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    Zen and Zaatar » Recipes

    Vegan Side Dish Recipes

    These vegan side dish recipes are the perfect complement to your plant-based meals. Whether you're looking for something fresh and vibrant, like my Mediterranean pearl couscous salad, something cozy and nourishing, like creamy coconut quinoa with greens, or a flavorful Middle Eastern-inspired option, like galayet bandora, a sautéed tomato dish that can easily stand alone, there's something here for every meal.

    Made with simple, wholesome ingredients, these dishes make plant-based eating easy and enjoyable.

    • This is the featured Palestinian salad photo, showing all the components of the salad.
      Palestinian salad (Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad)
    • Fattoush salad with radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and crispy pita chips in a white bowl.
      Authentic Fattoush Salad (Syrian Pita Bread Salad)
    • Flatlay image of finished vermicelli rice topped with toasted almonds and parsley, cropped square.
      Vermicelli Rice (Mediterranean Rice Pilaf)
    • mutabal shawandar, a garlic roasted beet dip with tahini
      Mutabal Shawandar (Garlic Roasted Beet Dip)
    • 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
    • roasted brussels sprouts shiitake bacon maple dijon honey mustard balsamic vegan vegetarian appetizer zenanzaatar food blog recipe
      Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shiitake Bacon and Maple Dijon (Vegan, GF)
    • These oven roasted lemon garlic green beans topped with chickpea fried onions make a delicious vegan Thanksgiving side dish.
      Lemon Garlic Green Beans with Chickpea Fried Onions
    • This herb and caramelized onion gravy is a flavor rich, gluten-free, vegan holiday recipe.
      Herbed Caramelized Onion Gravy (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
    • 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)
    • The best ever vegan sweet potato mac and cheese that is nut free, gluten free, and oil free
      The Best Sweet Potato Vegan Mac and Cheese (Gluten-free, Nut-free, Oil-free)
    • Finished image of the kale salad topped with tahini dressing, chickpeas, and slices of avocado.
      Hearty Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing and Chickpeas (Savory)
    • Mediterranean pearl couscous salad featuring moghrabieh couscous, lemon, cucumber, and olives, in a lemon herb olive oil dressing.
      Irresistible Pearl Couscous Salad (Vegan)
    • Square cropped, featured image of lemony Mediterranean potato salad without mayo.
      Lemony Mediterranean Potato Salad with Mint
    • syrian baba ganoush without tahini, a smoky eggplant walnut dip
      Syrian Baba Ganoush (No Tahini) - Smoky Eggplant Pomegranate Dip
    • Creamy Coconut Quinoa and Greens (Vegan, GF)
    • a photo showing the mediterranean tomato salad with zaatar, lemon, and olive oil
      Middle Eastern tomato and red onion salad with za’atar
    • Vegan tomato tart with basil cashew ricotta and a gluten free tart crust
      Vegan tomato tart with basil cashew ricotta (gluten-free)
    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 →

    Spring

    • Fattoush salad with radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and crispy pita chips in a white bowl.
      Authentic Fattoush Salad (Syrian Pita Bread Salad)
    • Lemon tahini sauce being drizzled with a spoon to show consistency.
      Creamy Lemon Tahini Sauce (Vegan, Mediterranean Dressing)
    • Image featuring a straight on shot of the overnight matcha oats topped with raspberry chia jam cropped square
      Overnight matcha oats with no-cook raspberry chia jam
    • Foamy Iced Oat Milk Latte with Orange Blossom Water, Vegan, topped with cinnamon.
      Iced Oat Milk Latte with Orange Blossom Foam
    • This chickpea omelet recipe is a delicious vegan alternative to a traditional egg omelet. Also gluten-free, this chickpea omelet does not crack or break when flipped, can be stuffed with your favorite veggies, and is topped with a dairy-free avocado pesto.
      The Perfect Chickpea Omelet with Avocado Pesto (Vegan)
    • This vegan palak paneer replaces the paneer with a recipe for Burmese chickpea tofu, replicating the texture and flavor of a soft cheese. This vegan saag paneer, a spinach curry, is made creamy with coconut milk, making a rich and flavor Indian-inspired comfort dish.
      Vegan Palak Paneer with Chickpea Tofu (Soy-Free, GF)
    See more Spring →

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