While you could certainly snack on breadsticks through dinner without complaint, Olive Garden goes above and beyond to provide vegan and vegetarian guests with options that are both delicious and satisfying. Aside from the breadsticks, the minestrone soup is another dish vegans can order as is. Without the croutons and Italian dressing, you could also make it a combo by ordering a simple salad with balsamic and olive oil to go along with it. As outlined on its website, Olive Garden is diligent about cross-contamination, and will happily accommodate modifications. In so, many entree items can be vegan-ized if they’re not already by removing the cheese and substituting vegetables for meat.
There are a few dishes you should avoid ordering at Olive Garden no matter what, but if you’re eating vegan, you’ll be best off using the build-to-your-own pasta option to your advantage. The restaurant uses dried pasta noodles which, unlike most fresh varieties of pasta typically served at higher-end Italian restaurants, are made without eggs. Your vegan pasta shape options include angel hair, spaghetti, fettuccine, small shells, and the rigatoni — although it is worth noting that the gluten-free rigatoni contains eggs. You can then top it with marinara or tomato sauce and ask them to toss in whatever vegetables they have in the kitchen. Asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, and eggplant will usually be on hand, but you can also always order a side of steamed broccoli.
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