A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Eating in Morocco

Eating plant-based in Morocco is easier than you think

Vegetarian and vegan travellers often approach a Moroccan trip with a little worry, picturing a cuisine built around meat and wondering whether they will eat well. At Maktub Morocco Tour we are happy to reassure them, because Morocco is far more plant-friendly than its reputation suggests, with a rich tradition of vegetable dishes, legumes and grains that makes eating meat-free both easy and delicious.

Moroccan cuisine draws on abundant fresh produce, aromatic spices and staples like chickpeas, lentils and bread, which means plant-based options appear naturally on most tables. That deep vegetable tradition is exactly why so many travellers are pleasantly surprised by how well they eat here. Knowing what to look for, and a few phrases to communicate your needs, transforms the experience from anxious to effortless. This guide covers the dishes to seek out and the tips that make a vegetarian or vegan trip a pleasure, so you can eat your way happily across the country with no anxiety at all. Our Day Trip To Volubilis include chances to discover Morocco’s plant-based flavours.

Naturally meat-free classics

Morocco offers a surprising number of dishes that are naturally vegetarian or easily made so. Vegetable tajine, a slow-cooked stew of seasonal vegetables in fragrant spices, is a staple found everywhere and genuinely satisfying. Vegetable couscous, especially on its traditional Friday, is another reliable and hearty choice, piled high with carrots, squash, chickpeas and more.

Beyond the headliners, there is a wealth of smaller dishes to enjoy, and exploring them is one of the quiet delights of a Moroccan food trip. Zaalouk, a smoky aubergine and tomato dip, taktouka, a pepper and tomato salad, and various bean and lentil dishes are common and delicious, usually scooped up with bread. Soups like a vegetable harira can be found meat-free, and the abundance of fresh salads rounds out the table. Taken together, these dishes make it clear that Moroccan cuisine has far more to offer plant-based eaters than its reputation implies. Once you know these staples, ordering meat-free anywhere in Morocco becomes second nature. Our 3 Days Desert Tour To Fez From Ouarzazate Via Merzouga bring you close to these authentic vegetable dishes.

Breakfasts, snacks and sweets

Vegetarians and vegans eat especially well at other times of day. Moroccan breakfasts are a plant-based delight, with an array of breads, olives, olive oil, argan oil, jams and crêpes like msemen and baghrir, alongside fresh fruit and mint tea. Starting the day this way is a simple luxury that happens to be almost entirely meat-free.

For snacking, the markets overflow with fresh and dried fruit, nuts, olives and street foods like roasted chickpeas and fresh juices. There is rarely a moment when a plant-based bite is not within easy reach. Moroccan sweets, based on almond, sesame, honey and orange-blossom water, are widely vegetarian, though vegans should check for honey and butter. Between meals, there is always something plant-based to enjoy. From a glass of fresh orange juice to a handful of dates or a warm crêpe, the small pleasures of the day are overwhelmingly meat-free. From dawn to dusk, the plant-based traveller is spoilt for choice in Morocco. Our 10 Days In Morocco Tour Itinerary From Casablanca let you savour Morocco’s markets and their plentiful plant-based treats.

Communicating your needs

A little communication smooths everything. Learning a few key phrases helps enormously: making clear you eat no meat, chicken or fish, and for vegans, no eggs, butter, milk or honey, avoids misunderstandings. It is worth being specific, since a dish described as vegetable may sometimes be cooked with a meat stock, so a friendly clarification is wise.

Most cooks and restaurants are accommodating and happy to adapt, particularly given how many vegetable dishes already exist. Flagging your needs when booking accommodation or tours means meals can be arranged around you in advance, including at the desert camp. A trusted operator makes this seamless, ensuring you always eat well. Knowing your meals are arranged in advance, even in the remote desert, removes the last trace of worry from a plant-based trip. Clear, polite communication is the key to a worry-free plant-based trip. Our 4 Days Trip From Fes To Marrakech Via The Desert arrange meals around dietary needs so you never go hungry.

Being vegan specifically

Vegans need a little more vigilance but still eat very well in Morocco. The main things to watch are butter, which appears in some cooking and pastries, eggs in certain dishes and sweets, and honey in many desserts. Bread is usually vegan, and the wealth of vegetable, legume and salad dishes provides a solid, varied base for every meal.

Argan oil and olive oil are wonderful plant-based staples used generously, and fresh produce is everywhere. Being clear that you eat no animal products at all, and checking sweets and cooked dishes, keeps things safe. With the abundance of naturally plant-based options, veganism is far from a hardship here. A little care unlocks a genuinely delicious vegan trip. Once you know what to check for, the sheer abundance of vegetable, legume and salad dishes makes eating vegan here a pleasure rather than a struggle. Once you know the few simple things to check for, eating fully vegan across Morocco turns out to be a genuine pleasure rather than any kind of struggle, thanks to the sheer abundance of hearty vegetable, legume and salad dishes on offer. Our Day Trip To Volubilis guide you to Morocco’s most authentic and vegan-friendly food.

Tips for eating well

A few habits ensure a great culinary trip. Eating where locals eat is usually a guarantee of quality and authentic flavour, and the many vegetable-based dishes make plant-based ordering straightforward. Choosing freshly cooked, hot food and drinking bottled water are sensible precautions that keep the stomach happy on any trip.

It also pays to be adventurous and try widely, from bustling street stalls to family-run restaurants, since Morocco’s plant-based repertoire is broad and rewarding. With curiosity and a little communication, the vegetarian or vegan table in Morocco is pure enjoyment. Far from a limitation, eating plant-based here is a delicious way to explore the culture. Each vegetable dish is a small window onto Morocco’s history and geography, and tasting your way through them is its own kind of journey. Our 3 Days Desert Tour To Fez From Ouarzazate Via Merzouga steer you toward the most authentic and satisfying meat-free food.

Eat well plant-based with Maktub Morocco Tour

Eating vegetarian or vegan in Morocco is easier and more delicious than its reputation suggests. Naturally meat-free classics like vegetable tajine and couscous, smoky zaalouk, bean and lentil dishes, generous plant-based breakfasts and almond-and-honey sweets fill the table, drawing on abundant produce and aromatic spices. A few clear phrases and choosing where locals eat make a plant-based trip effortless.

The team at Maktub Morocco Tour arranges meals around your dietary needs, including at the desert camp, and guides you to Morocco’s most authentic vegetable-based food. To experience Morocco through its plant-based cuisine, get in touch using the button below. Our 10 Days In Morocco Tour Itinerary From Casablanca are your gateway to a trip you savour deliciously, meat-free.

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