Celebrations can be a challenge when you’re a vegan, but it’s a different matter when you control the feast. With a few great recipes on board, you can create an entire vegan feast full of healthy foods that will make any of the most determined non-vegan friends drool.
The best kind of feast has at least three courses – some light snacks to start, a delicious main, and a mouthwatering dessert. For an ultimate feast, though, you want not only plenty of delicious courses, but enough time and energy to enjoy yourself. Follow the feast guide below for a quick and easy feast that has a few options to fit the season.
Starters
Balance is essential for any vegan meal, so it’s important to make sure your starter includes some proteins and carbohydrates. For a quick and easy starter, try a salad using cous cous or quinoa as a base. A couple of cups of either is a great base for a salad to serve four to six people. If you’re feasting in colder weather, add hot roasted vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, pepper and aubergine, and dress with plenty of good olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar. Add some roasted cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds for protein.
For a salad to suit the summer months, substitute vegetables for some fresh pomegranate seeds, orange wedges, baby spinach and some mint. Dress with a squeeze of lime and some roasted pine nuts.
A nice loaf of vegan bread and some aubergine dip is a good way to round off this starter. To make the aubergine dip, roast two aubergines and mash them in a food processor. Add a teaspoon of mashed garlic, four teaspoons of vegan mayonnaise, a dash of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Main
The range of vegan mains are almost endless, and a nice risotto or vegetable stew is always a good idea for a cold-weather feast. To match with your starter, though, you can’t beat a nut roast. Choose your favourite recipe and serve with roast vegetables and miso gravy for best effect.
Summertime feasts do well with a tofu or tempeh-based main, and to match up with your starter it’s a good idea to serve grilled tofu or tempeh that has been marinated in soy, lemongrass and ginger. Accompany with some steamed spinach, canellini beans lightly sauteed in olive oil, and brussels sprouts. Try braising the brussels sprouts in some lemon juice and ginger.
Dessert
A good dessert rounds out a meal. To keep your summer feast light, try a light berry dairy-free cheesecake using silken tofu or non-dairy cream cheese. Mixing crushed almonds, walnuts and dates with some vanilla essence and cinnamon creates a great base, and fresh berries top it all off.
Winter feasts do well with puddings, and you can craft a tasty chocolate pudding by blending melted dairy-free dark chocolate with silken tofu and sugar, refrigerating, and serving with winter berries.
A well-rounded feast can be crafted for any time of year to suit the vegan diet.
