Journal
Is Middle Eastern Food Good for Vegetarians and Vegans?
Middle Eastern food is one of the most vegetarian friendly cuisines there is, and not by accident. The table was never built around one centrepiece protein, so dips made from chickpeas and eggplant, herb heavy salads, rice, grilled vegetables and bread are the normal middle of the meal rather than the polite alternative to it.
Here is what that means in practice at our kitchen in Abbotsford: which dishes are vegetarian, which are genuinely vegan, and the two or three things worth checking before you order.
Why is Middle Eastern food so vegetarian friendly?
Because of structure, not intention. A Western plate is designed outward from a protein, so removing the protein leaves a hole that has to be patched. A mezze spread is designed as many dishes arriving at once, and most of them were plant based to begin with.
Count what is on a typical table before any meat appears: a chickpea dip, a roasted eggplant dip, a roasted red pepper dip, a parsley salad, a chopped vegetable salad, rice, bread, grilled vegetables. That is a complete meal, and it is the meal, not a modification of it.
Canada’s food guide points in the same direction, asking people to choose protein foods that come from plants every day and naming beans, lentils, nuts and seeds among the protein foods worth eating, because plant based protein tends to bring more fibre and less saturated fat. Chickpeas and tahini have been carrying Middle Eastern meals that way for a very long time, without anyone framing it as a health choice.
Which dishes at Salma’s Kitchen are vegetarian?
Most of the menu, before you reach the grill. Here is the plain list.
- Vegetarian plate: grilled vegetables with fragrant rice, salad and your choice of dip. A full meal in the same format as every other meal we serve.
- Hummus: creamy mashed chickpeas with tahini, lemon juice and garlic.
- Baba ganoush: roasted eggplant with tahini, lemon juice and garlic.
- Muhammara: roasted red peppers, bread crumbs and pomegranate molasses.
- Tabouli plate: parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions with mint, lemon juice and olive oil.
- Armenian salad plate: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and red onions with herbs, lemon juice and olive oil.
- Drinks: hibiscus tea and lemonada.
All three dips are packed by the half kilo for pickup, which makes them the easiest thing to take home for a plant based table. We break down the differences between them in how to tell hummus, baba ganoush and muhammara apart, and the two salads in tabouli, fattoush and Armenian salad compared.
Which of those are vegan, and what should you check?
Most, with two clear exceptions and one thing to confirm. Vegan means no animal products at all, so the dividing lines land in slightly different places than vegetarian.
| Dish | Vegetarian | Vegan | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hummus | Yes | Yes | Chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic |
| Baba ganoush | Yes | Yes | Roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon, garlic |
| Muhammara | Yes | Ask us | Contains bread crumbs, so confirm when you order |
| Tabouli plate | Yes | Yes | Parsley, vegetables, lemon and olive oil |
| Armenian salad plate | Yes | Yes | Vegetables, herbs, lemon and olive oil |
| Vegetarian plate | Yes | Ask us | Grilled vegetables, rice and salad, dip choice matters |
| Ayran | Yes | No | It is a yogurt drink |
| Hibiscus tea | Yes | Yes | Brewed hibiscus, nothing else needed |
| Lemonada | Yes | Yes | Lemon, mint and sugar |
Two practical notes. Sesame is the base of tahini, and it sits on Health Canada’s list of priority allergens, so a vegan with a sesame allergy should say both things when they call, not just the vegan part. And if you eat only plant based foods, Canada’s food guide notes that vitamin B12 occurs naturally only in animal based foods, so fortified foods matter across your whole diet rather than at any one meal.
Will a vegetarian actually get enough to eat?
Yes, and this is where the cuisine quietly outperforms. The vegetarian portion of a Middle Eastern table is not a garnish plate, it is legumes, tahini, olive oil, grains and a pile of vegetables, which is a substantial meal by any measure.
The honest comparison is with the vegetarian option at a typical catered event, which is often one dish, prepared in one quantity, and gone by the time the second wave of guests reaches the table. Here the plant based dishes are ordered in the same quantities as everything else because everyone eats them. Nobody is rationing the hummus for the two vegetarians in the room.
That also changes the arithmetic when you are ordering for a group. Vegetarian dishes stretch a table further than most people expect, which is part of why our guide to what mezze is and how to order it counts dips and salads separately from grilled plates.
How do you order for a mixed table without making it awkward?
Order one spread, not two menus. This is the single most useful thing to know and it takes one sentence: put the plant based dishes in the middle for everybody, then add grilled plates for the people who want them.
- Start with all three dips in the centre for the whole table.
- Add both salads, tabouli and Armenian salad, in the middle.
- Add the vegetarian plate, grilled vegetables with rice, as a shared dish rather than as one person’s private meal.
- Then add grilled meats, one plate for every two or three meat eaters.
The effect at the table is the point. Nobody gets handed a separate container with their name on it, nobody has to ask what is safe to touch, and the vegetarians are not eating around the edges of somebody else’s dinner. For larger gatherings, the dietary planning side of this is covered in our guide to halal, vegetarian and gluten aware catering.
Where can vegetarians eat Middle Eastern food in the Fraser Valley?
Wherever the mezze is real, which usually means a small kitchen rather than a large menu. The signal to look for is dips and salads made in house rather than opened from a tub, because that is what separates a genuinely plant forward table from a menu with one vegetarian line on it.
We cook in Abbotsford, we pack our dips by the half kilo for pickup, and everything above can be ordered as a spread for a gathering anywhere we cater, out to Burnaby and back. Have a look at the full menu, then call (819) 743-5953 and tell us who is eating. We will build the table around that rather than around what is left over.
Frequently asked questions
Is Middle Eastern food good for vegetarians?
Unusually good, because the cuisine was never built around a single centrepiece protein. Dips made from chickpeas and eggplant, herb heavy salads, rice, grilled vegetables and bread are the normal middle of the table rather than side dishes. A vegetarian eats the same meal as everyone else instead of a substitute version of it.
Which dishes at Salma's Kitchen are vegetarian?
The vegetarian plate of grilled vegetables with fragrant rice, salad and your choice of dip, both salad plates, tabouli and Armenian salad, and all three dips: hummus, baba ganoush and muhammara. Hibiscus tea and lemonada are vegetarian too. That is most of the menu before you reach the grill.
Which Middle Eastern dishes are vegan?
Hummus and baba ganoush are made from chickpeas or eggplant with tahini, lemon and garlic, with no animal products. Tabouli, Armenian salad and grilled vegetables are plant based. Muhammara contains bread crumbs and ayran is a yogurt drink, so confirm preparation details with us when you order if you are strictly vegan.
Will a vegetarian get enough to eat at a Middle Eastern restaurant?
Yes, and usually more than they expect. Chickpeas, lentils and tahini are substantial protein foods, which is why Canada's food guide encourages choosing protein that comes from plants every day. A plate of hummus, salad, rice and grilled vegetables is a full meal, not a snack plate.
Is hummus vegan?
Traditionally yes. Hummus is chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic, all plant foods. The things to check anywhere are whether a kitchen finishes it with yogurt or butter and whether the bread served alongside contains dairy, so ask rather than assume when it matters.
How do you order for a table with vegetarians and meat eaters?
Order the spread, not separate meals. Put the dips, salads and rice in the middle for everyone, add a grilled vegetable plate, then add one or two grilled meats for the people who want them. Nobody is eating around the edges of somebody else's dinner, which is the entire logic of a mezze table.
Salma’s Kitchen cooks Armenian and Middle Eastern food in Abbotsford, BC. See the menu, our catering service areas, or how to order. Phone only: (819) 743-5953.