Inspire Your Palate With These Delicious Vegetarian Dishes from the Far East

The far east of Asia produces some of the most exciting and delicious foods of any place on Earth. Luckily for vegetarian eaters, some of the best Asian foods are vegetable-based, with a wide array of vibrant, satisfying meat-free dishes to be enjoyed.

In far eastern cuisine, the sauces and broths are cooked slowly, developing profoundly flavorful foundations for dishes. Fresh herbs and floral spices like ginger, cilantro and lemongrass are pounded into fragrant pastes that punctuate dishes with aromatic flavors. Crunchy raw vegetables like radishes and bean sprouts finish dishes with crisp, light notes. Mushrooms, seaweed, tofu and soy add savory depth and complexity. If you find yourself with an itch to explore the foods of the far east, these staple dishes are a great place to start.

Ramen


Hailing from Japan, Ramen is a hearty, mind-numbingly delicious noodle soup that consists of wheat noodles swimming in an unctuous broth with a variety of other ingredients. Making Ramen broth is an elaborate and time-consuming process that involves lots of ingredients but yields a deeply flavorful and satisfying product.

Typically, the broth is some sort of meat stock punctuated with a host of aromatics but there are many delicious vegetarian variations with bases of mushrooms, seaweed and other vegetables.

Carrots, mushrooms, scallions, radishes, cilantro and soft-boiled eggs are just a few of the many ingredients you might find in a bowl of Ramen. The beauty of Ramen is that you can make it your own. One can often find Ramen on the menu at a Japanese restaurant but more than ever specialty Ramen shops are popping up everywhere.

There are thousands of different variations of Ramen, many of them vegetarian-friendly. Since Ramen is so intricate, making it at home is quite a project, but it’s absolutely worth it.

Fried Rice


One of the most common and beloved Asian foods in the world, fried rice is a takeout food staple. Fried rice is made by cooking steamed white rice in a hot wok with other ingredients. But there’s a lot more to fried rice than you probably think.

Definitely do not stop eating your favorite Chinese fried rice, but just realize there’s a whole lot more options out there.

Everyone has had fried rice from their favorite Chinese restaurant, which is usually flavored with soy sauce, some vegetables and scrambled eggs. But what a lot of people don’t realize is that while Chinese fried rice is the most popular, virtually every Asian food culture has their own variety of fried rice, all of which offer different variations of wonderful taste.

In Thailand, for example, fried rice is often made with big chunks of pineapple and is flavored with lime, cilantro and cashews. Indian fried rice may be accented with coconut, ginger, green chilis and cilantro.

Definitely do not stop eating your favorite Chinese fried rice, but just realize there’s a whole lot more options out there. Whatever type of fried rice you’re looking to indulge in, it always makes a great sidekick in any spread of Asian cuisine.

Curries


A delicious bowl of curry is second to none when it comes to packing vibrant, fresh and exciting flavors. Curries are most commonly Indian or Thai, but there are many incredible curries to be found in Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos and beyond.

As with many Asian foods, there are countless different types of curry. Some are meat-based, but many curries, especially Indian curries, are vegetarian. Some curries are green, while others are red, yellow or orange. Many curries are sweet whereas others pack incendiary amounts of spiciness.

Curries are made by pounding a complex collection of herbs and spices into an aromatic paste, then frying that paste and adding liquid to make a sauce. The most widely used ingredients in those pastes are ginger, garlic, lemongrass, lime leaf, turmeric, cumin, fresh chilis, cilantro and Thai basil while the liquid is coconut milk.

Thai curries tend to be fruitier, lighter and more herbaceous as they use more fresh ingredients like lemongrass whereas Indian curries are more savory and rich as they use more dried spices.

Curries can be found at any Thai or Indian restaurant but are also a ton of fun to make at home. All that curry needs to make a great meal is a bowl of rice to soak up all that deliciousness.

Sound interesting? Try out our Thai Green Curry with Vegetables recipe.

Scallion Pancakes


That’s right, pancakes are not just for breakfast. A classic Chinese appetizer hailing from Szechuan province, these crispy, fluffy little circles of deliciousness provide an exciting crunch to any Chinese meal.

Scallion pancakes are made from a simple dough of flour and water with loads of fresh green onions inside. The dough is then quickly pan-fried in smoking hot oil to lightly char the outside. As it cooks, the dough develops light air bubbles that get crisped up in the oil and create a crunchy, chewy texture to bite into.

Once cooked, you can dip the pancakes into a variety of sauces. Traditionally, the dipping sauce is soy sauce and sesame oil but you could add vinegar, chilis, ginger or any other great Chinese flavors.

Find scallion pancakes on the menu at your favorite Chinese restaurant, in the freezer section at your local Asian market or whip up a quick, easy batch of your own!

Veggie Pad Thai


One of the most famous and beloved Thai dishes in the world, Pad Thai is a true culinary treasure. The base of the dish is tender rice noodles stir-fried in a wok with a sticky tamarind sauce that’s sweet, sour and spicy all at the same time.

From there, you can find a variety of delicious veggies and other toppings populating Pad Thai with delicious flavors. In veggie Pad Thai, you’ll often find shredded carrots, green onions, roasted peanuts, fried tofu and scrambled eggs tossed in with the noodles and sauce.

To finish, Pad Thai is topped with crunchy raw bean sprouts, cilantro leaves and a wedge of fresh lime to add a shot of brightness. With all those amazing tastes and textures contrasting into a beautiful harmony, Pad Thai is a gratifying, delicious dish that will make every part of the palate sing at once.

Bibimbap


Literally translating to “mixed rice”, Bibimbap is the most popular rice dish in all of South Korea. Although it often contains pork or chicken, it’s very easy to find delicious, satisfying meat-free versions of Bibimpap. A bowl of steamed white rice served in a clay pot with a varied assortment of herbs, vegetables, sauces and other toppings, Bibimpap is a customizable dish that showcases the best of Korean cuisine.

The vegetables are typically carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, bean sprouts and spinach that all have all been lightly sautéed with sesame oil. Sometimes fresh herbs like cilantro leaves or thinly sliced green onions will be added and often times, a bowl of Bibimpap is topped with a fried egg.

In Korean restaurants, the rice is lightly seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil before being put in a hot Dolsot, a clay pot which heats the rice and creates a crispy, toasted crust. This is all topped up with a drizzle of Gochujang, a Korean pepper paste made from chili peppers and fermented soybeans.

The paste combines with the yolk of the fried egg to make a spicy, umami-laden sauce that permeates the rice and vegetables with explosive flavor. Find this Korean staple at any Korean restaurant or try making it at home for a terrific Korean entrée.


Feature image: 8-Low Ural; Image 1: Jared Kent

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