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    Zen and Zaatar » Recipes

    Vegan Middle Eastern Recipes

    Vegan Middle Eastern recipes are at the heart of my cooking. Many of these dishes are naturally plant-based, making vegan Middle Eastern food easy to enjoy. Syrian foul, a fava bean breakfast salad, and harak osbao, a comforting Syrian pasta with lentils, are just a few of these traditional dishes.

    You’ll also find vegan twists on classics, like vegan knafeh, a beloved dessert reimagined to be just as satisfying. These recipes bring the warm flavors of the Levant to your kitchen.

    • roasted cauliflower lentil tacos vegan gluten free zenanzaatar zena zaatar mexican mediterranean recipe tahini food blog
      Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower & Lentil Tacos With Lime Tahini (Vegan, GF)
    • sweet potato noodles zaatar chickpeas tahini mediterranean vegan gluten free vegetarian food blog zenanzaatae
      Mediterranean Sweet Potato Noodles with Zaatar Chickpeas & Tahini (Vegan, Gluten-free)
    • mediterranean vegan vegetarian chili stuffed sweet potatoes chickpea lentil tzatziki gluten free roasted zenanzaatar food blog recipe
      Chickpea & Lentil Chili-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Creamy Tzatziki (Vegan, Gluten-free)
    • one pot mujadara, syrian bulgur and lentils with vegan cucumber yogurt
      One-Pot Mujadara (Syrian Bulgur and Lentils) with Cucumber Mint Yogurt (Vegan)
    • Flatlay image of baked pumpkin kibbeh, cropped square.
      Pumpkin Kibbeh (Baked)
    • ful medames, a syrian fava bean and chickpea breakfast salad
      Ful Medames, Syrian Style (Arabic Bean Salad) [Vegan, GF]
    • This is the featured image of galayet bandora, the finished product of Palestinian sautéed tomatoes and olive oil.
      Galayet Bandora (Palestinian Pan Fried Tomatoes) Recipe
    • This Mediterranean white bean soup is flavored with Harissa and tahini. Filled with kale, parsley, and thyme, this vegan white bean soup is hearty, flavorful, and creamy.
      Mediterranean White Bean Soup with Harissa & Tahini (Vegan)
    • Balila, consisting of brothy, Lebanese chickpeas, surrounded by fresh crudités and pita bread for serving.
      Balila (Lebanese Chickpeas)
    • Mediterranean Eggplant BLT (Vegan)
    • Cauliflower with Tahini
    • Lemon tahini sauce being drizzled with a spoon to show consistency.
      Creamy Lemon Tahini Sauce (Vegan, Mediterranean Dressing)
    • This is the featured Palestinian salad photo, showing all the components of the salad.
      Palestinian salad (Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad)
    • Flatlay image of finished vermicelli rice topped with toasted almonds and parsley, cropped square.
      Vermicelli Rice (Mediterranean Rice Pilaf)
    • Image of bulgur pilaf with chickpeas, tomatoes, and squash, plated, topped with parsley, and cropped square.
      Bulgur Pilaf with Chickpeas, Tomato, and Squash
    • syrian moussaka with eggplant potato and chickpeas
      Syrian Moussaka with Eggplant and Potato (Vegan)
    • A bowl of Arabic lentil soup topped with pita chips, crispy onions, and parsley, and served with lemon.
      Authentic Arabic Lentil Soup (Shorbat Adas)
    • tofu steak zaatar crusted mediterranean zenaznzaatar zena food blog vegan vegetarian plant based recipe healthy tahini
      Zaatar Crusted Tofu Steak with Green Tahini (Vegan)
    • Vegan baked eggplant meatballs topped with roasted pepper sauce, served over pasta.
      Easy Baked Vegan Eggplant Meatballs with Red Pepper Pasta
    • Mediterranean pearl couscous salad featuring moghrabieh couscous, lemon, cucumber, and olives, in a lemon herb olive oil dressing.
      Irresistible Pearl Couscous Salad (Vegan)
    • vegan jackfruit gyros with creamy tzatziki
      Vegan Gyros with Jackfruit and Creamy Tzatziki
    • This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.
      Mouth-Watering Vegan Shakshuka
    • Square cropped, featured image of lemony Mediterranean potato salad without mayo.
      Lemony Mediterranean Potato Salad with Mint
    • mediterranean chickpea salad sandwich vegan
      Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Sandwich (Vegan)
    • This avocado pita with spiced chickpeas and tahini puts a Mediterranean twist on avocado toast. This vegan recipe is topped with burst cherry tomatoes and massaged kale.
      Mediterranean Avocado Pita with Spiced Chickpeas and Tahini (Vegan)
    • riz bi haleeb two bowls
      Riz bi Haleeb | Vegan Rice Pudding with Orange Blossom
    • This horaa osbao (horak esbao) is a syrian pasta dish with lentils and tangy pomegranate sauce.
      Syrian Pasta with Lentils & Caramelized Onion (Horaa Osbao) | حراق اصبعه - Vegan
    • syrian baba ganoush without tahini, a smoky eggplant walnut dip
      Syrian Baba Ganoush (No Tahini) - Smoky Eggplant Pomegranate Dip
    • Plated, finished Syrian yalanji dolma topped with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
      Syrian Yalanji Dolma (Vegan Stuffed Grape Leaves)
    • This vegan Kahi with Geymar is an Iraqi pastry with a thick oat cream, topped with date syrup. This pastry is made up of layers of flaky phyllo dough, topped with vegan clotted cream, called Qaymar. Topped with date syrup or honey for a non-vegan option, this dessert is irresistible.
      Vegan Kahi with Geymar | Iraqi Pastry with Thick Oat Cream
    • mutabal shawandar, a garlic roasted beet dip with tahini
      Mutabal Shawandar (Garlic Roasted Beet Dip)
    • a photo showing the mediterranean tomato salad with zaatar, lemon, and olive oil
      Middle Eastern tomato and red onion salad with za’atar
    • Foamy Iced Oat Milk Latte with Orange Blossom Water, Vegan, topped with cinnamon.
      Iced Oat Milk Latte with Orange Blossom Foam
    • The freekeh recipe shown with the cooked freekeh, topped with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and drizzled with tahini.
      Simple Middle Eastern Freekeh with Cauliflower and Chickpeas
    • This zaatar avocado toast is a Mediterranean twist on your classic avocado toast, dressed with juicy cherry tomatoes and a creamy 3-ingredient tahini drizzle. This vegan recipe is a modern twist on the classic Middle Eastern breakfast staple of bread with zaatar and olive oil.
      Zaatar Avocado Toast with 3 Ingredient Tahini Drizzle
    • vegan kunafa or knafeh, a shredded phyllo and sweet cheese dessert
      Vegan Kunafa (Knafeh) | Shredded Phyllo and Sweet Cheese Dessert
    Headshot image of the author of Zen and Zaatar, Zena Hassoun, MS.

    Welcome!

    Hi, I’m Zena, a passionate home cook with a Master’s in Medical Health Sciences. I’ve been vegan for nearly a decade and love creating approachable, Mediterranean-inspired recipes that nourish your body and soul.

    More about me

    55+ Vegan Recipes for Real Life

    The cover image of my e-cookbook, with text overlay "Vegan is Delicious: 55+ nourishing, innovative, plant-based recipes to satisfy vegans and omnivores alike! by Zena Hassoun, M.S., creator of Zen and Zaatar."

    Tired of the same meals or relying on takeout? Vegan is Delicious is full of flavorful, plant-based recipes (with photos!) plus a 7-day meal plan to make home cooking feel effortless.

    Learn more →

    Trending Recipes 🔥

    • How to make a super flavorful tofu scramble with spinach and cherry tomatoes. Forget about “bland” tofu, this tofu scramble is bursting with umami flavor, seasoned with nutritional yeast and tahini. A great plant-based alternative to scrambled eggs, this flavorful tofu scramble recipe is sure to be a vegan breakfast favorite!
      Super Flavorful Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Tomatoes
    • This healthy vegan nutella is date sweetened
      Healthy Vegan Nutella (Date-Sweetened)
    • vegan kunafa or knafeh, a shredded phyllo and sweet cheese dessert
      Vegan Kunafa (Knafeh) | Shredded Phyllo and Sweet Cheese Dessert
    • ful medames, a syrian fava bean and chickpea breakfast salad
      Ful Medames, Syrian Style (Arabic Bean Salad) [Vegan, GF]
    • This horaa osbao (horak esbao) is a syrian pasta dish with lentils and tangy pomegranate sauce.
      Syrian Pasta with Lentils & Caramelized Onion (Horaa Osbao) | حراق اصبعه - Vegan
    • The sweet potato and chickpea quinoa bowl with brussels sprouts, pepitas, and topped with maple tahini drizzle.
      High-Protein Sweet Potato and Chickpea Quinoa Bowls
    More recipes →

    Winter

    • Flatlay image of finished vermicelli rice topped with toasted almonds and parsley, cropped square.
      Vermicelli Rice (Mediterranean Rice Pilaf)
    • A bowl of Arabic lentil soup topped with pita chips, crispy onions, and parsley, and served with lemon.
      Authentic Arabic Lentil Soup (Shorbat Adas)
    • Drizzling the maple tahini dressing with a spoon to show the texture, with the image cropped square.
      Easy Maple Tahini Dressing
    • The freekeh recipe shown with the cooked freekeh, topped with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and drizzled with tahini.
      Simple Middle Eastern Freekeh with Cauliflower and Chickpeas
    • These vegan portobello pizzas are a healthy, dairy free way to enjoy the flavors of pizza. Also gluten-free, you can customize each portobello pizza in this recipe to your liking with vegan cheese and veggie toppings.
      Vegan Portobello Pizzas (GF)
    • This Mediterranean white bean soup is flavored with Harissa and tahini. Filled with kale, parsley, and thyme, this vegan white bean soup is hearty, flavorful, and creamy.
      Mediterranean White Bean Soup with Harissa & Tahini (Vegan)
    See more Winter →

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