Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
For some, seeing the word “vegetarian” on a menu is an instant turn-off. They imagine a miniscule plate of limp salad greens or spongy, tasteless tofu. But we’ve come a long way in the vegetable revolution, and vegetarian is mainstream. Although we live in the South, where fried chicken and shrimp and grits will hold their hierarchy, there are still plenty of vegetarian options around town. We’ve picked out a few spotlights and hope that vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will dig into these satisfying meals.
The dish: Chatpatta paneer sandwich
What's in it: paneer, cucumbers, onions, chaat masala, griddled buns with green chutney
Indian cuisine is known for having vegetarian options that satisfy. Chai Pani recently rolled out a new menu section of street-style sandwiches and this chaat paneer is the vegetarian star. Paneer is made from curd cheese and is tangy like goat cheese but chewy like mozzarella.
The dish: Curry spring roll
What's in it: potato, taro, onion and curry sauce
Green Sprout is hidden in a strip mall in Ansley Park, but don’t let it fool you. The vegetarian menu is a no-frills offering of straightforward dishes. Taro, a starchy root vegetable has a texture and taste similar to potatoes, making the filling in these rolls taste like curried potatoes.
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
The dish: Sesame chicken
What's in it: golden soy chicken with broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, snow peas, onions, peppers, brown rice
Soy chicken does indeed taste very similar to chicken and the fibrous texture mimics a moist slice of meat. When you toss it in a stir-fry, the umami flavors meld together and you’re fooled. Café Sunflower is one of Atlanta’s vegetarian-only cuisines, and their menu has a variety of vegetarian staples like tempeh, seitan and tofu.
The dish: R’s raw veggie dinner #1
What's in it: walnut sunflower loaf topped with chipotle sauce, broccoli cauliflower medley, raw veggie kraut, collard kale salad. Served with sweet potato chips, flax chips, guacamole
When vegetarians need a fourth meal at three in the morning, they flock to this 24-hour, wacky diner. The raw veggie dinner is not for the faint of heart- the plate is piled high with macrobiotic sides, like their veggie kraut. The “loaf” is similar to meatloaf, but made with walnuts and sunflowers, so it could fool you for a savory piece of nutty bread.
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
The dish: Grain bowl
What's in it: quinoa, farro, barley, kale, roasted sweet potatoes, Portobello mushroom
A savory, satisfying breakfast, this grain bowl packs high-protein and whole grains. With protein counts of 6 grams for quinoa, 7 grams for farro and 4 grams in barley (for ¼ cup) these will keep you full all morning. The meaty texture of Portobello mushrooms is a substitute for meat, and less calories per gram because it is a low energy density food.
A bonus is Wrecking Bar Brewpub’s weekly “Veggie Tuesdays”, where chef Terry Koval creates a menu of strictly vegetarian dishes. He uses the same creativity to push out forward-thinking entrees, and each week is something different.
Last week's entrée: Seitan loaf with house made tomato basil seitan, field pea hash, okra, sungold tomatoes, pardon peppers.
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