8 plant-based meals immigrant families have been making for decades, long before they were called vegan

Every time someone calls lentils a “trendy protein source,” I can’t help but laugh.

For so many immigrant families around the world, plant-based eating isn’t new, it’s tradition. These recipes existed long before the word vegan hit marketing boards or food blogs. They weren’t created to fit a label; they were born from resourcefulness, culture, and community.

For centuries, people made the most of what they had, turning humble ingredients into flavorful, nourishing meals that could feed a family and leave everyone satisfied.

Some of these meals were built on faith. Others were built on scarcity. All were built on love. And today, while the modern world rediscovers plant-based living through apps, influencers, and meal kits, many immigrant households simply continue doing what they’ve always done.

Let’s dig into a few of these timeless dishes that shaped generations, and still deserve a place on your table today.

1) Lentil dal from South Asia

If you’ve ever had a bowl of dal, you know it’s comfort in its purest form. Dal isn’t just food, it’s a cultural glue. Every family has their version: thick and spicy, thin and soupy, or somewhere in between. In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, dal is more than a recipe, it’s a ritual.

Made from lentils simmered with turmeric, garlic, onions, and spices, dal has been a staple for centuries. It’s protein-packed, affordable, and endlessly adaptable. For working families, it’s the kind of meal that stretches easily and tastes even better the next day. You can pair it with rice, chapati, or just eat it with a spoon right out of the pot.

Growing up, my neighbor’s mom used to make masoor dal (red lentils) every Sunday. The smell of cumin seeds sizzling in oil would fill the hallways. She once told me, “We didn’t think of it as healthy or vegan, it was just what we ate.” And that’s exactly the point, plant-based food wasn’t a movement; it was just dinner.

In many South Asian homes, lentils represent nourishment and community. Whether you’re rich or poor, dal is a great equalizer. It’s served at weddings, at temples, and in tiny street stalls. Its essence lies in its simplicity, and that’s why it endures.

2) Feijoada from Brazil

Traditionally, feijoada is known as a meat stew. But long before the Westernized, pork-heavy versions took over, Afro-Brazilian and rural communities were making plant-based adaptations using black beans, cassava, kale, and orange slices.

It’s hearty, smoky (thanks to paprika or liquid smoke), and best served with rice. Many older generations made it entirely from plants because meat was expensive or scarce. What they lacked in luxury, they made up for with ingenuity and spice. A slow simmered pot of beans with garlic, bay leaf, and olive oil could easily feed ten people and nobody left hungry.

Today, vegan restaurants in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have embraced feijoada again, often adding mushrooms or smoked tofu for texture. But the humble version your great-grandmother might’ve made, the one stirred patiently over a wood stove, that’s where the real magic started.

It’s a reminder that food traditions often evolve, but their roots remain grounded in survival and creativity. Feijoada may look modern on Instagram today, but its soul is centuries old.

3) Gomen wat from Ethiopia

Ethiopian cuisine has a long-standing vegan-friendly tradition, largely thanks to fasting days in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, when followers abstain from animal products. For much of the year, entire communities go plant-based without calling it that.

Gomen wat is a perfect example: a fragrant stew made from collard greens, garlic, ginger, onions, and sometimes potatoes. It’s rich, earthy, and pairs beautifully with injera, the spongy sourdough flatbread made from teff. The texture of injera soaks up the stew perfectly, creating a comforting balance of tang and spice.

During a trip to Addis Ababa a few years ago, I learned that some families make gomen wat several times a week, not because it’s trendy, but because it’s delicious, affordable, and part of spiritual practice.

A grandmother I met told me that when she was young, fasting season meant creativity in the kitchen, figuring out how to make vegetables feel hearty enough to sustain long workdays.

That’s the beauty of it: necessity created some of the most flavorful vegan dishes in the world, long before anyone called it that.

4) Tofu stir-fry from East Asia

Long before tofu was labeled “the protein of the future,” it was already a household staple across China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. In many parts of Asia, tofu was considered an everyday ingredient, not a health product or a meat substitute.

Tofu, made from soybeans, has been part of East Asian diets for over 2,000 years. It’s versatile, high in protein, and takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. It can be soft and silky, firm and chewy, or fried until golden. It’s one of those rare foods that’s equally at home in street food stalls and fine dining.

I remember the first time I visited a Buddhist temple in Kyoto. The monks served a meal of tofu, mushrooms, and vegetables in a light soy broth. It was simple, yet deeply satisfying. No one there called it vegan, it was just temple food. The kind that nourishes without excess and satisfies without pretense.

Sometimes the future of food is really just the past, rediscovered. The more we “innovate” with soy, the more we realize ancient cultures had already figured it out.

5) Mujadara from the Middle East

This dish deserves way more attention than it gets. Mujadara is proof that you don’t need meat to create flavor, depth, or comfort.

Mujadara is a mix of lentils, rice, and caramelized onions that’s been feeding families across Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine for generations. It’s one of those one-pot meals that prove flavor doesn’t require complexity or animal products. The combination of earthy lentils, nutty rice, and sweet onions creates something deeply satisfying and grounding.

When I first made it myself, I understood why it’s stood the test of time. The crispy onions add texture, the lentils bring depth, and the whole thing feels grounding. A squeeze of lemon or a spoonful of plant-based yogurt takes it to another level.

It’s peasant food, yes, but it’s also comfort food that rivals anything from a five-star menu. For many families, mujadara was a weeknight staple before the concept of “meal prep” even existed. It’s filling, balanced, and made with pantry ingredients most people already have.

And maybe that’s why it resonates today: it’s minimalism at its tastiest.

6) Gado-gado from Indonesia

If you’ve ever eaten a good peanut sauce, you owe thanks to Indonesian cuisine. Gado-gado literally means “mix-mix,” and that’s exactly what it is, a vibrant, warm salad of blanched vegetables, tofu, tempeh, and boiled potatoes, all drenched in that glorious peanut-lime-tamarind dressing.

It’s colorful, hearty, and satisfying in a way that salads rarely are. The contrast of crunch, creaminess, and spice makes every bite interesting. Traditionally, it’s topped with fried shallots or krupuk (crispy rice crackers) for texture.

I first tried it at a small warung in Bali. The owner told me her grandmother made gado-gado with whatever vegetables were available at the market that day, no fancy ingredients, just fresh produce and the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy. That adaptability made the dish timeless. It’s about making do with what’s fresh and local.

It’s a lesson in how simplicity can taste like luxury. And it’s a reminder that creativity, not abundance, is what makes food memorable.

7) Fasolada from Greece

Sometimes called “the national dish of Greece,” fasolada is a white bean soup simmered with tomatoes, olive oil, carrots, and celery. It’s the kind of meal that fills both the stomach and the soul. The longer it simmers, the better it gets.

It dates back to ancient times, when beans were a staple crop and olive oil was a prized ingredient. In poorer communities, meat wasn’t common, so people learned to coax flavor from humble ingredients. Garlic, herbs, and good olive oil did the heavy lifting.

When I lived in a small coastal town for a few months, I met an elderly woman who still made fasolada every Friday. She told me it reminded her of post-war Greece, when everyone shared what little they had and a pot of beans was enough to feed a crowd.

Her version included a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of oil on top, a touch of brightness that transformed it from humble to heavenly.

That’s the kind of dish that carries history in every bite. It connects generations and reminds us that food doesn’t need to be complicated to be extraordinary.

8) Jamaican ital stew

“Livity” is a concept from Rastafarian culture that’s all about living in harmony with the Earth. Out of that philosophy came ital food, natural, plant-based, and free from additives or processed ingredients. The word “ital” comes from “vital,” as in, food that gives life.

Ital stew is a shining example: a slow-cooked mix of root vegetables, beans, coconut milk, and Caribbean spices like thyme and Scotch bonnet pepper. It’s deeply flavorful without relying on anything artificial. Some versions even skip salt, letting herbs and natural flavors speak for themselves.

It’s one of those meals that’s both grounding and vibrant. Every spoonful feels like sunshine and rhythm. Served with rice or dumplings, it’s the kind of dish that nourishes body and spirit.

A friend of mine from Kingston once told me, “Ital isn’t vegan because it’s trendy, it’s vegan because it’s life.” That line stuck with me. It sums up what this whole list is really about—eating with intention, not invention.

Final thoughts

Before veganism became a hashtag or a business model, it was already alive in kitchens around the world. These meals weren’t born out of branding, they were born out of care, wisdom, and survival.

Immigrant families didn’t need a movement to eat consciously, they were already doing it out of culture, faith, necessity, and creativity. They knew that good food didn’t have to come from animals, it could come from the earth itself.

So, the next time you make a lentil soup, tofu stir-fry, or bean stew, remember: you’re not just making a “plant-based meal.” You’re participating in something much older and much more meaningful than a diet trend. You’re part of a story that spans continents, cultures, and centuries, and that’s something to savor.

Want to modernize these traditional dishes? Try swapping in new ingredients while keeping the spirit intact. Add roasted vegetables to your dal, toss kale into your mujadara, or give gado-gado a twist with quinoa instead of rice. The beauty of these meals is that they evolve and they welcome everyone to the table.