20 Vegan Restaurant Menu Ideas to Boost Profits
Jeanne S / Foodservice Tips, Restaurant Tips / July 14
With the global vegan food market expected to reach $65.4 billion by 2030, it’s a good idea to include plant-based options on your restaurant’s menu. If you’re unsure how to meet the needs of a small yet growing market, this list of 20 vegan restaurant menu ideas and 5 implementation tips will help you satisfy customers easily and inexpensively so you can grow your business.
Vegan Breakfast Options
Plant-Based Pancakes
Although traditional pancakes contain eggs and milk, the basic recipe can be modified very easily: just replace the cow’s milk with almond or soy and swap out the egg for a bit of applesauce. Maple syrup is coincidentally vegan, so you only have to worry about finding a plant-based butter if you want to create a vegan version of pancakes, butter and syrup.
Tofu Scramble
Although tofu is usually seen at breakfast and lunch, it also deserves a spot on your restaurant’s breakfast menu in the form of tofu scramble. First, crumble some tofu into a skillet or onto a griddle, and then add chopped vegetables like tomatoes, spinach or onions. Sprinkle in some vegan cheese, fold everything together, and you’ve got some great vegan scrambled eggs.
Avocado Toast
A stereotypical favorite of Millennials, avocado toast is a delicious and filling breakfast dish that’s coincidentally vegan. If you’re afraid that customers will find this dish to be too ordinary, take a note from the Peruvian and Chilean version known as pan con palta and use French bread instead of normal sliced bread. For more color and flavor, serve with tomato slices.
Chia Pudding
Chia pudding is easy to make: simply mix together seeds, plant-based milk and flavorings and then chill in the refrigerator for a few hours. Many of your guests will never have heard of chia pudding before, so design your menu to increase sales by placing it at the top where it’s easily visible. If you really want to encourage orders, include an eye-catching photo, too.
Plant-Based Lunch Ideas
Rice Bowl
Although bowls of rice, vegetables and plant-based protein may seem rather ordinary, they’re one of the best vegan restaurant menu ideas because they appeal to 3 types of customers: plant-based, health-conscious and gluten-free. Be sure to make your bowls interesting and appealing by using a variety of colors and textures and by arranging the ingredients artfully.
Cauliflower Tacos
Cauliflower’s crumbly texture, neutral flavor and low cost make it the perfect substitute for ground beef in tacos. For maximum flavor, be sure to bake the florets in the oven and use a generous amount of taco seasoning. If you’re looking for a vegan alternative to sour cream, cashew crema is a good option.
Plant-Based Burgers
No vegan lunch menu would be complete without plant-based burgers. Although options like the Impossible™ Burger or the Beyond Burger® give customers the same flavor and texture as meat, bean or lentil patties are not only popular but also easy and inexpensive to make in house. Be sure to serve your vegan burgers with a variety of toppings, including vegan mayo.
Coconut Curry
Translating traditional curries into plant-based versions is easy. Instead of yogurt as a thickener, try coconut milk. In place of meat, add tofu or hearty vegetables like sweet potatoes. Whatever you add will fade into the spicy flavor and creamy texture, so curries are also a good way to use up leftover vegetables, reducing food waste and making your restaurant more sustainable.
Vegan Dinner Menu Ideas
Portobello Mushroom Steaks
Since food blogger Caitlin Shoemaker of FromMyBowl.com says that portobello mushrooms are the best steak substitute she’s found, they should be on your restaurant’s vegan menu. If you need recipe ideas, she flavors her vegan portobello mushroom steaks with a marinade of plant-based Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika to give them an extra meaty flavor.
Ratatouille
This vegetable stew from France is another famous dish that just so happens to be vegan. Full of tomatoes, eggplant, onions, bell peppers and zucchini and seasoned with spices like basil and thyme, ratatouille is both flavorful and colorful. It’s sure to appeal to more than just vegan customers, so remember to promote it as part of your restaurant’s summer menu.
Meatless Pasta Sauce
From lasagna to stuffed shells, meat sauce is used in a lot of pasta dishes. If you’re looking for ideas on how to make these menu items vegan, try replacing the meat with extra vegetables. To mimic the texture of ground beef, try adding grated carrots, shredded zucchini and chopped onions; or, replace the meat with lentils or beans to really make the sauce hearty.
Lentil Meatballs
If you want to offer a vegan version of spaghetti and meatballs in your restaurant, try lentil meatballs. Content creator Brittany Mullins of EatingBirdFood.com recommends using brown or green lentils for meatballs since they’re denser and hold their shape better than red lentils. Whether served with pasta, in a wrap or on their own, these meatballs are sure to be a hit.
Plant-Based Appetizers & Sides
Hummus
If you’re looking for vegan restaurant menu ideas, be sure to consider hummus. Since it can be made with chickpeas straight from the can, it’s perfect for busy kitchens that need to churn out orders. If you want to stand out from other establishments, add roasted carrots or peppers to your hummus to make it more colorful and flavorful.
Chips & Salsa
Chips and salsa is another restaurant menu item that many don’t realize is usually vegan. You have to be careful with tortilla chips because some contain lard or were fried in oil used to prepare non-vegan foods, so consider making your own chips in-house. Besides, serving customers fresh, piping-hot chips is sure to please both vegans and meat-eaters alike.
Miso Soup
If you’re looking for vegan restaurant menu ideas, don’t overlook miso soup. In addition to being a good first course or side dish for people who want something light, the broth has a great umami flavor that’s the perfect substitute for chicken stock in soup, stews and other recipes. In fact, miso soup is one of the main ingredients in vegan ramen, so there’s no doubt it’s versatile.
Vegan Mac & Cheese
Mac and cheese can be both an entree and a side, so be sure to include a plant-based version on your menu. Although most vegan cheese sauces contain cashews, you might want to try the NoraCooks.com recipe that uses potatoes, carrots and nutritional yeast. Not only is it perfect for people with nut allergies, but the ingredients are also cheaper than the cashew version, too.
Vegan Dessert Ideas
Plant-Based Cake
While there’s nothing quite like a multi-layer cake with plenty of frosting, almost all traditional recipes include butter, milk and eggs. Thankfully, you can make vegan versions of classic cakes with a few ingredient substitutions. If you need an example, take a look at this vegan strawberry cake recipe from The Minimalist Baker–and as an added bonus, it’s gluten-free, too!
Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk
It’s easy to make rice pudding vegan-friendly by swapping out the cow’s milk for full-fat coconut milk. Continue with the tropical theme by adding cinnamon, lemon and orange, too. Since rice pudding can be served warm or cold, it’s perfect for busy restaurant cooks who want to make dessert ahead of time and set it aside so they can focus on other dishes during peak hours.
Chocolate Avocado Pudding
Even though it might sound odd, chocolate avocado pudding is surprisingly delicious. Substituting milk and cream for avocado also replaces the bad saturated fats with good monounsaturated fats, so this gluten-free dessert will appeal to health-conscious diners, too. You can also make keto chocolate avocado pudding by using monk fruit as the sweetener.
Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowls are another dessert that will appeal to a wide range of customers. Keep your freezer well-stocked with a variety of frozen fruits so your customers can mix and match ingredients to make their own flavor combinations. As with rice bowls, presentation is key, so be sure to lay mix-ins such as fresh fruit, coconut and granola across the top in an attractive way.
Implementing a Vegan Menu
In addition to these vegan restaurant menu ideas, here are some tips to help your establishment meet the needs of a growing customer base:
Promote Plant-Based Menu Items
If vegan dishes are new on your menu, make sure current and potential customers know about them. Be sure to mention them on your restaurant’s website and promote them on your business’ social media accounts. It’s also a good idea to label vegan items on your menu or group them together in a special section on your menu.
Give a Vegan Option
Although you could always add new items to your menu, you might also want to provide plant-based variations of existing dishes. For example, if you offer both steak and chicken burritos, give customers the option of black beans, too. If you sell coffee drinks, let customers know that every drink on your menu can be made with plant-based milk upon request.
Stock Kitchen with Plant-Based Replacements
As shown throughout this article, many dishes can be made vegan-friendly by replacing just one or two ingredients. Be sure to keep your kitchen stocked with plant-based equivalents, such as maple syrup for honey and almond milk for cow’s milk, so you can modify recipes to accommodate customers as much as possible.
Avoid Cross-Contamination with Non-Vegan Foods
Since preparing all foods with the same utensils can lead to cross-contamination that makes plant-based foods no longer vegan, it’s important to designate a vegan area in your kitchen. Even though kitchen operations might get more complicated, you’ll be able to say with confidence that your vegan items are truly vegan to the best of your ability.
Educate Servers and Staff
Although it may seem unnecessary, it’s important to educate your servers and staff on veganism. Make sure servers know which menu items are vegan and that cooks understand which ingredients are and aren’t vegan. By fully understanding the needs of plant-based customers, your staff members will be better able to serve their needs.