Decoding the Ingredients: A Vegan's Perspective on Panda Express Spring Roll

  Panda Express offers delicious vegan meals at reasonable prices, however many of their vegan items are prepared and cooked within the same facility as non-vegan options. As such, learning how to read food labels is so essential for making healthier yet flavorful choices. With this knowledge in hand, it allows for making smarter food decisions! Spring Rolls Spring rolls are a delicious appetizer served at Chinese restaurants. Their crisp, thin wrapper encases an irresistibly crunchy mix of vegetables, herbs, and meat in its center; usually deep-fried but occasionally baked or steamed as well. Spring rolls are one of the easiest dishes to make at home and you can customize their filling to meet your taste. They're an excellent way to utilize any leftover veggies in the refrigerator or experiment with various filling combinations. DIY spring roll wrappers can easily be made at home by mixing some water and flour to form a loose batter, covering it with a clean dish towel, and leaving to sit for one hour before using to create spring roll batches at once! To assemble spring rolls, start by working on a damp surface and setting out your fillings. Begin with lettuce as your base layer and layer different cooked proteins, vegetables, and toppings before topping it all off with herbs and bean sprouts for decoration. Finally, fold over both ends of the rice paper over your ingredients before rolling it up! Homemade spring rolls are far superior to store-bought varieties, which may contain high levels of fat and calories as well as less nutritious fillings that often include processed meat or other harmful ingredients. However, you can still enjoy classic Asian appetizers without jeopardizing your health by selecting appropriate ingredients and eating in moderation. Spring rolls made with vegetable-based filling are an ideal example; egg rolls featuring cooked proteins sans oil may also be worthwhile options. Use a combination of sweet and savory condiments to create an irresistibly tasty dipping sauce, such as soy, Worcestershire sauce, Vietnamese fish sauce, hoisin or peanut sauces for spring roll dipping or adding an extra spicy kick to stir fries. For an easy, satisfying, vegan-friendly dinner that's sure to please, give these Panda Spring Rolls a try! They make an excellent side dish or appetizer. Plus they pair beautifully with other Chinese cuisine dishes! Eggplant Tofu Eggplant is an excellent source of fiber, protein and antioxidants - not to mention being low in calories and fat! Making eggplant an ideal food choice for weight-watchers. Tofu is an excellent source of protein and calcium, yet contains high amounts of calories. Furthermore, its sodium levels may cause complications. Panda Express provides this dish without using any meat or fish products, making it perfect for vegan diets. Eggplant Tofu contains ingredients such as cornstarch, sesame oil, salt and pepper - you could also opt for brown sugar in lieu of regular white sugar! Plus this dairy- and gluten-free dish! Before beginning the sauce, wash and dry your eggplants before cutting into small chunks and mixing with 1/3 cup of corn starch as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Assemble your ingredients. First, heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil. Next, stir fry eggplant pieces for 3-4 minutes or until it begins to turn golden-brown in color. Once the eggplants have been fried, add red peppers and minced garlic and ginger and continue frying until all the ingredients have become fragrant. Once your eggplant and peppers are done cooking, simply add in tofu for a fast, easy meal that can be ready in 30 minutes or less! For a less spicy option, you can substitute dry chilies with fresh ones in equal proportions and also experiment with adding red bell peppers or green onions for additional flavors. To serve, top off this dish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds for an elegant presentation. Pair this delicious recipe with rice or another grain for quick and convenient meals! Plus, prep ahead so you have everything ready! Ingredients for this delectable Szechuan tofu and eggplant dish can easily be found at most grocery stores or Asian markets, or substitute with another ingredient if necessary. The recipe is straightforward to create and can serve as an introduction to Chinese cuisine for both you and your family! Chow Mein Like me, you likely have a repertoire of favorite Chinese dishes on your cooking roster that are simple and delicious to prepare. Sometimes though, you need something new; perhaps you need an exciting chicken chow mein dish or maybe you need to add additional vegetables into that shrimp chow mein you made last week. As I love trying out new recipes and exploring various cuisines, one of my favorite Chinese dishes that doesn't include animal products is vegetarian Chow Mein - another favorite among my vegan friends! Chow mein is typically made of fried noodles and served with a light sauce made of soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce and sugar to create an intriguing combination of flavors. Chow mein is best known for its delicious stir-fried noodles, and to achieve its signature crisp texture they must first be boiled and coated in oil before being stir-fried. This method produces firm yet tender noodles with crunchy exteriors and tender interiors, and allows the chef to focus on crispiness while keeping any additional ingredients or sauce at a minimum. Chow mein is an iconic Chinese dish and can be found worldwide, often in various forms such as steamed, crispy or lo mein versions. Steamed Chow Mein: For this variation of Chow Mein, noodles are briefly flash-fried before being stir-fried with meat or vegetables in a light sauce. This variation of chow mein is less greasy and lower in calories. Crispy Chow Mein: To create this variation of Chow Mein noodles are compressed flat while frying, creating a pancake-like shape and giving it its signature taste. Once crisped up, all other ingredients and sauce are then added atop this crispy pancake-shaped noodle base. This classic chow mein dish can be prepared in just 20 minutes and for only $4.26! A tasty family meal that everyone will enjoy. Beyond Orange Chicken Panda Express recently initiated a limited-time test of Beyond Orange Chicken at select locations across New York City and Southern California. This vegan orange chicken features Beyond Meat chicken pieces with crispy breading and honey-free sauce for the first time on their menu - offering vegans their favorite Panda entree while potentially opening doors to other plant-based diets as well. Panda joined forces with Beyond Meat in 2021 to recreate the crunchy texture and tart flavor of their iconic orange chicken dish, using only plant-based products. As a result, their irresistible plant-based version paired perfectly with side items like Chow Mein, Super Greens and Vegetable Spring Rolls for an irresistibly plant-based take on an irresistible fan favorite dish! Beyond Meat is a high-quality plant-based protein alternative with the same texture of chicken that doesn't contain any animal ingredients or byproducts, making it suitable for those with allergies. Plus, its gluten and soy-free formulation makes it suitable for everyone's dining table! Fried chicken is covered with a light batter and deep-fried until crisp. After being dunked into an orange sauce with sweet and tart undertones, it's served alongside steamed rice and vegetables for an unforgettable meal! Panda Express recently unveiled a popular and delicious meal that's now being served at over 2,300 restaurants nationwide, making a powerful statement in support of meatless eating. Though Panda Express may provide this meatless option, keep in mind that fast-food restaurants tend to be pricey, with prices fluctuating significantly between markets. If you're vegan or vegetarian, it is a good idea to check with your local Panda Express to determine their selection of plant-based dishes and nutritional information. If they do not, vegetable spring rolls offer similar flavors without all the fried chicken! Not to be missed when ordering Beyond Orange Chicken: as its preparation involves shared equipment, cross-contamination may occur - particularly with items cooked separately in individual fryers and then covered in sauce afterwards.