Category guide
Vegetarian
recipes.
Vegetarian cooking — without meat but with eggs and dairy — is the everyday cooking of huge parts of the world: most of the Indian subcontinent, large stretches of the Mediterranean, the Sephardic Jewish kitchen, monastic traditions across Buddhism and Christianity. It's not a constraint that needs working around; it's a tradition with its own deep technique. Eggs, butter, cheese, yoghurt, and cream are all in scope, which means a lot of the greatest dishes in the world are vegetarian: cacio e pepe, mushroom risotto, shakshuka, paneer butter masala, eggplant parmesan, palak paneer, gnocchi alla romana, omelette aux fines herbes.
Vegetarian recipes
82 dishes to cook from
How to cook in this category
Three pillars to anchor what you cook.
Eggs as a main course
Shakshuka, frittata, soufflé, omelette, oeufs en cocotte, scotch eggs (well — the vegetarian version with vegetable patties), eggs Benedict on bubble-and-squeak. Eggs are the cheapest, most elegant protein in the kitchen; they deserve to lead a plate, not just garnish it.
Dairy-led dishes
Paneer makhani, palak paneer, saag paneer, halloumi grills, baked feta with tomatoes, ricotta gnocchi, three-cheese pasta. Dairy carries fat, salt, and protein in one ingredient — handle it gently and it transforms a vegetable plate into something rich.
Indian and Mediterranean vegetarian classics
Indian: dal tadka, chana masala, baingan bharta, vegetable biryani, palak paneer, chole bhature. Mediterranean: spanakopita, ratatouille, eggplant parmesan, caponata, gigantes plaki, mujadara. Cuisines that have been doing vegetarian cooking for millennia.
Pantry staples
What to keep on hand.
Eggs, paneer (Indian fresh cheese), feta, halloumi, ricotta, parmesan, plain yoghurt, butter, ghee, olive oil, lentils and beans, whole grains, plenty of vegetables, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, kasuri methi, garlic, ginger, chillies (fresh and dried), lemons, fresh herbs.
You don't need everything at once. Build the pantry as recipes call for it; most of these are shelf-stable and useful across many dishes.
Core techniques
A few moves to learn well.
- Tadka — blooming whole spices in hot ghee and pouring the seasoned fat over the dish at the end
- Tempering yoghurt with cornstarch + a beaten egg before adding to a hot curry to prevent splitting
- Pressing paneer for at least 30 minutes after making (or buying firm) so it holds shape in curries
- Roasting eggplant whole over an open flame to a charred skin — the only way to get proper baingan bharta or baba ghanoush