Our fourteen favourite no meat meals for the Nine Days and beyond - The Jewish Chronicle

It can be hard to plan your menus if you’re observing the Nine Days.

These meat-free recipes still pack a flavour punch and are definitely worth bookmarking if you have vegan or vegetarian housemates/guests.

1. Annie Rigg’s smoky aubergine with tomatoes and chickpeas is simple, economical and layered with flavours – from the smoky chipotle chillis to sweet silan (date syrup) it makes a great supper that can then be packed up for next day’s lunch. Just add flatbreads, pita or laffah and, if you want to pep it up, a sprinkle of salty feta cheese.

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2. Emily Ezekiel’s one pan baked couscous, pepper and feta salad is another low-cost but satisfying option that’s a delicious for dinner as it is for lunch. Spicy rose harissa and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds give a Middle Eastern flavour. For a tasty vegan option replace the feta cheese so crispy fried onions.

Denise Phillips' Israeli Shawarma Mushrooms[Missing Credit]

3. Shawarma isn’t just for chicken. Try using on different veg, like these fantastic Isaraeli shawarma mushrooms from Denise Phillips. The recipe provides a tasty shwarma mix but you can cut down your shopping time by using a ready made mix — I love the one by Israeli spice suppliers, Pereg. Cook the mushrooms outside on a barbecue or in your oven and serve slathered in tahini sauce.

Shiri Kraus Spiced Fish Arayes Photo: Inbal Bar-Oz[Missing Credit]

4. Another Israeli favourite of mine are arayes, and Shiri Kraus’s fish arayes are just as delicious as their meaty counterparts. Packed with herbs and spices you can cook them on a griddle or barbecue and serve with potato wedges or oven chips, a bowl of zhug (herb-filled Yemenite uot sauce), tahini sauce and plenty of lemons for squeezing over. An Israeli salad wouldn’t go amiss.

Photo: Emma LeePhoto: Clare Winfield

5. Labneh is a another great option for meat-free meals. Emma Spitzer’s amba-spiced courgettes with barberries and labneh is colourful and delicious with a variety of tasty textures. This would make a lovely light lunch with plenty of crusty bread or be equally perfect as part of a buffet or mezze table.

Photo: Inbal Bar-Oz[Missing Credit]

6. Shiri Kraus and Amir Batito have taken inspiration from America to creat this corn chowder with sea bass fillets and amba. It’s an unusual main course that’s special enough for Shabbat – mop up the sauce with plenty of challah.

Photo: Inbal Bar-Oz[Missing Credit]

7. This budget-friendly recipe from Sarah Mann-Yeager will stretch salmon further. Her clever salmon Nicoise salad is served in a hollowed out crusty, artisan boule loaf. It’s pictured in one large loaf – which you can break up and eat once the salad is gone. But also super cute in smaller rolls, which pack up well for picnics or could sit on a buffet table.

Photo: Inbal Bar-Oz[Missing Credit]

8. Joanna Nissim’s simple recipe for Baghala Ghatogh is a lovely Persian twist on eggs and beans showered with plenty of chopped dill. It’s peak season for English broad beans, but can also be made with frozen at other times of the year. Serve with thick slices of sourdough for dipping into the runny yolks.

Photo: Inbal Bar-Oz[Missing Credit]

9. Fabienne Viner-Luzzato’s roasted tomato and courgette tart is simple, seasonal and full of flavour. Make it milky with a shower of tasty feta cheese or keep it perfectly parev. Either way it’s a delicious weeknight dinner option.

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10. Dani Tucker’s stunning salad of burrata, cherries and tomatoes is the prettiest recipe around and full of summer flavours. Serve as part of a buffet or mezze table.

Photo: Justyna Radon[Missing Credit]

11. For an Israeli flavour, make a batch of Denise Phillips’s potato and mushroom bourekas which are simple to prepare and perfect for picnics.

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12. Or, switch things up a bit with my cheese-filled bourekas that I've showered in everything bagel spice. I recommend you eat like an Israeli and serve them stuffed with hard boiled eggs and pickles and spicy zhoug sauce.

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13. Another Israeli favourite to lean in to next week is the pita-stuffed staple, sabich. Packed with aubergines, pickles, hard boiled eggs and smooth tahini sauce, it’s utterly delicous and Max Halley’s recipe is a winner.

Photo: Luke Albert[Missing Credit]

14. Sticking with an Israeli flavour, Meliz Berg’s whipped tahini, spiced butter and boiled egg salad is quick, easy and really satisfying. Serve as part of a mezze spread or as a comforting supper. Make sure there’s plenty of bread to swipe it up with.

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