Christmas always comes with at least one inevitable party or social gathering and, if you’re unlucky, you’re stuck hosting it. Coming up with new ideas for party food is tricky; you don’t want to be boring but you don’t want to make things too stressful for yourself, and you’ve got to find some sort of middle ground to cater for everyone. It’s a minefield!
Something we need to consider more these days is providing some delicious vegetarian and vegan options. I’m sure we all know someone with these dietary requirements – or are that someone ourselves! – and no host wants to let any of their guests go hungry, so coming up with simple, fun, tasty ideas to suit everyone is essential.
Below are five different ideas with links to some great recipes, all of which are either vegetarian or vegan and TOTALLY delicious!
Mushroom Rolls
Mushroom rolls are a great alternative to sausage rolls, the classic party buffet food. A finger food spread just wouldn’t be the same without them, and to make a delicious vegan substitute all you need to do is swap out the meat for thinly diced mushrooms, onions and a splash of soy sauce. Watch out for the puff pastry, but I find Jus Rol is a safe bet if your local supermarket brand uses dairy.
I’ve actually got my own recipe for these ones, which you can check out here.
Nachos with Fresh Tomato Salsa & Guacamole
The great thing about nachos is that the effort you put into them can be as minimal as you like. You can make your own salsa with fresh tomatoes, onion, chillies and coriander and you can whip up guacamole by mashing together avocado, red onion, garlic, lime juice and, you guessed it, more coriander. Or, if you can’t be bothered, you can pick up ready made versions from the store and just throw it all together at home. Either way, you can’t go wrong with chips ‘n’ dip!
Jamie Oliver’s Classic Tomato Salsa
Simple Guacamole from Loving It Vegan
Fried Halloumi Sticks
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I am OBSESSED with halloumi, especially halloumi fries. There are two main kinds of halloumi fries; strips of halloumi that have just, literally, been fried, and halloumi in a crispy, crunchy batter that more resembles a chip. These might not be so great for a cold buffet, but if you’re happy to serve hot food straight out the kitchen these would go down a storm!
Crispy Halloumi Fries from Scrummy Lane
Mini Veggie Taquitos
Taquitos are like Mexican spring rolls stuffed with a spicy filling, usually fried but can be baked too. You’ll often find chicken taquitos as a restaurant appetiser, but there’s absolutely no reason you can’t wrap up a veggie-friendly version for your guests. I love Mexican flavours, and the versatility of these is fantastic – I’ve only listed two recipe options here, but have a quick search online and you’ll find dozens of different filling ideas.
Vegetarian Baked Taquitos from Weelicious
Vegan Taquitos with Chipotle Sauce from Vegan Heaven
Antipasti Skewers
Antipasti (or antipasto, I’m not entirely sure which is correct and I do apologise!) is an Italian appetiser which usually combines a variety of ingredients. I’m sure you’ve seen antipasti platters with cured meats, olives, cheeses, pickled vegetables, etc. and, to be honest, serving up a huge board full of Italian treats is a pretty good party idea by itself. But to be more finger food friendly, you could layer up a few ingredients, such as sundried tomatoes, olives and mozzarella balls, onto a toothpick and create mini antipasti skewers.
Easy Vegan Antipasto Skewers from Sweet Simple Vegan
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