Brian Nagele
P.F. Chang’s is an American-based casual dining restaurant specializing in Chinese cuisine throughout the United States of America. It has also opened up internationally in Brazil, Canada, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Korea.
With over 215+ restaurants just in the United States and a hundred more across the globe, the dining establishment is famous for its wide selection of delicious American Chinese cuisine.
With mouthwatering sauces, exquisite seasonings, and creative but well-balanced combinations of meat and vegetables, the restaurant is a favorite of almost every household in the United States.
P.F. Chang’s has a wide array of items on the menu for those who prefer a vegan diet. With the ever-increasing meat consumption in modern times, finding good restaurants with plant-based options is equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack.
Luckily, though, P.F. Changs is amongst the rare establishments that cater to a dynamic market.
Let’s discuss all of P.F. Chang’s vegan items for you guys to try out!
Stir-Fried Eggplant
This dish takes first place in the list for good reasons. The Stir-Fried Eggplant at P.F. Chang’s features diced Chinese eggplant fried in a sweet chili glaze made of soy sauce.
Along with chopped green onions and garlic, the dish is cooked until the eggplants become soft.
With every bite, the eggplant melts in your mouth, and the sticky and shiny texture of the sauce enhances its flavors tenfold.
I order at least two of these and get one packed for takeaway because I always crave more later on.
Buddha’s Feast
Hearing the name along makes you curious about what this dish would entail. Is it spiritual in every bite?
Will it call out to my inner soul? These were the thoughts running through my head when I saw the name on the menu – a little overdramatic, I know. I ordered this dish with a bowl of steamed white rice.
The Buddha’s Feast at P.F. Chang’s is made of Tofu seasoned with the restaurant’s famous five-spice mix.
Moreover, it is a simple stir fry made of additional vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. It is lightly glazed with a savory soy-based sauce.
Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps
Of all the P.F. Chang’s vegan items, the Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps have to be the most fun to eat.
They are a signature dish of the restaurant, made with a secret Chang family recipe. It is a dish you can share or have all on your own. I prefer the latter.
The filling of the wraps is served in a bowl and made from green onion, mint, seasoned tofu, and water chestnuts.
Additionally, this mixture comes on top of some crispy rice sticks.
The lettuce comes on the side, and you use the lettuce leaves to scoop up the mixture. These are an all-time fan favorite, whether you’re a vegan or not!
Chili Garlic Green Beans
The best thing about Asian Cuisine is that it is so straightforward. Not only are the dishes simple, but also so full of flavor that it comes as a shock.
I am not the biggest fan of green beans in my food. While I am not a picky eater, whenever green beans show up in my dish, I always skim them out to the side.
I was hesitant to order the Chili Garlic Green Beans at P.F. Chang’s, but I am glad I did!
Like most vegan options at this restaurant, the green beans are also a side order.
They were stir-fried in a spicy chili sauce along with preserves of Sichuan and fresh garlic.
Coconut Curry Vegetables
If you ever feel sick and are looking for a comfort dish to warm you right up, then P.F. Chang’s Coconut Curry Vegetables are what you’re looking for.
Although rice or noodles are a great addition to this dish, I love to have it all on its own.
Made with silken tofu, baby Bok choy, and broccoli, the dish has the vegetables – along with red bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and onions – tossed in a light curry sauce based on coconut oil.
The favorite bit of the dish is the cooked Bok choy. It feels so satisfying to pick up the Bok choy with a pair of chopsticks, and the texture is just flawless.
Ma Po Tofu
Tofu is, as I like to call it, an acquired taste. The texture is quite similar to that of feta cheese but is usually much firmer.
Made up of dried, crushed, and then boiled soybeans, tofu alone does not taste like much – but that is what makes it so great. It absorbs whatever flavor you choose to add to it!
The Ma Po Tofu at P.F. Chang’s is made of crispy silken tofu drowned in spicy red chili sauce.
Additionally, it comes with steamed broccoli, soybeans, fermented broad beans, and fermented black beans, with a few peppercorns on top.
Fair warning – it will surely set your tongue ablaze. Even I, an absolute spice hound, had tears rolling down my cheeks because of the chili sauce!
Sichuan Style Asparagus
This side order is quite similar to the Chili Garlic Green Beans in their making.
The only difference is that it is made with asparagus. Moreover, there is an addition of sliced onions, as well!
Made with red chili paste, Sichuan preserves, and chopped up garlic, the Sichuan-Style Asparagus is wok-fried till soft and fully cooked.
It has a nice kick to it because of the red chili paste, and the hint of salt goes excellently with a bowl of steamed rice.
If you don’t mind the extra calories, you can even order this with some egg-fried rice.
Wok Seared Spinach with Garlic
If you are a fan of spinach and love to consume healthy ingredients loaded with nutrients, the Wok Seared Spinach with Garlic is an excellent side dish to order.
As the name implies, the dish is served as a side order to your entrée.
If you want to keep things light for yourself, you can have it plainly or with a bowl of steamed rice.
The dish is delicious when mixed with Edamame and a bowl of steamed brown rice.
Edamame
Edamame is a classic Asian appetizer or side dish loved and ordered by everyone.
They are essentially immature soybeans plucked before fully ripe. They are then boiled or steamed until soft.
With a sprinkle of kosher salt on top, they are a great addition to the main course meal.
The Edamame at P.F. Chang’s was simple in all its glory and steamed to perfection.
There was just the perfect amount of bite to it, and the salt on top was not too overbearing.
The best thing about this delightful side dish is that it is vegan-friendly – with no sugar, dairy, or poultry in it.
Brown or White Rice, Steamed
With long, slender grains, and far from clumpy in texture, the rice at P.F. Chang’s is another delectable side order.
It comes in two options: brown rice or white rice, and both are served after being steamed.
If you are not health conscious, then white rice is a great option; but if you are looking to cut down on calories or go for more nutrition, you can always go for brown rice.
With any East Asian entrée, a bowl of rice is essential. Whether it’s curry or stir-fry, rice adds to the flavors and makes them lighter on the palate.
At P.F. Chang’s, the quality of rice is so ideal that I would not mind having it all on its own as a stand-alone dish.
Harvest Thai Chili
If you love a little kick in your food as I do, the Thai Harvest Curry – made with carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, butternut squash, and five-spice tofu – is an excellent vegan-friendly main entrée.
The Harvest Thai Chili is quite similar to the Coconut Curry Vegetables in both recipe and flavor, but its redder to look at and has more kick.
It is also much sweeter than coconut curry vegetables because of their use of brown sugar.
For me, the sweet and spicy balance out really well.
Steamed Carrots
Like the Edamame, the Steamed Carrots are also one of the simplest side dishes to order at PF Chang’s.
It is not difficult to perceive what they might be – carrots steamed in hot water until they are soft and cooked.
Fortunately, though, they are not mushy in texture and retain a bite to them despite being steamed. They are lightly salted, as well.
On a side note, this dish is part of the kid’s menu. But a vegan order is a vegan order!
Though the restaurant does not specialize in a plant-based diet, P.F. Changs’ vegan items are plentiful and flavorsome. From side dishes to lunch and dinner entrees, a vegan can call this restaurant home for their vegan demands.
My only critique for the restaurant would be that there were no options for plant-based soups. Rather than incorporating chicken or beef broth, the restaurant can consider using vegetable stock to substitute chicken broth for soups for vegans.
All in all, though, the restaurant has made its place in my top vegan chain restaurants. I would suggest that you all make your way to your nearest branch.
