Step aside, cochon de lait.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is a world-class food destination with an emphasis on meat and seafood dishes, but this year’s festival showcases some stellar vegetarian and vegan dishes that are not to be overlooked.
Just like the music, art and crafts, the Jazz Fest cuisine reflects a variety of cultures and influences.
After kicking off Day 1 with a “breakfast salad,” aka a Bloody Mary given to us by a Jazz Fest dad on our friend’s porch, we beelined straight for the food booths as soon as we got through security.
The Congo Square food area has several flavorful vegan options, including jama jama (a dish of sauteed spinach with onions and garlic), a spicy grilled tofu dish with peanut sauce, and a veggie pita that comes with yellow squash, green onions and carrots. This area also gets bonus points from us for having two varieties of hot sauce (Crystal and Louisiana!) to drizzle on top.
An order of fried plantains for dessert balances out the spicy and savory options, and will induce either a sugar high to fuel dance moves, or, for those over 30, the motivation to take a seat and digest under the cooling fan of the AARP sponsored tent.
Another option we liked was the vegetarian platter from Mona’s.
At $11, this one was especially economical and thus, appealing to us, because journalists are always on the hunt for cheap food. A couple of us split it, which means we still had room for more. The Middle Eastern restaurant has long been a staple at the festival, and this dish comes with a piece of falafel, a tabouli salad, (which is especially light and refreshing in the heat), a Greek salad, hummus and pita bread. To make it vegan, simply ask the vendor to hold off on the feta.
Other dishes that we recommend include a vegan Vietnamese offering of a vermicelli noodle and tofu dish from the Heritage Square area.
Additionally, Food Area I offers a vegetarian version of a New Orleans classic, red beans and rice. There are also fried Brussels sprouts and peanut butter sandwiches, which we assume are for children, or at least adults with childlike palates.
Meanwhile, a Tunisian salad in Food Area II contains cucumbers, apples, tomatoes, another lighter option.
Of course, today was only the first day, and we reminded ourselves that festival season is a marathon, not a sprint. We haven’t yet sampled all of the vegetarian and vegan food (nor are the above mentions a comprehensive list of everything out there).
We are, however, looking forward to a food coma that we hope will be partially induced by the broccoli and cheese pie that we were eyeing at Mrs. Wheat’s booth.
Let us know what your favorite veggie options are and happy festing!