VEG.EDIBLE
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑
District: Benson
Sweet and savory dishes that are vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free
Perfect For: Baked Goods; Casual Dining; Takeout; Vegan Options
Standout Dishes: S’Mores Cake; Mozzarella Sticks; BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich; Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake
Creating delicious food that’s vegan, gluten-free, or nut-free can be a daunting challenge on its own—making the proper substitutions without sacrificing quality or taste requires enormous amounts of knowledge, research, and trial and error. To incorporate all 3 components into one concept is a task few would dare tackle.
But Stacie Van Clave is passionate, and she likes a challenge.
That’s why, after 15 years in the food service industry, Stacie Van Clave launched Veg.Edible, a pop-up operating out of Kitchen Council, in 2019. A vegan herself, Stacie found many Omaha restaurants didn’t have a general knowledge of ingredients or preparation protocol, leading to dangerous cross contamination.
You won’t find those issues with Veg.edible. Stacie believes everyone should be able to enjoy a delicious meal regardless of allergies or dietary preferences, so her entire menu is vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free (except for coconuts).
Veg. Edible started as a pop-up and became so popular that it graduated into a brick and mortar establishment in the Benson neighborhood. It also offers a variety of baked goods, which can be ordered a la carte or in a tasting box.
And whether you want a savory meal composed of vegetables or meat substitutes or something to satisfy your sweet tooth, Veg.edible can deliver.
SAVORY DISHES
Despite having a small kitchen, Veg.edible’s menu is quite extensive. With all kinds of sandwiches, salads, burgers, bowls, and tacos, there’s plenty to choose from, and most feature some sort of meat substitute. This could come in the form of vegetables, Beyond Meat products, tofu, or JUST eggs.
Some items leave you missing the meat and dairy, but, for the most part, you’ll hardly notice the difference. The perfect example of this is the BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich, which employs jackfruit as its protein. The jackfruit is cooked down to a wonderfully tender consistency, actually giving it the texture of pulled pork. Honestly, if you blindfolded me, I’m not sure I could tell the difference. Combined with a tangy, sweet BBQ sauce, it legitimately looks and tastes like pulled pork.
A slaw adds a nice creaminess and you won’t miss the gluten in the toasted bun. But the kicker on this sandwich is the enormous handbreaded onion ring, which not only has great crunch but wonderful seasoning.
The Matty Melt is similarly successful. The Beyond burger, smashed with onions and topped with vegan cheese, has a solid meaty flavor, and the creamy Matt sauce, punchy sauerkraut, and perfectly toasted bun give it some real life. The vegan cheese is a bit gummy, but otherwise it’s a perfectly acceptable burger, and the fries are very potato-forward and are well-seasoned.
The Mozzarella Sticks are as good as you’ll find in Omaha. I’m not sure what type of cheese substitute Veg.edible uses, but it’s molten and creamy in all the right ways. The exterior is fried perfectly, giving it a golden brown color and excellent crunch, and the seasoning has just the right amount of salt.
Veg.edible also consistently runs specials and changes the menu. What I appreciate about Stacie’s cooking is the way she embraces vegetables above meat supplements like tofu and chicken substitutes—you’re more likely to find jackfruit, mushrooms, chickpeas, and other natural ingredients as meat fill-ins.
A great example of this was the Mushroom Ramen at Veg.edible’s Asian Cuisine Pop-Up at Chef Around the Block. The morel broth ensured every bite had an earthy, nutty flavor, while four types of mushrooms (shittake, simeji, enoki, and oyster) added woody flavor and textural variety that mimicked meat quite well. The black rice noodles added a pleasant al dente bite, and the bok choy, scallions, and other veggies tasted like they were picked from the garden that afternoon.
BAKED GOODS
While her savory cooking is excellent, Stacie’s baking ability really stands out. The flavors she’s able to create without eggs, milk, or standard flour are downright astounding.
It all starts with Veg.edible’s line of cakes, and Stacie is constantly coming up with new flavors to match the season or ingredients she’s interested in. The base of the cake is more dense and chewy and lacks the moistness found in traditional cake. The texture requires an adjustment, but after a few bites, you come to not only accept it, but enjoy it.
And despite working with different ingredients, Stacie makes the flavors in her cakes pop more than most bakers with everything at their arsenal. The rich chocolate cake in the Puppy Chow Cake pairs perfectly with the creamy vanilla icing, and chocolate chips add texture between the layers. The Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake tastes exactly what everyone’s favorite breakfast cereal would be in cake form thanks to a decadent cereal buttercream and vanilla bean cake layers.
The S’mores Cake combine chocolately cake with marshmallow buttercream tht is sticky and light, adding just the right amount of sugar, while graham cracker crumbs and chocolate drip add texture. And the Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cake is a mint lover’s dream.
Veg.edible’s baked treats go beyond the cakes, however. The Brown Sugar Cookie is a bit crumbly, but it’s flavor (think a gingerbread/snickerdoodle hybrid with firm, Pop-Tart-esque frosting) is divine. And you won’t miss the eggs in the Frosted Salted Caramel Avocado Brownie—the avocados add the creamy richness, keeping the brownie moist and highlighting the delicious chocolate.
Veg.edible has a pastry case with available baked items for purchase in its shop, and it also offers a monthly Taster Box with 6-7 items so you can taste the full spectrum of Stacie’s baking talent.
Again, the texture of each item may seem a bit different to someone without dietary restrictions. But take it from someone who has no allergies to gluten or nuts—I love these desserts and have ordered them again and again.
Ultimately, I think that attention to detail is what makes Veg.edible a success. Stacie is paying hyper attention to every ingredient, every component, and every flavor to ensure she’s not only adhering to dietary standards, but creating food that anyone can enjoy.
Veg.edible’s restaurant is quite small, with only a three tables, so most orders are taken to go. And with such a small kitchen and staff, orders at the counter usually take 15-25 minutes to fulfill, though you can order ahead of time online.
I’m not vegan and I don’t have any food allergies, but I fully endorse and have ordered (and will continue to order) from Veg.edible many times. That’s because dietary restrictions and sensitivities don’t have to prevent you from enjoying awesome food; Veg.edible is living proof of that.