Get Creative with Your Lent Menu
Tired of the same old meat-free recipes during Lent? Here's a collection of Latin and Latin-inspired recipes to vary your menu—and get your kids eating more veggies, too.
Albóndigas de Camarón
These shrimp meatballs are a variation of classic albóndigas, which are usually made with ground beef, pork or turkey, and cooked in a rich broth. Serve with warm tortillas and a drizzle of salsa to give it some spice. Garnish with cilantro and thinly sliced radishes.
Capirotada
Capirotada, a popular Mexican bread pudding dish served during Lent, is a dessert sure to have your family asking for more. The interesting ingredient in this recipe? Cheese!
Tostada Tuna Salad
This Mexican version of tuna salad is packed with veggies, including green pepper, sweet peas and corn. Serve atop tostadas with lettuce and garnish with avocado slices.
Chicharron de Pescado
Don't get caught eating fish sticks during Lent! Instead, trade them for this simple recipe for homemade Peruvian fish fritters made with fresh white fish, served with salsa criolla and your choice of condiment (think aji amarillo, tartar sauce or mayo for the kids).
Pozole de Frijol
Pozole is one dish you might think you can't have during Lent, but this genius recipe made with a vegetable broth and beans in place of pork or chicken will satisfy your craving.
Chickpea and Chard Stew
Designed to give you a protein boost, this typical Peruvian Lenten dish is also vegan. Made with chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), chard, onion, garlic, tomato, fresh chili pepper and rosemary, you're sure to want seconds of this stew. Serve with a side of rice or a crusty, rustic bread.
Veggie tacos
Thickly sliced mushrooms and meaty poblano chile strips are the body of these vegetarian tacos. Sautee the veggies with a little butter, add salt to taste and garnish with your favorite green salsa.
Get this vegetarian taco recipe at The Other Side of The Tortilla.
Coctel de Camarón
An easy standby during Lent? The classic Mexican shrimp cocktail! This version has plenty of tomato, aguacate and cucumbers to fill you up. Serve with hearty tortilla chips.
Get this recipe for Mexican shrimp cocktail at TechFoodLife.
Huaraches de Nopal
Cactus paddles can be intimidating to some to prepare but in some places, you can buy them with the spines already removed. The cactus paddles in this dish serve as the base, with sauteed vegetables on top.
Red Bean Manchego Salad
This light, refreshing salad is perfect for Lent. Packed with protein from red beans and crunch from green apple, the salad is rounded out with manchego cheese, fennel and white truffle oil.
Get this recipe for red bean manchego salad at Flanboyant Eats.
Molletes
The ultimate Mexican dish made from leftovers, all you'll need to make molletes is day-old bread, refried beans, cheese and salsa. For best results, scrape some of the bread out of the middle to make room for the beans, toast the bread, and butter it before adding the toppings. Salsa mexicana (also sometimes called pico de gallo) is traditional, but you can use any salsa you like.
Pescado al Horno con Arroz Gratinado
Stay on the meat-free wagon with this simple, garlic and cilantro-marinated white fish accompanied by a creamy Colombian rice au gratin made with peas, cream and cheese.
Get this pescado al horno con arroz gratinado recipe {in Spanish} at Comiendo en LA.
Salmon Cakes
Whether you eat them straight out of the frying pan or atop a crispy green salad, these salmon cakes won't disappoint you. If you have a tough time selling vegetables at the dinner table, you'll be pleased to see that these salmon cakes are also packed with veggies—bell pepper, carrot, green onion, mushrooms and red onion.
Rajas con Crema
A veggie dish that can be eaten as a taco or a side, rajas con crema combines poblano chiles, onion, crema, butter and cheese for a delectable, rich and meat-free dish perfect for Lent.
Get this rajas con crema recipe at The Other Side of The Tortilla.
Potato Enchiladas
Try these meatless enchiladas, filled with potato, queso fresco and onion, dipped in a spicy red salsa and garnished with shredded lettuce and cheese crumbled on top.
Sopa de Verdura
This yummy tomato-based vegetable soup contains beans, chickpeas, carrots, celery, bell pepper, onion, black olives and salsa picante. Garnish with shredded cheese and cashews and serve with crusty bread for dipping.
Get this recipe {in Spanish} for sopa de verdura at Comiendo en LA.
Tempeh Lomo Saltado
Try this vegetarian and vegan-friendly version of Peruvian lomo saltado, made with marinated tempeh. You can substitute cauliflower, green beans, thickly sliced zucchini, or other veggies instead of broccoli if you like. This dish is also a good way to use up any leftover quinoa, brown rice, or millet.
Recipe via latinamom.me
Chayote Ratatouille
You may already be familiar with ratatouille, but this Peruvian version made with chayote, bell peppers and quinoa is an interesting meatless spin on a French classic.
Recipe via latinamom.me
Swiss Chard Mushroom Tacos
Who doesn't love tacos? Mushrooms have a very mild flavor and are rich in vitamins and minerals and they can also lend a meaty texture and bite to the dish. Swiss chard is a super green and its flavor gets overpowered by the tomatoes and the fresh herbs so the kids won't protest the taste of something unfamiliar.
Recipe via latinamom.me
Gallo Pinto Wraps
Leftover Nicaraguan rice and beans—known as gallo pinto—make great wrap sandwiches with a little fried plantain and avocado!
Recipe via latinamom.me
Dairy Free Zucchini Noodles
This vegan spin on a Mexican-flavored pasta dish will impress your pasta lovers.
Recipe via latinamom.me
Tallarines Verdes With Winter Veggies
Tallarines verdes ("green noodles" in English) are the Peruvian version of pasta with pesto. This is a vegan and seasonal version made with kale, and served with roasted winter vegetables on top.
Recipe via latinamom.me
Jalapeño Corn Chowder
This corn chowder is creamy like you'd expect, with a spicy bite at the end. Although most corn chowder recipes contain potatoes, this version uses navy beans (or cannellini beans) to give it a hearty but silky texture.
Recipe via latinamom.me
