Stew-pendous! Portland Restaurant’s Vegan Coconut Soup Nabs National PETA Award
For Immediate Release:
December 2, 2025
Contact:
Hannah Nelson 413-272-9014
Stirring up compassion! As temperatures dip and people seek warm comfort foods to get them through the winter, PETA is announcing its picks for the nation’s 10 best plant-powered soups and stews with its Souper Vegan Awards—and Portland’s own Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro has made the list. The eatery’s mouthwatering Fragrant Coconut Soup with Tofu & Baby Bella Mushrooms is a vegan twist on Thailand’s iconic tom kha soup, featuring cherry tomatoes, onions, scallions, and cilantro swimming in a spicy coconut broth.
“Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro has created a delicious soup that’s kind to animals and provides comfort and warmth in each spoonful,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “Every winner on PETA’s awards list shows how easy it is to make a soup-erb stew or soup that leaves animals in peace and keeps everyone feeling nicely nourished.”
Cows develop friendships over time, chickens form complex social structures, pigs show empathy for other pigs who are happy or distressed, and fish have long memories and sing to each other—but in today’s meat, egg, and dairy industries, the animals are raised in filthy, crowded conditions and violently killed. In addition to sparing nearly 200 animals every year, each person who goes vegan also bolsters their own health, as vegans are less likely to suffer from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.
Green Elephant will receive a framed award certificate from PETA along with bragging rights. Other winners include Half-Peach Bakery & Cafe in Louisville, Kentucky; Asempe Kitchen in Ithaca, New York; Revolutionary Soup in Charlottesville, Virginia; and Vujee Vegan in Huntsville, Alabama.
Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro is located at 608 Congress St. in Portland, and is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and for dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. On Sundays and Mondays, Green Elephant is open from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for dinner.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
