“Nistisimes Syntages” are the Lenten recipes the Orthodox can eat during fasting periods. The Orthodox religion has a lot of fasting periods. The period of the Great Lent starts on Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday) and this period is called Saracosti.
Octopus and shell-fish are allowed, as is vegetable margarine, shortening, and vegetable oils, gelatin, olives, as well as honey are allowed.
During the period of Saracosti the faithful fast for a period of 48 days and not 40, as it is falsely believed: the six weeks of Lent and Holy Week. This is not obligatory and most people fast for a couple of weeks before Easter.
The fasting period of Easter ends after the resurrection of Jesus.
The Christmas fasting period starts on the 15th November and ends on the 24th December. From the 15th November till the 17th December, fish is allowed to be consumed but not on Wednesdays and Fridays, which in any case all Wednesdays and Fridays of the year are fasting days.
The fasting period before the Assumption of the Virgin, starts on the 1st of August and ends on the 14th of August and of course there are many other days when fasting is part of our religion.
Meat and animal products (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard), fish (meaning fish with backbones), olive oil and wine (all alcoholic drinks) are not consumed during the weekdays of Great Lent.
On weekends, olive oil and wine are permitted. Fish is permitted only on two Sundays during the Lenten period: on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and on Palm Sunday (one week before Easter).
The purpose of fasting is to cleanse the body as well as the spirit in preparation for accepting the Resurrection at Easter, which is the most sacred of all observances in the Greek Orthodox faith.
Through fasting, we also learn to feel compassion for the poor and hungry and to save our own resources so that we can help those in need.
During this period I shall try and post mainly Nistisimes Syntages (Lenten recipes). However, I do have lots of recipes I have prepared before Lent, which I shall also post.
If you exclude the recipes with seafood, gelatine and honey all other recipes here are vegan:
I apologize if in some of the links you do not find some of my Cypriot “nistisimes syntages”. This means that they have been included in my cookbook and had to be removed.
However, feel free to email me and I will send you the recipe.
Nistisimes Syntages (Lenten Recipes)
During the Greek Orthodox Fasting period, meat and animal prodÂucts (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard), fish (meaning fish with backbones), olive oil and wine (all alcoholic drinks) are not consumed during the weekdays of Great Lent
Octopus and shell-fish are allowed, as is vegetable margarine, shortening, and vegetable oils, gelatin, olives, as well as honey are allowed.
Below you will find a list of more than 100 Greek Lenten Recipes.
Ingredients
- I have listed down for you a number of best Greek Lenten Recipes, which are mostly vegan:
- Main Dishes
- Seafood
- Soups
- Snacks / Bread
- Dips / Appetizers
- Desserts
Instructions
- Choose any Lenten recipes from the list below.
- Click on the link below to get the full recipe and instructions.
- Try any of my Lenten recipes and share your photo on any of my Social Media!
- Kali Saracosti!
Nistisimes Syntages (Lenten Recipes)
Main Dishes:
Arakas Laderos (Peas with carrots in tomato sauce)
Agginares (artichokes) a la Polita
Ampelofassoula or louvi (fresh black-eyed peas salad)
Aromatic Blackeyed Peas with Wild Greens and Quinoa
Black-eyed peas with spinach and Swiss chard in tomato sauce
Black Giant Beans with Spinach and Pasta
Chickpea Salad with Quinoa and Tahini Sauce
Gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers)
Gigantes Plaki (Baked Giant beans)
Koupepia (Dolmadakia) Gialantzi (stuffed vine leaves with rice and herbs)
Fasolada (White beans in tomato sauce)
Fakes Moutzentra (Cypriot lentils with rice)
Koukia (Fava Beans) with Lemon Sauce
Kounoupidi me Patates Kapamas (stewed cauliflower with potatoes)
Koukia (Broad Beans, peas and artichokes à la Polita)
Fasolia Mavrommatika (Black-eyed peas)
Fassolia Piaz (Greek White beans salad)
Fasolakia Giahni (Braised Green beans in tomato sauce)
Lentils with Carrοts, Orzo and Caramelized Onions
Lentils and Bulgur Spicy Salad/Pilaf
Patates lemonates (oven baked lemony potatoes)
Patates Antinahtes (whole potatoes with red wine)
Penne with Mushrooms, Roasted Garlic, Cilantro and Marinara Sauce
Penne Skordalia (garlic dip) with Courgettes and Olives
Pilafi pourgouri- (without the meat) Bulgur wheat pilaf
Pommes Lyonnaises (potatoes with onions)
Revithia (stewed chickpeas with spinach)
Revithokeftedes me Garides (Shrimp – chickpea patties)
Revithokeftedes (chickpea patties)
Rice pilaf with vegetables and vermicelli
Spanakoryzo (Spinach with rice)
Seafood:
Htapodi me makaronaki Kofto (Octopus with pasta)
Kalamaria Gemista (Stuffed Squid)
Stewed Thrapsala (squid) with Mushrooms
Three recipes with Thrapsala (Short fin squid)
Soups:
Hoummous Soup (chickpeas soup)
Vegetable puree soup with pasta
Bread / Snacks:
Aladoti Eliopita (No Oil Olive Bread with Tahini)
Bourekia me manitaria (turnovers with mushrooms)
Eliopita, elioti, eliopitakia (olive pies)
Eliopsomο (olive bread) with Pesto
Lagana with Garlicky Olives, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Rosemary
Olives and Carrot Bread Sticks and rolls
Tahninopita (Tahini filled pastry)
Tahinopita me Mila (Tahini Bread with Apple Filling)
Dips / appetizers / mezedes:
Elies tsakistes (green crushed olives)
Elies Kalamon (kalamata olives)
Melitzanosalata (Eggplant dip)
Pantzaria Xydata (Beets preserved in vinegar)
Spanakopita nistisimi (vegan spinach pie)
Revithokeftedes (Chickpea Patties)
Snails Stiffado Saganaki (without the feta)
Desserts:
Bougatsa (a vegan custard filled pastry)
Butternut Squash Mandarin Cake with Butternut Squash – Almond Glaze
Chocolate Carrot Cake with Chocolate-Tahini Glazing
Chocolate Orange Cake and Muffins
Daktyla (almond filled lady fingers)
Fanouropita (olive oil spice cake)
Halvas (store bought) and Bourekia me Halva
Halvas with Chocolate, Nuts & Dried Fruit
Halvades: Creative Pot Halvades
Ladlokouloura (Olive oil biscotti)
Mini Apple Turnovers with Homemade Apple Sauce
Moustalevria (grape must pudding)
Pischies (Pastry bathed in syrup)
Pastelli (Sesame Honey Candy with Peanuts)
Roxakia (Orange Dough Cookies)
Rosotto (Rose flavoured lactose free rice pudding)
Ryzogalo (Rice Pudding) Gluten and Lactose Free
Samali (semolina cake with mandarin and coconut)
Shiamishi (pastry filled with semolina pudding)
Tahinopita (Tahini Bread) with Apples
Tahinopsomo (Star Shaped Tahini Bread)
Vegan Butternut Squash Mandarin cake
Vegan Dessert with Store Bought Halvas
You can find my Greek recipes in my cookbooks «More Than A Greek Salad» and«Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!» both available on all Amazon stores. Read more here.
Lenten Recipes (mostly vegan)
During the Greek Orthodox Fasting period, meat and animal prodÂucts (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard), fish (meaning fish with backbones), olive oil and wine (all alcoholic drinks) are not consumed during the weekdays of Great Lent Octopus and shell-fish are allowed, as is vegetable margarine, shortening, and vegetable oils, gelatin, olives, as well as honey are allowed.
Vegan Spinach Risotto
A healthy vegan risotto, which is made the classic way, adding onions, leeks and aromatic herbs, which add an amazing taste to this dish!
Aromatic Black-eyed Peas with Wild Greens and Quinoa
This aromatic black-eyed peas dish cooked with quinoa & wild greens, is a simple, healthy and a complete-meal you definitely should try.
Mpamies me liastes ntomates (braied okra with sun dried tomatoes
Mpamies (okra with sun-dried tomatoes) is a light and healthy low carb dish which is full of nutrients and other healthy properties.
Athoi Gemistoi (Stuffed Zucchini Flowers)
Kolokythoanthoi or Ath(th)oi, as they are called in Cyprus,
pronounced with a thick "th", are the blossoms of the courgettes
(zucchini) which are filled with rice.
Kounoupidi me Patates Kapamas (Stewed Cauliflower with Potatoes)
Kounoupidi me Patates Kapamas (pr. kou-nou-PEE-dee MEH Pah-TAH-tess Kah-pah-MASS) is a simple vegan Greek Stew with potatoes. You can also make the dish without the potatoes and serve it as a side dish.
Ampelofassoula or Louvi (Fresh Black Eyed Peas) with Kolokoui
Ampelofassoula are the fresh green green beans (Vigna unguiculata) also known as cow peas, also called louvi in Cyprus. These beans are eaten before they mature,usually boiled and eaten as a salad with olive oil and lemon juice.
Vegan Chickpea Burgers with Zucchini and Bulgur
These vegan chickpea burgers are packed with spices and herbs, very  healthy and seriously satisfying !
Penne with Chickpeas and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Whole Wheat Penne with Chickpeas, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and roasted garlic is a delicious and healthy vegan pasta dish. A delicious summer meal.
Greek Chickpea Salad with Quinoa and Tahini Sauce
This healthy Greek chickpea salad is a filling dish on its own, packed with protein from the chickpeas, quinoa and tuna and full of vitamins from the herbs, vegetables and salad dressing.
Gigantes Plaki sto Fourno (Baked Giant Beans)
Gigantes plaki is a deliciously hearty vegan dish made with giant beans, which are cooked until soft and then baked in a delicious tomato sauce until the beans absorb all the juices and caramelize.
Hoummous with Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlicky Olives
This Hummus Dip is a wonderful recipe which is based on the traditional hummus recipe but combined with roasted butternut squash and garlicky Greek olives.
Louvi - Black eyed Peas
Louvi is a healthy traditional Cypriot dish of black eyed peas, cooked with silverbeet (chard) and served with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting
Coconut whipped cream is a dairy-free alternative to classic whipped cream, which is made with heavy whipping cream!
Vegan Carrot and Banana Cake with Coconut Frosting
A very moist, delicious and healthy Vegan Carrot Cake with Banana, Spices and topped with Coconut frosting and Bergamot fruit preserve.
Vegan, Lactose Free and Gluten Free Ryzogalo (rice pudding)
This coconut rice pudding is not only vegan but also lactose free and gluten free but equally creamy and delicious as the classic one!
Revithia giahni sti gastra (stewed chickpeas)
Revithia giahni sti gastra is a vegan dish with stewed chickpeas, traditionally cooked in a clay pot and baked in a wood burning oven. However, not all of us have wood burning ovens or clay pots but we can still cook it in a Dutch oven or any casserole dish in our home oven.  If you don't have any of the above, use a baking tin which cover with an aluminium tent.
Vegan Chocolate Ganache with Tahini
One of the easiest and delicious, vegan glazes to add on top of your vegan cakes and other creations!
How to make Aquafaba and Vegan Meringues
Vegan Meringues made with aquafaba are light, airy and crispy, which melt in your mouth, much better than egg meringues.
Vegan Carrot Cake with Chocolate
This vegan carrot cake is so easy to make, it is moist and tastes fantastic. You can eat it as it is or add a glaze on top!
Easy Homemade Apple Turnvers
There's nothing like homemade apple turnovers with homemade apple sauce. They are delicious and yet so easy, that any one can make these homemade turnovers.
Vegan Chocolate Avocado Orange Almond Cake
This vegan chocolate cake uses avocado and extra virgin olive oil instead of any other fat, it is loaded with chocolate flavor and and many other healthy ingredients.
Kollyva (Greek Memorial Food)
Kollyva, is a sweet dish prepared with boiled wheat berries, nuts, raisins, pomegranate and spices, which is taken to church to commemorate our deceased during funerals or memorials. Â
Cypriot pita bread
Cypriot pitta bread are much different to the Greek pitas. They are flatbread like the other pita but are different in shape and in taste.
Lagana Flatbread
Lagana (in Greek λαγάνα, pronounced lah-GHAH-nah) is a traditional Greek flatbread, which is made with flour, yeast, salt and water.
Bourekia me Manitaria (Mushrooms)
If you're looking for a take-along party appetizer recipe that's easy, impressive, and makes A LOT, these crispy mushroom phyllo triangles are it.Â
Glystarkes (Cypriot crusty, sesame rusks)
Glystarkes or glistarkes or gyristarkes, from the Greek verb γυρίζω = turn, is a kind of Cypriot grid-like crusty, sesame rusk. Â
Cypriot Tahinopita (Vegan Tahini Bread)
Cypriot Traditional Tahinopita is a Lenten or vegan sweet bread, which is very flavourful as it is filled with tahini, sugar and cinnamon.
Pantzaria Xydata (pickled beetroots)
Pantzaria Xydata (pronounced pan-TZAh-rhia Ksee-DAH-tah) are beets preserved in vinegar, which are one of our favourite vegetables to preserve.
Hummus Dip
Hummus or hoummous is a Middle Eastern dip made from mashed chickpeas and blended with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, spices and olive oil.
Vegan Chocolate Carrot Cake with Chocolate Tahini Glaze
This vegan Chocolate Carrot cake is moist and delicious with a chocolate - tahini glaze on top, which makes it not only healthy but also irresistible. Â
Vegan Dessert with store bought Halvas
This vegan dessert is made with store bought halvas, chocolate, toasted nuts, candied fruit or spoon sweets (glyka tou koutaliou) and coconut.
Tambouli Salad, Tabouli or Tabbouleh
Tambouli salad, also written as tabouli or tabbouleh, is a refreshing parsley salad, which is made with bulgur wheat tomatoes, onion, cucumber, fresh mint and dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
Tashi (Τahini) Dip
Tashi is a Cypriot vegan dip made with tahini, garlic and lemon juice. It goes well with almost any food and this appetizer is served in all Cypriot restaurants.
Hoummous Soup (Chickpeas soup)
Hoummous soup is made with the same ingredients as for hoummous dip. More hot broth is added until it reaches the consistency of a soup and is served with croutons. The cooked chickpeas can be freezed, so when making this soup, I usually boil more in order to make the dip whenever I like.
Revithokeftedes (Chickpea Patties)
Revithokeftedes (pr. reh-vee-thaw-kae-FTEH-thes) aka chickpea Patties is a delicious, healthy, Greek, vegan meal.
Koukia, Fava Beans, the Greek way
Koukia, Fava beans (Vicia faba), in Greek koukia (plural of word kouki), pr. kou-KHIA, is an easy, vegan Greek dish paired with lemon, dill, fennel and parsley, which adds lots of flavour to this healthy dish.
Vazania (melitzanes) giahni (stewed eggplants)
Vazania, is the name of eggplants in the Cypriot dialect, (in Greece they are called melitzanes), which are fried together with potatoes and stewed, to make them giahni, which is a delicious vegan and frugal dish. Â
Lahanoryzo (Greek Cabbage and Rice Stew)
Lahanoryzo is a frugal, vegan dish, made with cabbage and rice, cooked in a light tomato sauce..
Stewed Okra (Mpamies Giahni)
Fresh okra is often maligned for being slimy, but if they are handled properly, before cooked, these small, green pods will become delicious when cooked!
Fassolia Ηantres Giahni or Barbounofassoula (Stewed Borlotti Beans)
Hantres also called barbounofassoula, is a type of kidney bean with a pink speckled skin that turns brown when cooked.
Fassolia Piaz (Greek White Beans Salad)
Fassolia Piaz are white beans boiled and made into a salad. There are a lot of variations of this salad but we like it with tomatoes, onion, tuna, parsley, served with olive oil and lemon juice.
Brown Lentils with Carrots, Orzo and Caramelized Onions
This Brown Lentils with Carrots, Orzo and caramelized onions dish has been one of my family's favourite Cypriot dishes for years.
The addition of carrots and serving them with caramelized onions on top, add a lovely sweetness to the dish and an intense depth of flavour.
Greek Brown Lentils with Smoked Eggplant and Pasta
Brown Lentils with Smoked Eggplant and Pasta is inspired from my Cypriot dish called Fakhes Moudjentra.  It is a light dish with a lot of flavour from the smoked eggplant as well as sweetness from the onion and carrot. The pasta is cooked in the leftover fluid, which absorbs all the flavour and adds body to the dish, making it a healthy, nutritional and filling dish.
Fakes Moutzentra - Cypriot Lentils with Rice
Fakes moutzentra is a lentil recipe we make in Cyprus and is a high protein, balanced healthy food, especially with the combination of rice.
Healthy Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Add extra flavour and texture to your lentil salad combined with plenty of vegetables and protein for a nutritious lunch or side.
Fakes Soupa (Greek Lentil Soup)
Fakes (pronounced fakhés) is a Greek vegan lentil soup with vegetables.  It is of high nutritional value which makes it perfect for the cold days!
Lentil and Bulgur Spicy Salad
A perfect nutritional, light, summer side dish and why not a main dish. Â The Lentil and Bulgur Spicy Salad is vegan but if you are not vegan, it goes well with some Greek yoghurt.
Patates Lemonates (Lemony Greek roasted Potatoes) my way
Patates Lemonates my way, are Greek Lemony Potatoes, which is a twist to the classic Greek side dish of roasted potatoes, with a sweet and sour taste.
Patates Tiganites (Frιed Potatoes, the Greek way)
In some countries they call them potato chips and in others, French fries, fries or finger chips. Â In Greece, we call them "Patates Tiganites" (pr. pah-TAH-tess Tee-ghah-nee-TESS).
Penne Skordalia with Courgettes and Olives
Penne Skordalia is an easy and healthy pasta dish made with Walnut Skordalia, a Greek diip made with olive oil, garlic, bread and walnuts.
Pastitsio Nistisimo (Vegan)
Pastitsio nistisimo (pr. Pah-STEE-tsio Knee-STEE-see-moh) is a vegan pasta casserole dish made with tubular pasta, vegetable filling and topped with a vegan faux béchamel sauce. The same dish can be made vegetarian using the same filling but adding a real bechamel sauce on top.
Vegan Moussakas
This vegan moussakas is as delicious as the real one. It is layered with eggplant, potatoes and zucchini, with a vegan vegetable filling and a delicious vegan "faux" bechamel sauce.Â
Pilafi Pligouri (pourgouri) - Bulgur wheat pilaf with Leftovers
A very easy, healthy and nutricious main dish made with bulgur wheat and leftover meat.
Festive Rice Pilaf with MushroomsÂ
This Easy Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms is perfect for a festive dinner as it is tender, fluffy, and flavorful. It's the perfect side dish to accompany any meal, anytime.
Gemista (Stuffed Tomatoes) and a Well Balanced 3 Course Meal
Gemista (pronounced as ye-mi-STA), are Greek stuffed tomatoes and peppers filled with rice and herbs, baked in a tomato sauce.  Between the gaps of the vegetables we add potatoes which absorb all the wonderful flavours of the vegetables. As potatoes need more time to bake, we must cut them into thin wedges about twice the size of potato chips.
Seafood
Htapodi (or moschious) me Makaronaki kofto (Octopus in tomato sauce with pasta)
In Greek, htapodi is octopus and makaronaki kofto is a small pasta, like ditali. It is cooked in a tomato sauce and then in the sauce we cook the pasta.   It is a Lenten recipe, so during Lent no cheese is added on top.
Seafood
Octopus (Htapodi) with Mushrooms and Homemade Hilopites
Everyone who's ever eaten Greek food, knows about grilled octopus. However, at home, we prepare it in many ways and here is one where the octopus is cooked in its juices.
Octopus Salad (Htapodi Salata)
One of my favorite dishes in the whole world is Greek style octopus salad, or “htapodi salataâ€, which combined with boiled potatoes, green onion, parsley and extra virgin olive oil is fabulous served as a side or main dish.
Octopus Risotto
Octopus Risotto is a delicious and healthy dish, which is perfect not only for those fasting during Orthodox Lent but for our everyday meal.
Kalamaria or Thrapsala Tiganita or Gemista (Fried or Stuffed Kalamari)
Kalamaria (pr. kah-lah-MAHR-ghia), is a very popular dish in Greece and Cyprus, especially during Lent when seafood is allowed to be eaten.
Three Recipes with Thrapsala (Shortfin Squid)
Thrapsala (Illex coindetti or shortfin squid) are of the same family as calamari but much more cheaper, at least here in Greece, but equally delicious.
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!
Fiona
Thursday 10th of September 2015
Amazing Recipe and excellent experience of Cooking . This recipe seems easy to me i will try this within this week :)
tanaya
Wednesday 18th of March 2015
looking so delicious and easy to make, thanks for sharing such a wonderful article.
Sophia
Tuesday 5th of August 2014
Nice collection of recipes. The shrimp risotto looks really good. I will be preparing some meals for lent as well.
Mercina
Tuesday 31st of March 2009
This is absolutely wonderful, Ivy. Thank you posting these lenten dishes. I'm going to make fakes soupa tomorrow. Take care!
giz
Friday 6th of March 2009
Wow Ivy - and what will you cook for tomorrow (hahahaha). I love these customs and how people can change and do things they don't normally do when they feel purpose. Beautiful array of yummies.