In part two of this series on eating plant-based in restaurants, I am sharing information on some yummy things you can order in ethnic restaurants. Ethnic restaurants are great places for those who want to stick to their plant-based lifestyle. Many people in countries around the world eat a lot of plant food in their regular daily diet. So, it makes it pretty easy to find foods you can enjoy.

Reminder – restaurants tend to use a lot of oil and salt in their dishes. So, don’t forget that you can speak-up and let them know you prefer to have food prepared without those two ingredients. Or plan to go out for dinner only occasionally as a special treat. As Dr. McDougall says, “The fat you eat is the fat you wear.”

Ethnic Restaurant Guide

Chinese

Appetizers: veggie spring rolls, veggie steamed dumplings
Soup: Miso soup with tofu. Hot & Sour or Egg drop soups tend to have egg white in them
Entrees: Ask to trade-out tofu for meat in most dishes (sesame tofu, tofu & broccoli, cashew tofu, veggie chow mein, Kung Pao tofu, etc.)
Sides: brown or white rice, tofu fried rice (specify no eggs)
Sauces: soy sauce, sweet & sour, sriracha sauce

Ethiopian

Starters: Hummus with Injera crackers, Sambussa (fried dough filled with lentils, peas, onions, potatoes)
Bread: Injera (spongy bread made from teff flour that is used for scooping-up the food) Always vegan!
Entrees: Engudai (mushrooms sauted in gravy), Kik Alecha (yellow split pea stew), Gomen (collard greens), Yemsir Wot (red lentils with Ethiopian berbere spice), Metatesh (sweet potato stew)

Let them know you eat a plant-based diet so they don’t add any ghee (a form of clarified butter) to your dishes.

Indian or Nepalese

Appetizers: Aloo Samosas (fried pastry filled with potatoes and spices), Pyaji Pakora (onion coated with garbanzo flour & fried)
Entrees: Dal (lentil, split pea or bean soup), Cholle Masala (curried garbanzos), Aloo Mutter (pea & potato curry), Vegetable Biryani (veggies & rice), Saag (IF they offer a vegan variety with no paneer cheese or cream), Masala Dosa (thin, crispy pancake)

Note: Naan bread is most often not vegan. Instead, try Papadams (crispy bread made with lentils) And again, watch out for ghee in the dishes.

Italian

Starters: Bruschetta al pomodoro (bread with tomatoes & basil), bread, mixed salad with oil-free, cheese-free vinaigrette
Soup: minestrone (ask if there is added cheese)
Entrees: Pasta with vegetable marinara, veggie pizza (no cheese), Eggplant Parmesan (no cheese on top and make sure there is no cheese or dairy in the breading)

Korean

Soup: Suhn (soft-tofu soup)
Side Dish: Kimchi (traditional Korean dish made with spicy fermented cabbage) *not all Kimchi is vegan, most has fish sauce or anchovies. So be sure to ask your wait person.
Entrees: Bibim Bob (traditional Korean “mixed rice” dish), Dup Bob (Korean BBQ), rice noodle bowl, Korean Curry. For all entrees request tofu for your protein and no eggs served on top.

Mediterranean

Appetizers: Hummus, Baba Gannoush (mashed, roasted eggplant), Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), Greek olives
Salad: Tabouli (parsley, bulgar, tomato salad, onion, mint), Greek salad (no feta)
Sides: Basmati rice, Tahini sauce (ground sesame seeds, lemon & garlic)
Entrees: Pita wrap with hummus and falafel (deep fried balls made from ground garbanzos and sometimes fava beans)

Mexican

Appetizers: Chips with salsa & guacamole, black bean soup (hold the crema), nachos with lots of beans, veggies, guacamole and salsa
Entrees: Bean and Rice burrito (substitute plain black beans) with vegetarian green chili, tacos with black beans in place of taco meat, veggie fajitas (mixed veggies, mushrooms, black beans, rice, guacamole, pica de gallo and corn tortillas)

Vietnamese

Appetizers: Vegan Gỏi cuốn (tofu spring rolls with peanut sauce)
Entrees: Vegetarian Rau Phở (noodle soup with veggies and tofu in vegetable broth), Bún Bowls (rice noodles topped with vegetables, tofu, lemongrass, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts)
Beverages: Boba (chewy tapioca balls) drinks (if they can substitute plant-based milk), Vietnamese coffee is almost like dessert (substitute regular sweetened condensed milk for coconut sweetened condensed milk)

There you have it! Some really delicious options for you to order in several restaurants from around the world. I really love eating these kinds of foods! Hope you found some things you might like to try in ethnic restaurants in your area.

Thank you for sharing! 💚