Vegan Guide to Greece
Vegan Greek Food
First of all, Greece is heaven for vegans and vegetarians! Although you might know some more famous Greek dishes that are based around meat, like gyros and souvlaki, there are tons of dishes centered around plants. After all-- it is called the Mediterannean diet for a reason!
Because most Greeks are Orthodox Christian, there are many foods that are naturally animla product free that are called nistisimo, which means that it is suitable for those who are fasting from aniaml products (except honey and fish). If you wanted to check if something is made without eggs, milk, or meat, you can ask if it is nistisimo, or it might already be labeled for you!
Here are some traditional Greek dishes that you can order no matter if you're vegan, vegetarian, or just looking for a lighter meal.
Spanakopita
Could you guess we'd start with this Greek classic? While many of us may have only tasted spanakopita with cheese before, it actually is sold both with AND without cheese in Greece. The only spinach version is usually fully vegan, and will be labeled as nistisimo, meaning they don't use any eggs, butter, or cheese in it.
Fava
Surprisingly, this dish is actually not made of fava beans, but rather yellow split peas! It's served as a dip, and usually is toped with onions and capers. It's filling and packed with protein, so it's a great addition to make a more rounded meal.
Horta
Horta basically just means greens, and is essentially a dish of whatever greens are in season. It's served with olive oil and lemon.
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Spanakorizo
Can you tell how much Greeks love spinach? Spanakorizo literally means spinach rice, and is exactly that. It's flavored with lemon, dill, and other spices, and is absolutely delicious!
Gigantes
Like the name might suggest, this dish is made up of "gigant" beans, and is cooked in a tomato sauce. Definitely an excellent plant based option to try out, especially to pack in the protein!
Gemista
Gemista are usually peppers or tomatos stuffed with rice and herbs. They are almost always vegan, but you can ask to make sure it doesn't have minced meat added.
Dolmades
Dolmades, or grape/vine leaves in English, are grape leaves filled with rice and herbs. They are served with oil and lemon, of course.
Greek Salad
Greek salad is a classic vegetarian dish of cucumber, tomato, olives, red onions, olive oil, oregano, and feta cheese. To make it vegan, skip the feta cheese.
Gelato
If you've been to Greece, you know there is good, cheap and delicious gelato/icecream everywhere! Most places will be able to tell you which flavors are nistisimo, meaning they're dairy and egg free. My favorite is dark chocolate, which is called "bitter" in Greece!
Vegan Restaurants in Athens
Vegan Guide to Greece
I hope this guide showed you some amazing veggie options for Greece! The country has amazing traditionally vegan and plant based foods, and there are amazing restaurants serving vegan versions of other dishes as well. Greek food is amazing, so don't let being vegan or vegetarian hold you back from eating your heart out and enjoying the amazing culinary scene!
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