Vegetarian Morocco

Roasted aubergine and tomato salad with cumin, garlic, parsley, and olive oil. Smoky, earthy, deeply flavored. Served warm or at room temperature as part of the salad course that begins most Moroccan meals.

Roasted green pepper and tomato salad with garlic and spices. Similar to zaalouk but with a different character -- sweeter peppers replace the smokiness of aubergine. Often served alongside zaalouk as part of the salad trio.

Cooked carrots dressed with cumin, paprika, lemon juice, garlic, and fresh herbs. The third member of the traditional salad trio. Simple, sweet, and addictive.

Dried fava bean soup finished with olive oil, cumin, and paprika. Street food in Fes and northern Morocco. Thick, warming, filling, and fully vegan. Often eaten for breakfast with bread. One of the best cheap meals in the country.

The classic Moroccan soup, traditionally made with lamb. A vegetarian version exists using lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, and herbs without meat or meat broth. You must ask specifically for "harira nabatia" -- the default includes lamb.

Note: Default harira always contains lamb. Ask explicitly for vegetarian harira.

Slow-cooked vegetable stew in the conical clay pot. Common variations include olive and preserved lemon, seven-vegetable medley, and sweet tagine with prunes and dried apricots. Request "tagine bi khodra" or "tagine nabati" specifically.

Note: Some cooks add butter or ghee. Ask for olive oil only if vegan.

The national dish, served every Friday across Morocco. The vegetable version features a mound of steamed semolina topped with seven or more seasonal vegetables in a spiced broth. Request "couscous bi khodra" -- the default is always cooked with meat.

Note: Couscous is traditionally steamed over meat broth and finished with butter (smen). Ask for vegetable broth and olive oil instead.

Crispy pastry triangles filled with cheese, herbs, and sometimes honey. The vegetarian version of Morocco's beloved fried pastry. Served as a starter or snack.

Flaky, square pan-fried flatbread. Naturally vegan when made with olive oil rather than butter. The version sold by street vendors often uses oil, making it the safer vegan option. Served plain or with honey.

Note: Traditional recipes use butter for the layers. Street versions more often use vegetable oil.

The thousand-hole pancake. Spongy, cooked on one side only, with a surface of tiny craters that absorb honey and butter beautifully. Most recipes include eggs, though some family recipes omit them.

Note: Usually contains eggs in the batter. Ask if unsure.

Semolina griddle bread with a slightly grainy texture. Cooked on a flat griddle until golden outside, soft inside. Traditionally includes butter in the dough.

Note: Usually has butter in the dough. Not reliably vegan.

Slow-cooked fava beans seasoned with cumin, olive oil, lemon, and garlic. Popular as a breakfast dish in some regions, particularly in northern and eastern Morocco. Hearty, protein-rich, and fully vegan.

Eggs baked in a spiced tomato sauce with cumin and peppers. Common at breakfast in riads and cafes. Not vegan, but reliably vegetarian and very satisfying.

A paste of argan oil, ground almonds, and honey. Spread on bread at breakfast. Rich, nutty, uniquely Moroccan. Addictive once tasted. Vegetarian but not vegan due to honey.

Note: Contains honey. Some versions substitute agave.

Ubiquitous at juice stalls across Morocco. Fresh-squeezed orange juice costs next to nothing and tastes extraordinary. Avocado smoothies (often blended with milk and almonds) are a Moroccan street food staple.

Note: Avocado smoothies typically contain milk. Ask for juice without milk if vegan.