I believe the point being made is although gumbo z'herbes is thought of as a meatless gumbo (often/traditionally made for lent), most modern variations of it in new orleans contain meat. the OP is looking for meatless options, so the caveat is to beware of gumbo z'herbes because nowadays it is usually not vegetarian, unless expressly stated to be so.

all good suggestions, but don't forget lola's on esplanade. they have one of the best salads in town, it's so great--especially with avocado.

I had no idea anyone read dazee's blog but me. He will be so excited!
xo
kittee

I lived as a vegan in NOLA for 8 years and did just fine. Here are a few of my faves, but definitely check out the links below. My husband has a vegan restaurant review blog: vegannola.blogspot.com which will help.

For meeting work folks I suggest Lola's and Cochon. If you call ahead, Stephen can make you an amazing vegan meal, just be sure to give him notice because the restaurant is very popular and is usually packed.

For breakfast and brunch: Surrey's on Magazine.
Taqueria Corona is great and has vegan beans as does Juan's Flying Burrito. If you can get to the West Bank, Kim Son and Pho Tao Bay have great vegan selections. Bennachin is always good (slow service), and you can always get good sushi and Lebanese food all over town There's also a killer pupuseria on the River Bend that is pricey but so freakin' good.

xo
kittee

Bennachins is always at Jazz Fest too, so you can save yourself a trip. Jama Jama and plaintains with lots of hot sauce is so good. Also, don't forget the mango freezes at the fest! If you can get into Lola's that's the place to be--right near the racetrack and delicious with veg and omni offerings, but they don't take reservations and it's cash only for out of towners.

Some good suggestions already, but here's my complete list:
King Cake babies
Zatarain's Creole Mustard
Camellias beans, more than just red beans, I'd also suggest getting some black eyed peas and butterbeans
Zatarain's Pro Boil Mix (msg free and has extra powdered lemon concentrate in it)
Olive Salad
Zapps
Tony Chachere's (salt free in the white shaker, not green)
Local file (you must visit george's on the West Bank--he's in an old brake tag station across from the mall (up a tiny bit) on terry parkway. he also has preserved figs, and all kinds of awesome stuff in bottles and jars.

thanks for the input, it's very helpful. i have a longstanding veg red beans recipe i like, but i wanted to try another one brining soy. there's an excellent product on the market called Soy Curls, which come dry. I want to try to rehydrate them in a brining solution and then add them to the pot. I was worried that the vinegar would give me problems, but it looks like I am good to go with the experiment.

Surrey's Cafe has some great options, as does Whole Foods and Pho Tao Bay and Kim Son. You an also get healthy stuff at Juan's.

xo
kittee

Hi There,
I am developing a vegetarian version of red beans with pickle meat. After doing some research, most people say that adding acidic foods to beans makes them tough. Pickle Meat is brined in salt and white vinegar and then is cooked from the get go with the red beans. Can anyone explain how the beans get soft with all the acid from the meat?

Thanks,
kittee

Hey There,
There are plenty of great places to eat vegetarian fare in NOLA. My favorites:
Lola's on Esplanade in Mid City (cash only)
Taqueria Corona on Magazine Uptown
Lebanon's on Carrollton in the River Bend
Cochon in the Warehouse District(call ahead and Stephen can make sure to have something--he is the best).
Surrey's Cafe on Magazine in the Lower Garden
Pho Tao Bay on the West Bank
Kim Son on the West Bank
xo
kittee

xo
kittee

I think the best Indian food, hands down in the area, is Tandoori Chicken. It recently moved from the CBD side of Canal to Cleary Blvd, a few blocks off Veteran's. They have a mean Punjabi buffet daily, with samosas every Friday afternoon. Much much better than Nirvana, we drive into Jefferson Parish frequently just to go.