Eat During Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year feast is traditionally abundant with meat dishes, but these 15 vegetarian recipes prove that plant-based eating can be just as festive, flavorful, and meaningful. Each dish carries auspicious symbolism while delivering incredible taste that will have everyone reaching for seconds—even the meat lovers at your table. From crisp greens to creative vegetable transformations, these recipes are designed to impress.

1. Oyster Sauce Lettuce (Symbolizing Rising Fortune)

The first dish on the New Year's table absolutely must be lettuce—its name sounds like "rising wealth" in Chinese, making it essential for attracting prosperity.

Why It's Special: The quick blanching method keeps lettuce perfectly crisp and brilliantly green.

How to Make It: Soak lettuce in water with baking soda for 10 minutes to remove impurities. Blanch in boiling salted, oiled water for exactly 10 seconds—this preserves color and crunch. Make a sauce by simmering generous oyster sauce, light soy sauce, starch, and water until thickened. Sauté garlic until fragrant, pour in the sauce, and drizzle over the arranged lettuce. It's refreshing, elegant, and far more delicious than its simplicity suggests.

2. Crisp Wood Ear Mushroom & Chinese Yam Stir-Fry

A light, nutritious dish that balances the richness of the feast while offering wonderful textural contrast.

Why It's Special: The combination of crunchy yam, chewy mushrooms, and colorful vegetables creates a harmonious medley.

How to Make It: Slice Chinese yam diagonally. Blanch with wood ear mushrooms and carrots in boiling water with salt and white vinegar for two minutes—this keeps everything crisp. Drain. Sauté garlic, scallions, and bell peppers until fragrant. Add the blanched vegetables, season with salt, chicken essence, and a pinch of sugar. Thicken with a starch slurry and stir-fry over high heat. Light, healthy, and incredibly satisfying.

3. "Flowering Prosperity" Onion Steamed Egg

This stunning dish transforms humble onions into a beautiful flower-like presentation that symbolizes blooming prosperity.

Why It's Special: The artistic presentation makes it a centerpiece-worthy dish that's surprisingly simple.

How to Make It: Place chopsticks on either side of an onion and slice deeply in a grid pattern without cutting through—this creates a blooming flower shape. Arrange in a bowl. Beat 3 eggs with twice the amount of warm water (the secret to silky texture) and pour over the onion. Steam over medium heat for 8 minutes. Garnish with scallions, sizzling hot oil, and a drizzle of light soy sauce. The result is fragrant, impossibly tender, and absolutely beautiful.

4. "Adding Flowers to Brocade" (Choy Sum with Mushrooms)

A dish whose name means "adding splendor to something already beautiful," symbolizing continuous improvement in the new year.

Why It's Special: Vibrant green vegetables paired with umami-rich mushrooms create a perfect balance.

How to Make It: Cut choy sum in half and slice shiitake mushrooms. Blanch greens briefly in oiled, salted water to maintain bright color. Blanch mushrooms separately to remove any earthy taste. Arrange greens decoratively on a plate. Sauté garlic until fragrant, add mushrooms and a sauce made from light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, chicken essence, and starch water. Reduce until glossy and pour over the greens. Simple elegance at its finest.

5. "Abundant Harvest" Five Grains Platter

This colorful medley represents wishes for favorable weather and bountiful harvests in the coming year.

Why It's Special: A beautiful assortment of naturally sweet vegetables that needs minimal seasoning.

How to Make It: Cut pumpkin, Chinese yam, corn, and purple sweet potato into manageable pieces. Arrange artistically on a plate with red dates, placing the purple sweet potato in the center. Steam over high heat for 18 minutes. Serve as-is or drizzle with honey if desired. Naturally sweet, nutritious, and visually stunning.

6. "Jadeite Wealth" Asparagus Lettuce Salad

This elegant cold dish symbolizes health, longevity, and family prosperity.

Why It's Special: The twisted presentation creates visual interest while the spicy dressing adds excitement.

How to Make It: Cut asparagus lettuce into thick slices, then make a slit in the center of each. Blanch in salted, oiled water until just tender, then cool immediately. Twist each slice by passing one end through the slit, creating a twisted shape. Arrange beautifully. Mix a dressing with chili, ginger, garlic, light soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, salt, MSG, and chili oil. Pour generously over the arranged lettuce. Spicy, crisp, and incredibly appetizing.

7. "Rose Potato Flowers" with Sweet & Sour Sauce

This creative transformation turns ordinary potatoes into stunning edible roses.

Why It's Special: The artistic presentation makes it a conversation starter, while the sweet-sour sauce appeals to all ages.

How to Make It: Slice potatoes thinly (about 1cm) and soak in salted water for 10 minutes until pliable. Drain, pat dry, and coat lightly with starch. Roll one slice into a cone shape, then wrap additional slices around it like rose petals, securing the base with toothpicks. Deep-fry at 170°C (340°F) until golden and crisp. Arrange on a plate. Make a sauce with ketchup, sugar, vinegar, and water, cooked until thickened. Drizzle over the potato roses. Beautiful, delicious, and surprisingly achievable.

8. Egg-Stuffed Zucchini

You won't believe how incredible this simple combination tastes—silky eggs nestled in tender zucchini.

Why It's Special: The zucchini acts as a natural vessel for the egg, creating perfect portions.

How to Make It: Cut zucchini into thick rounds and hollow out the centers, leaving the bottoms intact. Beat eggs with salt and pour into the zucchini cavities. Steam covered for 10 minutes. Mix a dressing with chili, scallions, garlic, and steamed fish soy sauce. Slice the cooked zucchini rounds and arrange on a plate, then drizzle with the dressing. Simple, elegant, and utterly delicious.

9. Pepper Fried Eggs

The ultimate comfort food—simple, satisfying, and incredibly moreish.

Why It's Special: The technique of dry-frying peppers first intensifies their flavor.

How to Make It: Lightly smash green peppers with a knife, then cut into strips. Scramble 3 eggs until just set and set aside. In the same pan, stir-fry peppers with a pinch of salt over low heat until tender and fragrant. Return the eggs to the pan, add a splash of light soy sauce, and toss everything together over high heat. That's it! You'll wonder why you ever made it any other way.

10. Onion Scrambled Eggs

If vegetarian dishes had a ranking, this one would be at the top for its ability to make rice disappear.

Why It's Special: The caramelized onions add sweetness that perfectly complements the eggs.

How to Make It: Cut onion into large chunks. Mix a sauce with light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, chicken essence, starch, and water. Scramble 3 eggs until just set and set aside. Sauté garlic, chili, and onion until the onion is tender-crisp. Return the eggs to the pan, pour in the sauce, and stir-fry over high heat until everything is well-coated and glossy. Simple, fast, and guaranteed to empty rice bowls.

11. Sour & Spicy Lotus Root Salad

Everyone loves this dish, but achieving the perfect crunch and color requires attention to detail.

Why It's Special: The contrast of sour, spicy, and crunchy makes it endlessly addictive.

How to Make It: Slice lotus root thinly and rinse multiple times to remove excess starch—this ensures crispness. Blanch in boiling water with salt and white vinegar for 20 seconds (avoid iron pots to prevent discoloration). Cool immediately. In a bowl, combine garlic, ginger, chili, and Sichuan peppercorns, then pour sizzling oil over them. Add salt, sugar, white vinegar, scallions, and cilantro. Toss with the lotus root. The result is perfectly crisp and bursting with flavor.

12. Chive & Egg Scramble (No Watery Mess!)

Many struggle with this classic, but the technique makes all the difference.

Why It's Special: Dry-frying the chives first eliminates excess moisture and concentrates their flavor.

How to Make It: Stir-fry chopped chives in a dry pan (no oil!) until their moisture evaporates—this intensifies their aroma. Transfer to a bowl with beaten eggs, salt, and pepper, mixing well. Heat oil and pour in the egg mixture, gently pushing until just set and slightly golden on all sides. The chives remain vibrant and fragrant, and there's no watery residue.

13. Scallion-Braised Wood Ear Mushrooms

A powerhouse of nutrition wrapped in incredible savory flavor.

Why It's Special: Wood ear mushrooms are incredibly nutritious (high in iron and plant alkaloids) and absorb flavors beautifully.

How to Make It: Soak dried wood ear mushrooms with a spoonful of flour to clean thoroughly. Blanch for three minutes. Make a sauce with salt, chicken essence, light and dark soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, starch, and water. Sauté garlic and generous scallion segments until fragrant, add the mushrooms, then pour in the sauce. Stir-fry over high heat until the sauce thickens and coats each piece. Healthy, delicious, and surprisingly satisfying.

14. Garlic Steamed Luffa (Silk Gourd)

This internet-famous method creates restaurant-quality results at home without deep-frying.

Why It's Special: The garlic sauce infuses the delicate luffa with incredible flavor.

How to Make It: Peel luffa and slice into thick rounds. Soak in salted water to prevent discoloration. Arrange on a plate over soaked vermicelli, placing an egg in the center. Make a garlic sauce by pouring hot oil over minced garlic and red chili, then mixing with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken essence, and sugar. Spread over the luffa and steam for 6 minutes. Finish with light soy sauce, scallions, and sizzling oil. Simple, beautiful, and packed with umami.

15. Egg-Exploded Tofu

This combination is so perfect you won't miss meat for a second.

Why It's Special: The eggs coat each piece of tofu, creating a golden exterior while keeping the interior silky.

How to Make It: Cut soft tofu into small cubes. Pour 3 beaten eggs over the tofu. Heat oil and add the tofu-egg mixture, stir-frying quickly so the egg coats each cube. In a separate pan, sauté garlic and chili until fragrant. Return the tofu and eggs, seasoning with salt, chicken essence, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir-fry for one minute over high heat. Finish with garlic sprouts. It's creamy, savory, and utterly moreish—a dish that proves vegetables can absolutely steal the show.