One of the wonderful things about Mediterranean cuisine is that, on top of being delicious, it is flexible for people with all kinds of dietary needs. A vegetarian can come along with their meat-loving friends, and everyone still leaves with a full and satisfying meal.
There is an amazing number of vegetarian Mediterranean options. From dolma to tabouli, many dishes common in Mediterranean culture are naturally meat-free. We have collected a few of our favorites for this vegetarian spotlight, but don’t be afraid to browse our full menu. There are more great vegetarian dishes than we can list here, and many others can be adapted to leave out the meat while keeping all of the flavor.
Here are our most flavorful vegetarian options at Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe in San Diego:
Hummus is made from chickpeas and is a delightful vegetarian option everyone can enjoy. Simply choose the hummus without shawarma, which contains meat, and enjoy it with warm pita or other vegetarian dippers.
Hummus is a crowd favorite and makes a great appetizer to share with friends. Try dipping more than bread: it is great with fresh vegetables like carrots and celery too. It is one of the most versatile dips around.
This hearty salad combines grain with parsley, tomatoes, onions, mint and other fresh vegetables. The grain gives the salad substance so you stay satisfied, while the herbs and vegetables add bright flavor and nutrition. Tabouli is a great way to start your meal.
Some of our other salads do contain meat, but they are worth a look. Several are naturally vegetarian, and many can be prepared without meat.
Falafel is made from crushed garbanzo beans (chickpeas), parsley, garlic, onion and spices, then fried until crisp. The result is a golden fritter packed with flavor. Falafel is loved by vegetarians and meat eaters alike, and you can order anything from a small sampler to a larger portion to share with friends.
Dolma are grape leaves stuffed with a seasoned vegetarian rice mixture and topped with a lemon sauce. Because they are served cold, dolma are especially refreshing on warm San Diego days. Dolma can be made many ways, but rest assured, ours are made without any meat.
If these don’t catch your eye, there are plenty of other vegetarian choices, including a wide variety of leafy green salads that can be made without meat, and even a selection of pizzas.
Mediterranean food is all about coming together with the people you love to share a meal. If you want to enjoy dinner with friends and family without anyone feeling left out, visit Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe on Clairemont Mesa Blvd and explore our many vegetarian options. Planning an event? Our catering offers plenty of vegetarian dishes too.
More and more people across America and other countries are opting for Middle Eastern meals on their plates. The eclectic ingredients and vegetable-based specialties in Middle Eastern Food can help people combat obesity, build protein from non-meat sources like beans and fit more nutritionally-dense foods into a healthy diet.
Here at Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant in San Diego, California, we understand a healthy lunch is the cornerstone of a healthy workday. Our menu includes delicious and light sandwiches, salads, pizza, rice plates, kebabs and half-dozen orders of such delicacies as grape leaves as perfect mid-day meal choices. Trust us. You need a healthy lunch. Here are three reasons why.
Boost Team Motivation and Morale
We understand Corporate Catering is a must for today’s high-powered offices. Too many employees skip lunch under high workloads and tight deadlines. One way to win over your team and look out for their health too is to order in lunch from time to time.
To get your team through a power meeting or conduct a working lunch with clients in your San Diego offices, our Catering plans provide energy-boosting foods at an affordable cost. We make it convenient for you to estimate your needs ahead of time to make sure everyone is served. You can order for employees and clients by the piece or the tray.
Catch Up or Get Ahead on Nutrition
We get it. Mornings can be hectic and rushed. After all, kids must get to school. Parents often sacrifice their own breakfasts to make sure their children eat well before school. Sometimes, you need to hit the snooze button twice. Maybe you had every intention to skip the coffee and doughnut on the way to the office, but you left your fruit at home or a traffic jam thwarted your plans to stop for something nutritious.
By lunchtime you need a pick-me-up. Vegetarian Food and Vegan Food are light but nutritionally-dense midday choices that can compensate for any poor choices you may have made earlier. Noshing on falafel, baba ghanouj, spinach pies and dolma is not only tasty. It sets the tone to reinforce a healthy eating choice again at dinner.
Eat Less At Night
Now that people more recognize the benefits of Middle Eastern Food and have pushed the cuisine into a renaissance of sorts, we take pride in delivering delicious food to people who are passionate about their health. We would love to see you for a full entree at dinnertime, unless you have enjoyed a robust lunch with us at midday.
Yes, that is right. Eating a healthy lunch is often all people need to cut back on a big dinner or late-night eating. You may be surprised at just how much a healthy lunch can tame your evening appetite. You will begin to wake up feeling lighter and more energetic in no time.
People who have Middle Eastern food desires in San Diego, California can be happy. That’s because Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant is an “America’s Finest City” eatery that specializes in some of the finest authentic foods from the region. Middle Eastern food is beloved all around the planet for many reasons. First of all, it tastes fantastic and flavorful. Secondly, it can also be extremely nutritious. If you follow a healthy diet in San Diego, a meal at Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant may be optimal for you. This dining establishment accommodates all different kinds of appetites and preferences. Vegan food is available on the menu. Vegetarian food is available on the menu. Meat-based dishes are available as well.
Vegans and vegetarians often head to Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant to enjoy the establishment’s many high-quality offerings. Vegetarian foodies who visit the restaurant can dine on falafel, which is a nice blend of spices, garlic, parsley, onions and mashed garbanzo means. Vegetarian foodies can also revel in the wonderful tastes of hummus, a spread that’s made of olive oil, lemon and garbanzo beans. The choices that are available for people who do not consume meat are genuinely abundant. Vegans and vegetarians who visit Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant never have to worry for even a minute about ruining their diets. Other wondrous Aladdin meals that are geared toward food-loving vegans and vegetarians are spinach pies (vegetarian borak), tabouleh, vegetarian pizzas and vegetarian bryani. People who are vegetarians can also choose to order meza platters at the restaurant. These delightful platters consist of Lebanese salad, tahini sauce, tabouleh, baba ghanouj, hummus, pickles and falafel. They also include pita bread. People who adore bread that’s newly baked are sure to admire the addition of the pita bread.
Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant is indeed a haven for vegans and vegetarians in San Diego. It’s also a haven for people who adore meat, however. If you have a penchant for meat, there are plenty of great dishes just waiting for you at this noted restaurant. People who enjoy lamb chops can chow down on charbroiled meat alongside pita bread, salad, hummus and basmati rice. People who enjoy chicken can enjoy chicken shawerma with hummus, basmati rice, pita bread, Lebanese salad and garlic sauce. Other magnificent meat meals on Aladdin’s extensive menu are chicken tika kebab, shrimb kebab, halibut arrabiata (a must for fish lovers), chicken breast, lamb shawerma and lamb tika kebabs. If you want to sink your teeth into any of these irresistible Middle Eastern meat dishes, Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant should definitely be a fine San Diego dining choice for you.
People who need catering service for events can also count on the team at Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant. Corporate catering service is offered, too.