1. Soba Noodle Salad with Portabello: This cold salad pairs wonderfully with warm, perfectly seasoned portabella mushrooms. Apples, roasted green and red peppers, spinach, carrots and a spicy teriyaki dressing make for a power punch of flavor and a meal you can feel good about eating. Find it at 195.
2. Panang Curry: This place has many vegan options, including tofu, but our favorite so far is this red curry with a peanut base that is both sweet and salty. Order it a little spicy and ask for a Thai iced tea to wash it down. Find it at Thai Fusion.
3. Hummus Wrap: You can’t go wrong with a vegan staple. Nosh’s hummus wrap has greens, tomato, onion, avocado, and house-made pesto. The hummus is freshly made and not too salty; order it with a sun-dried tomato wrap. Our only question for Nosh: The Deli — are potato chips vegan?
4. Lemon Risotto: This dish boasts vibrant green asparagus, tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, artichokes, and a lemon zest broth with a base of olive oil and garlic. Don’t forget to start the meal off with homemade hummus and pita. It’s at Theo’s.
5. Tofu “Fried Chicken:” Fake it till you make it — this is not fried chicken, but it’s damn good tofu, breaded with nutritional yeast then fried and served with your choice of sides. Order it with an autumn salad and be sure to ask for their new seasonal cider sage dressing. Get some at Ironwood.
6. Evil Jungle Noodles and Thom Kha Soup: This noodle dish is rich and flavorful and comes in very large portions. Its base is made with coconut milk and it’s full of broccoli, zucchini, and cabbage. Share it with your bestie after you’ve both ordered the Thom Kha soup, a lemongrass bowl of goodness packed with delicious, hard to pronounce galangal spices. Find it at Ten-Ya.
