When asked about the typical foods of Portugal, the first thing that would come to many people’s minds is seafood. The country is famous for it after all. From cod and sardines, all the way to octopus, no seafood’s off the menu in Portugal.
With all this in mind, for the vegans among us, you may be thinking that Portuguese food will have nothing to offer you. But in reality, that can’t be further from the truth. Because while the Portuguese love their seafood, they also love their veggies!
Portuguese foods and recipes are some of the easiest to make vegan, (see also: 20 Amazing Vegan Tarragon Recipes)as most of them are halfway there already!
If you want to try some new culinary tastes and experiences, then trying to replicate some of their delicious traditional meals in your kitchen is a great place to start.
With so many fun recipes to try, you may not know where to start. To help you out, we’ve made this list of the top 7 very best vegan Portuguese recipes that we could find!
With a wide range of tastes and meals perfect for different times or occasions, there should be a recipe for everyone to enjoy on this list.
Keep reading to find your new favorite vegan Portuguese recipe!
Typical Portuguese Foods
The climate of the country is Mediterranean, and Portuguese food shares many characteristics with Mediterranean cuisine, even though Portugal is not physically located on the coast of the Mediterranean sea.
Olive oil, wine, seafood (such as cod, octopus, and sardines), meats (mainly pig), and vegetables like olives, tomatoes, and leafy greens are quite prevalent.
The recipes have a lot of flavors and are very fresh because they are made with onion, garlic, and fresh herbs just like Mediterranean food.
Numerous foods and desserts typically contain spices such as nutmeg, cardamom, Piri-Piri, allspice, and cumin.
In Portugal and Spain, a delicacy called Migas, sometimes known as crumbles, is a classic dish in which stale bread is rehydrated using oils and flavorings to make it into a whole new thing.
This is a vegan version of Migas, which breathes new life into stale bread. Just rip up some stale bread into crumbs, add some garlic, olive oil, and kale to the pan, and start cooking.
The preparation of Migas can vary greatly depending on where in the world you find yourself, but the fundamental method involves rehydrating stale bread by cooking it with garlic, olive oil, and other aromatic spices before adding water.
To make the dish more fascinating and full of flavor, many other ingredients can be added to it. Regional varieties include kale, asparagus, tomato, and bell pepper.
Rice is sometimes included, and potatoes can stand in for the bread in some recipes.
Some recipes for Migas include meat in the form of bacon or chorizo, which is comparable to the chorizo found in Spain, however, the majority of Miga’s recipes are vegan.
There are several places around the world where people like eating Migas. Paprika is typically used in the Spanish preparation of the dish, which otherwise resembles the Portuguese version.
As a traditional morning food in Mexico, corn tortillas are cut into strips, then cooked with eggs, and the finished product is topped with salsa.
Although it’s most commonly served as an appetizer or a side dish, the dish can also be eaten on its own as a snack.
This dish, which was inspired by Portuguese cuisine, mixes the juiciness of ripe peach with the rich flavors of Cauldron Wholefood Sausages.
It’s a late summer treat that’s perfect for when you want something filling but not heavy for lunch or dinner.
Able to be made in just half an hour, this recipe is perfect to make if you need an easy lunch to take to work, or something simple to whip up for dinner. It’s also great to take to BBQs or garden parties over the warmer months.
This recipe only makes enough for 2 servings, but you can easily bulk-make it if you’re taking it to an event or have to feed many people.
This vegan honey, almond, and orange cake is based on a traditional Portuguese cake and is zesty, tasty, and brimming with flavor.
Egg yolks and sugar were traditionally the primary components used in this cake, along with flour, almonds, cinnamon, vanilla, coconut, and other spices.
This would not match up with a vegan diet, so some slight changes were made in this recipe so you still get all of the authentic flavors without any of the animal by-products.
This cake is sweetened not with refined sugar but rather with the nectar of agave plants and fresh oranges, which gives it a tangy flavor that is distinctively traditional.
The result is a phenomenally scrumptious vegan adaptation of an astonishingly classic Portuguese cake.
This is a mouthwatering Portuguese vegan cake that is tangy, sticky, and delectable all at the same time.
Also known as rice fritters, these little treats are perfect for a tasty appetizer that can be whipped up in a flash and brought to a party, or eaten on their own as a snack. They are equally delicious when served warm or cold.
These rice balls are made in a similar way to arancini balls, so those familiar with this will find this recipe pretty easy to follow.
As a dip, you can use traditional tomato sauce, or you can use any other dip you want. Open up your creative side and have fun!
The best rice to use in this recipe is Italian Rice. Because of its width and stickiness, Italian Style Rice tends to cling together more successfully than other types of rice, making it much easier to roll the rice into balls.
If you’re struggling to form the rice, you might need to add a little bit more cornstarch to make it stickier.
You can save yourself some time by cooking the rice the night before and storing it in the refrigerator for the following day.
For this dish, you may use any leftover rice you have. Just make sure to avoid any flavors that won’t go together.
We said that the Portuguese love their seafood, so it’s no surprise that they’ve made some vegan dupes of their most popular dishes!
This bacalhau meal is both creamy and delectable. Banana blossom and tofu are substituted for the salty shredded fish and scrambled eggs that are used in the traditional preparation of this dish.
It’s thought that Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, is where the many different variations of the dish bacalhau first appeared.
It’s a popular saying in Portugal that there are 365 different methods to prepare bacalhau, so this may just be the start of your bacalhau journey.
If you’re short on time, instead of cutting the potatoes by hand, you might save time by purchasing frozen french fries in the shape of matchsticks and using them here instead.
Otherwise known as sweet rice, this is a very straightforward and classic dessert dish that can be made in just one pot.
When people come over to visit or when there’s a celebration, Arroz Doce is frequently served along with coffee or tea.
This dessert has a consistency that is more similar to custard than the typical rice pudding that’s sold in supermarkets.
The hardest part of this recipe is that it calls for patience, which is a virtue that many struggles with. The key is to maintain a low boil for the rice and stir it frequently so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot or catch fire.
You will soon be enjoying some sticky rice if you’re able to slow down your cooking a bit.
Since the only purpose of the turmeric in this recipe is to simulate the yellow hue that the eggs would lend to the meal, you should take care not to use an excessive amount of the spice because you won’t want your dessert to taste too much like turmeric.
This sweet treat can either be served warm or chilled, and cinnamon sprinkles are typically used to make designs on top of baked goods; use your imagination!
If you’ve ever taken a trip to Portugal, you’ve probably seen advertisements for this soup at several restaurants there.
This is a soup that’s served at any occasion in Portugal, but because it’s such a delightful and light-tasting soup, it’s frequently given as a starter dish at weddings.
When chilled, this soup will become much thicker. If there are any leftovers, the best way to prepare them is to reheat them in a saucepan over the stove.
When reheating, you should add a very little amount of water to thin the mixture a bit.
Summary
Portuguese food is filled to the brim with flavors and textures thanks to the many herbs, spices, and local ingredients that they use.
If you want to recreate these traditional dishes at home, then try any of the above recipes and you’ll feel like you’re in a whole new country when you have your dinner.
Hi, my name is Hazel Reed, and I’m the creator of Vegan Purist. I have been a vegan purist for nearly 5 years now, but have been a vegan for over 10 years.
Now, my mission is to make sure veganism is accessible to as many people as possible. I created veganpurist.com to help you find recipes and information that can ensure you too can live an ethical, vegan lifestyle!
