August 16, 2015

Ten terrific vintage vegetarian recipes (that are ideal for summer!)


Summer calls for lighter fair. Few of us want to spend hours in the kitchen with the stove radiating heat, if we can avoid it. We'll cook or bake a little sure, and flock to the grill like seagulls to a French fry, but ultimately, more often than not, we’re in the mood for meals that are a cinch to whip up and that take advantage of some of the season's best produce – which, if we’re especially lucky, hails from our own garden.




With amazing fruit and veg out in full force, summer (much like late spring and early fall) is a particularly delicious time if you're a vegetarian. I'm not one myself, but I do eat meatless meals sometimes and have both vegetarians and vegans in my family. I know that many of you are such yourself and I've strived since day to provide vegetarian and/or vegan alternatives for many of the vintage recipes that I've shared over the years (some of which where meat-free or even vegan as they stood right out of the gate).

I have not, however, devoted a post just to vintage vegetarian recipes, so with a little over a month left (on the calendar at least) of summer and plenty of that scrumptious, juicy, daydream-about-it-in-January produce still on the trees and grocery store shelves alike, I wanted to dedicate today's vintage recipe post to dishes that are completely meatless.

In most cases, if canned or frozen veggies are called for, as they so often wear in the mid-twentieth century, but all means please sub in fresh ones, if you’d prefer. Likewise, a good many of the following ten vintage vegetarian recipes can easily be made vegan by omitting or substituting ingredients (such a soy/rice cheese for the daily version) for ones that are completely devoid of any animal products.

There are countless reasons - personal, medical, cultural, and religious all very much included - why people opt, or need, to be a vegetarian/vegan, and no matter yours, of if you're a carnivore who just enjoys meat-less meals sometimes, I hope that you'll all enjoy and these fun, filling vintage vegetarian recipes this summer!




1. A slew of healthy, fantastic veggies team up in this filling 1940s green salad recipe, for which you could easily swap in peas, corn, canned beans (pinto, kidney, black, etc), olives, or chickpeas in favour of the lima beans, if so desired.




2. If you can get your paws on fresh apricots, which are still in season in many areas that grown them (my own corner of Canada very much included), by all means use fresh fruit instead here in this charmingly pretty - and very tasty sounding - 1950s recipe for Apricot Baskets.




3. Scrumptious Italian flavours mingle marvelously in this classic red tomato sauce, pasta, and cheese dish from 1954 that tastes as delicious cold as it does warm (I've made a GF version before and it's always a big hit with everyone at the table).




4. This 1960s recipe for Lemon Butter Sauce would be perfect on grilled vegetables, drizzled over baked potatoes, tossed with pasta or quinoa, used as a dunking sauce, you name it!




5. What would any well balanced roundup of mid-century recipes be without at least one gelatin salad inclusion? This example - which has a distinctly Christmassy colour palette - is full on 1950s and includes such beloved ingredients of the era as tomato juice, mayonnaise, and pimento - you've always got to have the pimento! :D It is, like many Jell-O salads, vegetarian, and honestly, if you like veggies in your gelatine, I think it sounds rather nice. I could see being a delicious side dish to a plate of grilled corn or veggie tacos. *Edit* If you don't eat animal based gelatine, swap in a vegan substitute like agar instead here.




6. Serve this dead simple vegetable soup cold, pureed or whizzed in the blender first, and you've got an easy-peasy, no fuss take on that Mediterranean warm weather gem, gazpacho.




7. This filling recipe from 1945 for Stuffed Eggplant is especially well suited to cool summer evenings, Sunday dinners, and when the weather starts feeling decidedly like fall again.




8. Four ingredients is all it takes to make this quick, super easy, splendidly tropical inspired vintage fruit salad/dessert (that would be great for breakfast or brunch, too!). If Miracle Whip isn’t your favourite thing, why not use sour cream, whipped cream, mayo, Cool Whip, yogurt, or even ice cream instead?




9. The inclusion of bell peppers in this simple mid-century potato salad is really, really appealing and would give it a great hit of crunch.




10. Summer would not be summer without at least one rich, flakey, wonderfully classic cherry pie. This recipe from 1950 sees the unexpected and very appealing addition of pineapple. Yum-yum!!



{To learn more about a specific image, and in most cases, for a larger version of a given recipe page, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}


♥ ♥ ♥



If we take desserts and (some) salads out of the equation, many vintage cookbooks and recipe ads were, how shall we say, spartan with the number of vegetarian recipes they included (save for some meat/dairy/egg-free recipes that were commonplace out of sheer necessarily brought on by rationing during the war years).

That said, there are a small number of actual (dedicated) vintage vegetarian cookbooks out there, as the practise of eating meat and/or animal product free has been an important part of many cultures and religions for hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, of years now.

Then as now though, there were plenty of amazing dishes that did not need meat in the slightest and it's worth pouring over such sources when you come across them for recipes that fit the meat-less bill or which can easily be made vegetarian/vegan.



{It's practically a crime not to avail of all the fantastic array of in season produce that is available during the summertime. Load up and go to town on these and other fabulous vegetarian and vegan recipes while such offerings are still at the peak of freshness.}


Plus, you can always whip up your own 21st century vegetarian/vegan take on classic dishes, too. From potato salad (use dairy/egg-free mayo, such as those from Earth Balance and Follow Your Heart) to caesar salad, ice cream to trifle and scores of other summertime menu staples that more than hold their own when they're free of any meat and/or other animal products.

I hope that you enjoyed these recipes. If you have any other favourite vintage vegetarian or vegan dishes that you'd like to share here, please don't be shy. I know that plenty of my readers scan through all of the comments on my posts and your impute would be very welcome by many a savvy veggie adoring vintage epicurean.

38 comments:

  1. Wow, thank you for sharing all these retro recipes with us! I'd like to try that tossed potato salad, the pineapple salad and last but never least, CHERRY PIE!!! :) hugs

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    1. Thank you very much, darling gal! I had a feeling that you'd really enjoy this fun vintage vegetarian recipe roundup post. Doesn't that pie sound intriguing! Cherries + pineapple together could be really, really tasty!

      Big hugs & many thanks for your great comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. Thank you Jessica for these fabulous vintage recipes! Since I am Italian, the pasta dish especially caught my eye! I will be sure to try some of these. I love that many dishes from the 1940s and 50s are budget friendly even today. As always another post well anticipated!

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    1. Ciao bella! :) I don't know if I was aware that you're Italian, how fantastic! You and Tony share that in common (I'm only "IBM" - Italian by marriage :D).

      Great point, dear April! I truly love that as well and I think it's a big part of the reason why I honestly cook more a lot of the time from my vintage cookbooks than my modern ones (which isn't to say that I don't use those ones, too, I definitely do, but I so adore looking to the past for recipes and meal inspiration).

      Thank you very much for your wonderfully nice comment. I hope that you're having a fantastic weekend!

      ♥ Jessica

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  3. I enjoyed this tour of veggie vintage recipes. I would like to say I was drawn to the healthy salads but it is apricot baskets and the cherry pie all the way for me please! I am interested to see what difference the addition of pineapple would make.

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    1. That's totally fine, my sweet friend - and you, that cherry pie was massively calling my name, too. :) Before the last ones of the season vanish from the green grocer's shelves, I'll have to whip up another pie or some tarts.

      Big hugs & happy Sunday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Some of these look delicious, although I'll pass on the gelatin one! I remember my mum producing food set in aspic when she was doing a Cordon Bleu cookery course. Yuk!

    I have to say I eat a lot less meat in summer, which is good if I replace it with a good substitute although I'm notorious for not eating enough protein.

    I shall take your post into the kitchen, my lovely and give some of these recipes a try :-)

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    1. It wouldn't be my first choice here either. I generally prefer my gelatine desserts to be of the sweet or at least sweet + savoury (say, celery or carrot and pineapple in the same salad) variety and I have strong aversion to any kind of jellied or potted meat.

      That's fabulous to hear! I hope that any of them that you try turn out splendidly!!! I'm having a dinner party myself tonight, but none of these are on the menu this time around.

      Wishing you a beautiful Sunday,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. Gelatin is actually not vegetarian :)

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    1. Hi Mandy Lou, very true and I should have raised that point. I cook with agar a lot, especially since I have a close relative who is a vegan, and just assumed that folks would know to substitute that if they don't eat (animal based) gelatine, especially since I've mentioned as much here in the past (and have a whole post in the works about Jell-O for this fall, in which I mention as much - I've already written the post :)). I really appreciate you bringing that up though, thank you, and hope that your enjoyed this post.

      Have a great Sunday,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. I just wanted to follow up and mention that I've edited the post to suggest that folks use agar or another vegan gelatine substitute instead here, if desired. Many thanks again for bringing that up.

      ♥ Jessica

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  6. I've done stuffed squash a fair number of times before, but never a stuffed eggplant. I should try that sometime, it looks delicious! I'm not a vegetarian, but for various reasons I very rarely eat meat. I don't tend to think of vintage recipes as being very friendly towards the veggie lovers of the world, so thank you for showing us some great vegetarian friendly options.

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    1. It's really, really good - and can also be wonderfully easy on the pocket book, to boot. Eggplant is a fairly common ingredient in many regional Italian cuisines and Tony is a big fan having grown up there with various dishes that included it, so I've really come to appreciate and cook with eggplant all the more over the course of our time together.

      Big hugs & happy Monday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. My diet is almost entirely vegetarian and, when I cook, it's totally veg. So, as you note, Summer is a great season for food. Produce is at its prime. Good ingredients need little help to be delicious meals. My favorite Summer dish is simple: corn on the cob with butter and Old Bay seasoning.

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    1. That really is one of the best foods of the season hands down. Sometimes a single ingredient or two and just the right seasoning/herbs is one of the best and most satisfying foods of all time.

      Have a terrific week, Ally!
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. These look positively delicious! :D Wishing you well <3

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet dear. Don't they though? The pie and the pasta dish in particular are calling my name.

      Many positive wishes - and hugs - coming your way from this corner of the country, too.

      ♥ Jessica

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  9. I eat veggie quite a lot despite not being vegetarian - it feels like a good thing to do to cut down meat consumption (which does trouble me a bit) and often veggie recipes are just as if not more tasty - especially for pastas! So for me, it's the big plate of macaroni please (gluten free, of course!) x

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    1. Serve me up a plate, too, my fellow GF gal! :) I'm excited about the fact that hard core comfort food season is just around the corner again.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. That pie recipe looks great! I'm hosting a coffee and pastry get together on Sunday, so maybe I'll try it! We also use something very similar to that lemon sauce on pasta a lot in my house and it's wonderful, especially when it's chock full of fresh herbs from the garden.

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    1. Yum! That sounds great! I'm a huge fan of citrus + pasta. I'd love to know how the pie turns out for you if you give it a try. It certainly sounds like an appealing flavour combination.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. OMG, I looooved the recipes, dear Jessica! Nice to know that many in your family are vegetarians/vegan - though I respect everybody - I say this, because I am the only vegetarian in my family, but not annoying saying "don't eat meat, blah blah blah" - because I know some vegetarians that preach their style! In fact, that annoy others :) I loved all the recipes, some I relate to, because I used to eat similar ones at home, like #1. But then, the one that really really brought memories to me... the Hellmann's mayo potato salad... that my mother used to cook, so delicious! After that, I wanted to make something like that, too, but with homemade mayo, and an aunt, who comes from the French side, taught me how to. I always love to remember family dishes, thank you so much for this post now!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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  12. How much fun are these? I like the pineapple salads! I might need to make them for my next get together. WAHOO!

    And let me tell you, when I read "We'll cook or bake a little sure, and flock to the grill like seagulls to a French fry ..." I read Flock of Seagulls. It took me a few minutes to figure out what the Flock of Seagulls had to do with a french fry. HA! Oh my 80s brain.

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    1. Giggle, giggle, giggle - that is too cute! I'm a huge 80s music (and pop culture) fan myself, too, and could very easily have read it that way, too. Thanks for the big smile and your great comment!

      Tons of hugs & happy mid-August wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. The vegetable soup with veggies and tomato juice reminds me of a soup from a place where I went to college. They made two kinds of soup, always vegetarian, every day, and rotated their schedule over the month, but every Monday was tomato-garlic soup, simply made with olive oil, sauteed garlic, and tomato juice. It was purposely simple so they could get it made fast on a Monday morning, and with Parmesan cheese and croutons on top, it was delicious!

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    1. That sounds flat out fantastic! A good tomato soup is one of favourite soups (honestly, possibly even my very favourite) of all-time. Thank you for sharing that simple, budget friendly version with us here. I'll definitely be giving it a try!

      Many hugs & happy wishes for the new week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. great collection my friend!!!
    hubs is a (medical) vegetarian and i eat meat only 2-3 times in the month. so most cooking is from fresh veggies - mostly without recipe. but inspiration is very welcome to mix things up!!
    thanks a lot!!!
    xxxxxxx

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    1. You're very welcome, my lovely friend! I really enjoy cooking "on the fly" too. I'm very much an "off the top of my head" chef. It's really fun to go with whatever inspires you in the moment.

      Big hugs & joyful mid-August wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. Bingo! Must have been a glitch!

    I've been vegetarian since I was twelve, and have a diet which is 90% vegan I would say, so it's interesting to see these vintage recipes. When the side effects to my new medication wear off I shall have a proper look through. Thank you for such an interesting themed post!

    I have been looking through my WWII cookbooks lately and noting down which are vegetarian and which can be converted as I want to delve deeper into this sort of cooking when Autumn comes calling. Vegetarian does lend itself well to summer but wartime recipes are often heavy on pastry, suet or potatoes, so I thought I would wait.

    I hope you are well xx

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    1. You're very welcome, my dear. As someone who eats a diet that deviates greatly from the norm (due to my health), I try to be very conscientious of the wide spectrum of food systems, if you will, that exist in this big, fascinating world of ours and really enjoy shining the spotlight on dishes that suit some of them especially well when possible (and to provide ways to make others that I share here more compatible sometimes, too).

      Happy cooking - and if you hit on any WW2 recipes that you especially adore, please don't hesitate to share them with me.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. Well, well..
    Let me give you a little story (a history of my eating habits) if you'll allow me). Few years back I've decided to stop my nasty ways of devouring refined sugar and (mind me, it was not a resolution, it happened in the middle of the year) get back on track.
    First thing to do when ditching sugar is not to go all "cold turkey" on it. If I went down that path, I'd never be able to accomplish this state of physical health and well-being. I decided to do what I called the "switch": simply changing the source of my sugars. Fruits & veg have masses of sugar and quite a different way of breaking it up in our lovely bowels. :) Strangest thing is that it took me some time to learn to appreciate the fragrance and taste of natural foods: with no artificial smells and no strong flavor. Takes time, but our body switches back to the goodness that a real food provides.
    What does my story have to do with your post?!
    Everything. :)
    Once I've got back on loving veg (why have I ever even made a de-tour into that dreadful world of processed food in the first place? I blame university life-style).. I started searching for ways to incorporate it more and more into my lifestyle. Truthfully, I love raw food. But, some days, I feel like cooking and I will need to cook more (you KNOW that I'll soon be permanently moving away).
    These recipes are going in my "to try out" box.
    ...

    Thanks for always finding such interesting items.
    And: has anyone ever thanked you for taking good care of our healthy diet? :)

    Hugs
    Marija

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    1. That is a very thoughtful, lovely thing for you to thank me for. Many thanks in turn to you for saying it. Aside from my dearest husband, I don't think anyone has. Granted not all the recipes I post here are healthy (in the slightest), but often they're every bit as much to do with the history and my personal relationship to them as they are actually making the food at hand (or not), so I don't worry too much about that - though by the same token, I wouldn't just post all desserts or such and try to have a savoury vintage recipes ever two or three such posts at least, if I can (there are far more sweet ones online!).

      I really appreciate that you related your own personal experience here with me (us) and very happy for you that you reunited with so many healthy, awesome natural foods. I really prefer the true taste of ingredients/dishes, too, in the vast majority of cases myself, too.

      You must tell me when you're officially settled into your new digs so that I can sent you a little housewarming gift, sweet Marija.

      Many hugs & happy Wednesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. Thank you for sharing all these charming vintage recipes. I wasn't aware that so many vegetable dinners existed. I will go on and pin many of them to my newly created Vintage Recipes board on Pinterest. Besides being a practical and inspirational board (as collections of recipes always are) I truly love the photos and lay out of the vintage ads, much more charming than today. Well, I will stop reading for today and go knit on my new green (tadaa!) cardigan. XOXO :)

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    1. Same here! There was such great artistry and creativity at work in many of them. So many vintage ads are truly works of art on a level that has, by and large, not been seen for a few decades now.

      I'm delighted to know that you enjoyed this post and pinned some of the recipes from it. Do you have a favourite here? The pasta and the cherry + pineapple pie are mine.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. I tend to just avoid gelatine recipes rather than using substitutes, but maybe I should give them a try - just for those approving l apricot baskets! I have made vegetarian jell-o itself but only because that comes in a ready-to-make packet! For some reason I feel like it is a tricky thing to cook with, but I don't know where I got that idea!

    Thanks for all the fun vegetarian recipes! We get a bad rap sometimes, but it's not all tofu and vege-dogs (although I actually love both of those things...)

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    1. Not in the slightest!!! I'm not a vegetarian myself (though if my diet wasn't so mind-blowingly restricted due to medical reasons, including the fact that it's incredibly hard for me to eat many fruits and vegetables without getting very adverse reactions to them, I believe that I would be one), I try to include many meatless meals into mine and Tony's diet and love enjoying the taste of such meals, many of which are better without meat. I love the pure, fresh taste of produce and the savoury flavours of many vegetarian/vegan meals.

      Best of luck if you give any of these delightful mid-century recipes a go!

      Have a fantastic weekend,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. Jessica, I just finished watching a video on YouTube...it was the F W Woolworth lunch counter! Gosh, that brought back so many great memories for me as is your post today! I love vintage recipes! Just looking at all the vintage ads and recipes in your post brings me back to simpler times, which I really miss! Thank you so much!

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    1. I'll have to look that video up, Linda, thank you for mentioning it. I am old enough to remember department stores with lunch counters, but once Zellers closed down coast-to-coast, there aren't any more around here (and even there, it was an in-store restaurant, not a lunch counter, usually) - if anywhere in Canada still. Such a shame! They were fun, handy, and chalked full of nostalgia.

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment. I hope that you're doing great and enjoying a terrific tail end of August.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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