Dealer Joe’s Vegan Onion Flowers, Taco Bell’s New Mini Salad, and a Crunchwrap Dupe: This Week in Vegan Meals

January can really feel gloomy, however there are many causes to really feel hopeful proper now. For starters, a brand new report suggests we will all cease panicking concerning the state of the plant-based market; it’s not collapsing, it’s resetting. If you happen to want a bit optimism, you possibly can learn extra about that right here.

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It’s additionally awards season, and the Oscar nominees have simply been introduced, giving us lots to debate whereas we await the attire, speeches, and memes from the primary occasion.

And naturally, as at all times, there’s vegan information. This week, Taco Bell has a brand new veganizable mini taco salad, Dealer Joe’s has a plant-based dupe of a steakhouse basic, and Emirates has revealed it’s already planning its vegan choices for 2027.

Let’s dive in.

Taco Bell’s new Mini Taco Salad is reasonably priced and straightforward to make vegan. | Taco Bell

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Taco Bell has a $2.49 veganizable mini taco salad

Taco Bell has launched a brand new worth menu, and one of many choices is surprisingly simple to make vegan with only a couple swaps. Because it comes, the Mini Taco Salad contains seasoned beef, Chipotle sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, refried beans, and a crispy tortilla bowl.

To make it plant-based, merely ask to swap the meat for beans or potatoes and order it Fresco-style (which suggests changing the dairy components with pico de gallo). The most effective half? It’s a fast, simple lunch that’ll value you lower than $2.50.

Dealer Joe’s Onion Flower is a vegan model of the favored Bloomin’ Onion at Outback Steakhouse.

Dealer Joe’s debuts vegan ‘Bloomin’ Onion’

If you happen to’ve been to Outback Steakhouse, you may be aware of certainly one of its hottest appetizers: the Bloomin’ Onion. For the uninitiated, it’s primarily a big, battered, deep-fried onion designed to “bloom” like a flower.

Sadly for plant-based diners, Outback’s model isn’t vegan, because it’s fried in beef tallow. However due to Dealer Joe’s, now you can purchase a frozen model of the beloved menu merchandise (referred to as Onion Flowers), and this one is totally plant-based.

Plus, it takes simply quarter-hour to warmth up, and it’ll solely set you again $5.49.

Past and Juicy Marbles are delivering premium vegan steaks to prospects’ doorways. | Juicy Marbles

Each Juicy Marbles and Past are providing deliveries of premium plant steak 

If you end up craving steak on the common, Past could have an answer. The model is at the moment providing deliveries of its premium Past Steak Filet, every packing 28 grams of plant-based protein. You do have to purchase a pack of 10, however at $89.55 for the bundle, that works out to lower than $10 per steak—cheaper than a restaurant meal.

The filets are offered out on the time of writing, however Juicy Marbles additionally presents multipack deliveries of its extremely sought-after vegan meat merchandise, together with its Thick-Reduce Filet steaks.

Emirates’ new vegan menu will focus much less on vegan meats and extra on whole-food components. | Emirates

Emirates has a brand new vegan menu for 2027 

Booked a flight on Emirates for 2027? Excellent news: The airline is forward of the sport and is already waiting for its in-flight menu for subsequent 12 months. Based on the corporate, it’s planning to introduce new artistic meals that revolve round complete meals components and can transfer away from plant-based meats. “Our focus now could be on legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, and seasonal greens because the heroes of the plate,” mentioned Doxis Bekris, Emirates’ Vice President of Meals and Beverage Design.

Plant Energy Quick Meals is celebrating its tenth anniversary with new menu gadgets.

Plant Energy Quick Meals unveils limited-time Crunchwrap and breakfast burrito for anniversary

To rejoice its tenth anniversary, Plant Energy Quick Meals is including two thrilling new gadgets to its menu. First up is the limited-edition Munchwrap Xtreme—a transparent nod to Taco Bell’s best-selling Crunchwrap. Based on the chain, its model is “even tastier” than the unique.

The model can be launching a brand new potato-stuffed breakfast burrito to mark the milestone. Is it simply us, or are you out of the blue feeling actually hungry too?

Crust Vegan Bakery has constructed a loyal fanbase due to its pastries and for talking out in opposition to injustice.

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Philadelphia fan-favorite bakery opens in new location with café and low program

Philadelphia’s beloved vegan bakery, Crust Vegan Bakery, has moved to a bigger location in East Falls. The brand new house contains an expanded café space and a devoted espresso program.

Whereas the bakery is greatest recognized for its candy treats—like Pop-Tarts and pastries—it additionally has a loyal following as a result of founder Meagan Benz isn’t afraid to make use of her enterprise as a platform to talk out in opposition to injustice. Crust helps community-based causes, animal sanctuaries, and doesn’t shrink back from addressing or donating to bigger world points both.

Benz hopes the brand new house will turn into a group hub for like-minded people. “I’d love for it to be generally known as an area that has plenty of occasions hosted for the queer group of Philly, in addition to for individuals of coloration,” Benz advised Technical.ly. “I need it to be inherently recognized that Crust is the place that has everybody’s again, so long as there’s no hate concerned.”

San Diego’s Dreamboat and sister restaurant Vulture are closing subsequent month. | Dreamboat

Vulture and Dreamboat are closing in San Diego

Vulture and Dreamboat, two side-by-side vegan ideas in San Diego, solely opened final 12 months, however sadly, we’re already saying goodbye. Like many vegan eating places proper now, the companies cited rising working prices and a difficult financial system as key causes for the early closure.

“This chapter is ending far before we ever imagined, and we’re deeply grateful for the time, power, and love these areas got,” reads an Instagram put up. “Nonetheless temporary, they burned brightly, and we’re happy with what they contributed to our metropolis’s eating tradition.”

The restaurant will shut on February 8, however might be open for enterprise till then. 

Charlotte is a VegNews editor and author based mostly in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.