Every day, noteworthy numbers of Americans are walking out of doctors’ offices with diagnoses of gluten sensitivity. The cause of this growing phenomenon, which my own doctor has referred to as an ‘epidemic’ has not yet been determined, but the modern hybridization of wheat is falling under suspicion as researchers ask why the descendants of whole civilizations that emerged as a result of wheat production can now no longer eat it without becoming ill.

Whatever the cause, receiving doctor’s orders to go gluten-free can put you into a tailspin and leave you feeling burdened and depressed as you look around at all of the things you can no longer eat. I know this from personal experience and am writing this article so that your glass starts looking half-full again, instead of half-empty. I’ve been a vegan for more than 20 years, and when I received a diagnosis of gluten sensitivity, I challenged myself to become a great gluten-free cook on top of the skills I had already acquired over they years.

What I have discovered is that by looking around the globe for gluten-free, vegan eating inspiration, I dine sumptuously and never think of ‘deprivation’, and this is what I hope to teach you to do! Today, I’m going to share with you the:

Top 5 Ethnic Cuisines For Gluten-Free Eating, And Vegan Eating, Too!

I am listing these in the order I feel they are easiest to adapt from and draw upon, with #1 being my top choice and then moving on down from there.

#1 Indigenous American / Mexican Food

I have written in the past about my view that Native American Foods form the most superior possible cuisine for all Americans today, and, as it happens, they turn out to be the simplest and most bountiful choice for building the best gluten-free, vegan diet. Indigenous foods form the main base of my family’s daily diet and we never, ever think of our food as limited or dull.

For gluten-free eaters, it is the grain base of any ethnic diet that you must look it to see how friendly it is to your needs and with Indigenous American foods, including the foods of North America, Mexico and South America, no substitutions of any kind are necessary because the grain base is corn. Learn how to make corn tortillas and you will never suffer for want of bread again.

Next, if you are vegan and on a gluten-free diet, you will be looking at the use of legumes, nuts and seeds for high protein dishes, and again, Indigenous American cuisine requires no alterations at all. Your choice of beans is almost limitless and you can top that with a bevy of fabulous nut choices from hazelnuts to cashews to pecans, walnuts and more.

So, without any effort at all, you’ve got an incredibly delicious base of grains and legumes to build on, and the tubers, fruits and vegetables that are native to the Americas cannot be bested anywhere on the world scene. From potatoes to tomatoes, avocados, peppers, onions, bananas, pineapples, plums…well, the list is way too long to write up here, but no other place on the globe has more flavor and variety to offer. Remember, too, that in addition to corn, there is quinoa, amaranth and wild rice to choose from in the grain department and that corn’s uses are incredibly diverse. Your gluten-free, vegan diet, following Indigenous American foodways can include gastronomic triumphs like these:

  • Tacos or Tostadas, layered with beans, guacamole, salsas and other fresh delights
  • Enchiladas filled with spicy beans, mushrooms or other savory things
  • Tamales wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves (hallacas) with fillings of savory potatoes, beans and more
  • A rainbow of salsas, from salsa roja made with ripe garden tomatoes, to salsas verdes made with tomatillos or green tomatoes at the end of summer.
  • When avocados are in season, you may want nothing more than large bowls of guacamole with large stacks of freshly made corn tortillas.
  • Summer and winter squashes, stirfried, stuffed, made into soups and stews or dozens of other preparations.
  • Any potato dish you can dream up, thanks to the Andean Peoples who first cultivated these life-giving tubers. Don’t forget sweet potatoes, too!
  • Abundant fresh fruits from the tropics up to the northern latitudes. The best desserts you’ll ever eat!

That’s a short list, but I hope your mouth has started to water thinking about how well you can eat from the foods that bless the American continents. And, if you want to mix indigenous foods with non-indigenous ones, you can enjoy hybrid cuisines like those of Cuba where the national dish of black beans and rice (Moros y Cristianos) is a nutritional powerhouse and very good to eat. There is simply no need to feel deprived on a gluten-free and vegan diet with choices as phenomenal as these.

I feel that it’s important to note that anyone choosing a corn-based cuisine for their mainstay must become well-educated about the contamination of the United States’ food supply with genetically modified corn (GMOS). For your health and safety, you must be certain to purchase only organic corn products. In purchasing masa harina for your tortillas and other corn-based dishes, insist on organics. Organic masa harina is totally affordable, when you compare the cost of making your own tortillas from it as opposed to purchasing ready-made tortillas from a grocery store. Support organic corn growers with your money and let agribusiness know we don’t want GMO corn.

#2 Indian Food
With its base of rice and lentils, Indian food is an easy choice for gluten-free diners, and because vegetarianism has long held such a strong foothold in India, vegan options are no problem at all. If you are a fan of Indian spices, going gluten-free will not change your enjoyment of the cuisines of India, though obviously vegans will be avoiding anything containing meat or dairy in this foodway. And, for those who have been having digestive issues leading up to their diagnosis of gluten sensitivity, you can always tone down the spiciness while your stomach heals. Indian cooking does utilize wheat in many dishes, but while skipping these, you can still enjoy:

  • All manner of dishes based on the different types of lentils
  • All kinds of curries and other dishes based on rice
  • Spicy and filling potato dishes
  • Hearty stews that include peanut sauces and nut sauces for richness
  • An incredible variety of eggplant dishes (there are hundreds of varieties of eggplants grown in India)
  • All kinds of fresh and cooked chutneys and other unique preparations of vegetables and spices

If Indian cuisine has always been high on your list, your diagnosis of gluten intolerance will mean that you have to check dishes carefully for the presence of wheat or other gluten-containing substances, but for the most part, you can still enjoy most of the foods of this nation with little adaptation. Hopefully, by now, you’re starting to see that going gluten-free, even if you are already vegan, does not equal hunger or boredom.

#3 Chinese Food
It was long held amongst famed gourmets that the world had only two great cuisines: French and Chinese. While there are some bean and potato-type dishes from Northern Europe that you can easily make gluten free and vegan, much more varied options await you when you step into the world of real Chinese cuisine. The care that traditional Chinese cooks take in the preparation of vegetables is practically matchless and the arts of stir-frying and steaming put foods on the table in their tastiest and most quickly prepared forms, leaving most of their nutrients and taste intact.

When looking to China for vegan and gluten free cooking inspiration, it helps to understand the gastronomic split between the northern and southern parts of the country. Because Northern China has long subsisted on wheat, it is to the south, with its rice-based cuisine, that you will most frequently turn for ideas, though there are many millet-based dishes in the north worth investigating because millet does not contain gluten. Check out this list to begin considering your vegan and gluten-free Chinese food options:

  • Countless varieties of delicious rice and countless dishes made from all of the varieties.
  • Noodle-based dishes made with rice noodles or mung bean noodles instead of wheat noodles.
  • Wonderful stir fries of vegetables, including familiar ones you find in any grocery store, or less-familiar ones you can get at Asian markets.
  • The incorporation of seeds and nuts into dishes for extra flavor and protein
  • If you eat soy, all of the soy-based dishes including tofu, tempeh and miso.
  • Nourishing, restorative soups and broths.
  • An abundance of refreshing citrus fruits as well as less familiar fruits like Winter Melon

Stock your pantry with the base of garlic, ginger and scallions and you are on your way to dishes with incredible flavor, without major worry about having to substitute gluten-containing ingredients for gluten-free ones. If the only Chinese food you’ve ever eaten is from a Chinese-American restaurant, check out some traditional Chinese cookbooks from the library and become acquainted with the genuine article. Authentic Chinese food is healthier and better suited to home cooking than the Americanized restaurant version.

As with my note about corn-based diets and genetic modification, above, I feel it is important to mention here that any diner who chooses to eat soy needs to be made aware that America’s soy supply has become contaminated with genetically modified soy. Choose organic soy products only, including tofu, gluten-free soy sauce, etc., as your best hope for protecting yourself from GMOs. If it doesn’t say ‘organic’ on the label, chances are it is genetically modified as 90% of the soy grown in the U.S. is now GMO soy. Support organic soy growers with your dollar.

In my home, we don’t eat soy since my own diagnosis of soy sensitivity. This made me very blue at the time, because I ate tofu daily prior to this. Because of the soy problem, our family doesn’t view Chinese food as the basis of our diet. Instead, we treat it as a treat! A day on which we’ve had a hearty Native American style lunch, we might opt for a light and delicious Chinese-style supper with a steaming hot soup and lovely, crisp stir fry made savory with plenty of garlic, scallions and ginger. Sometimes, we cross cultures and serve a sweet potato dressed in a peanut dressing along side this if we want something heartier – try it, it’s a delicious pairing. And don’t forget other Asian cuisines! You can find great options in the cooking of Thailand, Vietnam, Korea and other Asian countries.

#4 Italian Food
As with China, Italy has traditionally been split between the corn eaters of the north and the wheat eaters of the South. If you look to Northern Italy for polenta-based dishes, you are in for many treats, and, if you can find a good substitute for wheat noodles, you can still have your spaghetti and lasagna, too! Recently, VeganReader.com discovered a brand of Italian-made gluten free pasta that got us excited enough to start eating noodles again after years of being disappointed by other brands. Definitely check that article out!

Grains aside, it is the Italian reverence for vegetables that wins them a spot in our Top 5 Gluten Free Ethnic Cuisines list. Much of this beautiful care for the simplest preparations of the best vegetables actually owes its thanks to the peoples of the Americas. We make no bones here about the fact that we consider the conquest of America the biggest tragedy to happen on the planet in the past millennium, but one of its few positive outcomes was the introduction of the rest of the world to the best fruits and vegetables ever cultivated. In Italian hands, the Indigenous American maize, tomato, potato, pepper and more took on a new life that is worthy in its own right. Just remember, no Andean and Mexican cultures – no Italian pizza. It’s as simple and stunning as that.

When looking to Italy for vegan and gluten-free dining inspiration, your list can start like this:

  • Yes, you can still have pizza! Even if you’re vegan, even if you’ve gone gluten-free, you can still gobble up scrumptious pizza once you get the hang of creating the simple polenta bread base described in the article we’ve linked to here. Hooray!
  • Beyond pizza, there are numerous polenta-based dishes that can be topped with sauces and stews rich in garlic, tomatoes, peppers and more.
  • If you’ve found worthwhile gluten-free pasta, you can simply go wild with the toppings, from red sauces to creamy ones based on nuts and seeds.
  • Treating fresh vegetables individually with great care is the hallmark of the best of Italian cooking. From a salad of marinated steamed zucchini or mushrooms, to deep fried artichokes, you can learn a ton from the niceties of Italian vegetable preparation. Everything is so fresh and tasty!
  • For heartiest doses of protein, look to Italy’s preparations of garbanzos, cannellini, favas, lentils and more.
  • And don’t overlook the use of nuts. Almonds play a much bigger role in common eating in Italy than they do in America, and pistachios make many appearances, too.
In the United States, we grow up acquainted with the Americanized versions of the cooking of Mexico, China and Italy. We can still enjoy all of these great cuisines while respecting our need to run a gluten-free and/or vegan kitchen if we educate ourselves about the genuine cooking of all three lands, instead of the more commercial versions we encounter in restaurants. We can still get the essence of these beloved ethnic tastes and eat incredibly well.

#5 Middle Eastern Food
On a hot summer night, there is nothing more apropos than a supper that takes its cues from the warm climes of the Middle East and North Africa, in my opinion. Serve it up with strong, sweet, hot mint tea and you will immediately see that the peoples of these ancient lands have developed a cuisine that is somehow perfect for their warm region. Vegans will veer away from the heavy use of lamb and yoghurt in Middle Eastern cooking, and gluten-free diners will have to pass on the wheat-based pita bread. If they are lucky or determined, they may be able to locate teff flour and make their own injera flat bread as is done in North Africa, or they can break out the white corn tortillas as we do in our home, crossing cultural boundaries but arriving happily at something bread-y to eat with the other Middle Eastern dishes.

To me, the ultimate Middle Eastern summer meal is based on the combination of hummus (rich in protein thanks to its pairing of sesame seeds and garbanzos) and tabbouleh. I was seriously sad when I thought I had to give up tabbouleh because of its base of bulgur wheat which contains gluten. But then I made a stern face about the whole thing and realized I could substitute brown rice with almost no sense of loss at all. My rice-based tabbouleh salad, loaded with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, parsley and mint and dressed in olive oil and lemon juice has become a summer night tradition on our family farm. Try it and you’ll love it. There is so much to enjoy in Middle Eastern cuisine, including:

  • All kinds of dips and sauces based on sesame seeds, garbanzos and olive oil
  • Stews and casseroles rich in tomatoes, garlic, eggplant and other vegetables
  • Wonderful dishes of cold marinated vegetables, as served at the open air cafes of the Middle East
  • Mouthwatering and hearty lentil dishes
  • Looking towards Africa, there are simply amazing combinations of peanuts and peanut sauces with savory vegetables and grains to consider.
  • Don’t forget to set out little dishes of olives, dates, pistachios and other tasty nibbles that make a meal so enjoyable

The cuisines of the Middle East come a little lower on our list than the others because they require a little more of the art of substitutions than, for instance, Mexican food, but I definitely feel this way of eating deserves a place on the list because, if you get the hang of it, it is wildly delicious and also, incredibly nutritious. Middle Eastern cuisines contain a great deal of meat and dairy, as well as a considerable amount of wheat, so the vegan and gluten free diner needs to look past this to their beautiful use of legumes, seeds, nuts, vegetables and fruits and there they will find rich inspiration!

Bonus: Other World Cuisines
This article is being placed in the Reskills Column of VeganReader.com, because your success in superior gluten free and vegan dining is going to be dependent on your ability to cook your meals mainly from scratch. You may be able to find a restaurant here or there that can cater to your needs, but chances are, those will be few and far between, and gaining home cooking skills and a library of helpful ethnic cuisine books will ensure success in your efforts to get plenty of nutrition and, just possibly, eat better than you ever have before in your life.

I’m going to take a moment here to again extol the virtues of the vintage Time Life series of cookbooks, Foods of The World. For a beautiful entry into the subject of world cuisines, no other publication can beat this series, in my considered opinion. Find these books at the library or used on eBay and you will feel like the whole world, and all of its busily cooking people, have become your neighbors and friends and you will find countless recipes to adapt to your gluten free and/or vegan kitchen.

The volumes on Mexico/Latin America, Italy, the Middle East, India and China will all get you going in terms of our top 5 cuisines described here, but then move onto the other world cuisines from which you can derive tons of more inspiration for fine gluten free and vegan cooking. Consider these possibilities:

Scandinavia
Most people may think of Scandinavia’s heavy reliance on fish, but do not miss out on their yellow split pea soup (called Arter) which has become a winter mainstay in our home. Unusually seasoned, it is simply scrumptious. Look to Scandinavia, too, for great potato ideas, like fanned-out hasselbacks that will make the old American baked potato look kind of sleepy. Scandinavians are crazy about almonds, too, and you can find neat ideas for creative usage of these wonderful nuts within these nations. Finland, which is sometimes confusingly considered part of Scandinavia and sometimes isn’t, could teach the whole world a few lessons about the uses of mushrooms which they hold in near-sacred reverence.

Eastern Europe
From stuffed cabbage rolls to goulash to plum preserves, there are gems scattered across the nations of Eastern Europe. Look past the wheat, the sour cream and other items not on your vegan or gluten-free list and you are certain to find unique preparations of vegetables and grains that will add real variety to your menus.

Spain
Gluten-free, vegan versions of paella come naturally – use mushrooms and vegetables and even fruits instead of the traditional meat and seafood. Pay attention to the skillful and interesting Spanish preparations of vegetables. I make a dish of sauteed spinach with onions, peppers, raisins and almonds that is incredibly good and unexpected in its combination of ingredients I wouldn’t have thought of without reading Spanish cookbooks. Garlic lovers (like me) will find a wealth of ideas in Spanish cuisine, and don’t forget the Arabic-inspired dishes of the south of the country. So exciting!

Africa
I am a novice in this area, but whenever I start reading about lists of ingredients like peanuts, yams, greens, coconut and hot spices, I know I get hungry. I have much more to learn about the dishes of the many nations of Africa, and I hope that as I study this further, I will be able to add new dishes to my family’s table. Last winter, I tried my hand at a stew containing, among other things, pumpkin, peanut butter and lentils and it absolutely banished all feelings of chilly weather that evening. I’m intrigued and want to learn more!

These are just a few ideas for your consideration. I doubt that there is a country in the world that couldn’t contribute at least one superlative dish to your repertoire of gluten free and vegan eating, and I hope this article has gotten your creative juices flowing. The secret is to see your dietary needs as opportunities instead of limitations and then cast your eyes over our good Earth for answers. Seek and ye shall find!