Grublin treats vegetarian as a hard rule, re-checked in the finished recipe like an allergy. When you set it, every recipe request states it as a requirement, and the recipe is then checked by Grublin's own code against lists of meat, fish, shellfish and slaughter-derived ingredients such as gelatine, lard and suet. Vegetarian lookalikes such as veggie sausages, soya mince and mock duck are recognised and allowed. Grublin is a free recipe app for iPhone and Android.
The vegetarian recipe problem is the "optional" bacon
Vegetarian recipes online come in two kinds: the ones filed under vegetarian, and the ones that would be vegetarian if you left out the pancetta, swapped the stock and ignored the anchovy in the dressing. Half the dishes you'd love are in the second group, and you do the editing in your head every time.
Grublin writes the dish vegetarian from the start. Tell Grub what's in, or what you fancy, and the carbonara that comes back was never going to have guanciale in it.
What the check catches
Meat, including the cured and processed forms. Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, mutton, veal, venison, duck, turkey, goose, rabbit, pheasant, quail, boar, bison, bacon, ham, gammon, sausage, meatballs, mince, steak, prosciutto, pancetta, guanciale, chorizo, salami, pepperoni, pastrami, bresaola, lardons.
The by-products. Lard, suet, dripping, tallow, gelatine, aspic, liver, kidney, offal, foie gras. A suet dumpling fails. A jelly set with gelatine fails.
Fish and shellfish. Everything on the fish list, including anchovies, Worcestershire sauce (anchovy-based) and dashi (bonito). All shellfish and squid.
Veggie versions pass. Vegetarian, veggie and vegan sausages, soya mince, Quorn mince, veggie mince, vegan meatballs, mock meat and mock duck, meat-free and meat substitute, plant-based bacon, vegan fish sauce and vegan Worcestershire. Also beef tomatoes and chicken of the woods.
If a forbidden term appears in the finished recipe, Grub asks for another and you only see the one that passed.
What the check does not catch
- Animal rennet in cheese. Parmesan, Grana Padano and many traditional cheeses are made with animal rennet and are not strictly vegetarian. The check does not flag cheese. If this matters to you, type "parmesan" under dislikes and look for vegetarian hard cheese.
- Additives. Carmine, shellac, isinglass in beer and wine.
- Stock. A recipe will say "vegetable stock"; what's in your stock cube is on its label.
Vegetarian and something else
- Vegetarian and gluten-free. Set both and seitan, wheat noodles and soy sauce go with the meat.
- Vegetarian and dairy-free. Closer to vegan than you'd think; set both, or just set vegan and keep egg.
- Vegetarian with a nut allergy. Set tree nuts and the cashew cream and almond crumbs are replaced.
- Vegetarian and low-carb. Low-carb is steered rather than re-checked, so the recipe leans on eggs, halloumi, tofu and vegetables and you verify the carbs.
What you'll actually cook
Grub writes from what's in your fridge or what you fancy. Vegetarian plus your kit and spice tolerance tends to produce frittatas and shakshuka, curries and dhals, halloumi and paneer dishes, pasta bakes, risottos, gnocchi, stuffed vegetables, bean chillis, tarts and quiches, big salads, soups, and the occasional veggie-sausage toad-in-the-hole. Say "I fancy a Sunday roast" and you get a nut roast or a whole roasted cauliflower with all the trimmings and a vegetarian gravy.
Set your kit as well: a vegetarian dinner from an air fryer or an Aga is written for it.
Yes. Vegetarian is one of four diets (with vegan, halal and kosher) that Grublin re-checks in the finished recipe using its own ingredient lists, in addition to stating the requirement in every request. Yes. Gelatine, aspic, lard, suet, dripping and tallow are on the list, along with offal. No. Vegetarian and vegan sausages, soya and Quorn mince, mock duck, plant-based bacon and meat substitutes are recognised and allowed through. Yes. Worcestershire sauce is flagged because it contains anchovies; fish sauce is caught by the fish rule. Vegan versions of both are allowed. No. Cheese is not flagged, so Parmesan-style cheeses made with animal rennet pass. Add them under dislikes if that matters to you.Questions people ask
Does Grublin actually check that a recipe is vegetarian?
Does it catch gelatine, lard and suet?
Will veggie sausages and mock meat be rejected by mistake?
Does it know about Worcestershire sauce and fish sauce?
Does it check for animal rennet in cheese?