island of Crete where wild fennel runs, well, wild!
The perfect lunch, snack or even breakfast and very child friendly – marathopites (μαραθόπιτες) use only the leaves or frilly fronds that grow on thin stalks above the fennel bulb. Here in the Northeast US its often difficult to find fennel bulbs with a beautiful bushy bunch of fronds attached as they’re usually trimmed for supermarket shelves. They can, truth be told, get a bit unruly. Then comes July at the farmers market and fennel is at every stall, displayed in all her leafy glory. This is the time to make, eat and freeze for non-fennel seasons, marathopites! Continue Reading →
grilled corn salad with bell peppers, red onion and fresh dill
Street vendors sell grilled corn everywhere in Greece during the summer. Crazy salty and steamed inside their husks, you wouldn’t believe how good they taste. This recipe uses grilled corn in a quick, easy, amazing summer salad – just over half an hour and you can be tucking into a bowl!
So good for lunch or dinner, this simple, delicious recipe uses oven-grilled corn cooks up perfectly every time and cooking corn this way also makes Continue Reading →
traditional, authentically vegan Greek spanakopita
Spanakopita or spinach pie is probably one of the best-known of all traditional Greek dishes and hands down one of the most delicious. Its traditionally made without cheese so, bonus, authentically vegan too!
A handful of simple ingredients – fresh dill, mint, peppery chopped scallions, gorgeous green leafy spinach and you’re good to go. Wrap it all up in flaky fillo dough and you’ve got one of the easiest and most delightful foods in all of Greek cooking. This recipe will have spanakopita on your table in under an hour. Give it a try, you’ll Continue Reading →
golden fried squash
Crispy, golden outside – tender, meaty inside, fried squash is so simple and so delicious you’ll never look at zucchini without drooling again! These make an amazing meal all on their own or pop them into a piece of pita bread with a little tahini lemon sauce and you have the perfect sandwich. You’ll find so many Continue Reading →
