The Best Ethnic Vegetarian Dishes for Eating Out

Are you new to vegetarianism? When people find out I'm a vegetarian, their first question is "What do you eat? Salad?" There's more to vegetarian cuisine than just salads. Below are some of my favorite meal options for different cultural cuisine.

Indian Food
Meal: Mattar Paneer
This dish is addictive. My brother has to have it every week. You know it's a great vegetarian dish if you don't miss the meat, and because this dish is so rich, creamy, and flavorful, you wouldn't want to add meat to the peas and farmer's cheese. It's made with a creamy sauce topped with cilantro, served with white Basmati rice and saffron (the most expensive spice in the world)

Side dish: Nan
This is toasted flat bread made with yogurt, similar to a tortilla but larger and fluffier.

Dessert: Mango Lassi or Yogurt Lassi
This is reminiscent of a smoothie but with a surprising tart taste from the yogurt base.

Thai Food
Meal: Tofu Pad Thai
This noodle dish has sautéed tofu, egg and green onions with peanuts.

Side dish: Mixed vegetable tempura
This is deep fried vegetables served with plum sauce.

Drink: Thai Tea
It's not like any other tea you've ever tried. It's creamy and rich.

Dessert: Sticky rice with mango
The consistency is not as liquid as a typical rice pudding; it is stickier.

Greek Food
Meal: Stuffed pita with hummus, feta cheese, greek olives, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, tomatoes and dressing.
Mediterranean food is known for it's it's healthy choices. This meal is delicious and packed with veges

Side: sanakopita, flaming cheese or greek salad
The greek salad is a lot like the stuffed pita sans the pita and hummus. Flaming cheese is served with a flame! Sanakopita is a spinach and cheese filled pastry.

Dessert: Baklava
Even the dessert is healthy! It has walnuts, honey and is a rich, flaky layered dessert.

Vietnamese Food
Meal: Tofu stir-fry with rice
You can't go wrong with a stir-fry.

Side: vegetarian spring rolls
Spring rolls differ from the typical Chinese egg rolls because they are small and have a thinner, crispier shell.

Dessert/drink: Boba tea with the works
Don't be scared of the black balls in the drink. It's made of cassava: think big tapioca balls. My favorite flavors are honeydew and Thai tea. The avocado flavor is also surprisingly good, especially if you've never seen avocado outside of the guacamole recipe.

Mexican Food
Meal: Cheese enchilada plate or bean and cheese tacos
It's easy to pretty much replace a meat dish with refried beans.

Side: Rice and beans with lettuce and tomatoes and of course chips and salsa!

Dessert: Flan
This is a rich, custard-type dessert that sits on a bed of melted sugar.

French Food
Meal: Quiche
This egg dish in a pie shell usually has spinach or broccoli.

Side: tomato basil soup (or tomato bisque), potato fritters, or a pochette (usually spinach and swiss cheese in a puff pastry)

Dessert: crème brulee
It's in the custard genre but it's firmer and inside a piecrust

Italian Food

Meal: Eggplant Parmesan (comes with spaghetti and marinara sauce), Fettuccine Alfredo, or vegetable lasagna
Your choice Depends on whether or not you are in the mood for a creamy sauce or a tomato-based sauce. Fettucine Alfredo is flat pasta served with a white, creamy sauce. Eggplant Parmesan has a serving of Eggplant fried with a crusty outer layer, and vegetable lasagna is like your typical layered meat lasagna but packed with vegetables like spinach, broccoli, carrots, zucchini and cauliflower.

Sides: breadsticks or garlic bread of course!

Dessert: Tiramisu
This dessert has layers containing ladyfinger cookies, espresso coffee, mascarpone cheese, eggs, cream, sugar, marsala wine, cocoa, and rum. It's a party in your mouth.

Drink: Italian soda

Lighter Meal: Minestrone soup with salad and breadsticks

Country Cooking

Meal: Opt for a vegetable plate full of sides that include macaroni and cheese, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, fried okra, dumplings, carrots or some kind of vegetable casserole

Sides: Cornbread and/or biscuits

Dessert: root beer float or hot fudge sundae