
Plant-Based in and around Bloomington:
Where to Eat Out and How to Cook for Yourself
Plant-Based Options in and around Bloomington
Want to give more vegan dishes a try? Here are some of our local favorites!
Are we missing something that should be here? Let us know and we’ll add it!
The Elm (614 E. 2nd) The most elegant vegan charcuterie board and a few other vegan options.
Rainbow Bakery (201 S. Rogers) Every vegan pastry you can imagine and on top of that, it also has tasty vegan hand pies (check out what’s available today on their counter).
Lennies (514 E. Kirkwood) Not a vegan restaurant, but wow, their vegan wood fired oven pizza is amazing! And, their lemon herb tofu sandwich, so good! There are also a lot of items which can be made vegan (but not listed as such on the menu), so just ask your server when you are there.
Davinci’s (250 S. Washington) Again, not a vegan restaurant but has two vegan pizzas (The Vegana and La Mishe) which will fully satisfy any pizza craving.
Hopscotch (235 W Dodds) lots of vegan fare for breakfast, lunch or brunch. Yum!
Tasty Plate (7 West Washington St Morgantown, IN 46160) We are delighted that there is a vegan cafe open on weekends for full dining in Morgantown! Really sweet space, nice people, yummy food - a must visit!

Some of our Favorite Super Tasty Easy Plant-Based Recipes
(only the best here!)
-
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans of 15 oz chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1 small red onion chopped
2 cloves garlic finely diced
juice of one or more limes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 jalapeño
sea salt
1 avocado (or more!) coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions:
Mix everything up and serve on greens or by their lonesome. Yum, Yum, Yum! The gateway dish to plant-based meals.
-
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (really just under like 3/8is perfect) maple syrup
12 oz silken tofu (has to be silken!) drained and patted dry
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup (or a bit more) juice from lemons (you can throw some lime juice in too!)
zest from two lemons
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until very smooth. Chill for about 2 hours. Top with berries. This is one of the easiest tastiest and most elegant desserts around!
-
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plant-based milk (we use oat or cashew milk)
1 Tbs vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
Instructions:
Mix dry. Add wet. Griddle up!
-
Ingredients:
1 cup raw unsalted cashews
enough water to cover in blender
Directions:
If you have a really strong blender, like a Vitamix, you can just put cashews directly in the blender and enough water to cover. There is no need to soak cashews at all since they are a very soft nut. Run blender on lowest setting until blended, then slowly increase speed and add small amounts of water as needed. That’s it!
Because the nut is soft and blends to a very smooth cream, you do not (and should not) strain the nut out. You get all of the nutrition from every cashew and you don’t have much clean up.
You can pour the cream directly in a container to refrigerate and then put a little water in the blender and swirl to get the rest out as milk (no waste!)
There you have cashew cream which you can thin by adding water to make cashew milk. You can keep the cream in the fridge 5-7 days or just add a dollop or two to your tea/coffee in the am (no need to thin!).
This is an insanely simple recipe that you can make with zero planning as long as you have raw unsalted cashews in your pantry.
You can often purchase cashews in bulk using a paper bag or cloth bag from home so avoiding plastic all together!
-
Ingredients:
1 cucumber
½ cabbage
Dressing:
1 bunch parsley
1-2 cloves garlic
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs maple syrup
1 lemon (juiced)
Salt
Chili flakes
Handful of cashews
Water to thin
Finely dice cuc and cabbage.
Blend dressing ingredients until creamy. Mix with veggies.
-
Ingredients:
Block of firm tofu
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbs cornstarch
Sauce
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
4 Tbs Maple Syrup
2 Tbs Sriracha
1 clove of garlic grated
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
Tear up your tofu and cover in oil and cornstarch, air fry until crispy.
Meanwhile, mix together sauce ingredients and then pour in a pan to bubble and get thick. Toss through the tofu and finish with spring onions or cilantro and sesame seeds.
ription
-
Ingredients:
1 tbs coconut or olive oil
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tbs grated ginger
½ cup broccoli florets
½ cup diced carrots
¼ cup diced tomato
1/3 snow peas
1 Tbs curry powder
1 pinch cayenne
2 14oz cans of light coconut milk
1 can garbanzos
1 cup veggie broth
Sea salt and black pepper
Rice
Heat a saucepan to medium and add coconut oil. Add onions, garlic, carrots and broccoli and salt and pepper. Cook about 5 mins.
Add curry powder, cayenne, veggie stock, coconut milk, more salt and stir. Cook another 10-15/
Add snow peas and tomatoes in the last 5 mins.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve over rice. Amaze your friends!
-
Ingedients:
2 cups of sliced almonds
¼ gf flour
Zest of one orange
Pinch of salt
½ sugar
½ cup maple syrup
3 oz vegan butter
3tbs Plant based milk
1 Tbs vanilla
Dark chocolate
Mix flour and almonds, zest and salt. In a saucepan, combine sugar, syrup, milk and butter. Bring to a boil and then continue to boil for two minutes. Add to flour mixture. Add vanilla. Drop by teaspoons onto parchment lined baking sheet (need to be 2-3 inches apart). Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Drizzle on melted chocolate.
-
Ingredients:
Scallions
Mushrooms
Onions
Greens
Carrots
Red Cabbage
Or other veggies that sound good to you
I cup flour
4 Tbs corn starch
1 cup water
Coconut oil for frying
Dipping Sauce:
Equal parts
Soy sauce
Rice wine vinegar
Maples syrup
Sesame oil
Gochujang sauce
Mix up batter; add chopped veggies. Fry up. Mix up sauce.
Enjoy!
-
Ingredients:
1 lb lion’s mane shredded
Olive oil
Chopped scallions
½ cup bread crumbs
1 ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
2 tbs flax seeds
Salt and pepper
Sauté lion’s mane in skillet on low heat. Add a tiny bit of olive oil. Cook about 10 minutes, then add Old Bay seasoning, salt, pepper, flax seeds and scallions and cook a bit more on medium heat. Toss in bread crumbs and cook a bit more. Serve with vegan mayo.
-
12 oz macaroni noodles
½ cup reserved pasta water
1 ½ peeled cubed butternut squash (3 cups)
½ large sweet onion
1 clove garlic
¼ cup raw cashews
1 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp mustard powder
¼ tsp garlic powder (take this out for fresh)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup nooch
Optional pepitas and/or chili flakes
Add butternut squash, onions, garlic and cashews to a pot and cover with an inch or two of water. Bring to boil. Turn down to medium and simmer about 15 until tender.
Cook macaroni noodles. Hold onto ½ cup cooking liquid.
When squash mixture items are tender, drain and put the mixture in a high speed blender with lemon juice, salt, mustard powder, nooch, black pepper, smoked paprika, turmeric and reserved cooking water. Blend until fully smooth. Add butternut squash sauce to noodles and stir. Sprinkle with pepitas and chili flakes if you would like.
-
Freeze sections of mandarin oranges.
Run through food processor until creamy
Can add maple syrup or plant-based milk if you want it more a creamsicle
-
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup Sushi rice
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
½ tsp sesame oil
½ mashed avocado with lime or lemon juice
1 cucumber
1 block extra firm tofu
Sririacha mayo
Sesame seeds
Green onions or other garnish
For Mayo:
1 cup mayo
3 tbs Sriracha
2 tbs lemon juice
1 clove minced garlic
Salt to taste.
Mix cooked sushi rice with rice wine vinegar and sesame oil, then add it to your greased waffle maker and cook until golden about 8-10 mins.
Pan fry tofu
Mash avocado with lemon juice and slice cucumber. Assemble sushi waffle and sprinkle sesame seeds and garnish.
Drizzle sriracha mayo (which is just mixed ingredients above).
-
Ingredients:
Block of firm tofu
Lots o arrowroot powder or cornstarch
Olive oil works fine but mixed with toasted sesame oil is the bomb
Sauce:
Tamari (gf if you got it)
Juice of lemons or limes
Sesame oil
Grated ginger
Chopped garlic
Red pepper flakes
Wrap tofu in a kitchen towel and press gently to get out some of the excess water. Slice tofu on the thin side. Fill a shallow bowl with cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) and lightly coat tofu slices and then sauté.
For the sauce just mix these up as you like them.
You can serve on rice over a bed of wilted spinach and then drizzle sauce over; or they are nice as an appetizer all by their lonesome and use the sauce as a dipping sauce.
-
Ingredients:
2 cups basil (could use spinach or arugula instead)
1 ½ cup of cashews
2-4 cloves garlic
4 Tbs nooch
4 Tbs lemon juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup olive oil
Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until becomes a nicely textured paste. Serve over pasta, on bread, on potatoes or get more creative.
-
Noodles (pad thai noodles work well!)
½ cup Tahini or Almond Butter
¼ cup Tamari
¼ cup Sesame Oil
2 Tbs Maple Syrup
2 Tbs Chili Garlic Sauce
3 cloves Garlic
2 tsp Fresh Ginger
3 Spring Onions
Sesame seeds (optional)
Cook noodles, then run under cold water. Toss in sesame oil
Mix tahini, tamari, maple syrup and garlic sauce until smooth. Add chopped garlic, minced ginger and spring onions and toss with noodles. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on top if ya got em.
-
2 Tbs olive oil
½ tsp chili peppers
½ tsp smoked paprika
Salt
Pepper
½ tsp cumin
4 garlic cloves
1 ½ cups veggie broth
2 cans butter beans
2 lemons (for juice and zest)
Green onions, kale, spinach (something green)
Sundried tomatoes (very optional)
Toast the seasonings. Add the garlic; cook one minute. Add broth and beans. Bring to boil and then simmer 5-10 minutes. Top with lemon zest, lemon juice and green onions or whatever green veg you want. Sundried tomatoes are a nice addition too.
-
Tortilla wraps
1 onion thinly sliced
Juice of one lime
1 Tbs vinegar
2 tbs maple syrup
Pinch of salt
1 block of firm tofu
3Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs rice vinegar
3 Tbs maple syrup
3 Tbs water
½ Tbs cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2-3 tsp chili flakes
Sesame seeds
Vegan Mayo
Hot Sauce
Mix onion, lime juice, vinegar, maple syrup, salt and set aside for about 30 mins.
Pat tofu dry, cut into bite sized pieces. Lightly coat in cornstarch. Pan fry in oil until golden brown. Take out of pan and set aside.
Sauté chopped garlic, chili flakes, sesame seeds. Then add sauce. Add tofu back and cook for 5-6 minutes until sauce is reduced and covered tofu entirely.
Assemble wrap with lettuce, tofu, pickled onions, scallions, mayo and hot sauce.
