Vegan Greek Meze
Γεια σας όλοι! Yia sas óli!
As our vegan culinary journey continues, we make a culinary stop in Greek cuisine — one of the most beloved and celebrated cuisines of Mediterranean Europe. While traditionally known for its meat-based dishes, Greek cuisine also offers a wealth of vegetarian options, often featured as side dishes or small plates. Fortunately, the Greek tradition of MEZE — small dishes or snacks served to accompany wine or ouzo — provides plenty of opportunities for delicious vegan adaptations. With just a few creative tweaks, these flavorful bites can be transformed into vegan delights.
Greek cuisine is renowned for its emphasis on fresh, simple ingredients like olive oil, vegetables, grains, herbs, and legumes. It’s particularly known for its vibrant flavors, reliance on seasonal produce, and the frequent use of olives, feta cheese, and yogurt. However, the challenge in veganizing Greek dishes often lies in replicating these distinctive dairy products, particularly the creamy texture and creamy-sourish flavor of Greek-style yogurt.
One classic example is tzatziki, a staple of Greek meze made with yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and herbs. While Greek-style soy yogurt is available at our local bio shop, it still falls short of the authentic taste and texture we’re aiming for. To overcome this, I experimented with my homemade cream cheese to create a version of tzatziki that not only met our needs but also surprised us because it came very close to the real tzatziki. However, our tzatziki here is even more special than that! It features – and you will be surprised! – grated watermelon rind alongside the traditional cucumber! The watermelon rind, which closely mimics the taste and texture of cucumber, adds a delightful new dimension to the dish. The result is a refreshing and unexpectedly delicious vegan tzatziki that I’m excited to share with you.
Another standout meze I prepared was inspired by the texture of, again, watermelon rind, which, when cut into sticks and left to dry for a few days, takes on a squid-like texture. This sparked the idea of creating vegan fried calamari. I marinated the dried watermelon rind in nori algae and caper brine to enhance the seafood-like flavor before frying them to crispy perfection. The result was a crunchy, satisfying dish that captured the essence of fried calamari without the need for any animal products.
To round out the meze selection, I made a homemade feta-like cheese using soaked almonds, plenty of salt, some lemon juice and a touch of my homemade cream cheese. After pressing this mixture overnight, the result was a firm, salty cheese reminiscent of feta, though not an exact replica.
I used this almond-based feta to prepare stuffed Padron peppers, which were then grilled in the oven—creating a rich, savory addition to the table.
Alongside these, I served homemade olive bread and, for an added crunch, turned some of it into crispy olive bread crackers by slicing it thinly and baking it again. This bread was the perfect accompaniment to the meze spreads, offering a satisfying mix of textures.
Another meze we enjoyed was melitzanosalata, a smoky aubergine spread made from grilled or baked eggplant mashed with olive oil, herbs, and salt. This dish perfectly embodies the simplicity and rich flavors Greek cuisine is known for, even without the usual garlic or onions (which as you might already know love being served omits in all the recipes posted).
Finally, I attempted to make bouyiourdi—a side dish that typically involves baking a block of feta placed on sliced tomatoes, peppers and dried oregano. Unfortunately, due to a mishap, this dish didn’t make it to our table intact, but it remains a simple dream, captured in its raw state before being baked and smashed on the floor …
And of course, no Greek meze table would be complete without a bowl of high-quality olives—simple, unmodified, and deliciously pure.
I hope this inspires you to explore the vibrant world of Greek cuisine through a vegan lens. Enjoy the flavors, get creative, and most of all, have fun with your cooking. Much love and happy eating!
Vegan Greek Meze
Equipment
- 1 plastic or other perforated squared form/dish (as used to make tofu) I used the plastic cup that comes with strawberries, champignons etc that you buy in the stores
- 1 cheese cloth or kitchen towel
- 1 fine clothed sieve to make the cream cheese
- 1 Blender
- 3 toothpicks
Ingredients
For the feta-like cheese
- 400 g blanched almonds soaked overnight
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (homemade) vegan cream cheese see recipe link below
For the olive bread crackers
- 250 ml handwarm water
- 1/2 tsp active dried yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups flour and some more for kneading
For the vegan tzatziki
- 2/3 cup (homemade) vegan cream cheese see recipe link below
- 1 handful peeled and grated watermelon rind
- 1 handful peeled, deseeded and grated cucumber
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp chopped basil
- salt to taste
For the watermelon rind fried calamari
- 1 handful peeled watermelon rind, cut in sticks or shrimp like shape
- 1 tbsp caper brine or a mixture of water, vinegar and salt
- 1/2 sheet nori algae
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup plant milk
- oil for frying
- 1/3 cup vegan breadcrumbs
For the melitzanosalata
- 1 medium to large aubergine
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt to taste
For the stuffed padron peppers
- 6 padron peppers
- 2 tbsp (homemade) vegan feta like cheese
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 tsp dried herbs
- salt to taste
For the bouyiourdi
- 1 block (homemade) vegan feta (like) cheese
- 1-2 tomatos
- 2 padron peppers
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
As well
- some olives
- olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
Prepare the vegan feta-like cheese
- Blend the almonds together with ca. 1/2 cup of the soaking water, until smooth.Add the other ingredients, blend until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a cheese cloth or kitchen towel. Squeeze softly but firmly to release most of the liquid. Place the cloth with the cheese into a perforated (cheese or tofu) mold. I used a simple perforated plastic cup that comes with fruits and vegetables when you buy them in the stores. Even out the cheese to fill out the form. Fold the cloth evenly over the cheese. Place the form onto a rack, place the rack onto a tray. Then place heavy items onto your cheese and press it overnight (see that the room is cool enough, otherwise find a way to place it into the fridge).
Marinate the calamari
- Rip the nori into small pieces. Place the watermelon rind, the brine and the nori into a zipped bag. Let it marinate for approximately 4 hours.
Prepare the olive bread
- In a large bowl, slightly mix the water, the yeast and the salt with your hand. Add the flour and knead until the dough is nice in shape. Cover the bowl with the dough in a plastic bag and let it rise until doubled in size (depending on the temperature of your room, approximately 1 hour).
- Fold in the olives.Form a ball, flatten the ball and place it onto a tray or rack lined with baking paper. Let the dough rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 180℃. Place the bread into the oven. Quickly pour one cup of water onto the bottom of the oven, then immediately close it again. This creates a steaming environment for a good crust. Bake the bread until nicely browned (approximately 35-40 minutes).
- Let the bread cool down completely.
Prepare the tzatziki
- Squeeze out of both the watermelon rind and the cucumber as much liquid as you can get out. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Let the tzatziki sit in the fridge until serving.
Bake the bread crackers
- Finely slice the bread. Place the slices onto a tray lined with baking paper (reusing the one from baking the bread) and bake them at 100℃ until crunchy (it is hard to tell how long it will take with your oven and bread … please just check from time to time – they will turn brownish when they are ready).
Bake the aubergines and stuffed padron peppers
- Preheat the oven to 180℃. Nicely oil an oven tray. Half your aubergine. Place the halves inside facing upwards on the tray. Sprinkle the top of the aubergine halves with oil. Place the aubergines into the preheated oven.
- In the meantime, cut the stemmed ends of the padron peppers off, preserve the stems. Very carefully remove any seeds, trying not to damage the delicate pepper skin.
- Chop the capers. Mix together the cheese, the capers and the herbs. If the mixture is not salty enough to your taste, add some more salt. With a small spoon, fill the peppers with the cheese mixture. Fix the stem sides to the pepper bodies using halved toothpicks.Open the oven and place the peppers next to the aubergines. Sprinkle them with a little olive oil.
- Bake both vegetables.Flip the peppers, as soon as they are browned on top. The aubergines should be nicely soft inside when done, the peppers browned on both sides and "collapsed". If the peppers are done earlier than the aubergines, remove them from the oven and set aside.
Prepare the melitzanosalata
- Scoop out the aubergines with a spoon. With a fork, mash the flesh. Mix with the olive oil and oregano, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fry the watermelon rind calamari
- Take the watermelon rind pieces out of the bag. Remove the algae.Dust them all over with the flour, then turn them round once in the milk until wet all around, then dust them again with flour. Fry them in hot oil – I always recommend to use a small pot so that you don't use so much oil. Once slightly browned, take them out of the oil and let them drip off on kitchen paper.
- In a second round, dust them with flour once more, pull them shortly through the milk, then – this time – coat them nicely with the breadcrumbs. Fry them again until crunchy. Tipp: The milk, flour and breadcrumbs leftovers, you can mix them together, form small patties and fry them in the oil.
Prepare the bouyiourdi
- Cut the tomatos in slices. Deseed and slice the padron peppers. Place them into a small oiled oven dish – preserve two slices of each vegetable.Sprinkle with 3/4 of the oregano.Place the feta block on top. Garnish with the rest of the tomato and pepper slices. Finish with the rest of the oregano.
- Bake in the oven until the feta turns slightly brown on top.
Serve the meze
- Place everything nicely onto plates or into bowls. Sprinkle the tzatziki and the padron peppers with olive oil. The bouyiourdi is best served in the oven dish that it has been baked in. Enjoy!