Life
Hear ye, hear ye — the day has come, Taco Bell's vegetarian menu has arrived. Well, if you're lucky enough to be in Dallas, it will start testing on Thursday, April 4 in the Dallas marketplace. Taco Bell's veggie menu is a long-awaited development from the company, after it announced plans for a veggie menu as part of its 2019 commitments. "Did you know that we have more than 8 million vegetarian combinations on our menu?" the company explained in a blog post. "That’s enough to customize a new meal every day for nearly 20,000 years." There's a reason it already has a huge following among vegetarians — and Taco Bell decided to make a more straightforward way for veggies and vegans to get what they want.
Starting on April 4, Taco Bell will test its American Vegetarian Association-certified (AVA) vegetarian menu in the Dallas, Texas marketplace. Featuring a Vegetarian Quesarito, a Vegetarian Crunchwrap Supreme, and a Vegetarian 7-Layer Burrito, there's a lot to choose from. If you're in Dallas, you owe it to us veggies elsewhere to go, to try, to feast.
“The trend of plant-forward eating is here to stay and is reaching ubiquity in the fast food space, so we’re constantly innovating to find ways to incorporate more plant-forward options," Missy Schaaphok, RDN, Taco Bell's manager of global nutrition and sustainability told Forbes. "This new menu will make it even easier for customers to opt for meatless items."
So what can you expect from the new veggie options at Taco Bell?Well, as ever with vegetarian and vegan food, a lot of flavor and a lot of beans.
Vegetarian Quesarito
If you want a veggie option that doesn't skimp on flavor or, well, cheese, then the Vegetarian Quesarito is your option. Take the burrito that you know in love, but imagine that the tortilla is replaced with a goddamn cheesy quesadilla. The meat is replaced with black beans to make this a veggie option, but you still get all of that seasoned rice and nacho cheese sauce that you know and love — for a suggested retail price of $3.22.
If you want to upgrade your veggies, you can add in options like lettuce and onions to give it a fresher feel. Or add extra cheese and just relish in the gooey goodness. Whatever you want, I bet the Quesarito can handle it — the quesadilla is a sturdy vehicle.
Vegetarian Crunchwrap Supreme
The Crunchwrap Supreme is the stuff of Taco Bell legend — so it's about time that we've been given a veggie twist. Lettuce, onions, sour cream, and nacho sauce are all enveloped in a handy, portable, delicious crispy tortilla casing. Of course, black beans give you a little bit of a veggie protein kick — making sure that you get all of the satisfaction, without any of the meat. All of this with a suggested retail of $3.70? Sounds like a crunchy bargain.
The Crunchwrap Supreme can also be made vegan if you know your Taco Bell vegan hacks — just make sure to skip the dairy. One day, we will get vegan ground beefy options, but for now load up on beans and hope for the best.
Vegetarian 7-Layer Burrito
Sometimes, you just want to go for gold — and it's hard to beat the classic burrito. The 7-Layer Burrito is already a fan favorite, according to the brand, rocking beans, seasoned rice, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, and, to top it all off, a three-cheese blend. Basically, anything and everything you could ever want — all ready to eat on the go. This is the biggest bargain, at a suggested retail of $3.05.
Eating at Taco Bell is an adventure for vegans and meat-eaters alike — and with all of the customizable options, you can come up with a combination that fits you. But for us vegans and veggies, we can spend a lot of time trying to hack menus and substitute to make something we can eat — so having a straightforward vegetarian menu is a huge win. Because sometimes, you don't want to think and hack — sometimes, you just want your beans and rice and goodness, straight-up.
