Vegan and vegetarian food in Cusco: Andean dishes, markets and useful phrases

Cusco is one of the easiest places in Peru to eat meat-free. Andean cooking rests on extraordinary plant ingredients — hundreds of potato varieties, corn, quinoa, fava beans, tarwi, kiwicha — and the city has a growing scene of vegetarian and vegan cafés and restaurants, many in San Blas and around the Plaza de Armas. Still, it pays to know what to ask, because meat stock and lard turn up in unexpected places.

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Andean ingredients you'll love

• Quinoa and kiwicha (amaranth): protein-rich Andean grains in soups, stews, salads and even drinks and desserts.
• Native potatoes: more than 3,000 varieties in Peru, in surprising colours and textures.
• Corn: giant-kernel choclo, toasted cancha and chicha morada (a non-alcoholic purple-corn drink).
• Tarwi (chocho): a very protein-rich Andean legume, in salads and creams.
• Fava beans, olluco, oca and mashua: highland tubers and legumes.
• Fruit: goldenberry, cherimoya, granadilla, lúcuma, prickly pear, passion fruit.
• Chillies: ají amarillo and rocoto flavour almost everything.

• San Pedro Market in Cusco: what to eat, what to buy, opening hours and tips

Peruvian dishes that are suitable or adaptable

• Solterito: an Arequipa salad of fava beans, fresh cheese, corn, onion and tomato (vegan without the cheese).
• Quinotto: quinoa risotto, often with mushrooms.
• Vegetarian lomo saltado: with mushrooms or tofu instead of beef.
• Papa a la huancaína: potatoes in a yellow chilli and cheese sauce (vegetarian).
• Ocopa: potatoes with huacatay and peanut sauce (vegetarian; usually contains cheese and milk).
• Vegetarian rocoto relleno: some restaurants stuff it with vegetables and cheese.
• Corn tamales and humitas: ask whether they contain pork lard.
• Causa: lime-and-chilli yellow potato mash layered with vegetables or avocado.
• Quinoa soup: ask whether the stock is vegetable.

Useful phrases for ordering

• "Soy vegetariano / vegetariana": I'm vegetarian (no meat or fish).
• "Soy vegano / vegana: no como carne, pescado, huevo, leche, queso ni miel": I'm vegan.
• "¿Lleva carne, pollo, pescado o mariscos?": Does it contain meat, chicken, fish or seafood?
• "¿Está hecho con caldo de carne o manteca?": Is it made with meat stock or lard?
• "Sin queso, por favor" / "Sin huevo, por favor": No cheese / no egg, please.

In Peru "carne" sometimes means only beef; mention chicken, fish and ham too.

• Basic Quechua phrases for your trip to Cusco (with pronunciation)

Finding restaurants

We don't recommend specific places because they change often, but these tips help:

• San Blas and the streets around the Plaza de Armas have most of the vegetarian and vegan restaurants.
• Many Novo Andean restaurants have creative vegetarian options.
• Look for vegetarian set lunches (menú del día): cheap and usually soup, main and drink.
• Map and review apps with a "vegan" filter help you find newly opened places.

• What and where to eat in Cusco: typical dishes, markets and tips
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Markets and shopping

San Pedro market is ideal for fruit, fresh juices, bread, Andean cheeses (for vegetarians), nuts and grains. Juice stalls blend tropical fruit to order. Supermarkets stock plant milk, tofu and basics if your accommodation has a kitchen.

• San Pedro Market in Cusco: what to eat, what to buy, opening hours and tips
• Local markets in Cusco: Wanchaq, Huancaro, Vinocanchón and beyond San Pedro

On treks and tours

Most trekking agencies offer vegetarian and vegan menus if you ask when booking. Get it in writing and remind them the day before. Trek cooks often make excellent dishes with quinoa, vegetables and legumes. On day tours, bring your own snacks in case lunch has few options.

• Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: route, difficulty, best season and how to plan it
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• How to choose a tour agency in Cusco: a checklist to get it right

Vegetarian cooking classes

Some cooking schools offer vegetarian classes or adapt the menu on request. It's a great way to learn Andean dishes with quinoa, native potatoes and chillies, and to visit the market with a cook.

• Cooking classes in Cusco: what to expect, typical dishes and how to choose

Eating well at altitude

For your first days in Cusco, eat light: soups, vegetables and complex carbs like quinoa sit better than heavy meals. Drink plenty of water and try coca or muña tea, a digestive Andean herb.

• Altitude sickness in Cusco: how to prevent it and what to do
• Coca leaf in Cusco: tea, chewing, altitude sickness and whether you can take it home

Notice: This guide shares advice and recommendations based on research and local experience. Prices, opening hours and rules may change: always check with official sources and operators. Cusco Tips is not responsible for third-party services, bookings or decisions made using these guides; some links are affiliate links (see our affiliate policy).