Trying to eat a plant-based diet in Montevideo has been a challenge. As Wikipedia notes, “Beef is very important in Uruguayan cuisine and an essential part of many dishes.” Given that beef exports are a mainstay of the Uruguayan economy, this is not so surprising.
So far, I haven’t found a ‘vegetarian-friendly’ restaurant here that is both open in the evening and serves dishes focused on vegetables (as opposed, say, to veggie burgers or smoothies). However, I’m gradually discovering alternatives. On Saturday afternoon, I stumbled across a fairly substantial fruit and vegetable market (feria vecinal) on Avenida Salto, just around the corner from where I’m staying. Unfortunately I didn’t have the time or carrying-capacity to buy ingredients at that point.
Later on that day, however, I headed over to Ecotiendas, a nearby organic store. It was the second time I’d been there, but I was suddenly struck by how many different kinds of leafy greens there were. I recognised cavolo nero, regular kale, chard (pictured at the top of this post), spring greens, rocket, different sorts of lettuce, but there were certainly some leaves hat I just couldn’t identify. Lots of scope for future exploration.
