Dalmatian Cuisine for Vegetarians

Fresh, locally produced ingredients, a lot of vegetables, herbs and spices native to the region, paired with exquisite olive oil are one of the basic features of Dalmatian cuisine. Known as one of the healthiest in the world, it has succeeded in finding the magic formula of balancing precisely the right nutrients.

While it includes a great variety of seafood specialties, it also incorporates meat-based delicacies from the hinterland. Dalmatian cuisine truly has delicious dishes to offer to people of various preferences. Here are some of the suggestions for people who don’t include meat products in their diet:

Vegetables every day

Dalmatian cuisine has one of the most important elements of any healthy diet - a lot of vegetables on a daily basis. The type of vegetable on the menu depends on the season, which means that people prefer to choose produce they can grow in their gardens or they can buy fresh on the market from local producers. Mangold, blitva in Croatian, is one of the favourites of Dalmatian cuisine, particularly when it is prepared with potatoes. Other options include spinach and cabbage, and in the summer don’t miss the various eggplant dishes (veggie rissoles, in a salad, grilled marinated, etc.) or zucchini soups, risottos and other specialties. Another traditional Dalmatian vegetable is collard, called raštika in Croatian, an excellent ingredient for stews. 

Vegetarians might also enjoy different options that include pasta, which was first introduced to Dalmatia by its overseas Italian neighbours. Still, many dishes have their distinctive Dalmatian touch. There are quite a few forms of paštašuta (pasta with a variety of sauces), and vegetarians will love it, particularly with olives. They can also try pašta fažol, which is basically a bean soup with noodles. Different kinds of pasta are also a great choice for cold salads in the summer, which contain seasonal vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and legumes. 

Paradise for pesco-vegetarians

People who don’t eat meat but have kept seafood as a part of their diet greatly enjoy Dalmatian cuisine. After all, not only can they choose between diverse kinds of fish, but these can be prepared in a variety of ways - brudet (fish stew), grilled or oven baked. In fact, it’s extremely hard to decide which type is the most delicious. The same goes for other seafood specialties such as  black cuttlefish risotto, shrimps alla buzara (wine and garlic based sauce) or octopus prepared in peka (a specific type of iron lid). These mouthwatering dishes are a definite must-try for all fans of seafood. 

Healthy and delicious

The most important feature of Dalmatian dishes is that besides being diverse, light and healthy, they are also incredibly delicious. With at least a drop of olive oil, and there’s none better than the locally produced ones, and a bit of locally grown spices and herbs such as rosemary, bay leaf and sage, both vegetable and seafood dishes are simply irresistible. When moderately consumed with proper wine, all the elements of a healthy and fulfilling meal come into their place. So, cheers and have a nice meal!