16 Vegan Dishes That Are Way More Exciting Than Salad

From forbes.com

Plant-based menu items are an important part of a healthy diet, even for people not on vegetarian or vegan diets. However, sometimes it seems like restaurants have little to offer outside of a basic salad. Sometimes though, spots take things up a notch and offer hearty vegan fare that is anything but basic.

Pani Puri

                                           Pani Puri at Night Music in New York City

At Night Music in New York City, Pani Puri is a traditional dish from the Indian subcontinent, consisting of a round, hollow puff of pastry, which guests fill with a cilantro and chili flavoured, spicy water. “Our entire menu at Night Music is vegan and also inspired by the dishes I enjoyed growing up. Pani Puri is a unique dish, a reminder of family celebrations, that I’m so happy made it to the Night Music; small puffs of pastry paired with a mysterious spicy water that are perfect for sharing. Whilst Indian food is inherently vegetarian, our team has perfected the use of plant-based oils to toast spices, sauté vegetables and enhance every flavour on the menu," said Ravi DeRossi, owner of Night Music.

Salt & Pepper Tofu

                                       Salt and Pepper Tofu at Philippe Chow in New York City

Diced and wok-fried, with garlic, scallion, and dried red chili, this amazing vegan dish is found at Philippe Chow in New York City.  Philippe Chow is famous for their Peking Duck and Chicken Satays, but the restaurant also has a unique offering of vegetarian dishes on their menu. “The ‘Salt & Pepper’ style dishes on our menu are completely vegan, but are some of the most popular dishes that our customers order every time,” said Chef Philippe Chow, Executive Chef of Philippe which has locations in New York’s Upper East Side and Meatpacking District. “The Salt & Pepper Eggplant and Salt & Pepper Tofu are diced and wok-fried, then topped with garlic, scallion, and dried red chili which certainly packs the heat and a ton of flavour.”

Green Tartare

                                          Green Tartare in Las Vegas at Edo Tapas & Wine

In Las Vegas at Edo Tapas & Wine, a delicious combination of some favourite green things--zucchini, cucumber, green bell pepper and pureed avocado with spiced pistachios, tossed in a pistachio-sherry vinaigrette and plated with a rice paper cracker wasabi furikake and micro cilantro! “So often in Spanish cooking, vegetables are merely used to complement animal protein," says chef/owner Oscar Amador Edo, "so we loved the idea of taking a typically all-meat dish and making it 100% plant-based, to show that they can stand alone, awakening all of our senses. Of course, the spices and sherry give it a distinctive Spanish-Mediterranean flair."

Apple Sundae

                                           Apple Sundae at Honeybee’s in New York City

In New York City, popular vegan BBQ destination Honeybee's offers an apple sundae that is essentially an apple pie in a sundae glass. It contains vegan vanilla/bourbon ice cream, bourbon apples, caramel, candy pecans, apple butter, and flaky pie crust.  “At Honeybee’s we are dedicated to offering the casual and nostalgic air of down-home barbecue. Using traditional techniques, and modern preparations our team has produced an excellent plant-based menu that truly represents BBQ. What is better to end a smoky BBQ dinner than with apple pie? Our Apple Sundae is a slice of sweet apple pie and vanilla/bourbon ice-cream served in a sundae glass. Have your vegan pie and eat it too," said Amira Gharib, executive chef of Honeybee’s.

Vegan Ceviche

                                    Vegan Ceviche at Farm & Craft in Scottsdale, Arizona
                                                                                                               Riot Hospitality Group

A healthy twist on the classic seafood dish, this standout starter at Farm & Craft in Scottsdale, Arizona is made with chopped golden beets, radish, cherry tomato, avocado, cilantro, lime & tomato chili sauce, served with quinoa flax chips. “We love the uniqueness of this appetizer, from the golden beets to the house made tomato chili sauce. It is a refreshing alternative to the seafood ceviche everyone is used to," said Robyn Moore, communications director for Riot Hospitality Group.

Flying Vegan Harvest

                                              Flying Vegan Harvest at JINYA Ramen Bar

At JINYA Ramen Bar, with locations in Baton Rouge, Las Vegas Flamingo, Las Vegas Rainbow, Calgary, Vancouver Downtown and Studio City, this dish is made with vegan miso broth, soy meat, tofu, bean sprouts, broccolini, green onion, corn, red onion, crispy garlic, chili seasoning and thick ramen noodles. “JINYA Ramen Bar has launched a Flying Vegan Harvest ramen as a part of our updated vegan menu section. Available at select locations, it’s made with a vegan miso broth, thick ramen noodles and is topped with crispy, flash-fried broccolini, which add umami and texture to the hearty vegan dish," said Tomo Takahashi, CEO and founder of JINYA Ramen Bar.

Vegan Redhot Tamale

                                             Vegan Redhot Tamale at The Delta in Chicago

At The Delta in Chicago, this is spicy wild mushroom and cush, served in bundles of 3. "Our Vegan Redhot tamale is 100% vegan, but you’d never know it. Often, we have vegan or vegetarian guests tell us that they feel like they’re cheating, because they feel like they’re eating a traditional
Mississippi Redhot tamale!" said chef Eldridge Williams.

Vegan Currywurst

                  Vegan Currywurst at Blatt Beer & Table, with locations in Omaha and Dallas

At Blatt Beer & Table, with locations in Omaha and  Dallas, this is a homemade vegan sausage made with all of the traditional currywurst flavours like smoked paprika, cumin and curry, and topped with caraway kraut and German rosemary mustard served on a pretzel bun “The Vegan Currywurst was inspired by a German Classic Currywurst. I thought it would be a fun challenge to recreate that as a vegan sandwich. In this dish, the sausage is topped with curry ketchup and kraut and served on a pretzel bun. While playing with flavours and figuring out how to make it vegan, we decided to put the curry on the inside of the vegan dog versus only going on top," said Tony Gentile, corporate executive chef of Flagship Restaurant Group.

Jackfruit Tiki Tacos

                          Jackfruit Tiki Tacos at Shaka Bowl, based in Hoboken, New Jersey

At Shaka Bowl, based in Hoboken, New Jersey, this is house made BBQ pulled jackfruit, put on gluten free warm tacos, shredded purple cabbage, pineapple, house made pickled onions and spicy Shaka sauce. “Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit, naturally sweet, at Shaka we boil the unripe jackfruit and cook it down for numerous hours in a house made bbq sauce, then it is pulled until it resembles a vegetarians version of “pulled pork”. We also have our house made jackfruit available to add to bowls, and our signature jackfruit toast in addition to the tacos!" said Kiersten Gormeley, founder and executive chef at Shaka Bowl.

 Cabbage Shank

                                            Cabbage Shank at Lamalo in New York City
                                                                                                                  Francesco Sapienza

At Lamalo in New York City, this is an overnight-braised whole cabbage head, silan-verjus glaze. “Lamalo is a place that strives to start with great ingredients and let their natural flavours shine. Our fish is simply grilled, as well as the short rib. We wanted to give vegetarians an option that would be equally as satisfying and not feel like ‘bird feed,’ and so we decided to take a whole cabbage and treat it like a protein. The whole cabbage which almost looks like a whole chicken. It is also a meaty, satisfying and delicious option that a vegan can eat with pride," said Gadi Peleg, owner of Lamalo.

Picadillo Vegetariano

                    Picadillo Vegetariano at Latineria in Grand Central Terminal in New York City

At Latineria in Grand Central Terminal in New York City, the latest Latin fast-casual eatery by renowned chef Julian Medina (La Chula, Toloache) diners on-the-go can enjoy his unique, vegetarian take on Picadillo, a classic Latin-American dish that’s typically made with meat. Chef Julian's version features braised carrots, potatoes, peas, capers, and olives in fresh tomato sauce. "When contemplating exactly how to create this meatless version of the dish, my intent was simply to bring out the flavour of the vegetables and to create a new way to look at the Picadillo altogether," said chef Julian Medina.

Cacio E Pere

                                                 Cacio E Pere at Felidia in New York City

Pear and pecorino ravioli, with crushed black pepper in New York City at Felidia.  “After all these years, I love to make this, and it's still a favorite among the guests year-round for everyone, not just vegetarians!” said executive chef Fortunato Nicotra.

Black & Bleu Burger

                                                 Black & Bleu Burger at Planta South Beach

David Grutman’s 100% plant-based eatery, Planta South Beach, is a Miami Beach restaurant where plant lovers and carnivores alike can indulge on all their favourite foods - guilt free. The restaurant uses innovative meat-free options to create dishes that will leave guests feeling like they ate the real thing. On Thursdays, Planta offers their Backyard BBQ menu which features 100% plant-based takes on BBQ staples such as the Black & Blue Burger, a burger a juicy as any made with shiitake bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cashew nut bleu cheese.  "At Planta, we like to emulate classic comfort foods that people are going to recognize and crave, and we’ve done something similar with Backyard BBQ — drawing inspiration from dishes like cheese burgers, hotdogs, and buffalo wings, and doing our best to make it damn close to the real thing...if not better," said Benjamin Goldman, chef de cuisine.

Vegan Melt

                                          Vegan Melt at The Grilled Cheeserie in Nashville

At The Grilled Cheeserie in Nashville, Vegan cheese and local tomato served on gluten-free bread.  “The vegan melt is something we’ve always served because at the end of the day, our goal is to feed the whole family and the only way to do that is by creating a menu where there’s something for everyone," said Crystal De Luna-Bogan, chef and co owner.

Vegan Lasagna

                                       Vegan Lasagna at Costa di Mare, at Wynn Las Vegas

At Costa di Mare, at Wynn Las Vegas, this dish is made with zucchini sheets, vegan ricotta, and pesto. “The lasagna came about because a guest wanted a raw, vegan, gluten-free dish. It was late spring and tomatoes, zucchini and basil were all starting to peak in flavours. The guest really enjoyed it, as did the waitstaff, so I decided to put it on the vegan menu, and since we have a beautiful charcoal grill, the zucchini gets a light grill on it before serving," said Mark LoRusso, executive chef at Costa di Mare.

Stuffed Artichoke Hearts

                                 Stuffed Artichoke Hearts at Beyond Sushi in New York City

At Beyond Sushi in New York City, artichoke hearts, turmeric ground seitan, celery root purée, green pea mint sauce, seasonal herbs. “The idea for this dish is rooted in memory. When I was a child, my grandmother made stuffed artichoke stew every holiday. Artichoke is a very popular ingredient in Moroccan cuisine, and the classic version of this dish is simply artichoke hearts stuffed with stewed vegetables and meat. I wanted to take that and refine it for a restaurant dish, so I re-imagined the stew as a sauce, and of course made it with plant-based protein.
I added mint to give it an additional freshness, reduced the stewed vegetables to create the sauce, then topped it with chili oil for depth of flavour. All of my dishes are inspired by something special in my past, and I love food that has a nostalgic feel," said Guy Vaknin, founder and executive chef.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alywalansky/2019/09/05/vegan-dishes-that-are-way-more-exciting-than-salad/#212eef27494a