Israeli Vegan Cooking

The naturally vegan dishes of Israeli cooking

Israel — The Vegan Capital

Israel is the country with the highest percentage of vegans in the world, and that’s no accident. Israeli cooking, rooted in Arab and Mediterranean cuisines, is full of dishes that are naturally vegan — with no need to invent substitutes or give up flavor. Hummus, falafel, tahini, vegetable salads, legume stews — all of these were vegan long before the word “vegan” was even invented.

Dishes That Were Always Vegan

Hummus — chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic. Falafel — ground and fried chickpeas or fava beans. Mujadara — lentils and rice with fried onion, the ultimate comfort food. Ful medames — whole Egyptian fava beans in olive oil and lemon. Sabich — fried eggplant with tahini and amba (without the egg). Cauliflower shawarma — cauliflower roasted in the oven with spices, an amazing alternative.

Legumes — The Israeli Protein Source

Legumes are the heart of Israeli vegan cooking. Red lentils for soups and patties, green lentils for salads, chickpeas for everything, white beans for stews, fava beans for breakfast. Israeli cooking knows how to turn simple legumes into complex, flavorful dishes — with the right spices, caramelized onion and good olive oil.

Vegan Doesn’t Mean Boring

• Mujadara — lentils, rice and caramelized onion. Simple and perfect
• Cauliflower mansaf — a whole roasted cauliflower with tahini
• Red lentil soup — with cumin and lemon, a warming winter dish
• Sabich — fried eggplant in pita with tahini, amba and hot sauce
• Fire-roasted eggplant — charred directly over the flame, with raw tahini
• Green shakshuka — with spinach, Swiss chard and parsley (with tofu instead of eggs)

Israeli vegan cooking doesn’t try to imitate meat — it celebrates vegetables, legumes and grains just as they are. And that’s exactly what makes it so delicious.