Whether you’re celebrating February 14th with a significant other, alone, or with friends, there are tons of compassionate ways to show the ones that you love that they are deserving of your affection. Treat yourself, your friends, or your partner to some of the best vegan gifts this Valentine’s Day.
1. Vegan chocolates
Chocolate is unavoidable on Valentine’s Day. If someone you love has a sweet tooth, snag a Vegan Treats’ Limited Edition Valentine’s Day Box complete with a Speculoos cup tortoise, a banana cream pie chimpanzee, a passion fruit flower, a caramel rose, and white chocolate cotton candy clouds. For more decadent chocolate treats, check out the Valentine’s Day gift ideas at Vegan Essentials for goodies like the Organic Chocolate Half Heart with Cherry Truffles by Sjaaks.
2. Vegan filet mignon
Yes, what you read is correct. Vegan chef Brian Patton has a recipe for vegan filet mignon in his microcookbook, Sexy's Best, Vol. 3: Vegan Filet Mignon. If your partner is a foodie, take the time to make this gourmet dinner, complete with candlelight and a glass of vegan red wine. Nothing says love like a home-cooked elegant dinner. If you’re not into faux meat, his cookbook for Neopolitan Pizza is equally as delicious, and love-inducing.
3. Valentine’s Day Dinner
If you’d rather have a professional vegan chef cook dinner for you and your significant other or you’re celebrating a Galentine’s Day night out with your friends, several LA restaurants are offering sumptuous prix-fixe menus. Crossroads is offering a five-course dinner with the Impossible tartar, tempeh scallopini, and blood orange and raspberry tart. If you love Japanese food, Shojin in downtown LA and Culver City are offering five-course vegan meals with signature sushi platters, pasta, and crab cakes. Real Food Daily, with outposts in West Hollywood and Pasadena, has pan-seared king oyster mushroom scallops, smoked cashew cheese-stuffed dates, and red beet risotto. Don’t forget to make reservations!
4. Vegan wine
If you or your partner love a good glass of wine, order a bottle of Vegan Vine wines. The company, which is certified sustainable and family-owned, offers a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon. If you’re wondering what to pair your selected wine with for dinner, Vegan Vines shares some recipes that should go nicely with your bottle of red or white. Their suggestion of Creamy Vegan Garlic Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes with Chardonnay sounds absolutely like the perfect romantic night-in dinner.
5. Proud to be vegan accessories
Give your plant-based friend or significant other some fun vegan jewelry, T-shirts, or bumper stickers to help them proclaim their love for all things herbivore. The Herbivore Clothing Company has a great selection of gifts, like the Herbivore Bar Bracelet, a T-shirt that proclaims, “A Little Veganism Never Hurt Anybody,” and the “I love vegans,” sticker.
Jennifer Chen is the food editor at VegNews magazine and writes for women’s magazines such as Oprah, Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, and more. She loves living in Los Angeles and documents all the vegan food she samples at @jchenwriter on Instagram.