Canapés
Canapés are a great way to greet guests arriving at a wedding or for a lighter snack at your reception. These miniature mouthfuls of deliciousness can be circulated on trays or dotted around the room – and replaced when they start to look empty. You can also use these canapé recipes for buffets at your wedding or reception.
For a vegan wedding menu, you want to excite your guests’ taste buds by choosing hors d’oeuvres that either put a spin on classics, like salmon blinis or mini burgers, or which create something uniquely vegan.
Sundried Tomato and Basil Arancini Balls
Photo: The Minimalist Baker
The Minimalist Baker’s vegan take on ‘an Italian dish consisting of rice balls stuffed with cheese, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep fried’ looks just as good as the original. It includes vegan cheese, cauliflower rice and crunchy panko breadcrumbs, along with sundried tomatoes and basil. We recommend serving individual portions in ramekins with a trio of Arancini balls.
Spinach and Artichoke Cups
Photo: Vegan Huggs
Who doesn’t love a little flaky pastry bite? Vegan Huggs’ Vegan Spinach Artichoke Cups are a touch decadent, delicate and packed with flavour. A must for your canapé tray. You might also consider creating cups with variations on these ingredients, perhaps using spiced chickpeas or bruschetta toppings.
Tofu Banh Mi Vegan Sliders
Photo: The Stingy Vegan
You can do a lot with tofu and it’s bound to feature as a part of your vegan wedding menu in some way. What makes these sliders from The Stingy Vegan extra special is the combination of the fresh, zesty crunch from the pickled vegetables with the salty sweet marinade of the tofu that make up this bite-size vegan Vietnamese sandwich.
Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
Photo: Love & Lemons
The Love & Lemons cookbook includes a number of vegan and vegetarian recipes, including the mouthwatering vegan take on tacos. You can get these upstyled with different salsas, like tomatillo or mango and chilli, as well as vegan spicy dressings – your caterer is sure to have some fun ideas for making them look and taste great.
Spicy Tofu Nuggets With Honey Mustard Dip
Emilie Eats isn’t making the kind of nuggets you might be thinking of. These are canape style rounded cubes of tofu, wrapped in a crunchy coating, with a handy stick for easy dipping in a honey mustard sauce. These spicy bites can be offered with a range of dips, from Asian-inspired sesame and soy to rich smokey BBQ.
Starters
These vegan starters can be served at wedding meals, from wedding breakfasts to rehearsal dinners, and many would be great for wedding buffets. Starters can be as simple as salads, with grilled or stylishly pickled and ribboned vegetables, which gourmet catering companies are expert at presenting in decorative ways.
These starters are perfect for vegan wedding menus where you want a slightly more robust and interesting first course for your guests.
Vegan Mac & Cheese
Photo: The Savory Vegan
This Savory Vegan’s ‘Best Vegan White Mac and Cheese’ proves that you can create a beautifully cheesy and rich mac ‘n’ cheese with vegan dairy products. These can be baked in individual clay dishes for your guests. If you want to mix it up, consider meat-free alternatives as an extra, like bacon or chorizo.
Barbecued Broccoli With Satay Sauce
Photo: The Great British Chef
Did you know that broccoli could look this good? It’s hard to argue with The Great British Chef’s mouthwateringly named barbecued broccoli with satay sauce, charred lime, smoked peanut, coriander. This is a perfect example of how a simple starter can be taken to a new level for your wedding menu.
Roasted Squash & Spinach Risotto With Toasted Pistachios
Photo: Vegan To You
Vegan To You is a vegan caterer with a host of amazing looking dishes. What makes this risotto so exciting is that it’s a vegan risotto that doesn’t stick to the traditional mushroom – though a trio of wild mushrooms would be a tasty alternative if you wanted one. The roasted squash and spinach risotto is finished with cashew mushroom cream and toasted pistachios, but there is also the Black Kale And Spelt Risotto With Roasted Hazelnuts should you want another risotto option for guests.
Cauliflower Fritters With Parsley Dip
Photo: Good Food
If you want a tempura option/alternative, then these cauliflower fritters are just the ticket. This starter size portion can offer a selection of dips, alongside Good Food’s parsley and garlic suggestion. Fried vegetables on their own aren’t that amazing. It’s the sauces and dips that really make them a delicious treat, adding a variety of flavours. Try different vegetable and dips combinations.
Miso-Grilled Aubergine & Cucumber Pickle Rice Bowl
Photo: Jamie Oliver
A great choice for an East Asian themed vegan wedding menu, these rice bowls are topped with the umami, salt and sweet flavour of miso, the delicate texture of grilled aubergine and the fresh crunch of pickled cucumbers. Jamie Oliver’s recipe may be a jumping off point for your caterer if you like the sound of this dish. You can choose a different soft vegetable if you don’t love aubergine, and you can pickle carrots or white cabbage if you want variations.
Main Courses
As the main feature of your vegan wedding menu, these dishes need to stand out and, most of all, be satisfying. There’ll be lots of chatter over the canapes and starters but the main course should be accompanied by a symphony of mmm’s. This is also the most substantial dish of the menu and wants to err on the savoury side so guests will be ready for the dessert finale.
Chickpea Tagine
Photo: Unsplash
Who doesn’t love a tagine! It’s a warming classic, but not everyone takes the time to make this relatively simple dish. What really makes it a crowd pleaser is the combination of spices and fruits, and the way the chilli enhances the apricots and is matched with fragrant coriander. The Vegan Society’s recipe notes you can switch out the dried apricots for raisins or dates depending on your preferences. Your caterer might be able to come up with another combination of flavours if you like the idea of a tagine but aren’t quite sold on this specific recipe.
Pan-Fried Tofu Steaks
Photo: One Green Planet
One Green Planet’s Pan-Fried Tofu Steaks With Coriander Cream and Asparagus recipe makes tofu look like it’s never looked before. The charred texture and orange and red colouring comes from tamari, ginger, chilli and a hot pan, giving the appearance of a great steak fry. You can serve this with fries, mash or as the recipe suggests with asparagus and a coriander cream sauce – vegan cream that is.
Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Photo: Vegan Huggs
We had to feature mushrooms somewhere in a vegan menu; pictured is Vegan Huggs’ recipe, and for a wedding you can up the ante with a variety of wild mushrooms or more expensive offerings like portobellos or truffles. Creamy and filling, a good stroganoff is a warm and satisfying meal that makes a great main course.
Jackfruit & Pumpkin Keralan Curry
Photo: Humdingers Catering
One of the new staple ingredients of vegan cooking is jackfruit. Its texture is likened to pulled pork, which makes it a good core ingredient for curries and stews. Humdingers vegan menu features this fantastic looking dish which uses sweet pumpkin with jackfruit to create a delicious Keralan curry, which can be served with rice and greens of your choosing.
Hoisin Marinated Jackfruit On Udon Noodles
Photo: Vegan To You
If you want to see the other side of how jackfruit can be used in vegan menus, look no further than Vegan To You’s Hoisin Marinated Jackfruit. This sticky and sweet dish is paired with thick udon noodles, slightly bitter spring onion and crunchy cucumber which cut through the rich hoisin flavour.
Desserts
The finale of your meal and the pinnacle of a vegan wedding menu, the dessert options for vegans are actually quite vast and varied. You can pick classics like sponge cakes and sorbet, or more gourmet or unusual options. Our selections cover the range and include a dessert canape you can serve at your reception too.
Brulee
Photo: Vegan To You
Brulees are a classic dessert and there are lots of flavour options you can choose here. Vegan To You offers a Dark Chocolate Brulee, accented with a strawberry, and a Pina Colada Brulee should you fancy a more tropical twist. If there are certain fruits or flavours you love, ask your caterer to use them to create your own special brulee.
Strawberry & champagne sorbet shots
Photo: Cashew Catering
Sometimes you want a light dessert that can be enjoyed as a finisher to your meal. These sorbet shots from Cashew Catering are perfect for that. They’re fruity, easy to enjoy and they have that effervescent, bubbly champagne taste that sings celebration on your tongue.
Vegan Pecan Pie
Photo: Humdingers Catering
Humdingers Catering have created a gorgeous little dessert with their Vegan Pecan Pie. These individual sized pies can be served with whipped vegan cream or on their own. Pie is a great option for dessert at a wedding as it pairs well with a digestif coffee, can be shared or just enjoyed solo. They are particularly great for autumnal vegan wedding menus.
Vegan Cake Pops
Photo: Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen
These snack size cake pops from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen are a great little dessert to put on your vegan wedding menu. Lots of people like chocolate but some might find a big dessert at the end of a meal a bit much. These have all the enjoyment of a sweet finish to your meal without filling you up. You can make them extra special with popping candy centres or edible gold foil decorations.
Frozen Chocolate Mint Leaves
Photo: Johnny Miller
Last but not least… If in doubt, ask Martha Stewart. Her frozen chocolate mint leaves are the most petite and delicate of the dessert choices on this vegan menu but they are a perfect, elegant addition. You can also serve these bite-size treats at receptions as part of the canapes, perhaps with espresso or a whiskey. Simple and delicious.
