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:

1. Hummus Platters (Ask for No Meat-Based Sides)

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.

2. Tabouli

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.

3. Falafel

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.

4. Dolma

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.

More Vegetarian Options on Our Menu

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.

Vegetarian-Friendly Mediterranean Food in San Diego

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.

San Diego, California is a large metropolis that offers many things to residents and visitors alike. There are many high-quality restaurants located all around this vast city. People can choose between all different types of cuisine while in San Diego. They can nosh on All-American, Pan-Asian, Mexican and Italian fare, for example. They can also dine on authentic and scrumptious Middle Eastern food. Middle Eastern food is becoming more and more popular around the United States for a variety of reasons. First of all, it tastes fantastic. Secondly, Middle Eastern cuisine can be appropriate for people with all kinds of dietary preferences. People who want to eat vegan food and vegetarian food usually don’t have problems finding great meal choices at Middle Eastern eateries. If you want to enjoy a healthy lunch in San Diego, why not go Middle Eastern? Aladdin’s Mediterranean Restaurant is a beloved San Diego establishment that has a focus on fine Middle Eastern delights. The restaurant has a great location on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.

Vegans are people who do not consume any animal products at all. Vegetarians are people who do not consume any meat at all. If you want to savor a healthy San Diego lunch that doesn’t involve any type of meat, Aladdin’s Mediterranean Restaurant has your back. Food options on the restaurant’s menu include falafels, spinach pies, vegetarian pizzas and vegetarian bryani . People who like fresh and tasty ingredients including roasted nuts, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, onion and parsley are certain to enjoy the veggie food options on Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant’s menu.

People who head to Aladdin’s Mediterranean Restaurant don’t have to be vegans or vegetarians to eat healthily, either. The restaurant’s menu has plenty of healthy (and totally delicious) meat dishes available to guests. If you visit Aladdin’s Mediterranean Restaurant with an appetite for meat, you can choose between items such as chicken bryani, lamb bryani, chicken shawerma, lamb shawerma, lamb chops, chicken breast, lamb tika kebab and chicken kebab. People who love seafood also have many terrific choices at Aladdin’s Mediterranean Restaurant. Noteworthy seafood meals on the eatery’s menu include shrimbp kebabs, shrimp pesto and halibut arrabiata.

There are many delightful side dishes on the menu at Aladdin’s Mediterranean Restaurant, too. Fans of pita bread, basmati white rice, sauteed vegetables, turnip pickles and tahini sauce can enjoy any of these things as convenient and easy side dishes.

Eating healthily in San Diego doesn’t always mean that you have to avoid dessert like the plague, either. A little dessert in moderation once in a while is never a bad thing. Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant’s baklava and kunafa desserts are both popular.

People who need catering service can rely on Aladdin’s Mediterranean Restaurant, too. The eatery regularly takes on big corporate catering jobs