You are having guests over and all of them are vegan, what do you prepare and serve in such a situation? Considering how important food preferences are, it matters little whether you serve something on a golden platter or a bamboo dish; only that it is the type of food that’ll make your guests happy.
Like all guests, vegans appreciate a host that makes the effort to cater to their needs and culinary preferences.
Serving vegans according to their needs doesn’t need to be as difficult as you think. So get your apron on and get ready to cook vegan.
What to serve vegan guests from your pantry?
The thought of tossing all the food that you commonly eat and having nothing to serve may cause you to break out into a cold sweat. The succulent salmon dish you might have thought of preparing is no longer an option, and neither is eggs or cheese, for that matter.
You may never have thought about it, but serving a guest whose culinary consternations are different from yours may mean stocking up your pantry with all types of new food. But, there may also be items in your pantry that you can use to cater to your vegan guests. In fact, the truth is that everyone has some vegan food in their pantry.
What to serve vegan guests can be right in front of you
Do you have vegetables, nuts, and pasta in your pantry? If you have answered, “Yes,” you already have more than enough food to satisfy your vegan guests’ palates.
You can also make rather saucy meals out of these ingredients, as almost all sauces are great options for vegans. Plus, you can even prepare a great vegan dessert without any eggs by using vegan alternatives and vegan chocolate.
If you are still stuck for options, consider taking out a potato and some flour. You can create the perfect gnocchi in no time with these simple ingredients and some hints of rosemary.
Start with appetizers
When treating any guest to a meal, you must go the whole hog (minus hog!) and craft a full course meal. Since appetizers are the easiest meal to get right, you can’t go wrong no matter how many items you have in the pantry.
A bowl of assorted nuts may sound simple but this is a great party starter. Everyone (except those who are allergic to nuts) enjoys some delicious nutty goodness. If you do want to be more creative, what is there to serve vegan guests that will wow them? A creamy vegetable dish that includes squash and sweet potatoes could be quite the treat.
Remember to make a creamy dish without using any cream (as this is a byproduct of animals). Use coconut cream instead. You can even replicate a creamy sauce by using a tongue-pleasing combination of the sauces in your pantry. Garlic cream sauce, anyone?
Perhaps a crunchy nut salad (minus the feta cheese) with dashes of balsamic vinegar is another option for a starter. A colorful salad will make anyone’s mouth water.
The cream of the crop is your main meal
Perhaps your pasta needs milk to make a perfect cheesy sauce. In that case, opt for almond or cashew milk. You can even create a perfectly sour sauce by using coconut yogurt and nutritional yeast.
There are so many options nowadays that there’s no excuse but to craft the ultimate vegan fare.
Do you want to avoid milk entirely?
Well, you can create a perfectly creamy soup without adding cream. A roasted piping hot butternut soup made from onions, carrots, potatoes, butternut, spices, and garlic is all you need to get your vegan guests salivating.
Make sure that you also include foods such as risotto in your main meals list. Stir-fries can also be a delicious main to serve to your guests along with sides like sweet corn, and roasted veggies.
Make sure to leave room for dessert
The best way to end a fabulous meal is to serve your guests the right type of dessert. Why not go for an eggless cake with peach or strawberry flavor? It would be the most delicious treat to end the night.
Perhaps a chilled cucumber soup or a cool plum soup could work too? These are all great treats to get the compliments to flow.
What to serve vegan guests need not be a source of your stress
If you are stressing out, don’t throw in the towel. Giving up now could prevent you from creating the most tantalizing plate of food you’ve ever made. Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best and take very little time to make. So get yourself a few simple but special ingredients and bon appetit, vegan style.
