3-Ingredient Lentil Wraps

From plantbasednews.org

Time to stop spending money on wraps 

A packet of store-bought wraps is handy to have at home, but making your own can be cheaper, less processed, and surprisingly simple. Wil Yeung’s 3-ingredient lentil wraps offer a clever way to turn red lentils, water, and salt into a flexible base for lunches, quick dinners, and meal prep.

Yeung, the creator behind Yeung Man Cooking, is a Hong Kong-born Canadian cook, photographer, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and cookbook author. His plant-based YouTube channel focuses on approachable recipes that help people cook more at home. In a recent video, Yeung shares a lentil wrap recipe from one of his cookbooks and shows how easily it can be adapted with greens, spices, and fillings.

“This is a literal three-ingredient recipe,” Yeung says in the video. “And two of those ingredients [are] water and salt.”

Making the lentil batter

These versatile wraps are made using red lentils, water, and salt, with a green variation that includes spinach and seasonings - Media Credit: YouTube / Yeung Man Cooking

Yeung starts by adding one cup of red lentils to a heatproof bowl. He boils water in a kettle, setting it to the highest temperature if the kettle has options, then pours the hot water over the lentils. He does not measure the soaking water. He simply uses enough to keep the lentils fully submerged.

While the lentils can soak overnight, Yeung says the faster method works well. “I find soaking them in boiling hot water, 20, 25 minutes is sufficient,” he says. After soaking, he rinses and drains the lentils before adding one cup of fresh water.

The lentils then go into a blender with a couple of pinches of salt. Yeung blends the mixture on high until it turns completely smooth, which takes about a minute. The finished batter should look thin and pourable, closer to a runny pancake mix than a thick dough. Yeung says the recipe makes about six to seven wraps, though it can be multiplied for a bigger batch.

Cooking the wraps

To cook the wraps, Yeung uses a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. He cooks with a carbon steel pan, so he warms it dry for a couple of minutes first. He then spreads a very thin layer of avocado oil over the pan with a paper towel.

Yeung pours in about half a cup of the lentil mixture and quickly spreads it with a ladle, using the same motion you would use to make a crepe. He warns that the batter needs a gentle hand. Pressing too hard or using a pan that is too hot can cause the wrap to break.

“Just spread it out once and leave it,” he says.

The wrap cooks for about two minutes on the first side. Yeung then releases it with a spatula, flips it, and cooks the other side for another couple of minutes. At that point, the wrap should already be sturdy enough to handle. He points out that the plain version is still useful on its own, especially because the wraps are flexible and easy to roll.

“They’re very pliable and rollable as well,” he says.

How to make green spinach lentil wraps

YouTube / Yeung Man CookingYeung makes a simple lunch wrap with seared tofu, chimichurri, leftover couscous, and microgreens

After showing the plain red lentil version, Yeung turns the base recipe into a green spinach wrap. He adds garlic powder, onion powder, fresh cracked pepper, and packed fresh spinach to the remaining batter. Kale would also work, he says, and the choice comes down to preference.

The mixture goes back into the blender until smooth. After about 30 seconds, the batter turns a bright green. Yeung then cooks it in the same way, spreading about half a cup into the pan and flipping it after a couple of minutes.

The spinach version adds more flavour and colour without making the recipe complicated. Yeung says the wraps are also forgiving, since you can lift an edge and check whether they are done before flipping.

The same idea works with other ingredients. Paprika can give the batter an orange tint, while turmeric can make it golden. Yeung also suggests taking the flavour further with ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes or smoked paprika.

“You can really let your imagination go wild with how you want to flavour these wraps,” he says.

A flexible base for lunch

To show how the wraps work in a meal, Yeung makes a simple lunch wrap with seared tofu, chimichurri, leftover couscous, grilled asparagus, tomatoes, chopped red onion, and microgreens. The filling shows why the recipe works well for leftovers. The wraps can hold grains, vegetables, tofu, sauces, and fresh toppings without needing much extra prep.

Yeung notes that the plain red lentil wrap has a mild flavour. He describes it as seasoned but simple, saying it “basically just tastes like a gluten-free lentil pancake.” The green version looks more striking and tastes stronger because of the garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and spinach.

The wraps also store well. Yeung says they can be refrigerated and enjoyed for a week or two, or frozen for longer storage. He recommends warming them slightly before using them, which helps restore their texture and pliability.

For anyone trying to cook more at home, these 3-ingredient lentil wraps are the kind of recipe that can make meal prep feel less rigid. They start with a basic pantry ingredient, but they can become plain wraps, green wraps, spiced wraps, or a sturdy base for whatever needs using up in the fridge.

“These wraps are so versatile, and the base wrap is only made of literally three ingredients,” Yeung says.

With a blender, a pan, and a little practice, red lentils can become something far more useful than a soup or stew ingredient. They can become wraps for the week.

For more creative and simple plant-based recipes, visit Wil Yeung’s YouTube channel.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/3-ingredient-lentil-wraps/

Future Food Quick Bites: Joe Ho Ho, Vegan Wellington & Upside Foods

From greenqueen.com.hk

By Anay Mridul

New products and launches

Danish firm Reduced, which uses fermentation to turn food waste into savoury flavour enhancers, has developed two bespoke sauces for Joe & The Juice‘s new Christmas sandwich, titled Joe Ho Ho: a vegan gravy mayo from its mushroom solution, and a Christmas cabbage ketchup from its vegetable solution.

Courtesy: Joe & The Juice

Swiss meat alternative leader Planted has teamed up with Norwegian food producer Le Patron Orior Menu to launch a vegan steak wellington featuring its plant-based steak. It can be baked in an oven in 20-25 minutes, and is available at select Coop stores in the start-up’s home market.

And French plant-based ingredients company Roquette has introduced its Nutralys plant proteins and Nutriose soluble fibres to North America via its ongoing distribution deal with Univar Solutions, which will sell the ingredients in the US and Canada through its Foodology business.

Company, finance and policy developments

US holding company Livekindly Collective has completed its acquisition of German plant-based food start-up Greenforce, its second concluded purchase in a month. 

Courtesy: Greenforce

Australian dairy and plant-based food giant Noumi, known for its Milklab brand, is leaving the Australian Securities Exchange after 41 years, after its shareholders approved a deal to sell all shares to Arrovest, a private company owned by the billionaire Perich family, for A$737M ($518M).

Snacking company Pladis, which owns McVitie’s and Godiva, has opened applications for the second year of its global accelerator programme, this time seeking 12 start-ups working on GLP-1-friendly nutrition and climate-resilient ingredients.

UK pet food start-up Meatly has relocated to Grapht Works, Imperial College London’s pilot and advanced manufacturing site in North Acton, ahead of establishing what it claims will be Europe’s largest cultivated meat facility next year.

South Korean cultivated meat start-up Pangse has presented its proprietary cell culturing tech and industrialisation capabilities to officials from the Dutch government and leading research institutions at its R&D centre in Gangseo-gu, Seoul.

Japanese food giant Ajinomoto Corporation has filed for a patent with the World Intellectual Property Organization to cover a process that turns fava bean protein into a cheese flavour booster using enzymes and bacteria. It beat 1% dairy Cheddar at a 0.5% concentration in a vegan cheese sauce.

Another future food patent filing, this time in the US, comes from British start-up Quest Meat, which is working on a process to culture animal cells on ground, dead nutritional yeast flakes for cultivated meat, instead of plastic beads or costly edible gels.

Finally, Californian cultivated meat pioneer Upside Foods has appointed former US Department of Agriculture official Eric Deeble as its new head of government affairs.

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/future-food-quick-bites-joe-ho-ho-vegan-wellington-upside-foods/

Opinion: Eating meat doesn’t make you more of a man

From dailycollegian.com

By Lucy Peterson

The other day, I was cooking up my favourite burger alternative when I got into a conversation with a friend about the connection between eating meat, masculinity and gym culture. By now we have all seen the gym bro influencers, like Jordan Peters and Dr. Shawn Baker, who swear by a carnivore diet: full sticks of butter with dinner and slabs of steak or ground beef for every meal. They argue that to be a man you have to be buff, and the only way to be buff is to eat excessive amounts of meat and dairy products. They make it seem impossible to be manly and masculine without eating meat. But in reality, this just isn’t the case.

While the topic is widely understudied, research shows that there is little to no difference in physical performance between an individual with an omnivorous diet and one with a vegan diet. In terms of endurance, a plant-based diet is arguably advantageous due to the quicker energy accessibility of carbs, better heart health and skeletal muscle density. Some argue that vegans are at a disadvantage in terms of weight training due to a lack of creatine in their diet, which helps the body produce more ATP and supports muscle growth. But luckily, this is very easy to supplement, and oftentimes non-vegan athletes will also take creatine regularly.

There is a common misconception that it is hard to get enough protein when on a plant-based diet. While protein is a necessary part of muscle growth, it is not necessary to eat a steak and seven eggs to hit your protein goals. Seitan, Tempeh, lentils, beans and even oats contain an abundance of protein. Instead of having one protein food on a plate, vegans will often find ways to get protein from multiple sources at a time.

Not only do these influencers and internet diet culture want us to believe that eating meat is the only way to get muscular, but there is also a common misconception that men who opt out of eating meat are weak. Terms like “Soy Boy,” which got its start in far-right internet culture in 2017, push the message that men who don’t eat meat aren’t manly. This thinking originated from the fact that soy contains isoflavones, which are plant-based compounds that mimic oestrogen. Eating soy is associated with veganism in Western culture, making it “feminine” to be vegan and to regularly eat foods like tofu that contain “oestrogen.” This is not only scientifically inaccurate, but it is also deeply rooted in misogyny.

Throughout history, humans have associated things like empathy and nurturing instincts towards other living things with femininity, and associated violence, stoicism and physical fitness with masculinity. But as time goes on and the world progresses, why do we still allow these assumptions to exist?

In a lot of ways, one of the most masculine things a person can do is display empathy towards other living things. Contrary to what TikTok wants us to believe, being masculine is less about how big your muscles are and is more about how you present yourself in other ways. There are no physical requirements and no dietary restrictions attached to the label. Masculinity and character should not be judged from how many animal parts you consume on any given day, but rather how kind you are to others and your ability to question fundamental parts of our society that we have collectively grown to accept.

It can be difficult when society is built against veganism already, combined with pressure online to associate manliness with eating meat and being buff. It is crucial to remember that not everything we see online is true and that your personal definition of what masculinity is does not have to align with that of influencers on the internet. The best thing you can do is educate yourself on alternative plant proteins, the atrocities of the meat and dairy industry and embrace your empathy.

https://dailycollegian.com/2026/11/your-friendly-vegan-eating-meat-doesnt-make-you-more-of-a-man/ 

USA: The 19 Most Exciting Vegan Restaurant Openings in 2026

From vegnews.com

By Richard Bowie and Charlotte Pointing

From Chaka Khan’s café to Red Bamboo’s return, explore the vegan restaurant openings and comebacks worth celebrating across the US in 2026

We won’t sugarcoat it: there have been too many vegan restaurant closures lately. But, and that’s a very big but, there have also been plenty of exciting developments in the plant-based industry in 2026.

From Colorado to Florida to New York City and beyond, chefs and restaurateurs have shown that they’re not giving up on the future of plant-based dining. And nor should they. There’s still an audience to serve, after all. According to the Plant Based Foods Association, around 70 percent of Americans eat plant-based foods, whether or not they’re vegan.

Here, we’re taking a moment to celebrate, in no particular order, some of the year’s most promising vegan restaurant openings. Whether you love a juicy hot dog, an expertly crafted pizza, or elevated plant-based, whole food cuisine, there’s something here for you.

Nacha Focaccia | AngieLMV Photography

1Nacha Focaccia in Brooklyn, NY

If you want to attract hundreds of customers on your opening weekend, offer them hearty focaccia sandwiches, indulgent sweet treats, and specialty lattes. That’s what Nacha Focaccia did in spring 2026, anyway. And it worked.

The Brooklyn plant-based café, helmed by vegan chef Charlise Rookwood and barista Naima Coleman, is still going strong.

“Nacha Focaccia is my first restaurant ever,” Rookwood told BK Mag after the opening. “I’m speechless at the community and how they’ve come out. The way they’ve embraced us. Because you never really know. You work on something for so long, and you get so attached to it, but it’s been amazing. I don’t know what the future is going to bring, but it’s crazier than I anticipated.”

Mother Other

2Mother Other in Denver, CO

Denver has seen a wave of vegan openings lately, and Mother Other is right in the thick of it. The restaurant is led by co-owners chef Alexi Mandolini and beverage director Taylor Herbert, who won The Great Food Truck Race in 2023. The vegan bar and restaurant opened in summer 2026 and specializes in comforting yet elevated whole-food, plant-based cuisine.

“Denver has a really strong vegan scene, and those folks really care about showing up and supporting vegan businesses,” Mandolini told VegNews earlier this year. “But those are just a fraction of the folks we serve each week. I think Denver diners appreciate creative and delicious food, vegan or not. It’s a city where an omnivore will just as easily enjoy a plant-based meal one weekend and a meal at a steakhouse the next.”

Lesbiveggies

3Lesbiveggies

Camden, NJ

Vegan, gluten-free restaurant Lesbiveggies closed in 2024, but in 2026 it made a triumphant return, serving up everything from Calabrian cornbread and Caribbean pastelon to hearts of paml penne alfredo and strawberry cheesecake-chai pancakes with caramelized pecans for brunch.

“I just feel like what I’m going for now matches my surroundings,” founder Brennah Lambert told Philadelphia Gay News about the restaurant’s new spot in Camden, NJ. “I feel like I’m in the right space.”

Matthew Kenney | Besos

4Besos in Birmingham, MI

Serial vegan restaurateur Matthew Kenney never gives up. In summer 2026, he opened Besos with local entrepreneur Dana Weeks. The Birmingham restaurant serves cocktails, brunch classics, late-night bites made with whole foods, and Detroit-style pizza, with the kitchen open until 1am.

“Besos is about raising the bar for what people expect when they dine out, bringing a level of craft, intention, and innovation that feels fresh to this community,” said Kenney. “We saw an opportunity to introduce something distinctly different here, and we could not pass up the chance to share that experience.”

Secret Vegan Kitchen

5Secret Vegan Kitchen in Oceanside, NY

It was about time Long Island got its own vegan deli, and Secret Vegan Kitchen was happy to oblige. The former pop-up opened in Oceanside in spring 2026, and, as expected, its plant-based Reubens, cheesesteaks, and housemade salads have been a big hit.

“While the pop-up life was fun and gave us the opportunity to reach customers in many different areas, I always wanted to turn this into a brick-and-mortar where we could become a hub for the community built around cruelty-free food,” owner Tiffany Gordon told VegNews.

Long Count

6Long Count in New York, NY

Like Kenney, Ravi DeRossi has a passion for launching new plant-based concepts through his restaurant group, Overthrow Hospitality. One of his newest offerings is Long Count, an aged-wine and focaccia bar that opened in New York City’s East Village in January 2026.

“Long Count has to be one of the coolest bars I have ever been to,” DeRossi said. “Where else can you get a 30-year-old Cab Franc, and by the glass, as well as fermented black truffle arancini? It’s kind of insane what a little bit of patience does to flavour; it’s just really f*cking cool.”

Fungi Foods

7Fungi Foods in Oakland, CA

How many different ways can you transform mushrooms into delicious vegan dishes? For Fungi Foods, the limit does not exist. The eatery has been serving french fry-and-mushroom-“anchovy-infused caesar salads, KFC-style bowls, saucy wings, and fully loaded mac and cheese topped with fungi since spring 2026.

We know you’re huge fans: after all, the eatery took the title of Best New Vegan Restaurant in our fourth annual VegNews Restaurant Awards.

Vegan Van

8Vegan Van in Denver, CO

We told you Denver was witnessing a vegan boom. In October, popular vegan food truck Vegan Van opened its first brick-and-mortar location on Colfax Avenue. Owned by Justin and Brittney Gurule, the new spot serves the same tasty plant-based twists on fast-food favourites as the truck, including Crunchwraps, tacos, and loaded fries.

“We draw inspiration from all over,” general manager Hannah Eaves told VegNews. “We have featured specials inspired by KFC, Arby’s, Panda Express, and many more. It all goes back to the original goal Justin and Brittney set out with: make good food that we want to eat.”

Counter Culture

9Counter Culture in Austin, TX

Counter Culture was forced to close in 2022 amid rising costs and declining sales, but in 2026, it rose from the dead. Founder Sue Davis raised almost $50,000 on Kickstarter to open the beloved eatery’s new location in Windsor Park.

Why? “Austin needs a place like this,” she told VegNews. “Where everything is scratch-made and vegan, and nobody gets turned away.”

“It feels great to see so many familiar faces and new ones walking through our doors. I missed the regulars, the conversations across the counter, and the feeling of a full dining room,” she added.

Mother Board Analog Meats

10Mother Board Analog Meats in Tempe, AZ

In fall 2026, Damon Brasch opened a brand-new vegan deli inside his popular Tempe restaurant, Green New American. The key selling point? Hearty Italian-style sandwiches with the restaurant’s very own handmade deli cuts.

“We wanted to recreate the entire experience without sacrificing anything that makes an Italian sub so satisfying,” Brasch told VegNews in September. “And nobody has to die, be killed, or suffer for it. To us, it’s a no-brainer.”

Soda Club

11Soda Club in Denver, CO

Yup, we’re back in Denver. DeRossi usually launches his vegan concepts in New York, but in fall 2026, he announced a Denver location of Soda Club, his Bib Gourmand-recognized New York City eatery specializing in fresh pasta and Roman-style pizza.

“We kept many of the Soda Club classics that our guests love in New York City while tailoring the menu entirely to Denver’s energy, seasons, and landscape,” said Soda Club chef Amira Gharib. “Soda Club has a sense of comfort and neighbourhood hospitality with an undercurrent of culinary thought and fine-dining technique backing up every single plate and a twist on classics that keeps every bite exciting.”

Abuelita Coco

12La Nieta Vegan Cafe and Market in Chicago, IL

Chicago’s Bucktown neighbourhood welcomed a new plant-based Mexican café in September 2026 in La Nieta Vegan Cafe and Market. Born from Casandra Flores—the restaurateur behind Abuelita Coco, another Chicago favourite— La Nieta offers plant-based versions of familiar Mexican classics. The menu includes chilaquiles, fish tacos, birria quesadillas, and coconut meat calamari that patrons call “unreal”. Take advantage of its hybrid restaurant-marketplace model by picking up some pantry staples, tinctures, beauty supplies, or a slice of strawberry cake to go.

Nah Dogs

13Nah Dogs in St. Petersburg, FL

Jeff and Jenny Howe started Nah Dogs as a food cart in 2019, and the concept proved such a hit that, by 2026, they had no choice but to open a brick-and-mortar.

All of Nah Dogs’ hot dogs are made with Loma Linda’s Big Frank Vegan Hot Dogs. Options range from classic Chicago-style dogs to more creative combinations, including the Frito Pie Dog and the Wedge Salad Dog.

“I think this town is progressing more toward a vegan and vegetarian lifestyle,” Jenny told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “So it seemed like a good time to finally do it.”

Throne Room

14Throne Room in San Diego, CA

Kory Stetina has suffered his fair share of knockbacks. In 2025, he opened Dreamboat and Vulture, but both closed within a year. Still, he didn’t give up. In summer 2026, he announced the opening of Throne Room.

The new cocktail bar sits inside Kindred, Stetina’s popular vegan heavy-metal bar in San Diego.

“Throne Room expands upon some Kindred lore,” Stetina tells VegNews. “Its origins trace back to a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired placemat map we created for Kindred’s 2017 Coachella pop-up. That deliberately silly and indulgent map imagined a secret enchanted dwelling hidden beneath the restaurant, as a way of introducing festival-goers to Kindred’s playful mysticism.”

Chaka’s Plantbaed Café

15Chaka’s Plantbaed Café in Serenbe, GA

Even Chaka Khan has opened a vegan restaurant in 2026. Chaka’s Plantbaed Café in Serenbe is a sister location to the original Plantbaed Café, which chef and restaurateur Anne Onyeneho founded in nearby Vinings in 2024.

According to Onyeneho, Khan loved Plantbaed so much that she wanted one of her own. And what Khan wants, Khan gets.

“She’s a legend,” Onyeneho told Essence. “We’re hyperlocal in our business, and I feel like this relationship could be the beginning of the most beautiful opportunities.”

Red Bamboo Kitchen

16Red Bamboo Kitchen in New York, NY

This year has been quite the whirlwind for Red Bamboo Kitchen. Back in February, the vegan Chinese restaurant announced it was closing after 24 years in business. Then, in fall 2026, it revealed its return as a takeout spot on West 38th Street.

Fans were thrilled by the news, to say the least. “I could literally cry! This just made my entire year,” commented one Instagram user on the post announcing Red Bamboo Kitchen’s new location. Another added: “So happy to hear this; [this] news literally made my week.”

Vegan Vato NewMexiCali Eatz

17Vegan Vato NewMexiCali Eatz in Albuquerque, NM

Vegan Vato has always done things its own way. The Albuquerque restaurant brings Mexican, New Mexican, and California influences together in a menu that includes everything from green chili-loaded burritos to seitan mushroom asada Philly plates. And after building a following as a food truck and food pod, the business opened its own storefront in Old Town in summer 2026, giving fans a permanent place to get their saucy, cheesy, meaty fix.

Street Beet

18Street Beet, Pour Decisions & Soft Spot in Detroit, MI

Detroit’s beloved comfort-food outpost Street Beet technically misses the 2026 cut-off by just a few weeks, having opened its first brick-and-mortar location mid-December 2025. But we’re making an exception for this Motor City favourite, which has spent the year growing its footprint with two new concepts. Soft Spot brings nostalgic, all-vegan soft serve to a walk-up window, with rotating flavours, sundaes, floats, and creative slushies. Meanwhile, Pour Decisions is an oat milk coffee shop designed for lingering, with plenty of room to work, free Wi-Fi, and pastries to go with your latte. 

 La Casa de Mamá 

19La Casa de Mamá in Portland, OR

Look out Portland, you’re getting your first all-vegan Mexican panadería. Family-run La Casa de Mamá has spent more than five years building a following at pop-ups and farmers markets, and in December 2026, it will open its first storefront in North Portland. Expect traditional Mexican pastries like conchas, flaky empanadas, alfajores, and tres leches cake, with plans to expand into savory staples like tamales, taquitos, and pozole. Can’t wait for opening day? Online orders for pickup are already available.

https://vegnews.com/best-vegan-restaurant-openings-2026