A vegan guide to Egypt

Although Egypt may not be the first place that springs to mind for vegan food, you will be surprised to learn it’s actually very vegan friendly. Once you know what to look for, you’ll find a surprisingly rich plant-based kitchen full of flavour, comfort and street food classics. From Cairo’s bustling backstreets to the Nile-side villages near Luxor, vegan travellers will eat very well here.

Egyptian cuisine leans heavily on vegetables, pulses and grains, which makes it easier than you might expect to eat vegan while travelling.

A few staples to look out for:

Koshari
A national favourite made from rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas, topped with spiced tomato sauce and crispy onions. It’s filling, cheap and almost always vegan (just double-check the sauce hasn’t been made with butter).

Ful medames
Slow-cooked fava beans seasoned with lemon, garlic and olive oil. Traditionally eaten for breakfast with flatbread.

Taameya (Egyptian falafel)
Unlike the chickpea version you might know, Egyptian falafel is made from fava beans. Crispy outside, soft inside, and usually vegan.

Molokhia (ask for it without meat stock)
A green, slightly garlicky stew made from jute leaves. It’s often served with rice, and can be vegan if prepared without chicken or stock.

Mahshi (stuffed vegetables)
Courgettes, peppers or vine leaves stuffed with rice, herbs and spices. Often vegan, but sometimes made with meat stock.

Vegetable tagine

Slow-cooked stew made with seasonal vegetables, simmered with aromatic spices such as cumin, cinnamon and turmeric. Cooked in a traditional clay tagine pot, often served with fresh bread.

Street food is where Egypt really shines for plant-based travellers.

Look for:

• Freshly baked flatbreads from local bakeries
• Roasted sweet potatoes sold from carts
• Pickled vegetables and olives
• Fresh sugarcane juice (a refreshing must-try in hot weather)
• Grilled corn on the cob

In cities like Cairo, street food stalls are everywhere, especially around busy transport hubs and markets. Don’t be afraid to point at what looks good and check ingredients quickly.

Breakfast is often the easiest meal of the day in Egypt for vegans. Most places will offer:

Bread with tahini or olive oil
Beans (ful)
Fresh vegetables like cucumber and tomato
Dates and fruit
Hummus (not always traditional, but widely available in tourist areas)

Food becomes more simple the further you travel from big cities, but also more authentic.

In Cairo: lots of variety, including modern vegan-friendly cafés in some districts
Along the Nile: more home-style cooking, fewer menus, more “what’s available today”
Red Sea resorts: more international options, but less traditional vegan food

For vegan travellers in Egypt, a few simple Arabic phrases can make ordering food much easier. Egyptian Arabic varies slightly from Modern Standard Arabic, but these expressions are widely understood:

English	Arabic	Pronunciation
I am vegan	أنا نباتي صرف	Ana nabati sarf
I don’t eat meat	أنا لا آكل اللحم	Ana la akul al-lahm
I don’t eat eggs	أنا لا آكل البيض	Ana la akul al-bayd
I don’t eat dairy products	أنا لا آكل منتجات الألبان	Ana la akul muntajat al-alban
Does this contain meat?	هل يحتوي هذا على لحم؟	Hal yahtawi hatha ala lahm?
Is this vegan?	هل هذا نباتي صرف؟	Hal hatha nabati sarf?
Thank you	شكراً	Shukran

 

Showing this sentence on your phone can be particularly helpful in rural towns where English is less spoken.

I’m vegan. I don’t eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy.

أنا نباتي صرف. لا آكل اللحم أو السمك أو البيض أو منتجات الألبان.

Ana nabati sarf. La akul al-lahm aw as-samak aw al-bayd aw muntajat al-alban.