Posted by Isabella Cavallo/Photos by Seth Johnston on December 15, 2021
When I arrived on campus freshman year, I was happily suprised with the endless meal choices and tasty food at Binghamton University. From the dining halls, MarketPlace and a Dunkin Donuts on campus, I enjoyed every meal and never grew tired of the options.
Fast-forward two years when I cut meat out of my diet and I suddenly felt like my dinner options on campus were limited to the same salads every day. I avoided eating in the dining halls and cooked at home more often, but I am a horrible chef and I missed picking up a big sandwich on campus. So I decided to go on a scavenger hunt of sorts and try all the vegetarian and vegan meal options on campus, and it turns out there’s a lot! To make things easier for all of you, I ranked my seven favorite options I think everyone should give a try.
1. Chili Paneer at Royal Indian
If you have not tried any Indian cuisine yet, it’s time to end that right now. I have heard raving reviews of Royal Indian in the MarketPlace, but I’ve yet to try it out myself (or any Indian restaurants, for that matter). I had the chance to try a little bit of each of their vegetarian options and their yogurt-based mango smoothie.
First off, the paneer tikka masala in the middle of the dish has paneer cheese in a creamy and spiced sauce. The saag is a leaf-based neutral-tasting curry that can be mixed throughout the dish. Chana masala included chickpeas, which is a great source of protein for vegetarians. It was spicy and tangy, but the hot sauce drizzled on top may have added a bit more spiciness to the meal! I loved the samosa, which was a fried pastry with a vegetable filling. I’m not sure what it is about basmati rice, but it is by far my favorite kind of rice, and it pulled the whole meal together.
Lastly, my absolute favorite option from Royal Indian was the chilli paneer. It includes beans, homemade paneer cheese and a sauce. It is sweet, tangy and tastes delicious mixed with the rice and saag.
2. Vegetarian Sub at Wrap-n-Roll Deli
This may seem a bit basic, but I loved the vegetarian sub I ate from the Wrap-n-Roll Deli at Hinman. The vegan and vegetarian build-your-own subs or wraps are available daily and give vegans more options than the regular Boar’s Head Delis available at the dining halls.
I decided to try a sub with lettuce, red and yellow peppers, pickles, tomato, onion and jalapeno. The vegetables were all on bread with seasoning similar to an everything bagel and tasted savory, salty and a little bit spicy. One of the things I miss most about eating meat is big, hearty sandwiches, so having a large veggie sub was an A+ experience. I also love sweet potatoes, so the sweet potato fries tasted delicious and salty.
3. Black Bean Burger at the Grill
I am a big fan of black bean burgers because it’s almost always on the menu …….