How-to guide
How to Find Vegetarian Food in Morocco — Eating Well Meat-Free
Morocco can be a rewarding place to eat vegetarian, once you know where to look: the cuisine is rich in vegetable dishes, pulses, salads and breads, even if meat is central to many feast dishes. The keys are seeking out the naturally meat-free options, communicating clearly, and watching for hidden meat stock. This guide helps you eat well without meat. Start by getting to know dishes like vegetable tagine and the many salads on our Moroccan dishes index.
About 10 minutes
Step by step
- 1
Seek out naturally meat-free dishes
Many Moroccan staples are already vegetarian: the array of small salads such as zaalouk, taktouka and carrot salad, plus bissara, vegetable tagine, lentils, and breads with olive oil, amlou or honey. Building your meals around these naturally meat-free dishes is easier than asking for meat dishes to be adapted.
- 2
Communicate clearly
Learn to say you do not eat meat, and be specific — that you also mean chicken and sometimes fish, which are not always thought of as meat. A clear, friendly explanation up front avoids misunderstandings. Confirming your needs when you order, rather than assuming, makes eating out much smoother.
- 3
Watch for hidden meat stock
Some seemingly vegetable dishes are cooked with meat or a meat-based broth — a vegetable couscous may be steamed over a meat stew, and soups may use meat stock. Ask how a dish is made if it matters to you. This is the most common pitfall for vegetarians, so it is worth checking.
- 4
Make the most of salads and starters
The Moroccan love of small cooked and raw salads is a gift to vegetarians: a spread of zaalouk, taktouka, carrot salad, beetroot, lentils and more, with bread, easily makes a satisfying meal in itself. Ordering several of these little dishes is a delicious, naturally meat-free way to eat.
- 5
Explore street and market food
Street food and markets offer plenty: bissara, msemen and sfenj, olives, dried fruit and nuts, fresh juices, and bread. Cooking your own from the souk's superb produce and spices is another great option. There is a lot to enjoy beyond the meat grills once you look for it.
- 6
Cook or choose flexible kitchens
Where you can, choose kitchens used to adapting — many will happily make a vegetable tagine or leave meat out — or take a cooking class and learn to make the vegetable dishes yourself. Self-catering from the market lets you eat entirely on your own terms, which many long-stay vegetarians find easiest.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming vegetable couscous or soup is meat-free when it may use meat stock.
- Not specifying that no meat includes chicken and, if you wish, fish.
- Overlooking the many naturally vegetarian salads and pulse dishes.
- Trying to adapt meat feast dishes instead of seeking out meat-free ones.
- Not asking how a dish is made when hidden meat matters to you.
Tips from the kitchen
- Build meals around naturally meat-free salads, pulses and vegetable tagine.
- Say clearly that you eat no meat, including chicken and, if so, fish.
- Ask whether couscous or soup is cooked with meat stock.
- A spread of small salads with bread makes a fine vegetarian meal.
- Cooking from the market, or a cooking class, lets you eat on your own terms.
Questions
Is it easy to be vegetarian in Morocco?
It is quite manageable, since the cuisine is rich in vegetable dishes, pulses, salads and breads, though meat is central to many feast dishes. The keys are seeking out naturally meat-free options like vegetable tagine, bissara, lentils and the many salads, communicating clearly, and checking for hidden meat stock in seemingly vegetable dishes.
What vegetarian dishes should I look for?
Plenty: the small cooked and raw salads such as zaalouk, taktouka and carrot salad, plus bissara (fava soup), vegetable tagine, Moroccan lentils, and breads with olive oil, amlou or honey. A spread of several small salads with bread makes a satisfying meal, and street food offers msemen, sfenj, olives, nuts and fresh juices too.
What hidden meat should vegetarians watch for?
The main pitfall is meat-based stock in otherwise vegetable dishes. A vegetable couscous may be steamed over a meat stew, and soups may be made with meat broth. If it matters to you, ask how a dish is prepared before ordering. Being specific that you eat no meat, including chicken, also helps avoid surprises.
How do I explain that I'm vegetarian?
Say clearly and politely that you do not eat meat, and be specific that this includes chicken and, if you wish, fish, since these are not always considered meat. Confirm your needs when ordering rather than assuming a dish is suitable. A friendly, clear explanation up front prevents most misunderstandings and helps the kitchen accommodate you.
Learn it hands-on in Marrakech
Reading is one thing; doing it beside a local host is another. Book a Marrakech cooking class, or explore the medina on a guided food tour.