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How to Eat Vegan at Noodles & Company

Check out the plant-based options at this fast-casual restaurant!

Front of Noodles & Co. restaurant
Food & Drink

Courtesy of Noodles & Co.

Check out the plant-based options at this fast-casual restaurant!

Whether you frequent Noodles & Company on the regular or you’ve just stumbled across the American restaurant for the very first time, this fast-food staple is a delicious and vegan-friendly choice! From international noodle creations to classic American pasta dishes, this fast-casual eatery has something for everyone! For the plant-based details, check our guide to eating vegan at Noodles & Company.

Classic Noodles

Hoping to take a bite out of some comforting classic noodles while dining vegan at Noodles & Company? We’ve got you. The Penne Rosa, Spaghetti, and Pasta Fresca are all vegan-friendly choices.

Penne Rosa: To veganize this pasta classic, remove the parmesan cheese and substitute the marinara sauce for the penne rosa cream sauce. You’re left with a tasty vegan noodle dish loaded with mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach.

Spaghetti: Made with crushed tomato marinara, this dish is a comfort food classic! Opt for no meatballs or parmesan cheese, and this spaghetti is totally vegan-friendly. If you like, add a protein-rich option like tofu.

Pasta Fresca: Penne loaded with balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, roasted garlic, red onion, tomato, and spinach? Sign us up! Order this fresh and tasty dish without parmesan cheese for a vegan entree at Noodles & Company.

Bowl of noodles from Noodles & Co.

Photo by Out Bolder County

Asian Noodles

Craving something other than spaghetti? Noodles & Company offers a variety of Asian-inspired noodle dishes. Think udon, lo mein, and rice noodle varieties paired with sweet soy and Korean BBQ sauces.

Japanese Pan Noodles: Containing caramelized udon noodles in a sweet soy sauce, seasoned tofu, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, black sesame seeds, and cilantro, this Noodles & Company staple is vegan as-is!

Spicy Korean Noodles: Remove the steak, add Impossible Panko Chicken, and this dish is vegan. Who doesn’t love tasty veggies and lo mein noodles tossed with sweet and spicy Korean-style gochujang BBQ sauce?

Salads

Get your veggie on at Noodles & Company. In addition to several tasty pasta dishes, this fast-casual eatery offers two vegan-friendly salad selections. Both the Caesar and Med Salads can be modified to suit your plant-based diet.

Caesar Salad: If you prefer romaine lettuce salads, the Caesar Salad is for you. To make this Noodles & Company salad vegan, you need to order this one without dressing, chicken, parmesan, or garlic & butter croutons. Add balsamic vinaigrette, your go-to veggies, and a plant-based protein of your choosing.

The Med Salad: Order The Med Salad without chicken, feta, and dressing. Add balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil atop your Tuscan greens, kale, tomato, cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olive, and cavatappi pasta. Yum!

Perfect Bowls

Noodles & Company offers one vegan-friendly Perfect Bowl. And if you ask us, it’s more than perfect. The Zucchini Rosa bowl is packed with delicious vegetables—perfect, perfect, perfect!

Zucchini Rosa: Order your Perfect Bowl without penne rosa cream sauce, grilled chicken, or parmesan. These modifications will reveal a bowl of zucchini noodles topped with mushrooms, tomato, and spinach. Add marinara or balsamic to round out the dish.

Bowl of food from Noodles & Co.

Photo by Brandie Campbell

Sides

Don’t skimp on the sides! The vegan-friendly side choices at Noodles & Company include apple slices from the kids’ menu along with the fresh baguette.

Customize

Looking to customize your vegan Noodles & Company meal? We love to see it! The following ingredients are sure to make the perfect addition to your plant-based dish.

Noodles: Vegan noodle choices include spaghetti noodles, penne noodles, udon noodles, zucchini noodles, gluten-sensitive pipette noodles, cavatappi noodles, elbow noodles, rice noodles, and lo mein noodles.

Vegetables: Check out these vegetable options at Noodles & Company: mushrooms, spinach, cabbage blend, cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, Kalamata olives, red onion, and green onion.

Plant-Based Protein: Both the seasoned tofu and Impossible Panko Chicken are vegan. Customize your vegan Noodles & Company dishes with these tasty, protein-rich options.

Toppings: Garnish your creations with the following vegan toppings: BBQ sauce, red pepper flakes, black pepper, Asian seasoning, peanuts, sriracha sauce, crispy jalapenos, fire-roasted corn, Buffalo sauce, Italian seasoning, black sesame seeds, and cilantro.

Anja Grommons

Anja Grommons

she/her

During her studies to become a registered dietitian, Anja—a longtime vegetarian—transitioned to a vegan diet. Living in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the time (Go Broncos!), she met Maggie and Tammie through VegOut Kalamazoo (one of VegOut’s first focus cities) and began collaborating with the duo. When she’s not writing about new vegan eats, practicing as a pediatric clinical dietitian, and virtually coaching fellow plant-based eaters, you can find her creating veg-centric recipes, trying new cruelty-free products, and spending time with her partner Addison and cat Kovu.

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