Iranian vegetarian/vegan dishes

what can you eat when you travel to Iran? Here are some vegan Persian dishes along with some tips and recommendations on where to shop and eat in Tehran.

Appetizers and main dishes

âsh-e reshte: a thick soup with beans and noodles. It’s often topped with kashk (a milk product), so ask for bedoone kashk (without kashk).

zeytun parvardeh: olives mixed with pomegranate paste, crushed walnuts, and garlic

bâghâli polo: rice with lima beans usually served with meat, so ask for bedoone goosht (without meat) or bâghâli polo khâli (plain bâghâli rice)- or say both for extra emphasis.

adas polo: lentil rice usually with cinnamon, raisins, chopped dates, and walnuts.

adasi: lentil soup, commonly served for breakfast

loubiâ: pinto bean soup

salad shirazi: chopped tomato, cucumber, and onion salad

falafel: self explanatory

sambose: samosas (make sure they are veggie as meat-filled ones are also available)

bâghâlâ ghâtogh: a dish from the north of Iran made with fava beans, dill, and usually topped with an egg. The name of this dish is a true tongue twister, so if you dare even pronounce it to order it, you can take the egg off or ask for it without (bedoone tokhme morgh).

mirzâ ghâsemi: smoked eggplant, tomato, and garlic with egg. Another dish from the north, this one also has egg. Some places I’ve been to have been able to serve it without egg while other make it pre-mixed. You have to ask, which may get tricky. In that case, don’t order it.

kashk-e bâdemjân: sautéed eggplant with kashk. Same as above, some places can make it without kashkwhile others mix it all in together.

If you like to know more about Iran before you travel to Iran, you'd better ask an Iran travel agency.