[Article by CYA fall ’24 student and MediaLab intern Jove Gorsline]

I’ve been vegetarian my whole life, and every time I travel to a different country there’s always a slight fear that I’ll have trouble finding food to eat. My main experiences abroad have been in Asia, which tends to be pretty heavy on animal products. Once, my mother tried to explain vegetarianism to a waiter in China and received only a blank stare back like she just simply could not fathom the idea of not involving meat in a dish. Given my limited exposure to Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, I knew that there were certainly plant-based foods out there, but I wasn’t sure how much of it was catered to picky American palettes and how much of it was authentic to their respective cuisines.

However, upon arriving in Greece, I was floored by the plethora of plant-based food available everywhere. It hasn’t been difficult at all to find vegetarian food. Many Greek dishes are naturally vegetarian: stuffed peppers for example. Vegan options are slightly more scarce but definitely available in many places. Many establishments boast a wide range of plant-based options and are generally accommodating, able to modify dishes to customers’ liking. Not only that but there are also many avenues for creative plant-based cooking at home, even for cuisines geographically far from the Mediterranean. Here, I’ve documented three restaurants and three home-cooked dishes that convinced me Athens is a great place to be plant-based!

 

Restaurants

To Pikantiko

• Veggie burger wrap: Pita, veggie burger, tomato, lettuce, fries, garlic sauce

Now this first one is not a plant-based restaurant by any means, but it does boast the best vegetarian gyro I’ve been able to find in Athens so far. Pikantiko’s veggie burger wrap was the first food to touch my lips after arriving in Athens. Wracked with hunger and exhaustion after traveling halfway across the world, me and my roommates desperately Wolted sustenance from the first place we saw on the app. Thus, my expectations had been low for this 4-euro gyro. But when I tell you it nearly made me cry because of how delicious it was, I’m not kidding. Something about the spices in the veggie patty is so heavenly they can’t be adequately described in words. The garlic sauce multiplies the taste of the patty, fresh veggies, and crispy fries and enhances it to a whole new dimension of flavor. Completed with a soft yet crispy pita, this wrap is virtually perfect if I do say so myself. It’s so affordable and delicious, that I have yet to find a downside. Even though it’s not a vegetarian restaurant, I couldn’t recommend Pikantiko enough. 

Vegan Vandal (Vegan)

• Rhodes Ladopita with potatoes: Rhodesian oil pie dough stuffed with potatoes and Indian spices; accompanied with yogurt sauce on the side.
• Crispy Cauli Sandwich: Crunchy, breaded cauliflower with pickles, lettuce, tomato, and garlic sauce

I first heard of Vegan Vandal through a recommendation from a friend. I was intrigued because I hadn’t seen it on any of the plant-based food in Athens lists that I’d scoured before arriving in Greece – but of course, I was eager to try it nonetheless. I went in person to the restaurant to order takeout for a little mid-afternoon picnic in the National Garden. Both the main dish and appetizer I ordered were absolutely amazing, but the crispy cauliflower sandwich was above and beyond. As a vegetarian undergoing a gender transition, I often find myself craving heavier foods and little satisfies this. But the crispiness of the cauliflower and the garlicky sauce paired together really hit the spot. It was great to try the Rhodesian pie to get a taste of traditional Greek food beyond Athens! Since I first tried it, Vegan Vandal has entered my regular restaurant rotation.   

Baba Ganoush (Vegetarian)

• 4 dip plate: baba ganoush, hummus, Muhammara, beetroot yogurt; served with pita
• Falafel baba ganoush wrap: falafel wrap with baba ganoush, tahini, tomato, onion, coriander and harissa 
• Banoffee
• Vegan chocolate tart

I’d heard rave reviews before making plans to go with some of my plant-based friends, and I have to say that Baba Ganoush certainly lived up to the hype. For 10 euros per person, five of us each got an entree, 2 appetizers, and 2 desserts to share. Each of their dips was a perfect blend of flavor – ranging from savory to sweet to spicy, but of course, their Baba Ganoush stood out among the rest. The falafel in my falafel baba ganoush wrap was some of the best I’ve ever had – crispy on the outside and not too dry on the inside. Delectable! My only complaint would be that there wasn’t enough of that delicious baba ganoush inside. Both desserts were amazing, but the banoffee was wiped clean off the table especially quickly. So far, we’re 2 for 2 with exceptional plant-based restaurants in Pagrati.

 

Home-cooked

Rice with Broccoli and Tomato-egg Stir Fry

Ingredients: 

• Rice
• Olive oil
• Broccoli
• Tomato
• Eggs
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil, chili crisp, miso (optional)

I grew up eating food cooked by my Chinese mother, so naturally I began to miss the taste of soy sauce and rice vinegar only a few weeks into my time in Athens. I had been a bit worried about finding the right ingredients to recreate my childhood favorite dishes, but as it turned out there was nothing to worry about: There’s a small convenience store that sells Asian sauces and noodles and such just a block from CYA. Most grocery stores sell jasmine rice, which I’ve been cooking in large batches and storing to whip up quick meals in a time crunch. This dish is a perfect example of what I might cook for myself on a typical day–pre-cooked rice with broccoli stir-fried in soy sauce with garlic powder, and tomatoes stir-fried with eggs, also seasoned with soy sauce and garlic powder. Sometimes, if I’m feeling creative, I’ll add sesame oil or miso, but it’s delicious even with just soy sauce. This dish is a great way to get in all of my protein, carbs, and veggies while reminding me of my favorite tastes from home.

Burger pasta

Ingredients:

• Pasta
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Onions
• Garlic
• Red wine (as cheap as possible: 4-ish Euros)
• Veggie burger
• Tomato paste
• Broccoli

While exploring Sklavenitis (The grocery store closest to CYA – in the same circle as Mailo’s Pasta Project), I discovered that they sell boxes of frozen veggie burgers. Intrigued, I asked my friend to pick some up when we had a veggie burger night, and they were delicious! Since then, I’ve been using the burgers in various recipes to increase my protein intake. The box is pictured above in case you’re curious. This dish here is a dismantled burger patty pasta with sauteed onions and fresh garlic simmered in red wine, cooked with tomato paste and stir-fried broccoli. However, any vegetables can really be added to your liking. The cooked-down red wine adds a nice dimension to the savory burger patty and the sweetness of the sauteed onions, the tomato paste adds to the umami dimension of the dish, and the broccoli gives it some nice fiber. Overall, it’s a great dish to meal prep when I need something tasty and filling with plenty of protein! 

Tteokbokki stew

Ingredients: 

• Rice cakes
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Onion
• Green onion
• Carrots
• Cabbage (preferably napa)
• Veggie stock
• Gochujang
• Sesame oil
• Soy sauce
• Ramen
• Eggs
• Tofu

This dish was actually cooked by my roommate, and they graciously allowed me to share. It was so good I had to document and write about it! They told me that they usually cook food inspired by Korean dishes when at home, and thankfully has been able to find many of the same ingredients, or satisfactory substitutions to recreate their favorite dishes. This recipe uses a lot of different components, but I’m confident that it can be cooked with as many or as few veggies as you’d like, as long as the staples are present (rice cakes, garlic, green onion, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil). The vegetables are sauteed in a large pot one by one, and then vegetable stock is added along with the rice cakes and sauces. It’s an especially tasty dish for when it gets colder in Athens (cold being around 50 degrees Fahrenheit). 

Conclusion

Being plant-based in Athens has been much easier, cheaper, and healthier than I ever could have imagined. In America, there’s a lot of fuss about being health-conscious and emphasizing eating vegan as a lifestyle, but in Greece, it feels much more casual. Most restaurants have plant-based options and many advertise this, especially in touristy or international areas. Even beyond this, there are certain establishments that specialize in vegetarian or vegan food for affordable prices (especially compared to their American equivalents). And when you don’t want to eat out, ingredients to make your own protein-plentiful plant-based dishes are easy to come by. It’s super easy to get creative and even meal prep food to save for later. Overall, being vegetarian in Athens has been super easy, super cheap, and super fun!