Plant-based meals are often more than just fruits and veggies on a plate; now you can get plant-based meat substitutes that taste like the real thing or plant-based versions of your favorite foods. However, you don’t have to be on a plant-based diet to enjoy these meals. That’s why Crème de la Crème of Chanhassen has put together a list of our seven favorite places to grab plant-based food in and around Chanhassen, Minnesota.

Bonsai Korean Cuisine

A bowl of healthy food at a plant-based restaurant near Chanhassen, Minnesota

Dol Sot Bi Bim Bop” licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr by Pen Waggener

Bonsai Korean Cuisine serves a variety of dishes that suit omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. Throughout their menu, you’ll see options listed as vegetarian or options that let you opt-out of meat protein and choose tofu or veggies instead. So, you can get bibimbop, a popular Korean dish made of rice mixed with veggies and sauce, without meat. Other plant-based options you should try include jobchae, sweet potato noodles stir-fried with carrots, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, peppers, and eggs, and kimchi fried rice with tofu. Make sure to grab some edamame or vegetarian egg rolls, too.

Na’s Thai Cafe

Thai food is another Asian cuisine that often features vegetables and tofu as the centerpiece of many dishes, and Na’s Thai Cafe has plenty of options for plant-based dishes with authentic Thai flavors. 

Start with some vegetarian egg rolls or spring rolls, fried tofu, or cream cheese puffs. Order a soup, like Toam Kha Kai or Toam Yum (sometimes called Tom Kha or Tom Yum), both of which are made with veggies and herbs. For your entree, consider matsman curry with tofu or any of their specialty curries with your choice of tofu or vegetables. You can also order fried rice, stir-fry, pad Thai, and noodle dishes without meat.

Jungle Kitchen

Jungle Kitchen is an Asian fusion restaurant that serves dishes inspired by the flavors and recipes of Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and China. You’ll find many of your favorite dishes, like curries, stir-fry, egg rolls, pan-fried dumplings, pho, noodles, and rice in plant-based options. 

For instance, you can order vegetarian pad Thai with or without tofu, lort cha Cambodian noodles with tofu, and any of the rice dishes with your choice of protein. Be sure to snag some egg rolls, fried cream cheese wontons, spring rolls, or fried tofu as a starter or side. And the Tom Yum soup is a must-try house specialty.

Taza Fresh Mediterranean

Taza Fresh Mediterranean allows you to make your own bowl, wrap, salad, or combination platter featuring ingredients like rice, kebabs, skewers, and your favorite sauces. What’s more, most of the menu options are also gluten-free in addition to having plenty of plant-based options.

While this spot serves delicious kebab koobideh, which is the Iranian technique for cooking meat on kebabs, you can also get a tofu skewer or falafel as your protein. Then, you can add all sorts of fresh veggies, both cooked and raw, or just get veggies, rice, and sauce. Both bowls and wraps are also served with a side of fries or a side salad. You can also get dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) as a vegetarian side. Don’t forget dessert, with options like fudge brownies, lemon cakes, and chocolate swirl cakes on the menu.

Bombay Pizza Kitchen

Craving Indian and pizza? Head to Bombay Pizza Kitchen where “East meets West” and you can order delicious pizzas and other Americanized dishes made with the diverse flavors of India. And since Indian cuisine frequently features vegetarian- and vegan-friendly recipes, so does Bombay Pizza Kitchen’s pizzas. The menu has clear indicators for vegetarian, vegan, halal, and gluten-free options, making it easy to browse their large menu.

The Delhi Tikka Masala is a vegetarian option with tikka sauce, mozzarella cheese, red onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro. The Punjab Palak pizza features spinach sauce, mozzarella, tomatoes, and pickled red onion. Another unique favorite is the Madras Curry, featuring curry sauce, curried veggies, cilantro, and mozzarella. You can also order many of the specialty pizzas with vegan cheese for a fully plant-based meal. 

In addition to pizza, you can also get curry bowls, Bombay Rolls, pastries stuffed with onions, jalapenos, cheese, and your choice of protein (or none at all), and waffle fries topped with house-made chutney.

Peoples Organic

Peoples Organic is a cafe that serves coffee, wines, and a variety of breakfast and lunch foods. The food is made with fresh local ingredients, most of which are also organic. The menu also features gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options alongside those made for omnivores.

Start your day with some steel-cut oatmeal and fruit, a slice of vegetarian quiche, a vegetarian black bean chili breakfast burrito, or vegan tofu scramble and toast. For lunch, try a soup, like vegan black bean or tomato basil. Or grab one of their fantastic salads or bowls, like the Buddha bowl which is gluten-free and vegan-friendly and features rice, kale, radish, cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, guacamole, Kalamata olives, hummus, and lemon-herb vinaigrette. Other plant-based options include the lentil burger, veggie burger, rosemary potato flatbread, Mediterranean wrap, and tofu street tacos.

Pizza Karma

Pizza Karma is another Indian-inspired pizza joint. However, this restaurant bakes their pizzas in a tandoor, which is a cylindrical clay oven primarily used in India and other parts of Southern and Central Asia. This restaurant’s menu also clearly indicates gluten-free, halal, vegan, and vegetarian options so you can find plant-based foods more easily. 

Start with okra fries, stuffed potato cakes, or Paneer Poppers, which are little fried cheese balls. The pizza recipes are a mix of traditional Italian pizza recipes and Indian recipes, such as the Paneer Tikka and the Paneer, both of which feature the firm Indian cheese and an assortment of veggies. You can also vet the Veg Delight, with wild mushrooms, asparagus, onions, peppers, mozzarella, and habanero harissa sauce, or the Kalamata olive and spinach pie. Other vegetarian options include wraps, sandwiches, and salads.

So there you have it, seven of the best places to grab vegetarian and vegan-friendly food in the Chanhassen area. Have we missed any of your family’s favorite restaurants that serve plant-based meals? If so, contact us to let us know. We’ll be happy to add your favorites to our growing list!