Vegetarian cuisine is cookery of food that meets vegetarian ethical principles and health standards. In terms of lacto-ovo vegetarianism, which is the most common type of vegetarianism in the Western world, this means food which excludes ingredients for which an animal must have died, such as meat, meat broth, cheeses that use animal rennet (some vegetarians will eat all cheeses and others none, because of its milk content), gelatin (from animal skin and connective tissue), and for the strictest, even some sugars that are whitened with bone char (e.g. cane sugar, but not beet sugar).

Although not essential, certain special ingredients such as tofu and TVP have often been associated with vegetarian cuisine. Although tofu and TVP play a key role in many 'mock meat' dishes, a person can be vegetarian for life and never touch them. Vegetarianism being closely linked to Tofu consumption is a largely US based phenomenon.

Ignoring the different types of vegetarians (lacto-ovo vegetarianism versus veganism, for example), one can roughly divide vegetarian cuisine into two categories:

• Meat analogues, which mimic the taste, texture, and appearance of meats, and are used in a recipe that traditionally contained meat. Meat analogues vary in quality and similarity to meats, and may be bought commercially or made at home.
• Traditional meals that have always been vegetarian.

Many vegans will simply also use analogues for dairy and eggs in traditional Western recipes. These analogues are both commercially available and homemade from recipes. But just as

Cuisine that is traditionally vegetarian

These are some of the most common dishes that vegetarians eat without substitution of ingredients. Such dishes include, from breakfasts to dinnertime desserts:

• Pancakes, waffles, cereals and oatmeals, French toast, granola bars, donuts, muffins
• Potato salad, egg salad, baba ganoush, pita-wraps or burrito-wraps, vegetable pilafs, baked potatoes or fried potato-skins with various toppings, corn on the cob, smoothies
• Many sandwiches, such as grilled cheese, and cold sandwiches including roasted eggplant, mushrooms, bell peppers, cheeses, avocado and other sandwich ingredients
• Fresh fruit and most salads
• Many side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, some bread stuffings, seasoned rice, and macaroni and cheese.
• Classical Buddhist cuisine in Asia served at temples and restaurants with a green sign indicating vegetarian food only near temples
• Spanish foods such as tumbet and many polentas and tapas dishes
• Latin American foods such as salsa & guacamole with chips, rice & bean burritos (without lard in the refried beans), many quesadillas, bean tacos, some chilaquiles and bean-pies, chili (no 'con carne'), black beans with rice, chiles rellenos, cheese enchiladas and vegetable fajitas.
• Italian foods such as most pastas, many pizzas, eggplant rotini, eggplant crostini, bruschetta, many risottos

• Continental cuisine such as ratatouille, braised leeks with olives and parsley, many quiches, sauteed Swiss chard, vegetable-stuffed mushrooms,
  
  
  
  sauteed Brussels sprouts with mushrooms and squash
• Many Greek dishes, such as dolmas and spanakopita
• Many Ethiopian dishes
• Mideastern food such as falafel, hummus dips, matzo ball soup, minted-yogurts, and couscous
• A very wide variety of Indian foods such as pakora, samosa, khichris, Pulao, raitas, rasam, bengain bharta, chana masala, some kormas, sambars, & jalfrezis, saag aloo, subji's (vegetable dishes) such as bindi subji, gobi subji, etc. Also Punjabi chole, aloo matar and much South Indian food such as dosas, idlis and vadas. Chapati and other wheat/maida based breads like Naan, Roti Parathas are often stuffed with vegetarian items to make it a self sufficient meal. Many Indian dishes qualify as vegan, though many also use yogurt, cheese, cream, or milk.
  • Kerala foods like Aviyal, Olan, Kadala curry, Theeyal, Pulingari, Chammandi, Chutney, and breads like Appam, Puttu, pathiri
• Chinese (and other far-Eastern) dishes based on the main ingredients being mushroom, noodles, eggplant, string beans, broccoli, rice, tofu and/or mixed vegetables
• Japanese foods such as tempura, edamame, name kojiru, and vegetable sushi; in Japan however, vegetarian often means no meat, which however includes fish - as most miso soup does.
• Some Thai cuisine, including dishes such as pad kee maow and many Thai curries.
• Creole and Southern foods such as hush puppies, okra patties, rice and beans, or sauteed kale or collards, if not cooked with the traditional pork fat or meat stock.
• Many desserts, including pies, cobblers, cakes, brownies, cookies, truffles, rice-krispy/peanut butter treats (from gelatin-free marshmallows, or marshmallow fluff), pudding, rice pudding, ice cream, creme brulée, etc.

Cuisine that uses meat analogues

These are vegetarian versions of popular dishes that non-vegetarians enjoy and are frequently consumed as fast food, comfort food, transition food for new vegetarians, or a way to show non-vegetarians that they can be vegetarians while still enjoying their favorite foods. Many vegetarians just enjoy these dishes as part of a varied diet.

Some popular mock-meat dishes include:

• Veggie burgers (burgers usually made from grains, TVP, seitan (wheat gluten), tempeh, and/or mushrooms)
  • In some cases, one can order a burger made without any mock-meat at all, see: "burgerless burger"
• Veggie dogs (usually made from TVP)
• Imitation sausage (soysage, various types of 'salami', 'bologna', 'pepperoni', et al., made of some form of soy)
• Mockmeat or 'meatyballs' (usually made from TVP)
• Vegetarian or meatless 'chicken' (usually made from seitan, tofu or TVP)
• Jambalaya (with mock sausage and mock chicken, usually made from TVP, seitan, or tempeh)
• Tomato Omlette where tomatoes and a paste of flour is used to produce a vegetable omlette without the use of eggs.

Mycoprotein is another common base for mock-meats, and vegetarian flavorings are added to these bases, such as sea vegetables for a seafood taste.

Note that tofu and tempeh are components in certain cuisines in their own right, and do not necessarily take the place of meat.

See also

• Indian Vegetarian cuisine
• Chinese Buddhist cuisine
• English vegetarian cuisine
• French vegetarian cuisine
• Korean vegetarian cuisine
• Thai vegetarian cuisine
• Vietnamese vegetarian cuisine