❄️ Winter vegetarian recipes
31 recipes
A northern winter is not cooked from freshly picked vegetables. It is cooked from two things: what is still standing in the ground despite the frost, and what autumn put into store. Cabbages and leeks belong to the first group, and cold improves them rather than ruining them. Squashes, swedes and the hard roots belong to the second, which is why several recipes on this page also appear on the autumn one.
Ethiopia makes gomen of it, collard leaves simmered at length with onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric and served with injera. Finland turns swede into a baked mash sweetened with molasses, lanttulaatikko, which sits in the oven for an hour until the top caramelises. And Morocco is a reminder that winter has a fruit of its own: orange and cinnamon salad reaches the table exactly when citrus is the only fruit genuinely in season on this side of the world.
As everywhere on Vegetive, the seasons named here are those of the northern hemisphere and they are reversed in the south: the winter described on this page is the summer of Brazil, South Africa and Australia. No season page names a month, since the same month is not the same season on the two sides of the equator.
Sorting is done on the ingredients, and only when they are fresh. Sauerkraut, tinned tomatoes and frozen vegetables belong to no season at all, since they are on the shelf in every month.
The recipes
Japan⏱ 35 minCabbage okonomiyaki
Osaka's shredded-cabbage pancake, pan-cooked then covered in sweet-savoury sauce, mayonnaise and nori, here without dried bonito.
France⏱ 45 minCreamy leek fondue
A French leek fondue: sliced leeks cooked slowly in butter until soft and silky, then finished with a little crème fraîche.
South Africa⏱ 50 minButternut squash soup
South African butternut squash soup, blended with onion and a tart apple, seasoned with nutmeg and served as a starter.
United States⏱ 70 minStuffed acorn squash
Stuffed acorn squash baked in halves with butter and paprika, filled with creamed spinach and hard-boiled egg, from an American recipe printed in 1936.
Japan⏱ 50 minSpaghetti squash sunomono
Strands of boiled, well-squeezed spaghetti squash dressed in sweetened rice vinegar, salt and a little soy sauce, a common way of eating it in Noto.
Finland⏱ 115 minLanttulaatikko
A Finnish baked mash of swede sweetened with molasses and nutmeg, cooked slowly until the top caramelises.
Senegal⏱ 65 minFonio couscous with vegetables
Fonio steamed twice and served with carrots and cabbage stewed in groundnut oil, with olives dropped in at the end.
South Africa⏱ 45 minPampoenkoekies
Small pumpkin fritters fried in a pan and rolled in cinnamon sugar, the way Cape farm kitchens have made them for generations.
Brazil⏱ 45 minQuibebe
A pumpkin purée from north-eastern Brazil melted down with onion and garlic, seasoned with cumin and scattered with coriander.
Mexico⏱ 40 minTlayuda
Oaxaca's large thin tortilla, spread with black bean paste and quesillo, topped with cabbage and avocado, then grilled until crisp.
China⏱ 18 minSichuan hot and sour cabbage
Flat cabbage torn by hand and seared over high heat with dried chillies, Sichuan pepper and Zhenjiang black vinegar.
Morocco⏱ 20 minMoroccan Orange and Cinnamon Salad
Cold orange rounds dusted with cinnamon and scented with orange blossom water, the standing dessert of Moroccan tables.
Morocco⏱ 90 minVegetable Pastilla
A Moroccan warqa pie filled with pumpkin and onion under toasted almonds, dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon.
Philippines⏱ 40 minGinataang kalabasa
This ginataang kalabasa recipe simmers squash and long beans in coconut milk with garlic, ginger and chilli, an everyday Filipino stew.
Philippines⏱ 55 minLumpiang gulay
Filipino vegetable spring rolls filled with cabbage, carrot and tofu, fried until golden and dipped in spiced cane vinegar.
Costa Rica⏱ 50 minVegetarian casado
The Costa Rican plate lunch, rice and black beans gathered around a fried ripe plantain and a fried egg.
Haiti⏱ 100 minLegim
Haitian aubergine and chayote stew cooked long over an epis base until it collapses into a thick brown purée.
France⏱ 45 minVichyssoise
This vichyssoise is a sieved velvet soup of leeks and potatoes, enriched with cream and served ice cold under a scatter of chives.
France⏱ 70 minVegetarian Quiche
A crisp shortcrust shell filled with softened leeks, mushrooms, a creamy egg custard and melting gruyère.
Chile⏱ 70 minPorotos granados
A Chilean summer stew of fresh cranberry beans, melting squash and sweetcorn, perfumed with handfuls of basil.
Argentina⏱ 175 minVegetarian locro
A long-simmered Argentine winter stew of white maize, beans and squash, finished with a fiery paprika oil.
Philippines⏱ 45 minVegetarian pinakbet
A Filipino stew of garden vegetables, bitter melon, aubergine, okra and squash, bound in a savoury miso broth.
Sri Lanka⏱ 35 minVegetable kottu roti
Chopped roti tossed with cabbage, carrot and egg, loosened with spiced curry sauce. Sri Lanka's loudest street food.
Romania⏱ 130 minMushroom Sarmale
Cabbage leaves rolled around rice, mushrooms and dill, then simmered slowly in a gentle tomato broth until meltingly tender.
Australia⏱ 45 minPumpkin soup
An Australian winter staple of pumpkin simmered with coconut milk, ginger, garlic and mild curry powder, velvety and ready within the hour.
Kenya⏱ 40 minUgali with sukuma wiki
Firm white maize porridge served with kale sautéed with tomato and onion, the everyday meal on most Kenyan tables.
Ethiopia⏱ 55 minAtakilt wat
Potatoes, carrots and cabbage stewed soft in a golden turmeric sauce with a restrained hand of berbere.
Ethiopia⏱ 45 minGomen (Ethiopian collard greens)
Collard greens simmered with onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric, brightened with a split green chilli. The gentle, fragrant side for injera.
India⏱ 50 minAloo gobi
A dry curry of potatoes and cauliflower turned golden with turmeric, cumin and coriander, caramelised at the edges and soft inside.
France⏱ 120 minVegetarian garbure
The great peasant soup of south-west France, savoy cabbage, turnips, carrots, potatoes and white beans slow-simmered in a thyme broth.
French Caribbean⏱ 65 minRed kuri squash colombo
The Caribbean curry in a mellow autumn version, red kuri squash, aubergine and mushrooms simmered in a creamy colombo sauce.
Frequently asked questions
What is cooked in winter, in the northern hemisphere?
Two things: what is still standing in the ground despite the frost — cabbages, leeks — and what autumn put into store — squashes, swedes, hard roots.
Does winter have a fruit of its own?
Yes, citrus. Morocco's orange and cinnamon salad reaches the table exactly when citrus is the only fruit genuinely in season on this side of the world.
Is winter the same season everywhere in the world?
No. The seasons named here are those of the northern hemisphere and are reversed in the south: the winter described on this page is the summer of Brazil, South Africa and Australia.