Vegetarian cuisine offers a particularly interesting playground when it comes to creating pairings at the table. Roasted vegetables, spices, fresh herbs, cheeses, creamy sauces, nuts… By removing meat from the plate, the possibilities are not reduced; quite the contrary.
Creamy eggplant, grilled cauliflower, slightly sweet squash, or roasted leek each have their own aromatic profile. The cooking method and accompaniments then add acidity, richness, bitterness, saltiness, or spicy notes.
But what to drink with a vegetarian dish when you don’t drink alcohol? As with any food and drink pairing, the idea is to find the right balance: bring freshness to a generous dish, prolong certain aromatic notes, or create a contrast that further reveals the flavors.
At Tempera, each blend is designed to complement dishes and naturally find its place at the table. Here are 7 ideas for vegetarian dishes and the Tempera non-alcoholic drinks to serve with them.
Roasted eggplant, herb yogurt and zaatar
Creamy at heart and lightly grilled on the outside, roasted eggplant lends itself particularly well to generous plates with herbs and spices. Accompanied by herb yogurt and zaatar, it combines freshness, creaminess, vegetal notes, and toasted flavors.
To accompany it, Aria II, the zesty non-alcoholic drink brings a freshness that contrasts with the creaminess of the eggplant and yogurt.
Its zesty notes add dimension to the whole, while its aromatic profile naturally complements the lemony, herbal, and spicy character of the zaatar.
A fresh and particularly aromatic non-alcoholic vegetarian pairing.
Spiced roasted cauliflower and tahini sauce
Roasting transforms roasted cauliflower: it becomes lightly grilled, almost caramelized in places, while retaining a subtle bitterness. Combined with spices and a creamy tahini sauce, the result is both indulgent and intense.
Riva, the land-and-sea non-alcoholic drink helps bring freshness to this richness.
Its liveliness balances the enveloping character of the tahini, while its mineral profile complements the spices and the cauliflower’s light bitterness without masking them.
A perfectly balanced pairing to accompany one of the essential recipes of autumn vegetarian cuisine.
Thin tomato tart with whole-grain mustard
Between the acidity of the tomato, the slightly piquant character of whole-grain mustard, and the toasted notes of the pastry, the thin tomato tart calls for a drink capable of bringing freshness without excessively accentuating its acidity.
Tierra, the non-alcoholic plant-based drink naturally finds its place alongside it.
Its fruity profile complements the tomato, while its freshness brings lightness against the mustard and the pastry’s crunch. Its peppery finish also helps prolong the recipe’s slightly piquant flavors.
A fresh and balanced pairing to accompany a vegetarian tart at either an aperitif or dinner.
Roasted leeks with hazelnut vinaigrette
Slowly roasted, leeks become particularly tender while retaining their vegetal character. A hazelnut vinaigrette adds acidity, crunch, and slightly toasted notes.
To accompany this dish, Riva, the land-and-sea non-alcoholic drink provides a lovely contrast.
Its freshness prolongs the acidity of the vinaigrette while balancing the leek’s tender texture. Its delicate notes allow the vegetable’s sweetness to shine without being overshadowed by the more subtle flavors of the hazelnut.
A precise pairing that lets the vegetal flavors take center stage.
Spiced roasted squash with feta
With its sweet and slightly sugary flesh, roasted squash is one of the emblematic vegetables of autumn cuisine. A few spices and some feta are enough to create a particularly indulgent contrast between sweetness, warmth, and saltiness.
Tierra, the non-alcoholic plant-based drink accompanies this combination thanks to its roundness and fruity profile.
Its fruity notes prolong the squash’s natural sweetness, while its freshness balances the salty and creamy character of the feta. Its slightly spicy finish also complements the spices used in the cooking.
A non-alcoholic pairing with squash that is both indulgent and refreshing.
Red onion and goat cheese tatin
Slowly cooking red onions reveals their full sweetness and almost confit character. In a red onion and goat cheese tatin, these caramelized notes meet the acidity and character of the cheese.
To prevent the whole from becoming too rich, Tierra, the non-alcoholic plant-based drink brings both fruit and liveliness.
Its fruity profile complements the caramelized red onions, while its acidity balances the goat cheese and the generous character of the pastry.
The pairing thus plays on both continuity with the confit flavors and contrast thanks to a lovely freshness on the palate.
Squash and Parmesan gratin
Tender, generous, slightly sweet and salty, the squash and Parmesan gratin concentrates everything we look for in a comforting vegetarian dish when temperatures begin to drop.
With this type of recipe, Pyra, the non-alcoholic woody drink complements the dish’s indulgence without weighing it down.
Its roundness pairs with the gratin’s tender texture and the squash’s natural sweetness. Its freshness balances the richness of the whole, while its woody notes complement the more intense and salty character of the Parmesan.
A warm and structured pairing, particularly suited to autumn and winter vegetarian dishes.
What non-alcoholic drink to serve with a vegetarian dish?
To succeed with a pairing between a vegetarian dish and a non-alcoholic drink, the vegetable is ultimately only a starting point. You must also take into account its cooking method, the sauce, the spices, and the other ingredients on the plate.
With Mediterranean-flavored roasted vegetables such as eggplant, Aria II, the zesty non-alcoholic drink brings freshness and dimension. With cauliflower, leek, or preparations where the vegetal character remains very present, Riva, the land-and-sea non-alcoholic drink offers more liveliness and minerality.
For recipes that play between sweetness, acidity, and spices, such as squash with feta or red onion and goat cheese tatin, Tierra, the non-alcoholic plant-based drink brings fruit and freshness. Finally, with a more generous dish such as a squash and Parmesan gratin, Pyra, the non-alcoholic woody drink allows you to further develop roundness and depth.
Vegetarian cuisine therefore does not require a single pairing. On the contrary, the diversity of vegetables, cooking methods, and seasonings allows you to play with very different profiles.
Another way to put the vegetal at the center of the table and to think about what you serve in the glass with as much care as what you cook on the plate.
To go further:
- What to drink with Mediterranean cuisine?
- What to drink with a cheese board?
- Vegetarian aperitif idea with a Tempera non-alcoholic drink
