Are you transitioning to veganism, but can’t quit Persian flavors? We got you covered with this list of 6 vegan Persian recipes for you to try!We’ve also linked some of our recipe videos for your reference.
Don’t fret, friends! You don’t have to give up your cultural foods if you’re going vegan or cutting down on your reliance on animal products. We get the apprehension, believe us. But we’ve been been working hard on veganizing our families’ recipes and preserving their traditions. And you know what? Along the way, we’ve learned that it isn’t the meat that makes our traditional dishes delicious; it’s the aromatics, seasonings, and LOVE.
So we hope you enjoy these Persian offerings — vegan style. We’ll be updating this list periodically, so check back for more!
Jump to:
1. VEGAN PERSIAN ZERESHK POLO BA MORGH
2. VEGAN SABZI POLO BA MAHI
3. VEGAN ASH RESHTEH
4. VEGAN PERSIAN POLO
5. VEGAN PERSIAN KOTLET
6. VEGAN KHORESH GHEYMEH
1. VEGAN PERSIAN ZERESHK POLO BA MORGH
Try our Vegan PersianZereshk Polo Ba Morgh(Persian barberry rice with chicken). It is healthy, hearty and full of tradition. This classic Persian dish was one of my favorite recipes growing up, so we were thrilled to come up with our own delicious vegan version of my mom’s recipe!
Zereshk Polo Ba Morghis essentially a rice pilaf. The dish is traditionally composed of dried barberries (zereshk), chicken (morgh), and basmati rice (polo).The chicken sits on top of a bed of saffron rice studded with the tiny dried barberries. Our recipe includes options to use vegan chicken or jackfruit as the protein substitute. See our recipe video below!
Ask any Persian, and they’ll tell you that Nowruz (Persian New Year) tastes like Sabzi Polo ba Mahi.
Our Vegan Sabzi Polo ba Mahi ((Persian Herbed Rice with “Fish”) will fill your home with the aromas of a Persian kitchen as you buzz up a mountain of herbs! We use Gardien fishless filets in our recipe. See our recipe video below!
Our Vegan Ash Reshteh is a thick Persian noodle soup packed with a cornucopia of herbs, lentils and beans. It’s nutritious, filling, and perfect for cold winter nights.
Growing up, I could always tell when my mom was making ash. I’d come home from school and the entire kitchen would be filled with the aromatic scent of minced herbs. While making this recipe recently, I found myself fondly reminiscing about chilly afternoons spent in the living room. I’d be doing my homework and waiting for my mom to finish the Ash Reshteh so I could be the first to chow down on a bowl.
Ash (pronounced aash) is a variety of thick soup from Iran. While the word “ash” has become synonymous with the most popular variety—Ash Reshteh—there are more than 50 different types of ash in Iran. But more on that later.See our recipe video below!
Persian Polo is an opulent preparation of long-grain basmati in which the rice is par-boiled, then steamed so that the individual grains don’t stick together, and the magical crunchy tahdig is formed at the bottom of the pot.
Is it technically challenging to master? Perhaps a little. Is it worth the effort to taste the fluffiest rice imaginable and take a bite out of the gloriously crispy tahdig? You better believe it!
5. VEGAN PERSIAN KOTLET
Our Vegan Persian Kotlet are fried lentil and potato patties that are perfect as a snack or full meal.
They’re crispy and delectable and super easy to throw together. You probably already have all the ingredients needed to whip them up in your house right now! See our recipe video below!
Our Vegan Khoresh Gheymeh is a meat-free take on an Iranian classic. It’s an aromatic and tangy stew that’s hella easy to make, with only a handful of ingredients. It comes together in under an hour. Also, did we mention it’s served with French fries?
Khoresh Gheymehis a Persian stew traditionally made with lamb or beef, yellow split peas, onions, tomato paste, turmeric, cinnamon, fried potatoes and dried limes. It’s served over basmati rice, which is a long-grain white rice. For our veganized version, we nixed the beef and upped the amount of split peas.
Love,
Mani
Did you make this recipe? We’d love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. Share your dish with us on Instagram and tag us @plantbased.passport. We would love to seeing your delicious creations! Still hungry? Follow us on Instagram, YouTube,TikTok, and Pinterest for more global vegan recipes and travel tips!🍴✈️
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Ghormeh sabzi (Persian: قورمه سبزی) or Khoresht sabzi (Persian: خورشت سبزی), also spelled qormeh sabzi, is an Iranian herb stew. It is considered the national dish and is a very popular dish in Iran.
Persian cuisine includes a great number of vegan dishes. Even the well-known, non-vegan Persian cookbook “Joon: Persian Cooking Made Simple” includes more than 50 recipes for vegan Persian food. Many dishes that include meat today were originally cooked vegan about a century ago.
I highly recommend having a mixture of grains, protein, and vegetables — it provides a great balance not only with flavor/bulk but also texture. Grains and legumes help keep the meal filling while the vegetables bring everything together.
Persian food is exceptionally delicious and with just a few key ingredients, you'll be able to have a Persian feast at the comfort of your home. Even though Persian food is known to be difficult to make, with my step-by-step recipes, you can make any of these dishes without any trouble.
Vegetables such as pumpkins, spinach, green beans, fava beans, courgette, varieties of squash, onion, garlic and carrot are commonly used in Iranian dishes. Tomatoes, cucumbers and scallion often accompany a meal.
Sayful says choosing to be vegan does not compromise Islamic belief. "If the question is, is a Muslim doing something wrong and against their religion if they choose to only eat a plant-based diet? The answer is simply, not at all," he tells me.
Crumpets. This might be an obvious one to some, but a quick poll with our vegan and dairy-free friends shows many mistakenly believe crumpets contained dairy. ...
As almond milk is made from seeds (yep, technically they are seeds, not nuts), they are in theory completely vegan, and as they are not generally not sweetened or altered with animal byproducts like honey, it is understood as vegan.
This is why yogurt, which is purported to be a cold food, is found on every Iranian table. It's said to balance out the richness of other hot elements of the meal, like fatty meats or warm spices, such as turmeric, and cool the palate.
Persian recipes often incorporate lean protein cuts and prioritize grilling or slow-cooking methods to reduce excess fat. Healthy fats, such as olive oil and nuts, are used sparingly to add depth and flavor to dishes and create high protein and low carb meals.
Yogurt is a staple in Persian homes – and in our home growing up the container of yogurt was always present at the table. As it still is – a constant companion to pretty much any meal – rice, stews, soups, salads…
I admit it, Iran is not that much of a vegan-friendly country. Here, kebabs are kings and for most Iranians, eating vegetables and mushrooms for life may not be such an appealing lifestyle, if not impossible. Once you are in Iran, you may be shocked when you check out the restaurant menus - almost nothing is vegan!
Did you know that the national dish of Egypt is vegetarian? Koshary, also spelt koshari and kushari, is a delightful blend of rice, macaroni and lentils which is then topped with a generous portion of chickpeas, fried onions, spiced tomato sauce and garlic vinegar.
There is a misconception that Iranian food is very meaty. Although the majority of households in Iran often cook with meat and poultry, vegetarian meals have always been on demand amongst Persians.
Chelow kabab or Chelo kabab is the national dish of Iran. The meal is simple, consisting of steamed, saffron rice and kabab, of which there are several distinct Persian varieties. This dish is served throughout Iran today, but was traditionally associated with the northern part of the country.
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