The Great Minnesota Get-Together is up and running full steam ahead, and I found myself a little overwhelmed by all of the new vegan options. But that didn’t stop me from trying as much as I could, so here we go…

CLICK HERE to view my Minnesota State Fair Vegan Food Guide

a spoofed poster for Poltergeist that says Poultrygeist with a paper boat filled with vegan Texas toast, chicken tenders, gravy and fried onions from The Herbivorous Butcher at the Minnesota State Fair — *The Herbivorous Butcher’s Poultrygeist*

The Herbivorous Butcher

I work for The Herbivorous Butcher so of course I had to support them. I prefer the Poultrygeist to the Steak-xorcist; while I love our ribeye steak, it doesn’t work as a deep-fried food for me because it gets too soft. But I’ll forever be an HB fried chicken stan. And the buttery Texas toast melts in your mouth.

On the chance you saw this Bring Me The News article, we do not have a gluten-free bread offering. Literally every part of the dish is filled with gluten so it would be a little silly for us to offer GF bread.

paper boat with fried turmeric tofu on a stick with a small container of sauce and a side of purple sticky rice with pickled veggies — *Union Hmong Kitchen’s Mov + Nqaij*

Union Hmong Kitchen

How exciting is it to have Union Hmong Kitchen at the State Fair?? Yia Vang is a force to be reckoned with, and it was fun to see their stall in the International Bazaar as busy as it was. The line moved quickly, though, so don’t let a line dissuade you!

I’m officially obsessed with their Lemongrass Scallion Dressing. It was tough to scoop the dressing up with the yummy Lemongrass Turmeric Tofu, but it actually worked better with the rice, which had been sitting for a little bit so it got a little glommy. The sauce helped bring the rice back to life. The vegan option is also gluten-free.

two fried masa empanadas topped with vegan mayo and tajin — *Andy’s Garage’s Elote Molotes*

Andy’s Garage (August 25-30)

While they’re not as good as the Choripops that Andy’s made last year, I still enjoyed the Elote Molotes. They’re fried masa empanadas filled with corn and topped with vegan mayo and tajin. Salty, a little spicy, and crunchy… this is my kind of food. Be sure to request it vegan because they also come with cotija. They’re gluten-free, too!

Find them at the Midtown Global Market stall in the International Bazaar. Arepa Bar will take over the stall for the second half of the fair, August 31-September 5. Their vegan arepa is gluten-free and includes black beans, fried sweet plantains, cabbage, carrots, green onions and parsley.

Auntie M’s

While Auntie M’s isn’t new to the fair this year, they’re new to me, and I couldn’t pass up a chance to get a vegan funnel cake. Their truck is certified gluten-free, and we inhaled the funnel cake. It had a slight tackiness that probably comes from rice flour, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would eat it again in a heartbeat.

vegan corn dog at the Minnesota State Fair

Daryl’s Dog House

THIS IS REAL LIFE. Daryl’s Dog House has a vegan corn dog as their only fried food option. They’re using Morningstar Hot Dogs and hand-dipping them in their own house-made batter. YUM. 10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Blueberry Handpie

Minneapple Pie

The vegan apple pie has been on the menu for as long as I can remember, but this year they added a lovely, delicious blueberry pie. Make sure to request it without ice cream. I was tempted to buy a 6-pack to take home with me.

5 pita puffs on a stick topped with powdered sugar over a bowl of chocolate hummus with banana slices, chocolate chips and coconut flakes — *Coco-Nuts Hummus Bowl*

Baba’s

UPDATE: This was mistakenly marked vegan on the New Foods list. The Coco-nuts Bowl os NOT vegan.

Dessert hummus is a bit contentious, and unfortunately, I’m on the side of “no one asked for this.” The hazelnut chocolate hummus couldn’t seem to decide if it wanted to be sweet or savory, and the texture wasn’t as thick as their other hummus. However, I strongly urge you to try one of their savory bowls because their combinations are killer, and the pita puffs are perfection. The Chili Bowl is my personal favorite.

I’m headed back to the fair on Monday and will report back with anything else I try. My Minnesota State Fair Vegan Food Guide marks my favorites, and you can use the Food Finder for additional information on vendors.

For those wanting a fair experience without supporting the state fair, Twin Cities Veg Fest is coming up on September 18. All the food is required to be vegan, and they'll have speakers, cooking demos, and more. I hope to see you there!

Minnesota State Fair 2022