Travel may be back in full swing, but there are always reasons we may not travel as much as we’d like. Whether we don’t have time off, the prices are skyrocketing, or anything else, even if we stay home, our taste buds can travel to a multitude of places.

During our travels, we’ve all discovered dishes that left a solid impression on our taste buds. I, for sure, am known to jot down recipes from the road.

When we can’t travel for a while and want to recreate that fuzzy feeling at home, what better way to do so than to dust off those recipes, do the shopping, and get cookin’!

In this article, with the help of fellow bloggers, I’m sharing scrumptious vegan foods from the European roads, that are guaranteed to make your taste buds happy. Whip them up at home with the help of the recipes shared (and the list of cooking utensils you may need).

Chestnut Cream Soup (Creme De Castanha) from Madeira Island, Portugal

In many restaurants around Madeira Island, Portugal, you can order a rather unique soup made of chestnuts. It can be served as a very smooth cream of chestnuts, or, as a really hearty soup with entire pieces of chestnut in it. While the creams are usually vegan, the soups might end up containing pieces of meat, so make sure to double-check that with the waiter before ordering.

We tried them both and both had a nice, rather unique taste, and one thing for sure – both were very filling. Chestnut soup and other chestnut dishes are especially popular in one rural area of the island – The Valley of the Nuns. This area is known for the chestnut liqueurs and pastries. There is even a Chestnut Museum (Museu da Castanha). Of course, visiting the village, we could not leave without trying the soup.

The hardest part of making the chestnut cream soup at home, is probably buying the chestnuts themselves. We have spotted chestnuts a couple of times in different supermarkets*, so once you get the crucial chestnuts, the rest should be easy. The cream can be made on a basis of fried onions and garlic, with vegetable stock, soy cream, spices then mixed into a perfectly smooth creamy delight.

*Note: chestnuts are typically harvested from mid-September to November. They can be found in farmers’ markets and supermarkets across the continent (when in season).

Edyta from Say Yes To Madeira. Follow her on Instagram.

Vegan Goulash (Gulyas) from Hungary

Being able to try traditional dishes is one of the best parts of traveling, but sometimes as vegans, we can feel a bit left out. But although Hungarian food is known for being very meat-heavy, there are a ton of vegan restaurants in Budapest, and they even make vegan versions of Hungarian dishes. Thankfully, Budapest has lately become a vegan-friendly city.

An absolute classic of Hungarian cuisine is goulash (gulyás in Hungarian), and you can find it at different vegan restaurants in the city.

To veganize goulash soup, you only need to leave out or replace the meat as the rest of the ingredients are commonly vegan (although sometimes lard may be used but can easily be replaced with oil; just make sure to ask before you order). Many vegetarian and vegan versions use pinto beans instead of meat.

Other ingredients you absolutely must use when making goulash are potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and parsnips. To get the flavor right you will use additional ingredients like celery, garlic, onions, ground caraway, and of course, Hungarian sweet paprika!

Whether you’re planning to make goulash at home or try it while in Hungary it’s really much easier than expected. Being vegan doesn’t have to mean missing out on traditional flavors while traveling.

Nina from Lemons and Luggage. Follow her on Instagram.

>>Read more: Best Eateries for Vegans in Budapest, Hungary

Traditional Pasta and Beans (Pasta e Fagioli) from Tuscany, Italy

This heartwarming recipe reminds me of home; my family is from Tuscany and my grandma would make this on cold winter days.
When I started switching to a vegan diet, I was so happy to discover that her traditional recipe is actually vegan!
This is a super simple dish with easy-to-find ingredients.

The trick to making it really unique is using top-quality ingredients: 300 g dried pasta, 1 can good quality Borlotti beans, 1 can good quality cannellini beans, 1 carrot, 1 celery stick, 1 white onion, 2 Tbsp tomato puree, good quality extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary.

Finely chop carrot, celery, and onion and fry them in abundant olive oil. Add the tomato paste and dissolve it. Add the canned beans and 2lt of water, season it with salt and pepper and boil for 15 minutes.

Take ⅓ of the beans out and puree the rest with a blender until you have a smooth cream. Put the beans back in, add the rosemary and, when it’s boiling again, add the pasta and cook it on low heat.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Buon appetito!

Jules from Jule’s Trails. Follow her on Instagram.

Planning to travel? Book your accommodation, flights to Europe , and ferries in Greece!

Vegetables Stuffed with Rice (Yemista) from Greece

One of the classic summer dishes in Greece and her islands is Yemista – vegetables filled with rice. This dish is quick to make as you don’t have to pre-cook the rice. Although traditionally, it is a vegan dish, sometimes they also put ground meat so before ordering, make sure it is the vegan dish they serve.

The traditional vegetables to use are large tomatoes and bell peppers. Zucchini cut lengthwise and eggplants taste just as good, too! Cut the tops off the vegetables. Remove the seeds from the peppers. Carefully scoop the flesh from the other vegetables, leaving just the shells. Place the shells in a deep baking dish. Chop the vegetable flesh and add chopped onion. Fry this mixture for five minutes on gentle heat. Stir in some long grain rice and cook for a further two minutes. Add freshly chopped parsley and mint to the mixture. Divide the mixture among the vegetable shells.

Mix a tablespoon of tomato purée with a tablespoon of olive oil in a wine glass of water. Pour this mixture over the vegetables. Pop the tops back on the vegetables. Bake in a medium oven for about 75 minutes, basting the vegetables with the tomato mixture.

Chrysoula from Greece Travel Ideas. Follow her on Instagram.

Artichokes Rome style (Carciofi alla Romana) from Italy

Carciofi alla Romana – artichokes Rome style – is one of the simplest yet tastiest dishes of Roman cuisine, and it also happens to be naturally vegan. Found in trattorie and restaurants in Rome, they are a bit tricky to make at home overseas, as you may have a hard time finding the right ingredients.

Indeed, the original recipe calls for Romanesco artichokes, which harvest in the Lazio region between February and April, and napitella, a wild herb that only grows in some parts of Italy.

You can reproduce a flavor almost resembling the original back home though, as long as you can get fresh artichokes.
You will have to clean them, trim the outer leaves and the top third of the flower, and then the furry choke inside. Napitella is impossible to find, so you can stuff the artichokes with a mix of fresh parsley, fresh mint, fresh oregano, chopped garlic, and add some salt. Pour a good dose of high-quality extra virgin olive oil in a pot, and some more on the artichokes, and cook on low fire, with a lid, for about 20 minutes on one side and 20 on the other.

Carciofi alla Romana are normally served as an appetizer, best eaten at room temperature.

Claudia from Strictly Rome. Follow her on Instagram.

>>Planning to visit Italy? Here are the reasons why I love Italy so much.

Wild Mushrooms Soup (Gobova Juha), Slovenia

Photo credit:Lablascovegmenu on Flickr

Loving couples row out on idyllic Lake Bled, one of the most beautiful places in Slovenia, with its famous island church in the distance.

The local market along the lake is the perfect place to stop by to try local white wine and the delicious, fully vegan local dish, Gobova Juha. This traditional Slovenian wild mushroom soup is made from the abundant wild mushrooms found in the Slovenian mountain forests and then sold at the daily markets for incredibly reasonable prices.

The meaty mushrooms, often porcinis or their relatives, impart a deep umami flavor on the soup with strong hints of truffle. The mushrooms are complemented with barley, onion, garlic, potatoes, and a bit of fresh wine.

The end result is a very satisfying soup, with a lot of umami richness that is hard to find in vegan food. While the truffle flavor of the mushrooms balances well the acidity of the white wine making this both a homey and a fine dining dish.

Lina Ray from Bucketlist places. Follow her on Instagram.

Crispy Eggplant Drizzled with Sugar Cane Syrup (Berenjenas Con Miel) from Spain

One of the most delicious tapas in Spain is the berenjenas con miel.

This simple dish is both easy to make and tastes good. It is a very popular tapa in Malaga , easily found in most of the local restaurants around the province. The Berenjenas con miel translates to crispy eggplants drizzled with sugar cane syrup. Kindly note that some restaurants may soak them in milk, therefore make sure to ask how the meal is prepared before you order.

They have the same texture as crisps and are extremely flavorsome. The eggplants are thinly sliced and soaked in water for an hour or two to remove some of the bitterness.

Then, the slices of eggplants are coated in a very thin layer of flour (chickpeas flour is very often used) and deep-fried in good quality extra virgin olive oil. They are served hot, drizzled with sugar cane honey, also known as molasses. Some restaurants, to reduce the sweetness of the molasses, mix it with a little bit of soy sauce.

I discovered this dish when it was brought to me as a free tapa with my drink, somewhere around Granada’s coast. I usually don’t eat eggplants because I don’t like their texture, but this dish is so different. The crispy texture and the molasses drizzled on top make it taste so delicious.

Joanna from Andalucia in My Pocket. Follow her on Instagram.

The Francesinha from Portugal

The Francesinha is a rich Portuguese sandwich that originates from the city of Porto.

The original Francesinha isn’t vegan or even vegetarian, however, many Portuguese restaurants have adapted it and now offer a vegan option for their guests. This sandwich is an absolute must-try.

It usually contains a variety of meats and sausages which are replaced by meat alternatives (such as tofu or seitan). The sandwich is then covered in (vegan) cheese and drowned in a tomato-beer sauce. This sauce is what makes the Francesinha unique and special.

It’s usually made with beer, but some recipes also involve other types of alcohol such as wine or cognac. Of course, these are only for the taste. The cooked sauce is non-alcoholic and incredibly delicious. It’s not always easy to try local dishes as a vegan so luckily the Francesinha won’t be something you’ll have to miss out on.

Victoria from Guide Your Travel. Follow her on Instagram.

Skordalia from Greece

On a recent trip to Kefalonia, a beautiful Greek island, we recently discovered an incredible vegan dish! The dish is called Skordalia, dip made from potatoes and garlic. It is a must if you are garlic lovers like us.

It is perfect with bread or for a more traditional pairing have it with Kolokithokeftedes (zucchini fritters). We became so addicted to this dip we had it every day on our weeklong trip to Kefalonia.

This dish is naturally vegan despite its creamy taste. We love trying traditional food and Greece was perfect for vegan food, and this dip was certainly the highlight.

The great thing is it is so easy to make you can have this dish long after your return from Greece. Here is a simple recipe. All you need is 7-8 garlic cloves, 450g of potatoes, 1 cup of olive oil, salt, and a squeeze of lemon. You may use vinegar instead of lemon juice.

Boil the potatoes until soft. In a blender whizz up all the garlic and salt. Once it becomes a paste, add a quarter of the olive oil and blend again. Remove the garlic paste and blend up the potatoes. With a wooden spoon, mix the potato blend and garlic. Gradually add the rest of the oil, mixing until it is all added. Squeeze in a bit of Lemon for taste!

Katie from You Me Under the Palm Tree. Follow her on Instagram.

>>Do you also love the Greek Islands. Read about How to Spend an Amazing Wedding Anniversary on the Island of Ios, Greece

Canarian wrinkled potatoes with Mojo sauce (Papas Arrugadas) from the Canary Islands, Spain

One of the authentic vegan dishes of Europe comes from the Canary Islands, which are part of Spain. Papas Arrugadas, as it is known in the islands, literally translates to “wrinkled potatoes”.

The dish is is naturally vegan and gluten-free, a delicious food that you shouldn’t miss while traveling in this part of Spain. Wrinkled baby potatoes served with mojo sauce is a signature dish that can be found in almost all restaurants in the Canary Islands.

We first discovered this dish when we were traveling in Gran Canaria. It was recommended to us by the restaurant staff who found us struggling to order vegan food. Ever since then, we fell in love with Papas Arrugadas! We have been to Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Tenerife, and never missed our opportunity to gobble up this soulful tasty food.

Canary baby potatoes are usually cooked in salty water to get their skins wrinkled. Mojo sauce is either served in red or green color. The main ingredients in the red mojo sauce are red peppers, ground cumin, garlic, and vinegar. Green Mojo sauce is made with cilantro, green peppers, garlic, and vinegar. The salty potatoes and the tangy mojo sauce are quite an irresistible combination.

Anuradha from Country Hopping Couple. Follow her on Instagram .

Pasta Amatriciana from Rome, Italy

On a summer trip through Italy, I found myself at a pasta-making class in Rome. It was a small class of 10 people, and it took place on a lovely patio of a rooftop apartment by the central Campo di Fiori outdoor market. It was on this rooftop, overlooking the city below, that I learned to make authentic Italian pasta amatriciana, vegan style.

I, myself, am vegetarian, but there was one other girl in the class who was vegan, so we decided to pair up and make a vegan pasta together while the rest of the class continued with the traditional non-vegan ingredients. The instructors seemed excited at the challenge of vegan pasta.

First, we made the dough. We used a mixture of flours, olive oil, and salt. We worked the dough until smooth, and then it went into the refrigerator. Next was the sauce. That heavenly sauce was what made the dish unforgettable. A mix of tomato, chili spices (pepperoncini), white wine, fresh garlic, and basil, I will never forget the aromas that were coming off of that patio.

We eventually rolled out our dough, shaped it into pasta using a pasta machine, and mixed it with the sauce. We gathered at a long table on the rooftop, opened a bottle of wine, and toasted to each other and our delicious authentic Italian pasta.

Olivia from the Girl With Blue Sails Travel Blog. Follow her on Instagram.

Ready to get cooking?

Some of the cooking utensils you’ll need to whip us these scrumptious dishes at home include:

• Baking dish
• Cooking pot
• Frying pan
• Immersion blender
• Chef knife
• Oven mitts / pot holders
• Bamboo cutting board
• Peeler

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