Olive Garden: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Olive Garden backs its vegetarian options with an official vegetarian and vegan chart, and the chain has real mains to point to, not just a side salad. Create-your-own pasta, Minestrone Soup, and the bottomless breadsticks all give you something to actually order.

What to order at Olive Garden

Minestrone Soup is the one fully vegan soup on the chart, built from vegetables, beans, and pasta. Pair it with Create-Your-Own noodles in marinara or tomato sauce for Spaghetti with Marinara, a genuine vegan entree. The Breadstick with garlic topping, Seasoned Broccoli, and a salad ordered with olive oil and balsamic instead of dressing round out a full vegan meal here. The desserts, including Tiramisu, Black Tie Mousse Cake, and Sicilian Cheesecake, are vegetarian but not vegan, thanks to egg and dairy, while the Raspberry Sauce topping is vegan on its own.

What to watch out for

Skip the other three soups. Zuppa Toscana has sausage, bacon, and cream, Chicken and Gnocchi has chicken and cream, and Pasta e Fagioli uses meat and a beef and chicken broth, so none of the three are vegetarian even though some dairy-free guides list them. Alfredo, Creamy Mushroom, and Five Cheese Marinara sauces are vegetarian only, thanks to dairy, and the Signature Italian dressing contains both milk and egg. The Gluten-Free Rotini also isn’t vegan, since it contains egg, so double check before ordering it as a substitute.