5 Peruvian Vegetarian Dishes So Tasty & Easy To Make

When you go to a new country, one of the things you may be most excited about is trying new foods. However, there are some limitations if you can’t eat meat, but you should not let this discourage you, as there are plenty of great vegetarian and vegan recipes from which you can choose, particularly in a country like Peru.

Peru is home to many fine vegetarian dishes, including roasted Peruvian potatoes and lima bean hummus. You can also make a delicious vegan ceviche, as in the example of ceviche de mango. Peruvian vegetarian dishes also often include quinoa, such as the example of Peruvian quinoa stew.

Whether you want to visit Peru and try these dishes prepared by someone else or make them yourself in the comfort of your kitchen, you have plenty of options.

Read on to see a few examples of just how delectable these Peruvian vegetarian options can be.

5. Roasted Peruvian Potatoes

Many people love trying different preparations of potatoes with different ingredients that bring out their flavor.

Maiz Morado, or Peruvian purple potatoes, are particularly special, with colors that come from anthocyanin pigments and high levels of antioxidants.

These purple potatoes can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and without a doubt one of Peru’s most popular vegetables.

If you are a potato person, roasted Peruvian potatoes are definitely worth the effort.

All you are going to need is the following:

Ingredients Needed

• 2 pounds of scrubbed Peruvian purple potatoes
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• One tablespoon of minced fresh garlic
• One tablespoon of Mexican oregano
• One tablespoon of fresh cilantro
• Salt and black pepper

How to Make Roasted Peruvian Potatoes

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the potatoes into halves, and put them in a bowl. If you’re cutting them well before you’re planning to cook them, keep them soaked in water.
3. In a separate bowl, mix all of the other ingredients very well, except for the cilantro. 
4. Drain the potatoes well, and add the potato pieces into the mix of other ingredients. Toss the mixture very well, and then spread the potatoes on a sheet pan.
5. Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes in your oven until they are tender, and then sprinkle them with cilantro at the end. Serve and enjoy.

4. Lima Bean Hummus

Even though hummus is typically made from chickpeas, you can make a delicious lima bean hummus.

In fact, the texture of the lima beans is quite buttery, making the resulting hummus smooth and creamy.

You can serve the hummus as part of a great snack or appetizer.

To make this hummus, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients Needed

• 16 ounce of lima beans, thawed
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• Two cloves of garlic
• One medium lemon, zested
• One tablespoon of lemon juice
• One teaspoon of sea salt
• Fresh black pepper

How to Make Lima Bean Hummus

1. Boil the lima beans for approximately 20 minutes to make them soft. Drain them and let them cool down. While the lima beans are cooling down, you can prepare the other ingredients.
2. Put the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, into a blender. Blend all of these ingredients until they are very well combined.
3. Add the lima beans into the mixture of ingredients, and continue to blend it until it is smooth. You should keep in mind that the hummus will be very thick, so you’ll need to stir the hummus manually and possibly add some more olive oil to make it thin enough to eat comfortably.
4. When you feel that it is at an appropriate consistency, continue to blend it until it is very smooth.
5. Serve the lima bean hummus with vegetables or crackers, and enjoy!

3. Ceviche de Mango

Ceviche is very popular food in Peru. It is typically a dish that includes raw fish marinated in citrus.

Some people may not consider fish to be meat in the true sense, but if you do, rest assured. You can also make a very delicious vegan ceviche.

One example involves using mango for a very light and flavorful dish.

To prepare this, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients Needed

• Two large ripe mangoes
• One large red onion
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• One limo chile
• Leaves from 2 sprigs of cilantro
• The juice of 4 limes

How to Make Ceviche de Mango

1. Prepare all of the ingredients. Peel and pit the mangoes, and then dice them into 3/4 inch pieces. Thinly slice the onion. Seed the limo chile, and then chop it finely. Chop the cilantro leaves finely as well.
2. Immerse the thinly sliced red onion in ice water for 10 minutes while you are further preparing the rest of the ingredients.
3. Put the diced mangos into a bowl, and add in the salt and half of the lime juice. You may want to add small amounts of these ingredients if you feel the recipe would be improved with them, doing taste tests with every addition.
4. Add in the chile pieces and cilantro leaves.
5. Drain the onion slices and add them to the mixture.
6. Stir all of the ingredients to make sure they combine well.
7. Put the mixture of ingredients into the fridge for a minimum of 5 minutes, so that they can chill and marinate. You can serve your mango ceviche in individual bowls or glasses.

2. Peruvian Quinoa Stew

This stew is a great option if you want a meal that is rich in flavor and nutrition. This is one of many popular Peruvian dishes that contain quinoa.

To prepare Peruvian quinoa stew, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients Needed

• 1/2 cup of quinoa
• 1 cup of water
• Two tablespoons of light oil
• One diced onion
• Two minced garlic cloves
• One chopped celery rib
• One carrot, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• One bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 zucchini, cubed
• 2 cups of chopped tomatoes
• Two teaspoons of ground cumin
• Two teaspoons of fresh oregano
• One teaspoon of ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 cup of vegetable stock
• Cayenne and fresh cilantro (optional)

How to Make Peruvian Quinoa Stew

1. Start by rinsing off your quinoa very well.
2. Put the quinoa and the water into a pot, and cook these ingredients for about 15 minutes over medium heat. When you see that the quinoa is soft, set it aside.
3. Saute the onion and garlic pieces in the oil for about 5 minutes using medium heat.
4. Add in the carrots and celery, continuing to cook the vegetables for another 5 minutes. Stir the vegetables often, so that none of them end up burning or sticking to the pan.
5. After the 5 minutes, add in the zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper pieces, and all of the spices.
6. Let all of the vegetables and spices (including cayenne if you have chosen to include it) cook together for a few minutes and add in the vegetable stock. Cover this mixture, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. At this point, they should be tender.
7. Now, stir in the cooked quinoa, as well as salt to taste.
8. When you’re ready to serve the stew, add in the cilantro, either by stirring it in or sprinkling it on the top. Enjoy!

1. Papa a la Huancaina

Papa a la Huancaina, is a popular yet simple Peruvian starter. It is made from boiled yellow potatoes, and a cheesey and hot peppery sauce called salsa huancaina.

It is eaten all year long but a very traditional Peruvian dish most notably enjoyed during the holidays.

Papa a la Huancaina is a cold appetizer which is commonly served over a bed of lettuce and garnished with aceitunas botijas, also known as Peruvian black olives and sliced hard boiled eggs.

Ingredients Needed

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne
• Salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 8 medium potatoes
• 3 cups, coarsely chopped Spanish fresh cheese or queso blanco or queso fresco
• One or more fresh hot yellow peppers ( Aji Amarillo )
• 1 teaspoon palillo or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup of olive oil
• Lettuce leaves
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
• 8 black olives ( aceitunas botijas )

How to Make Papa a la Huancaina

1. In a bowl, mix the lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Add an onion, sliced thinly into rings, and set aside at room temperature.
2. Boil the whole potatoes in their skins until tender. Drain, peel, and keep warm.
3. In a blender or food processor combine the cheese, hot peppers, palillo or tumeric, and the cream. Blend till smooth.
4. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, pour in the cheese mixture, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
5. Garnish a platter with the lettuce leaves. Arrange the potatoes on the platter and pour the sauce over them.
6. Arrange the eggs and black olives around and in between the potatoes.
7. Lay the onion rings and arrange them over the potatoes.

Conclusion of Peruvian Vegetarian Dishes

As you can see, meat is not a necessary ingredient for a delectable meal. There are plenty of great Peruvian vegetarian dishes that you can prepare and enjoy.

In many cases, these options will be healthier than the ones that contain meat.

Trying these fantastic Peruvian vegetarian dishes will give you a taste of Peru and the types of ingredients that people in the country typically enjoy.

If a trip to Peru to sample the local fare is not an option, learning how to prepare these dishes can be the next best thing.

Sources

• Food: Peruvian Vegetarian
• Eluxe Magazine: 30 Vegan Peruvian Recipes That Will Take Your Tastebuds on Holiday
• DIY Network: Growing Purple Potatoes
• Very Well Health: The Benefits of Anthocyanins
• Wikipedia: Antioxidant
• Food: Roasted Peruvian Potatoes
• Food & Wine: Lima Bean Hummus Recipe
• Serious Eats: Ceviche de Mango (Mango Ceviche) From Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen
• Food: Peruvian Quinoa Stew

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