How to Order Vegan at Subway: A Sandwich Lover’s Guide (2024)

There are more Subways in the world than any other restaurant. This is comforting in the fact that no matter where you are, it’s very likely there’s a sub shop nearby with plenty of vegan options. We dove into the menus around the globe to find all the vegan options—from the standard Veggie Delite to the vegan-friendly regional specialties. Use this guide to learn what’s vegan (hello, sweet onion teriyaki) and what’s surprisingly not (avoid the 9-Grain wheat bread) before you place your next Subway order.

Jump to the guide

What’s vegan at Subway?

While mainstream fast-food chains such as Burger King and Carl’s Jr. have added vegan-friendly handhelds to their permanent menus, Subway is yet to unveil a permanent, plant-based offering nationwide.

Subway

In 2019, the chain made headlines when it launched Beyond Meatball subs across the US and Canada. The excitement was ultimately short-lived, as the sub has yet to reappear on US menus. Luckily, in 2021, Subway committed to developing more vegan options after the chain faced controversy surrounding its tuna—which a lawsuit claimed was in fact a “mixture of various concoctions … made from anything but tuna.” And while the chain has since upgraded its vegetarian veggie patty to omit animal ingredients (more on that below), we have yet to see additional plant-based offerings.

Vegan options at Subway

While we wait for more vegan offerings to land on Subway’s menu, check out these plant-based options to help you build the ultimate sub. Vegans, beware: seek sustenance elsewhere during the AM hours. There are no vegan breakfast options at this sandwich shop.

Subway

1 Bread

At Subway, it begins with bread. Choose between Artisan Italian (white), Hearty Multigrain, and sourdough. Both the tomato basil and spinach wraps are animal-free as well.

Subway

2 Condiments

The condiments at Subway can transform a rather bland sandwich into a handhold you’ll actually enjoy. Vegan-friendly options include:

• Buffalo sauce
• Mustard
• Oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Sweet onion teriyaki
• Black pepper
• Sea salt

The options expand even more when looking at the regional variety. At the time of writing, your local sub shop could carry any of the two following vegan-friendly sauces and spreads: barbecue sauce and giardiniera.

Subway

3 Sandwiches and wraps

At any Subway, vegans can always depend on the Veggie Delite. Make your sandwich substantial by piling on as many vegetables as you like (banana peppers, black olives, peppers, onions, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, avocado, pickles, spinach, and jalapeños) and amp up the flavor with Subway’s vegan-friendly condiments. Beyond this vegetable-loaded sandwich, Subway offers a new Veggie Patty sub that is suitable for vegans per the chain’s updated menu guidelines. While Subway has long offered this patty as an add-on, it originally contained eggs and dairy, but as of 2021, Subway has upgraded its Veggie Patty with the help of Dr. Praeger’s, reports Mercury News.

Fair warning: in the US, the newly plant-based patty isn’t available at all locations. Internationally, the Veggie Patty is suitable for vegans in Canada.

Subway

4 Salads

The vegan salad at Subway is essentially a breadless Veggie Patty sando served in a bowl. Ask your sandwich artist to load up on the veggies and don’t skimp on the avocado. Any of the vegan condiments listed above can be used as a dressing. If your shop doesn’t offer the plant-based Veggie Patty, your salad will mirror the Veggie Delite sans bread.

Lays

5 Sides

Subway carries a variety of Lay’s brand chips and GoGo Squeez squeezable applesauce to supplement its vegan patrons’ meals. Just be sure to steer clear of the cheese-flavored Doritos and Sunchips. And unfortunately, the cookies are not vegan.

Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.