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A Vegetarian Feast

Serves
8
Dishes
5

A generous eastern Mediterranean table for eight with no meat and no one missing it: silky hummus with warm pita, a golden spanakopita, a whole roast cauliflower dressed with tahini and pomegranate, a sharp herb salad, and pears poached in spiced wine. Most of it can be made the day before.

A Vegetarian Feast: A generous eastern Mediterranean table for eight with no meat and no one missing it: silky hummus with warm pita, a golden spanakopita, a whole roast cauliflower dressed with tahini and pomegranate, a sharp herb salad, and pears poached in spiced wine.

On the menu

  1. Hummus: Ultra-smooth, light and nutty — the way it is made in the LevantTo startHummusMake ×1.5

    With warm Pita Bread (one batch of 8, plus store-bought if needed).

  2. Spanakopita: Crisp golden filo around a spinach, feta and herb fillingMainSpanakopita

    One 23 × 33 cm pie cuts into 8 generous squares. It bakes first, at a lower heat, then re-crisps beside the cauliflowers.

  3. Whole Roasted Cauliflower: Spiced, buttery and browned, with tahini and herbsMainWhole Roasted CauliflowerMake ×2

    Two cauliflowers, roasted side by side; one batch of Tahini Sauce dresses both.

  4. Tabbouleh: A parsley salad with a little bulgur — not the other way roundSaladTabboulehMake ×2
  5. DessertRed Wine Poached PearsMake ×1.5

    Nine pears; made a day ahead so they turn deep red.

To drink

A dry Greek white such as Assyrtiko. Non-alcoholic: mint lemonade (lemon juice, sugar syrup, crushed mint and sparkling water).

The day before

  • Soak the chickpeas for the hummus overnight.
  • Poach the pears and leave them in the syrup in the fridge.
  • Assemble the spanakopita, cover and refrigerate (bake from cold, adding 10 minutes).
  • Parboil both cauliflowers, drain upside down and refrigerate.
  • Make the tahini sauce; it keeps 5 days.
  • Bake the pitas (they keep 2 days in a bag), or buy them.
  • In the morning: cook the chickpeas and blend the hummus; keep it covered, under a film of oil, and bring it to room temperature before serving.

Game plan

Counted back from the moment you serve.

  1. 2 h 25 min before serving

    Oven to 190°C (375°F). Spanakopita out of the fridge.

  2. 2 h 10 min before serving

    Spanakopita in for about 60 minutes from cold, until deep golden.

  3. 1 h 10 min before serving

    Spanakopita out to rest on a rack. Turn the oven up to 220°C (425°F). Brush the cauliflowers with the spiced butter.

  4. 1 h before serving

    Cauliflowers in on one large tray or two pans, 50–55 minutes from cold, basting twice.

  5. 45 min before serving

    Start the tabbouleh: soak the bulgur in the tomatoes and their juice; chop the herbs.

  6. 35 min before serving

    Lift the pears out and boil the syrup down to about 450 ml (15–20 minutes); leave the pears at room temperature.

  7. 25 min before serving

    Pitas into the oven, wrapped in foil, for 10 minutes. Spread the hummus on a plate with oil, paprika and chickpeas.

  8. 15 min before serving

    Serve the hummus and warm pita. Slide the spanakopita back in on a lower rack for 10 minutes to re-crisp.

  9. 5 min before serving

    Cauliflowers out; spoon over the tahini sauce, pomegranate and herbs. Cut the spanakopita. Dress the tabbouleh.

  10. Serve

    Everything onto the table together.

  11. 50 min after serving

    Serve the pears in their syrup with crème fraîche.

Shopping list

Produce

  • 1 head garlic (4 cloves)
  • 9 scallions
  • 1 leek
  • 600 g ripe tomatoes
  • 2 large cauliflowers (about 1.2 kg each)
  • 1 kg spinach
  • 2 little gem lettuces
  • 10 lemons
  • 2 oranges
  • 9 firm, just-ripe pears with stems
  • 1 pomegranate
  • 5 bunches flat-leaf parsley (about 300 g)
  • 1 bunch dill (about 30 g)
  • 1 bunch mint (about 30 g)

Dairy & eggs

  • 3 large eggs
  • 80 g unsalted butter
  • 300 g feta
  • 300 g crème fraîche, for the pears

Pantry

  • 80 g fine bulgur wheat
  • 400 g dried chickpeas
  • 450 g bread flour (or all-purpose)
  • 50 g whole-wheat flour
  • 250 g sugar
  • 2 vanilla pods
  • 5 g instant yeast
  • baking soda (1½ tsp)
  • 350 g tahini
  • 250 ml olive oil
  • 250 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • Pantry check: fine sea salt, black pepper

Spices

  • ground cumin (3 tsp)
  • ground coriander (1 tsp)
  • smoked paprika (2 tsp)
  • cinnamon sticks (2)
  • whole cloves (6)
  • star anise (3)
  • nutmeg
  • ground allspice or baharat (1 tsp)

Frozen

  • 400 g filo pastry

Drinks

  • 1.25 liters fruity red wine (2 bottles)