The Vegan Dinner Party: What To Make?

We are social creatures. We gather around food to show our love and appreciation for one another, to connect and reaffirm relationships, build shared memories, and nourish our bodies.

When you don’t eat the same diet as your friends throwing a fun and delicious dinner party can stressful.  How do you prepare a successful gastronomic feast that not only satisfies but impresses everyone?

Vegans and non-vegans alike often ask us what they can cook for a plant-based dinner party.

After nearly 30 years of preparing vegan meals Markus and I consistently WOW! our omnivorous friends and family with delicious plant-based creations.

Use our top tips to make your next vegan dinner party a success!

Do Not Do List

1. Do not substitute a meat entree for a vegan meat replacement. If you’re having meat-loving friends over for dinner, no meat substitute will make the bar and the focus will be on the comparison rather than your delicious meal.

Do This List

1. Make vegetable side dishes with sauteed or roasted vegetables. Add a little curry powder, some jalapenos, teriyaki sauce, tahini sauce, or make a peanut sauce for dipping. These are a few of our favorites:
   • Sauteed broccoli with lemon and soy sauce,
   • Roasted yam slices with curry powder and salt,
   • Roasted asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar,
   • Steamed artichokes with a mayo-based dipping sauce.
2. Salads come in all shapes and sizes. Mixed greens with sliced veggies, sprouts, beans, nuts, or seeds with a tasty dressing can bring a rainbow of color to your meal. 
3. Set your table with a theme. Choose a culture, a color, or an idea, and let our dinner table be a visual feast too. 
4. Dipping sauces, chutneys, and pickled garnishes can jazz up an ordinary meal. Our favorites include:
   • Horseradish sauce
   • Ginger Pickled Red Onions
   • Spicy Tomato Chutney
5. Pick a country and make an ethnic meal. Take your guests on a culinary adventure! Every country in the world has a plethora of vegan dishes. Choose an ethnic cuisine you all like and dive into it! Here are some of our dinner party winners with links to some of the recipes. Click on the images to open the recipe in a new window. 

ITALIAN

My carnivorous family LOVES our Vegan Lasagne. Add a side salad and Tiramisu for dessert and you will knock their socks off!

Vegan Pesto is easy to make and oh so good! Pan fry gnocchi or make pasta, cook up a side of sauteed or roasted vegetables and add a side salad.

INDIAN

Lentil dal and garlic naan, with a tasty chutney is a win for large groups.

LATIN AMERICA

Build your own burrito with Vegan Refried Black Beans, Fresh Garden Salsa,  vegan cheddar and sour cream, chives, cilantro, lime…

MEDITERRANEAN

Falafel salad bowls or wraps with tahini dressing are great for dinners or a picnic. 

AFRICA

Egyptian Bean Stew with Egyptian Flatbread is comforting and the puffy "flatbread" is so fun to bake! 

African Peanut Soup with rice and salad. 

ASIAN

Coconut Thai Curry

Vegan Pad Thai

Vegetable stir fry with baked tofu or seitan

California rolls

Vietnamese veggie wraps with peanut sauce

Have fun! Experiment! Learn about the culture you’re borrowing recipes from and enhance the dinner conversation.

 More than anything, remember that quality time with friends and family is more important than the meal you’re serving.