Vegetarian Restaurant Menu Ideas to Boost Sales

While not as difficult as building a vegan menu, finding vegetarian options for your restaurant can still be challenging. If you need help selecting the best items, this list of the top vegetarian restaurant menu ideas will help you develop a delicious and profitable menu that’ll be good for both your customers’ stomachs and your business’ wallet.

Vegetarian Appetizers

Most diners arrive hungry. Even vegetarians will want something to nibble on while waiting for dinner. If you’re looking for a variety of vegetarian apps to include, we have a few suggestions that range from savory to sweet and spicy. Here are some of the starters you may want to include in your menu:

• Asparagus ribbon crostini


• Mushroom stuffed phyllo cups


• Spicy cheese twists


• Charred vegetable guacamole


• Eggplant rollup


• Warm cheese and spicy pecan dip


• Mini black bean and cheese enchiladas


• Mini deviled potatoes

Delicious Breakfasts

Omelettes 

A classic in old-school diners, veggie and cheese-filled omelettes appeal to both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Be sure to offer a variety of vegetables like tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms, as well as cheeses like mozzarella, cheddar and feta. Additionally, since you can charge by the ingredient, omelettes can be some of the most profitable breakfast items on your menu.

Frittatas 

Unlike omelettes that have the filling on the inside, frittatas are large and flat, so the colorful mix of vegetables and cheese is clearly visible. If you serve frittatas, your customers are sure to share photos on social media, promoting your restaurant for free. To make your frittatas even more photogenic–and to justify a slightly higher markup–serve them in stylish cast iron skillets.

Huevos Rancheros 

If you want to expand the vegetarian breakfast options on your restaurant’s menu, huevos rancheros is perfect. This traditional Mexican dish consists of eggs, tortillas, refried beans and salsas, so it’s just as flavorful as it is filling. However, be sure to check the ingredients on the tortillas and beans to make sure they don’t contain lard or meat flavoring.

Vegetarian Lunches

Bean Burritos 

If you’re looking for money-making vegetarian restaurant menu ideas, bean burritos are ideal. Besides being delicious, meatless burritos can be very profitable if you charge customers for extra ingredients like rice, cheese and sauces. And since wraps are portable and can be eaten without utensils, they’re a great grab-and-go option for people who don’t have time to dine in.

Grilled Cheese 

Grilled cheese sandwiches are great for a meatless lunch or light dinner. If you want to take your customers beyond the nostalgic white bread and American cheese, options like sourdough bread, tomato slices, and smoked Gouda add color and flavor that your customers will remember. To turn the sandwich into a full meal, serve with tomato soup or garden salad.

Vegetarian Ramen 

When it comes to meatless soups, few pack as much flavor as vegetarian ramen. Miso, ginger, spicy chili bean paste and vegan dashi flavor the broth that holds noodles, bok choy, seaweed, corn and kimchi, making the soup both delicious and filling. Although a soft-boiled egg is the main protein source, the addition of tofu would up the protein even more.

Mac and Cheese 

For diners looking for comfort food, mac and cheese is always a hit. While it’s often seen as a side, you can turn it into the main dish by serving it with vegetables or soup. Or, take inspiration from the deep south and serve a traditional southern “veggie plate,” a meatless meal consisting of macaroni and cheese, cornbread, beans and fried vegetables like green tomatoes or okra.

Meatless Dinners

Vegetarian Lasagna 

Vegetable lasagna would be a nice addition to your restaurant’s menu since it appeals to both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Be sure to add plenty of mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini to make the lasagna satisfying, as well as a variety of cheeses. If you want to really take the flavor to the next level, sprinkle in plenty of spices like basil, oregano and parsley.

Vegetable Pizza 

If you need vegetarian restaurant menu ideas that will also appeal to meat-eaters, vegetable pizza is the perfect option. Let customers make their own combinations by offering a variety of toppings like onions, peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, artichokes, tomatoes and olives. Veggie pizza is best when fresh produce is at its peak, so remember to promote it as part of your restaurant’s summer menu.

Charred Vegetable Ragu

This vegetarian comfort food is delicious and easy to make! Simply throw some garlic, onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms into a baking dish, add in some spices, tomato paste, dry red wine and some organic pasta noodles and you’ll have an incredible and filling dish of charred vegetable ragu for your customers.

Meatless Tacos 

Meatless tacos might be one of the most profitable dishes on your vegetarian menu since they can be sold individually at a higher markup than other items. If you offer unique filings like jackfruit or avocado, you can charge even more. Whatever you choose to offer, make sure the tortillas don’t contain lard so you don’t inadvertently serve non-vegetarian tacos to your guests.

Veggie Stir Fry 

Made with a variety of vegetables and sauces, stir fries are both flavorful and colorful. Since they come together in just a few minutes, stir fries are great for busy restaurants that need to feed a lot of customers quickly. Although stir fries with just vegetables can be very filling, adding tofu or tempeh can up the protein considerably and make the meal even more satisfying.

Matar Paneer 

Matar Paneer is a North Indian dish of chunks of soft farmer’s cheese in a tomato-based sauce with peas. This traditional curry is usually served with Basmati rice, breads such as naan or roti and sides like yogurt or pickles. Even if you don’t add matar paneer to your restaurant’s menu, experimenting with the dish might give you ideas as to how you can spice up your other items.

Dal Palak 

Another South Asian classic you should consider adding to your menu is Dal Palak. A lentil and spinach dish with turmeric, cumin, chilies, ginger and other spices, dal palak can be made vegan by not using butter or ghee. Also, since lentils and spinach cook fairly quickly, this dish is perfect for busy restaurant kitchens that need to fill orders fast.

Introducing a Vegetarian Menu

Although the above vegetarian restaurant menu ideas are great, actually offering meatless options at your establishment is no easy task. So, here are some guidelines to help you turn your ideas into reality:

Educate Your Staff

The first step in incorporating vegetarian options into your menu is educating your staff. Make sure everyone understands the difference between vegetarian and vegan, as well as between lacto-ovo vegetarians and pescatarians. This will help your dining room and kitchen staff answer customers’ questions and give recommendations per the guests’ dietary restrictions.

Identify on the Menu

While all customers realize that green salads and fruit bowls are vegetarian, they might overlook the fact that omelettes and vegetable pizzas often are as well. So, consider designing your menu with all vegetarian dishes grouped together or labeled as such.

Give Vegetarian Options

Many common menu items like frittatas, tacos, burritos and many pastas can be made vegetarian by simply leaving out the meat or replacing it with beans or another meat substitute. If it’s possible to make an existing item meatless, say so on the menu.

Check the Ingredients

As pointed out in the article, some foods like tortillas may appear to be vegetarian when they’re really not. So, remember to check breads, beans, sauces, canned soups and other pre-made ingredients since they might contain lard, chicken stock or meat flavorings.

Promote Your Menu

If vegetarian options are relatively new on your menu, make sure your customers know about them. Although social media is a good way to get the word out, writing good menu descriptions with strong adjectives is a simple way to encourage guests to try your new selections.