Fasolia

One of the things about eating a plant-based diet is that when you go out to eat, you sometimes feel like you are playing Where’s Waldo?

Veggies? Let’s see what salads they have. Okay, if I combine the lettuce from this one, the tomatoes and cucumbers from that one, the avocado from another appetizer and the side of quinoa from the New York Strip dinner, I might have something here.

I have gotten to be an expert at reading the descriptions of what the meat is served over, under or along with, and picking acceptable items out of the crowd. I make Meg Ryan’s character in When Harry Met Sally look like a walk in the park compared to my ordering style.

“I’ll have the kale Caesar salad, but with oil and vinegar instead of the creamy dressing. The tomatoes are fine, but no cheese, and I’d like to add the red onions and avocado from the Mexican salad, plus the chickpeas from the chicken salad, but double the amount of chickpeas and don’t put any bacon in it.”

Sometimes, this works out great, and everyone else at the table is like, “I”ll have what she’s having.” (Only not for the reasons they want what Meg is having. I’ll admit, I do get excited when I score a salad that is a complete meal, but so far I’ve been able to confine my reaction to something along the lines of, “Yippee!!” and a lot of hand clapping.)

And sometimes, all the waiter hears is: I want lettuce. A giant plate of lettuce. That’s all. Just lettuce. Nothing else. I love lettuce. Can’t get enough lettuce. No cheese though. And, for the record, that also means no tomato, no cucumber, no onion. Because they are a package deal. Everyone knows that if you don’t eat cheese, you don’t eat anything else on your lettuce. Yuuuuum!

Typically, though, at Mexican or Mediterranean restaurants, I have an easier time because they are more veg friendly to begin with and they almost always have beans.

This recipe is my take on one of my favorite appetizers at many Greek restaurants, Fasolia. Yuuuuuuum!

Ingredients: