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Vegetarian Mexican recipes

Tacos, enchiladas, beans and salsas without meat or fish. (206 recipes)

Pico de galloFresh tomato salsa

Pico de gallo, also called salsa fresca or salsa mexicana, is the fresh, uncooked salsa that sits on every Mexican table: diced ripe tomato, white onion, serrano chilli and coriander, brightened with lime juice and salt. It is crunchy, juicy and clean-tasting, with just enough heat, and goes with tacos, quesadillas, eggs, beans, rice and tortilla chips. It is best within an hour of making. Chef's tip: add the salt just before serving; salt draws water out of the tomatoes and leaves the salsa sitting in a puddle.

10 minMexicanChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chilaquiles rojosTortilla chips in red salsa

Chilaquiles rojos are eaten for breakfast all over Mexico: fried corn tortilla wedges (totopos) tossed in a red salsa of dried guajillo and árbol chillies blended with roasted tomato. The salsa is earthy, slightly smoky and properly hot, and it clings to the chips so every bite is crisp, soft and saucy at once. They are finished with crema, cheese, onion and coriander, and often served with refried beans on the side. If you can't find guajillo, use ancho chillies or 2 tbsp mild chilli powder; for árbol, use a pinch of cayenne. Choose queso fresco made with vegetarian rennet. Chef's tip: toast the dried chillies for seconds, not minutes; the moment they smell nutty and darken slightly, they are done.

25 minMexicanBreakfast & BrunchGluten freeSpicy
by KrazyBadal 0 views

GorditasStuffed masa pockets

Gorditas, 'little fat ones', are thick corn masa cakes cooked on a comal until they puff, then split open like a pitta and stuffed. They are eaten from the north of Mexico down to the central states, at street stalls and at home, with fillings that change from town to town. This vegetarian version is filled with rajas con crema: strips of roasted poblano pepper, onion and sweetcorn in a creamy sauce with melting cheese, smoky and mild. Use masa harina for tortillas, made from nixtamalised corn, not cornmeal or polenta. Poblanos can be hard to find: green bell peppers with a jalapeño give a similar effect. Choose a cheese made with vegetarian rennet. Chef's tip: shape the gorditas no thicker than 1 cm; any thicker and the outside burns before the inside cooks and puffs.

50 minMexicanSnacks & StartersGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mushroom & epazote quesadillas

Quesadillas de hongos are sold from comales at markets all over central Mexico, from Mexico City to the forests around Toluca where wild mushrooms are picked in the rains. The mushrooms are fried hard with onion, garlic and green chilli and finished with epazote, a pungent herb with notes of mint, anise and citrus that is the signature of central Mexican cooking. Folded into corn tortillas with stringy cheese, they are earthy, juicy and a little hot. Serve with salsa roja and lime. Use a cheese made with vegetarian rennet; low-moisture mozzarella is a good stand-in for Oaxaca cheese. Chef's tip: fry the mushrooms until all their liquid has gone; wet mushrooms make the tortilla soggy.

20 minMexicanSnacks & StartersGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

SopesThick masa cakes with toppings

Sopes are a classic antojito of central Mexico: small, thick discs of corn masa cooked on a comal, pinched up at the edge while hot to make a little rim, then crisped in a film of oil and piled with refried beans, salsa, lettuce, crema and crumbled cheese. The base is crisp underneath and soft and steamy inside, with the sweet, earthy taste of nixtamalised corn. Serve two or three per person as a starter or a light supper. Use masa harina for tortillas, made from nixtamalised corn; cornmeal or polenta will not hold together. Choose queso fresco made with vegetarian rennet, or use a mild feta. Chef's tip: pinch the rims as soon as the sopes come off the comal; once they cool the masa sets and cracks.

45 minMexicanSnacks & StartersGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

MolletesOpen bean and cheese rolls

Molletes are a favourite cheap breakfast and after-school snack across Mexico, especially in Mexico City cafés: a bolillo (a crusty, oval white roll) split, buttered and toasted, spread with refried beans, covered with cheese and grilled until bubbling, then topped with fresh pico de gallo. They are crunchy, creamy and gooey, and children love them. Use crusty white rolls or short pieces of baguette if you can't get bolillos, and a mild melting cheese made with vegetarian rennet, such as mild cheddar, mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese. Chef's tip: toast the buttered rolls before adding the beans, so the bread stays crisp underneath instead of going soggy.

15 minMexicanBreakfast & Brunch
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tostadas de frijolBean tostadas

Tostadas, crisp flat corn tortillas, are eaten all over Mexico as a quick meal or snack, and tostadas de frijol are the everyday vegetarian version: a thick smear of refried beans topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, avocado, crema and crumbled cheese. The contrast between the shattering crunch, the creamy beans and the cool, fresh toppings is the whole point. Buy ready-made corn tostadas, or bake your own from corn tortillas. Use queso fresco made with vegetarian rennet, or mild feta. Chef's tip: spread the beans warm and thick right to the edge; they act as glue for the toppings and stop the tostada from shattering when you bite it.

15 minMexicanSnacks & StartersGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Huevos a la mexicanaScrambled eggs with tomato and chilli

Huevos a la mexicana is the everyday scrambled egg breakfast cooked in homes and fondas all over Mexico, named because its red tomato, white onion and green chilli match the colours of the Mexican flag. The vegetables are cooked just long enough to soften and release their juices, then the eggs are stirred through gently into soft, juicy curds with a fresh chilli kick. Serve with warm corn tortillas and refried beans, and make tacos at the table. Chef's tip: take the pan off the heat while the eggs still look a little wet; they keep cooking on the plate.

15 minMexicanBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chilaquiles verdesTortilla chips in green salsa

Chilaquiles are Mexico City's favourite breakfast and hangover cure: day-old corn tortillas cut into wedges, fried into crisp totopos, then tossed in hot salsa just long enough to soften at the edges. Chilaquiles verdes use a bright, tangy salsa of tomatillos, serrano chillies and coriander, and come topped with a fried egg, crema, crumbled cheese and raw onion. The best ones keep a little crunch in the middle. Tomatillos are sold fresh or tinned; if you can't find them, use green tomatoes with an extra squeeze of lime. Choose queso fresco made with vegetarian rennet. Chef's tip: toss the chips into the salsa right before serving and take them to the table immediately; chilaquiles wait for nobody.

25 minMexicanBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Enchiladas

A family-style vegetarian take on enchiladas: crisp fried maize tortillas dipped in a home-made tomato and red chilli sauce, stacked with a paneer, onion and capsicum filling, topped with cheese and baked until bubbling. Serve hot with chilli sauce. You can use 2 cups ready-made grated paneer instead of home-made.

95 minMexicanSnacks & Starters
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tex-Mex chilli bake

Jacket potatoes split and piled with a spicy kidney bean and capsicum chilli, topped with sour cream and served with a crunchy mixed salad. A filling supper for two.

75 minMexicanVegetarianGluten freeSpicy
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Avocado feta salsa

A chunky, savoury salsa of tomatoes and creamy avocado with onion, garlic, fresh parsley and oregano, dressed with olive oil and wine vinegar and finished with crumbled feta. It's best after a couple of hours in the fridge. Serve it with pitta bread or tortilla chips.

15 minMexicanChutneys & DipsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mexican avocado soup

A smooth, pale green soup of ripe avocado, cucumber, lime and coriander, blended and served cold. It's refreshing on a hot day; serve it with lime quarters, coarse salt and nacho triangles. Mexicans also serve it hot: make it with boiling vegetable stock instead of cold water, just before serving, and don't reheat it.

10 minMexicanSoupsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nacho triangles (tortilla chips)

Home-made tortilla chips from a simple maize and wheat dough, rolled thin, cut into triangles and fried until crisp. They're lighter and fresher than packet chips. Serve them with salsa, sour cream dip or avocado dip, or use them for nachos.

70 minMexicanSnacks & StartersVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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