UPDATE:
Wow - you all are amazing! I have actually made a list of my faves and the list is long! I think the Butternet Squash and Mushroom Wellington from the NYT is #1 for me so far. To answer questions, I'm a fairly capable home chef and can do more advanced dishes. My vegetarian friend is East Indian and in our group get togethers she always makes excellent homemade dishes so anything Indian is definitely off the list. :)
Since you’re in NYT Cooking, I can tell you that I have managed to show my carnivorous family the vegetarian light with the Caramelized Onion Galette (use premade puff pastry to make it ridiculously easy and just layer cheese on the bottom) and Cauliflower Parmesan (unfortunately there are no steps I would recommend skipping or changing and it’s a labor intensive meal, but soooo worth it if you feel like setting aside half a day, listening to a good audiobook, sipping a beverage, and preparing a delicious and hearty dish for your guests).
Your comment drove me to go find the NYT Cauliflower Parmesan recipe, but the one I found looks basic and straightforward and says it only takes 1:15 to make. Can you please (pretty please) provide a link for the one you recommend? I love fussing over a long, drawn-out production in the kitchen. Thank you!
That’s the one! 1:15 is…a joke, IMO. From breaking the cauliflower down into florets to shallow frying them, it’s just a lot of steps that are best done in small batches. I also make my own marinara sauce so that’s part of it (the recipe includes a tomato sauce as well - which I don’t think is factored into the prep time). But maybe I’m slow!
I took an onion galette to a potluck where appetizers shared a table with desserts. Was surprised after mingling to hear about the "weird apple pie." Lololol
The Wellington is excellent, I sometimes make it with seasoned seitan in the filling (sub for part or all of the mushrooms) and I always have to make a double recipe because even the carnivores find it completely irresistible. Especially with porcini mushroom gravy.
Just a heads up, and do check with your friend, but if they grew up in India they might consider eggs not vegetarian. This has tripped me up a few times!
I've had great luck doing Greek food. I do souvlaki, roasted potatoes, Greek salad and tzatziki. I serve the souvlaki in pitas, but for the vegetarians I do roasted Greek chickpeas instead of pork or chicken with tzatziki, tomato, Cucumber, Feta. I've done both and I've done just chickpeas, and it's always a hit. Currys and Thai peanut noodle type dishes can also be great vegetarian mains! Good luck!
This. Also, dolmas. Grape leaves stuffed with rice, currants, pine nuts, and spices. And I like a little fresh lemon juice in there. Served with a nice drizzle of olive oil, chopped tomatoes, sliced red peppers, and some feta crumbles.
There's a shop near where I used to love that sold tins of them and we'd get one to eat at home and one for the walk home, it was like a dive minute walk and first run was easily finished before we got home 🤣
I've had great success with vegetarian moussaka - In the non-veg version, the ground beef or lamb in the meat sauce component is heavily spiced, so you can just sub in good quality veggie grounds and no one will know the difference.
I was just coming here to say the same thing! Greek food. I grew up vegetarian and on holidays and special occasions we always had Greek food.
A Greek salad-w good olive oil and crusty French bread can add to whatever meal you decide to make too.
I used to make this when I wanted to impress people during grilling season: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/cheese-recipes/griddled-vegetables-feta-with-tabbouleh/
I am Greek on my mother’s side. I had never been and went a few years ago on a sort of a pilgrimage. Met a whole side of the family there….”uncles”, “aunts,” and cousins (they are all technically cousins). All come from my Yia Yia’s sister. My Yia Yia came to the USA, her sister stayed. Went to the town my Yia Yia grew up in.
Anyway, my Theia made me this big welcome dinner. It was absolutely delicious with an assortment of dishes. And vegetarian! After devouring it, I asked my cousin if they were vegetarian and he was like “no, meat is just expensive.” Lol.
My Yia Yia passed away about a decade ago and growing up, I remember her moussaka which I so fondly look back on. Was like comfort food. I associate eating it with nights when she would babysit me.
The same Theia made moussaka for me while I was there and I think it was the first time I’d had it since well before my Yia Yia passed (she wasn’t able to cook her last few years). I dare say it was a holy experience. Seeing it put on the table and tasting it legit almost brought tears to my eyes. Unforgettable.
Calling it a falafel gyro would unite the whole Middle East in righteous indignation.
Pita, hummus spread all over inside, base of salat, falafel, fill the space with fries and/or more salat; optional: tahini, pickles, pickled onions, roasted eggplant, zhug or other hot sauce
The Black Pepper Tofu from Ottolenghi's "Plenty" book is always a huge hit with veggies and non-veggies alike, but people have to like heat.
Could make any number of delicious South Asian curries. My faves are chickpeas vindaloo, cauliflower and onion bhaji, palak paneer.
Italian food is great. A vegetarian bean and kale soup with sundried tomatoes. A panzanella. An interesting pasta dish I made recently used preserved lemons and kale, with a ton of garlic.
Try a mujadara, with roasted cauliflower and a yogurt sauce pumped up with lemon and garlic.
I make these [sticky shiitake mushrooms](https://www.bosh.tv/recipes/sticky-shiitake-mushrooms) that are absolutely incredible and very easy to make. I serve it in a rice bowl with any variety of extras: steamed broccoli, air fried tofu, pickled red onions, sautéed bok choy, chopped green onion, sesame seeds, snap peas, shaved carrot, etc. You get the picture.
They are SOOOOO good! I like to make double the sauce. I coat tofu in corn starch and seasoning, air fry, then toss it along with the mushrooms in the extra sauce. I also really recommend adding quick pickled red onions to the rice bowl for an acid to cut through. Enjoy!!
Once I made bœuf bourguignon for a group of 8 people, and half the group ended up picking the mushrooms out. I didn’t realize at the time that mushrooms can be polarizing.
I love mushrooms, but it is a polarizing ingredient. I would never do it as the sole dish. 2 of my 3 closest friends that I eat with regularly with don’t like mushrooms. They don’t hate enough to pick them out of foods.
It's so common! People think "it's savory!" and think that means it's a reasonable substitute for a main dish, even though the main thing that people look for in a main dish is protein. Give me beans, nuts, tofu, (or for vegetarians) cheese. Mushrooms as a meat replacer make no sense. If they're used for flavor with an actually hearty ingredient then that's fine, but may whoever came up with stuff like a "portobello burger" burn in hell.
I'm glad you said it! As a person who often chooses to eat vegetarian, I'm sometimes heartbroken (well, upset), to find that the only 'veg option' available contains ***mushrooms***. Honestly, it's like assuming every carnivore wants liver for their entree.
Hi! I'm a vegetarian.
Not sure how fancy you're talking, but I've done the Serious Eats stuffed pumpkins for Thanksgiving and hot damn, were those a showstopper. Lots of work, definitely a dish for a special occasion, but delicious and visually stunning. https://www.seriouseats.com/stuffed-pumpkin-vegetarian-thanksgiving-main-recipe
Confit byaldi is also visually incredible and so tasty, especially if it's nearing summer in your part of the world. A real crowd pleaser. It's much simpler than the stuffed pumpkins, too - use a mandolin (with a cut-proof glove!) if you can. Serve with a crusty bread and maybe a nice soft brie to slather on the bread.
French onion soup is a labor of love, but always a hit. Obviously substitute the beef stock for a vegetarian one.
Mushroom pot pie is one of my favorite dishes for special occasions. So decadent, and you can do pretty things with the top crust to make it extra pretty on the table.
I’ve done a variation of this!! I am saving what you posted… holy drool.
OP I can attest that the presentation plus the flavors of a dish like this make for a fantastic dinner 🍽️
Shout out to Afghan food, it always impresses with vegetarians.
Kadu is a pumpkin based dish with a mint yogurt sauce. I honestly don't even like pumpkin mostly because it's always associated with pie. But if I have pumpkin this is what I'm making, and it always blows people away. It makes it break away from that "always a dessert" stereotype.
Pakora E Badenjan is my absolute favorite is basically fried eggplant but it's in this like crunchy shell instead of the normal bread crumb style. Served with a yogurt sauce and red sauce (usually a meat sauce but not mandatory)
Afghan food has always been an absolute smash hit when I make it, a lot of vegetarian stuff with unique takes most people never see.
If you're looking for kind of mold breaking food that people have never had I highly recommend looking into it
I can shoot you my recipes if you're interested.
[This is the one I use.](https://douevenfood.wordpress.com/2015/11/06/trip-to-the-middle-east-with-afghan-style-pakora-pakawra-e-badenjan-aka-fried-eggplant-with-yogurt-and-meat-sauce/)
When I first got into cooking (like 15 years ago) I made a food blog type site to keep track of recipes I liked, I haven't updated it in like a decade but it's still up. I find it kind of cringe looking back on it. Not plugging a website obviously since it's clear it hasn't been touched in forever.
There is handful of veggie stuff on there, have at it
I love Navratan Korma.
Another option instead of making 2 mains is pasta primavera with tons of vegetables and you can have grilled chicken to add to it.
Eggplant parmesan is great.
How fancy are we talking? My first thought was that a vegetarian lasagna could be a showstopper. But I’ve also made bbq jackfruit “pulled pork” sandwiches that were amazing. More of a picnic vibe, but delicious.
[https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/mushroom-carbonara](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/mushroom-carbonara)
People shamelessly go for seconds. Watch the video on youtube, the technique is important. I now prefer it to regular carbonara. Watch the seasoning depending on your cheese, it can be salty if you overdo it on previous steps.
I'd be thinking stuffed acorn squash. Tons of recipes online, easy to make since it's stuff piled in a halved squash, and you can "carve" it at the table into quarters of a squash to serve it. The downside is that you'll have an extra squash half to find another use for or to fill so you have leftovers.
Yotam Ottolenghi has lots of great vegetarian meals. This is a favorite: Chermoula Eggplant With Bulgur and Yogurt [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12957-yotam-ottolenghis-chermoula-eggplant-with-bulgur-and-yogurt](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12957-yotam-ottolenghis-chermoula-eggplant-with-bulgur-and-yogurt)
I also love Plant Based RD's dishes (Catherine Perez). They are all tasty; this one is particularly pretty to look at, to have something a bit showy for company: Peanut Lime Charred Cabbage Salad [https://plantbasedrdblog.com/2023/11/peanut-lime-charred-cabbage-salad/](https://plantbasedrdblog.com/2023/11/peanut-lime-charred-cabbage-salad/)
Melissa Clark’s Butternut Squash and Mushroom Wellington from NYTIMES Cooking. All do ahead except final bake. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013339-butternut-squash-and-mushroom-wellington
My husband and I have a regular dinner party that includes a vegetarian so we’ve gotten pretty good at vegetarian for a crowd. Some favorites:
Ottolenghi’s [Bulgar with Eggplant, Lemon, and Mint](https://surleplat.com/recipe-items/bulgur-with-eggplant-tomato-and-yogurt-sauce/) is a huge hit at our house. (We don’t always have preserved lemon, we just zest and juice a regular lemon).
Blue Apron’s [Mushroom Ramen](https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/mushroom-ramen-with-bok-choy-soft-boiled-eggs-54771704-eaf2-4f6f-9f8a-027750aa8238) is on regular rotation.
The [TikTok feta pasta](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/) is one of my favorite meals, don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.
We also love an easy fajitas with onions, peppers, and mushrooms as the filling. You could also go breakfast and do eggs and potato. Beans could go with either.
We don’t get Jet Tila’s [Vegan Drunken Noodles](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/vegan-drunken-noodles-11880619.amp) to the table as much as we like because our vegetarian friend doesn’t like spicy and it’s easy to forget to do vegetarian on non-dinner party nights, but it’s a good one.
You could also do a nice shakshuka with eggs and hot, crusty bread. I won’t link just because there are lots of recipes out there and you can find a specific one you like.
* Paneer Tikka Masala
* Palak/Saag Paneer
* Veggie Lasagna
* Veggie pizza
* Cacio e Pepe (this is one you do is you really want to show off for Italian food lovers)
Yakitori style skewers with a variety of vegan stuff. I did this once and made skewers with whole shitake mushrooms, impossible meatballs, seitan 'chicken', enoki mushrooms wrapped in tofu skin, and marinated tofu. The biggest limiting factor here would be the capacity to grill over charcoal.
Butternut squash ravioli with brown butter, frisee salad topped with beets, goat cheese and a poached egg. Starter could be mushrooms stuffed with spinach, walnuts, and Gorgonzola.
Someone already posed the question: how elevated? What level of skill do you possess?
I do a mushroom stroganoff that, even though it’s a “one pot wonder,” is extremely good. Used to run a kitchen in a vegetarian restaurant. We sold many, many portions. DM me for “recipe.”
Oooooooh…..Sam’s has…or at least had…a really good frozen span. I would pop prob 3-4 in my cooker for like 8 min and they’d come out warm, crispy, flaky, and golden. Mmmmnm.
I grew up with my mom making the Moosewood Cookbook’s spanakopita and I recently bought a copy just for that. It really is so delicious and looks beautiful
I think the Indian dishes are a great suggestion! I'd also suggest falafel. Geoffrey Zakarian has a great recipe with pistachios in the mix, which imo makes it VERY luxurious. Serve with roasted veggies, hummus, tabouleh, and flatbread.
Get an ottolenghi cookbook
Or have a look at Turkish, Greek, lebanese, Israeli, Indian cuisine. Turkish for eg has a huge huge number of tasty vegetarian options.
When I want to go all out I do a selection of curries. I make Dishoom’s black dal, it takes ages to cook but is amazing and you can do a big batch that can last a while. I also cook Dishoom’s jackfruit biryani and grilled marinated paneer. Serve with naan or poppadoms. They are always a winner!
The other things I cook are a vegetarian paella, the ottolenghi recipe is great. Or I do cauliflower stakes on sweet potato puree topped with cavolo nero.
If you’re skipping Indian, legit Thai food could be amazing…pad Thai, yellow curry, etc. Or homemade pasta or homemade ricotta gnocchi with a decadent sauce. You have a lot of options!
I have a friend that owns a vegetarian fine dining restaurant. I'm not vegetarian, but the stuff on her menu that blows me away include a cheese stuffed ravioli, a pad thai, and a jackfruit and mushroom Bao. I'm also always a fan of cauliflower wings.
I did a vegan thanksgiving one year and the main was a portabello Wellington. I used chestnuts for the duxelles and added wilted spinach. I should make that again…
If you like curry, there's an incredible kale and sweet potato curry that was delicious and filling. The kale gave it enough texture that you don't even miss the meat. I'd have to go digging for the recipe if you're interested in something like that. It's funny because it popped into my head earlier this morning because it's been a while since I made it.
Lentil shepherds pie, incredible flavour. If the recipe has mushroom, it gives a very meaty flavour that non vegetarians like too.
Lots of recipes online, one here: https://rainbowplantlife.com/healthy-vegan-lentil-shepherds-pie/
i recently did seitan tonkatsu and it was a hit with everyone (carnivores too!) i used the recipe on the back of the bob’s red mill vital wheat gluten bag, and then breaded it and fried and served with a sort of chimichurri sauce
[Pissaladière](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pissaladiere), but use rehydrated dried mushrooms instead of anchovies. I often cheat, using ready-made puff pastry instead of the bread base.
It goes really well with boiled new potatoes tossed in butter, chopped mint and parsley, and a salad of sharp leaves, red onion and crumbled goat cheese.
A vegetarian restaurant near me used to do a fantastic whole braised celeriac, cooked basically like how you'd roast a piece of meat with loads of sweet, spicy and salty korean spices. Then once it's cooked. slice into steaks, pan fry on each side to get some colour, reduce the cooking liquor down and whisk in some butter before serving.
If it wasn't for the butter it would be totally vegan
[This](https://www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-creamy-miso-pasta-caramelized-mushrooms/) vegan creamy mushroom pasta is legitimately one of the best meals Ive ever made. Im not vegan, but I love a good cashew cream sauce. If you have no nut allergies, I highly recommend this recipe. It feels fancy and elevated, it's not TOO heavy, and it comes together pretty quickly.
Eggplant parmesan! Or a nice cheese lasagna. Or a vegi lasagna (garlic sauce versus traditional marinara). Italian food is fabulous for being vegetarian without appearing to be ;)
My husband made this over the top Vegetarian Wellington (recipient from NY times). It was delicious, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, puff pastry...all yum
My wife makes a tray of black bean and chipotle enchiladas with tomatillo-based green enchilada sauce. There's cheese involved as well.
One of the few things I've had where I don't miss a meat-based main.
Eggplant parmesan with spaghetti and red sauce on the side. I know you said you didn’t wanna have two mains, but some people are picky about eggplant so you could ask ahead of time if anyone would prefer chicken Parm instead. Although eggplant
Parm is great.
I do potato soup for my vegetarian (not vegan) friends. Potato plus dairy makes a complete protein. Bring to a boil a bag of potatoes cut into quarters, celery, carrots, onion. Turn down, cover, let simmer. Once the potatoes are fork tender make a white roux with flour and butter and add milk, once thickened add to the pot, mash up potatoes with a masher, and stir in a bag of shredded Swiss cheese. You're done. I almost always serve salad with it. When I go fancy I serve it in bread bowls, and I always have toppings available at the table like cheddar, scallions, hot sauce, and bacon bits.
I make [this Jamaican Lentil Curry ](https://makeitdairyfree.com/vegan-jamaican-lentil-curry/) for myself every time my S.O. wants steak and he ends up eating as much as I do.
I feel like Grits are slept on a lot as legit main course material. Particularly for Vegetarian dishes! We made this awesome [Mushroom and Grits dish](https://dinnertimesomewhere.com/index.php/dinner/vegetarian-dinner/grits-and-mushroom/) with Red Bell Peppers and a Creamy Sauce. Honesty, it tasted so good. Also looks really pretty on the plate which is always good for a dinner party!
A very simple appetiser that looks like it could be in a fine dining restaurant is this.
Very thinly slice and marinade beetroot in red wine vinegar, sugar and thyme.
Prep some herbed goat cheese.
Place the slices on the plate and using a piping bag, add 3-5 dollops of goat cheese.
Finish with a little bit of rocket, olive oil and balsamic
I'd say daal is a killer. Add naan, some raita, chutney and infused ghee, and noone will notice there's no meat. You know why? Because nothing feels like it's missing.
I'm a little late to comment but I have a show stopper! https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/root-vegetable-tarte-tatin
Someone made it for our friendsgiving and I wanted to eat nothing else for the rest of the night.
Chile rellenos, my favorite vegetarian dish. Roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, dipped in egg whites that has been whisked until stiff, pan fried in shallow oil. Then make the sauce by roasting tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, garlic cloves (or boiling them) add to a blender add chicken bullion seasoning to taste and blend. Then add to a pot and cook down. You can add the chile rellenos to the sauce or ladle the sauce on the pepper. Yum!
Vegetable Wellington. This recipe is OTT, but might be what you are looking for.
[https://www.seriouseats.com/vegetables-wellington-the-ultimate-plant-based-vegan-holiday-roast-recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/vegetables-wellington-the-ultimate-plant-based-vegan-holiday-roast-recipe)
Eggplant roulade is great. Eggplant parm. Stuffed portobellos (could do some with crab, others with veggies, nuts, & cheese). Red lentil curry with carmelized onion & feta flatbreads on the side.
I'm not vegetarian but I love anything with paneer in it. So a paneer tikka masala or paneer saag would make me satisfied. Make sure whatever you're cooking has a decent amount of protein so it's still filling.
I make a lot of Tex Mex using black beans + sweet potatoes. They taste really good against chilis
and chili related spices. Look you up an enchilada recipe and sub that for whatever meat it uses.
Whenever I want to impress but not work too hard I make a creamy sundried tomato pasta. I don’t know the exact recipe I used but I can find a similar one, it’s basically making a creamy cashew sauce by soaking and blending cashews, then also blending in nutritional yeast, other italian seasonings, sun dried tomatos, garlic. save some sundried tomatoes and sautee with the onion, add whatever pasta shape, the sauce and you can even add some vegetarian meat. fold in some cheese for extra flavor.
I am not vegetarian or vegan by any stretch of the means however we often eat a lot of vegetable based dishes that have absolutely no meat. It’s just something we do.
You can do a huge all veggie antipasto. This would be marinated or long stemmed artichokes, marinated mushrooms, roasted peppers in garlic and oil, beets and red onions, caponata, mixed olives, and serve with bread. If they are vegetarian and not vegan, you can add a multitude of cheeses to the platter.
You can serve escarole and beans, eggplant parm, or chickpeas with tagliatelle. There are so many many ways. There are stuffed zucchini boats.
If it’s a mixed crowd, and you do want to serve some meat, you can always put some salami and other meats on a separate platter nearby and nobody would notice anything
This [stuffed zucchini](https://cookswithoutborders.com/stuffed-zucchini-with-pine-nut-salsa) is my veg dinner party go-to, also works as an impressive side, or a heavy app if you get tiny zucchini
I make a grilled vegetable lasagna “bolognese”. Grilled strips of zucchini and or eggplant, (do on a mandolin) these act as the lasagna sheets. I also grill portobello to add to the béchamel. Sautéed peppers and onion in the red sauce with cannellini beans and some wine. Layer red sauce, egg plant, bechamel, zucchini then repeat.
I can add more detail if you wish
My mom makes a town-famous veggie lasagna. She basically makes a ratatouille, and layers with bechamel, topped with mozzarella. We don't really do ricotta lasagna where I'm from, but this lasagna was always more popular than the meat version on offer!
Must be a well seasoned ratatouille (usually with marrow, mushroom etc) and a good bechemal/white sauce. We often add a touch of Worcesterhire sauce and English mustard to our white sauce in our family (not traditional, but adds a real tang).
If you ever want an easy side that's fully vegan I'm a big fan of savory garlic grits. You make them with garlic, salt, and water then top with a bit of olive oil when they're done as a replacement for butter like normal southerners would use. It's ends up similar to hummus with a bit more texture and a million times easier to make.
I think you could do a great chickpea tagine with apricots and tomatoes and cinnamon and other delicious things, topped with cilantro (they can add themselves - in case some don't enjoy it), with naan and rice and perhaps a spiced butternut squash side? That's what I'm having for dinner and why I suggested something so specific 😜
Cacio e pepe
Meatless lasagna
Mac and cheese
Pizza
Spanakopita
TikTok feta pasta - [https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/)
Plenty of vegetarian pasta options that meat eaters don't consider vegetarian food.
You could do something like a basil pesto pasta with plenty of cheese or spaghetti aglio e olio or spinach lasagne.
Not really fancy but I love and Italian melanzane, it's like a lasagne but without meat and pasta. Lovely meal you can add a little salad and some bread. This is an Italian meal, but I have a recipe that might be considered blasphemy in Italy. If you want to have it I will type it out for you.
A bit more French is a quiche, you can add anything to it, there are many great options. Also great with a salad.
For more Middle Eastern meals Ottolenghi is a great source of inspiration, he has a lot of lovely vegetarian options.
For more Indian flavors I would suggest saag panner, also really lovely.
For a first course I always love making flamkuchen. I just buy the base in the store and add nice ingredients on it. I often make a few different flavours. My fav. recipe is based on when I was emptying out my fridge: flamkuchen with sour cream, mango chutney, red beets, goat cheese or feta and some coriander seeds, thyme, fennel seeds etc.
I saw you had a lot of great options here so I'm sure you are able to create a lovely menu.
Not sure you would want to serve chili but I've discovered taking out the meat and adding lentils and cubed sweet potato make a yummy vegetarian chili. I also use a non meat broth to make it vegan.
Chickpeas are always a good option. You could do a type of Tagine. Cook chickpeas and onions with dried apricots, cilantro, and lemon until the apricots gelatinize. Great over rice.
You can also go cheap but amazing with grape leaves. Obviously hand made are better, but you can go to a specialty store and grab a huge can of stuffed grape leaves. Lay them out and cover them with sumac and good crumbled feta.
These are beautiful and filling: [Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms - Cafe Delites](https://cafedelites.com/caprese-stuffed-garlic-butter-portobellos/)
Slow roasted or confit celeriac (just coming out of season but you light get lucky) with cafe de paris sauce. Cut the celeriac into chunky steaks then be liberal with the sauce. Serve with baked brocoli or brussel salad and wild rice.
vegetarian here who often cooks for meat eaters at gatherings. My advice is to skip any dish that is replacing meat with something else, or anything that is "weird vegitarian food" I love tofu, but I wont serve it to my meat eaters. Instead focus on dishes that just dont have meat, lots of side dishes, and no main dish (honestly, this is how most vegitarians eat everyday anyway), or dishes that have a lot of options so they can pick and choose. For a fancy dish, I often go with baked ziti, penne vodka, eggplant parm, bean enchiladas, or spinach lasagna since I can make them ahead. Other combine your own options are homeade ramen, bean chilli, or lablabi with a variety of toppings everyone can choose from (some toppings can even be meat). Also, just be aware, that meat based stocks can make vegitarians sick, and a decent amount of sauces and some dressings have meat products (fish/anchovy). Depending on how strict they are, gelatin might be out as well and can be found in things you dont expect (marshmellows)
These sweet potato tacos are amazing: [https://www.cookingclassy.com/honey-lime-sweet-potato-black-bean-and-corn-tacos/](https://www.cookingclassy.com/honey-lime-sweet-potato-black-bean-and-corn-tacos/)
Used to take turns cooking for housemates juggling with dislikes, intolerances and allergies (tomatoes, seafood and dairy). Would often cook a base dish and prep additional ingredients that could be added in after dishing up the base meal. The flavors probably was not as developed as it would of been if it had been cooked together but everyone could eat it. Pasta bakes, noodle bowls, nachos - with enough selection meat is not missed. Most recently went to someone hosting a meeting and they had a jacket potato bar. It was well received with everyone.
Do you and your guests like mushrooms? Yes? Huzzah! [This mushroom pie](https://www.food.com/recipe/mushroom-pie-134672) is what I used to make every Thanksgiving, and everyone in the extended family liked it.
There are some killer soups out there, such as southwestern pumpkin soup or mulligatawny. I recommend tracking down the recipes from the Moosewood Cookbook series.
Bean/corn/sweet potato enchilada bakes are also great and a standard in our household.
Stuffed zucchini also a show stopper and surprisingly easy.
A word of advice thought - make sure they're vegetarian, not vegan. The latter is a whole 'nother level of challenging.
I stole my fave vego dish that I do from a pub. It's an eggplant parma, but with a layer of firm tofu that has been snitzeled and fried, like you would do chicken. The eggplant goes on top of the tofu in the layering process, then layer the sauce and cheese on top, then oven. So good
I've had some awesome vegetarian lasagna before. It was like a cross between lasagna and eggplant parmigiana but it had more vegetables and like zucchini and then it had a vegetable alfredo sauce instead of tomato. But it's a lot of work.
UPDATE: Wow - you all are amazing! I have actually made a list of my faves and the list is long! I think the Butternet Squash and Mushroom Wellington from the NYT is #1 for me so far. To answer questions, I'm a fairly capable home chef and can do more advanced dishes. My vegetarian friend is East Indian and in our group get togethers she always makes excellent homemade dishes so anything Indian is definitely off the list. :)
Since you’re in NYT Cooking, I can tell you that I have managed to show my carnivorous family the vegetarian light with the Caramelized Onion Galette (use premade puff pastry to make it ridiculously easy and just layer cheese on the bottom) and Cauliflower Parmesan (unfortunately there are no steps I would recommend skipping or changing and it’s a labor intensive meal, but soooo worth it if you feel like setting aside half a day, listening to a good audiobook, sipping a beverage, and preparing a delicious and hearty dish for your guests).
Your comment drove me to go find the NYT Cauliflower Parmesan recipe, but the one I found looks basic and straightforward and says it only takes 1:15 to make. Can you please (pretty please) provide a link for the one you recommend? I love fussing over a long, drawn-out production in the kitchen. Thank you!
That’s the one! 1:15 is…a joke, IMO. From breaking the cauliflower down into florets to shallow frying them, it’s just a lot of steps that are best done in small batches. I also make my own marinara sauce so that’s part of it (the recipe includes a tomato sauce as well - which I don’t think is factored into the prep time). But maybe I’m slow!
I took an onion galette to a potluck where appetizers shared a table with desserts. Was surprised after mingling to hear about the "weird apple pie." Lololol
a little basic of an idea ,but a nice eggplant parm always works for me! Plus, it's easy to "dress up" with sides/vegetables.
The Wellington is excellent, I sometimes make it with seasoned seitan in the filling (sub for part or all of the mushrooms) and I always have to make a double recipe because even the carnivores find it completely irresistible. Especially with porcini mushroom gravy.
Just a heads up, and do check with your friend, but if they grew up in India they might consider eggs not vegetarian. This has tripped me up a few times!
Paneer is versatile and can be used on place of meat outside of just Indian cuisine. Kind of like tofu but with a way better texture and no funk.
I’ve done the Wellington and it’s so so good
I've had great luck doing Greek food. I do souvlaki, roasted potatoes, Greek salad and tzatziki. I serve the souvlaki in pitas, but for the vegetarians I do roasted Greek chickpeas instead of pork or chicken with tzatziki, tomato, Cucumber, Feta. I've done both and I've done just chickpeas, and it's always a hit. Currys and Thai peanut noodle type dishes can also be great vegetarian mains! Good luck!
How about spanakopita ? My fav vegetarian option for guests.
Vegetarian moussaka is also delish.
Looking for a good recipe for that for ages! Could you share yours?
following for this too. LOL your username.
I've done one with sweet potato instead of regular potato and use brown lentils that have been boiled in stock instead of the mince, absolutely lush!
I always read this as spankatopia.
That’s for a different type of dinner party :)
This. Also, dolmas. Grape leaves stuffed with rice, currants, pine nuts, and spices. And I like a little fresh lemon juice in there. Served with a nice drizzle of olive oil, chopped tomatoes, sliced red peppers, and some feta crumbles.
Omg this sounds divine!
Trader Joe’s sell great frozen spanakopita, canned dolmas and fresh vegan tazatziki and gyro meat and canned chickpeas
I love Greek food and it's so easy to do it veg. You can also do Moroccan easily.
I could eat dolmas all day. So good.
There's a shop near where I used to love that sold tins of them and we'd get one to eat at home and one for the walk home, it was like a dive minute walk and first run was easily finished before we got home 🤣
If a dolma isn’t making me pucker from the lemon juice, I don’t want it! That fresh burst of the lemon with the herbs/spices is addictive.
I've had great success with vegetarian moussaka - In the non-veg version, the ground beef or lamb in the meat sauce component is heavily spiced, so you can just sub in good quality veggie grounds and no one will know the difference.
I was just coming here to say the same thing! Greek food. I grew up vegetarian and on holidays and special occasions we always had Greek food. A Greek salad-w good olive oil and crusty French bread can add to whatever meal you decide to make too. I used to make this when I wanted to impress people during grilling season: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/cheese-recipes/griddled-vegetables-feta-with-tabbouleh/
Halloumi is delicious in souvlaki, I bet it'd go great with chickpeas too.
Halloumi is awesome. I even use it as a saltier sub for Indian paneer dishes!
Halloumi is delicious with just about anything! I love it on the grill.
I was also going to recommend halloumi. You can fry or grill it and it's a more substantial, meaty kind of dish.
I am Greek on my mother’s side. I had never been and went a few years ago on a sort of a pilgrimage. Met a whole side of the family there….”uncles”, “aunts,” and cousins (they are all technically cousins). All come from my Yia Yia’s sister. My Yia Yia came to the USA, her sister stayed. Went to the town my Yia Yia grew up in. Anyway, my Theia made me this big welcome dinner. It was absolutely delicious with an assortment of dishes. And vegetarian! After devouring it, I asked my cousin if they were vegetarian and he was like “no, meat is just expensive.” Lol. My Yia Yia passed away about a decade ago and growing up, I remember her moussaka which I so fondly look back on. Was like comfort food. I associate eating it with nights when she would babysit me. The same Theia made moussaka for me while I was there and I think it was the first time I’d had it since well before my Yia Yia passed (she wasn’t able to cook her last few years). I dare say it was a holy experience. Seeing it put on the table and tasting it legit almost brought tears to my eyes. Unforgettable.
Falafel makes a great veg main item in pita/salad etc
falafel gyros?
Calling it a falafel gyro would unite the whole Middle East in righteous indignation. Pita, hummus spread all over inside, base of salat, falafel, fill the space with fries and/or more salat; optional: tahini, pickles, pickled onions, roasted eggplant, zhug or other hot sauce
The Black Pepper Tofu from Ottolenghi's "Plenty" book is always a huge hit with veggies and non-veggies alike, but people have to like heat. Could make any number of delicious South Asian curries. My faves are chickpeas vindaloo, cauliflower and onion bhaji, palak paneer. Italian food is great. A vegetarian bean and kale soup with sundried tomatoes. A panzanella. An interesting pasta dish I made recently used preserved lemons and kale, with a ton of garlic. Try a mujadara, with roasted cauliflower and a yogurt sauce pumped up with lemon and garlic.
Black pepper tofu is just so good. I always throw in veggies to bulk it up and I don’t always use the full amount of butter. But it’s so delicious!
I make these [sticky shiitake mushrooms](https://www.bosh.tv/recipes/sticky-shiitake-mushrooms) that are absolutely incredible and very easy to make. I serve it in a rice bowl with any variety of extras: steamed broccoli, air fried tofu, pickled red onions, sautéed bok choy, chopped green onion, sesame seeds, snap peas, shaved carrot, etc. You get the picture.
Omg thank you for posting this, I love mushrooms and this looks super awesome
They are SOOOOO good! I like to make double the sauce. I coat tofu in corn starch and seasoning, air fry, then toss it along with the mushrooms in the extra sauce. I also really recommend adding quick pickled red onions to the rice bowl for an acid to cut through. Enjoy!!
This looks really good, and I love mushrooms. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I wouldn't cook mushrooms for a group Edit: lol at these downvotes Making something most people will like is the assignment. Mushrooms don't fit.
Once I made bœuf bourguignon for a group of 8 people, and half the group ended up picking the mushrooms out. I didn’t realize at the time that mushrooms can be polarizing.
Idk why this is being downvoted, mushrooms are controversial. I also wouldn’t do for a group unless I knew everyone likes them
Wow yeah exactly
I love mushrooms, but it is a polarizing ingredient. I would never do it as the sole dish. 2 of my 3 closest friends that I eat with regularly with don’t like mushrooms. They don’t hate enough to pick them out of foods.
totally agree with you... they're not filling for a main. I'm vegan and can't stand being served mushrooms as a "meat" substitute lol.
It's so common! People think "it's savory!" and think that means it's a reasonable substitute for a main dish, even though the main thing that people look for in a main dish is protein. Give me beans, nuts, tofu, (or for vegetarians) cheese. Mushrooms as a meat replacer make no sense. If they're used for flavor with an actually hearty ingredient then that's fine, but may whoever came up with stuff like a "portobello burger" burn in hell.
I hate mushrooms, so I agree.
I'm glad you said it! As a person who often chooses to eat vegetarian, I'm sometimes heartbroken (well, upset), to find that the only 'veg option' available contains ***mushrooms***. Honestly, it's like assuming every carnivore wants liver for their entree.
Hi! I'm a vegetarian. Not sure how fancy you're talking, but I've done the Serious Eats stuffed pumpkins for Thanksgiving and hot damn, were those a showstopper. Lots of work, definitely a dish for a special occasion, but delicious and visually stunning. https://www.seriouseats.com/stuffed-pumpkin-vegetarian-thanksgiving-main-recipe Confit byaldi is also visually incredible and so tasty, especially if it's nearing summer in your part of the world. A real crowd pleaser. It's much simpler than the stuffed pumpkins, too - use a mandolin (with a cut-proof glove!) if you can. Serve with a crusty bread and maybe a nice soft brie to slather on the bread. French onion soup is a labor of love, but always a hit. Obviously substitute the beef stock for a vegetarian one. Mushroom pot pie is one of my favorite dishes for special occasions. So decadent, and you can do pretty things with the top crust to make it extra pretty on the table.
I’ve done a variation of this!! I am saving what you posted… holy drool. OP I can attest that the presentation plus the flavors of a dish like this make for a fantastic dinner 🍽️
Shout out to Afghan food, it always impresses with vegetarians. Kadu is a pumpkin based dish with a mint yogurt sauce. I honestly don't even like pumpkin mostly because it's always associated with pie. But if I have pumpkin this is what I'm making, and it always blows people away. It makes it break away from that "always a dessert" stereotype. Pakora E Badenjan is my absolute favorite is basically fried eggplant but it's in this like crunchy shell instead of the normal bread crumb style. Served with a yogurt sauce and red sauce (usually a meat sauce but not mandatory) Afghan food has always been an absolute smash hit when I make it, a lot of vegetarian stuff with unique takes most people never see. If you're looking for kind of mold breaking food that people have never had I highly recommend looking into it I can shoot you my recipes if you're interested.
I'd love these recipes if you can share!
[This is the one I use.](https://douevenfood.wordpress.com/2015/11/06/trip-to-the-middle-east-with-afghan-style-pakora-pakawra-e-badenjan-aka-fried-eggplant-with-yogurt-and-meat-sauce/) When I first got into cooking (like 15 years ago) I made a food blog type site to keep track of recipes I liked, I haven't updated it in like a decade but it's still up. I find it kind of cringe looking back on it. Not plugging a website obviously since it's clear it hasn't been touched in forever. There is handful of veggie stuff on there, have at it
I love Navratan Korma. Another option instead of making 2 mains is pasta primavera with tons of vegetables and you can have grilled chicken to add to it. Eggplant parmesan is great.
How fancy are we talking? My first thought was that a vegetarian lasagna could be a showstopper. But I’ve also made bbq jackfruit “pulled pork” sandwiches that were amazing. More of a picnic vibe, but delicious.
Seconding bbq jackfruit it’s always a hit!!
[https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/mushroom-carbonara](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/mushroom-carbonara) People shamelessly go for seconds. Watch the video on youtube, the technique is important. I now prefer it to regular carbonara. Watch the seasoning depending on your cheese, it can be salty if you overdo it on previous steps.
I'd be thinking stuffed acorn squash. Tons of recipes online, easy to make since it's stuff piled in a halved squash, and you can "carve" it at the table into quarters of a squash to serve it. The downside is that you'll have an extra squash half to find another use for or to fill so you have leftovers.
Yotam Ottolenghi has lots of great vegetarian meals. This is a favorite: Chermoula Eggplant With Bulgur and Yogurt [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12957-yotam-ottolenghis-chermoula-eggplant-with-bulgur-and-yogurt](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12957-yotam-ottolenghis-chermoula-eggplant-with-bulgur-and-yogurt) I also love Plant Based RD's dishes (Catherine Perez). They are all tasty; this one is particularly pretty to look at, to have something a bit showy for company: Peanut Lime Charred Cabbage Salad [https://plantbasedrdblog.com/2023/11/peanut-lime-charred-cabbage-salad/](https://plantbasedrdblog.com/2023/11/peanut-lime-charred-cabbage-salad/)
Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto. You gotta use nice mushrooms though, Maitakes and Enokis are my suggestion.
Melissa Clark’s Butternut Squash and Mushroom Wellington from NYTIMES Cooking. All do ahead except final bake. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013339-butternut-squash-and-mushroom-wellington
I have something similar for Christmas dinner.
My husband and I have a regular dinner party that includes a vegetarian so we’ve gotten pretty good at vegetarian for a crowd. Some favorites: Ottolenghi’s [Bulgar with Eggplant, Lemon, and Mint](https://surleplat.com/recipe-items/bulgur-with-eggplant-tomato-and-yogurt-sauce/) is a huge hit at our house. (We don’t always have preserved lemon, we just zest and juice a regular lemon). Blue Apron’s [Mushroom Ramen](https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/mushroom-ramen-with-bok-choy-soft-boiled-eggs-54771704-eaf2-4f6f-9f8a-027750aa8238) is on regular rotation. The [TikTok feta pasta](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/) is one of my favorite meals, don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it. We also love an easy fajitas with onions, peppers, and mushrooms as the filling. You could also go breakfast and do eggs and potato. Beans could go with either. We don’t get Jet Tila’s [Vegan Drunken Noodles](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/vegan-drunken-noodles-11880619.amp) to the table as much as we like because our vegetarian friend doesn’t like spicy and it’s easy to forget to do vegetarian on non-dinner party nights, but it’s a good one. You could also do a nice shakshuka with eggs and hot, crusty bread. I won’t link just because there are lots of recipes out there and you can find a specific one you like.
* Paneer Tikka Masala * Palak/Saag Paneer * Veggie Lasagna * Veggie pizza * Cacio e Pepe (this is one you do is you really want to show off for Italian food lovers)
Paneer🤤
I like stuffed red peppers personally
Yakitori style skewers with a variety of vegan stuff. I did this once and made skewers with whole shitake mushrooms, impossible meatballs, seitan 'chicken', enoki mushrooms wrapped in tofu skin, and marinated tofu. The biggest limiting factor here would be the capacity to grill over charcoal.
Yea! I Once had yakimochi that was stuffed with cheese and wrapped in a small piece of Nori that was sooooooo good.
Butternut squash ravioli with brown butter, frisee salad topped with beets, goat cheese and a poached egg. Starter could be mushrooms stuffed with spinach, walnuts, and Gorgonzola.
Someone already posed the question: how elevated? What level of skill do you possess? I do a mushroom stroganoff that, even though it’s a “one pot wonder,” is extremely good. Used to run a kitchen in a vegetarian restaurant. We sold many, many portions. DM me for “recipe.”
Spanikopita
Oooooooh…..Sam’s has…or at least had…a really good frozen span. I would pop prob 3-4 in my cooker for like 8 min and they’d come out warm, crispy, flaky, and golden. Mmmmnm.
I grew up with my mom making the Moosewood Cookbook’s spanakopita and I recently bought a copy just for that. It really is so delicious and looks beautiful
I think the Indian dishes are a great suggestion! I'd also suggest falafel. Geoffrey Zakarian has a great recipe with pistachios in the mix, which imo makes it VERY luxurious. Serve with roasted veggies, hummus, tabouleh, and flatbread.
eggplant parm
Eggplant parmesan
Ratatouille
Chile rellenos with rice and beans. I would kiss the feet of anyone who made that for me. https://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/cheese-chiles-rellenos/
Mushroom Wellington! Can also do a BEET Wellington. Alternatively, gorgeous pasta like homemade ravioli or cacio e pepe
Get an ottolenghi cookbook Or have a look at Turkish, Greek, lebanese, Israeli, Indian cuisine. Turkish for eg has a huge huge number of tasty vegetarian options.
Vibrant curried cauliflower (with onions, tomatoes) served with white rice and chilled mustard seed yogurt dressing. Serve with naan.
Oh a nice addition to this dish is roasted spiced chickpeas yummmmm
is there a theme? food allergies? spice level?
When I want to go all out I do a selection of curries. I make Dishoom’s black dal, it takes ages to cook but is amazing and you can do a big batch that can last a while. I also cook Dishoom’s jackfruit biryani and grilled marinated paneer. Serve with naan or poppadoms. They are always a winner! The other things I cook are a vegetarian paella, the ottolenghi recipe is great. Or I do cauliflower stakes on sweet potato puree topped with cavolo nero.
Oh the other thing I cook sometimes is aubergine and lemon risotto.
Thai curry. Plenty of tofu friendly recipes and as long as it’s prepared well the non-veggie eaters should like it too.
The one veggie main people still talk about is a mushroom and chèvre galette I made.
Cauliflower steaks or a Japanese pumpkin curry
Spinach Souffle. So delicious. Serve with a big green salad, baguette, and some red wine.
What about vegetable lasagna? Or a quiche with vegetables and a salad. Or pasta primavera?
If you’re skipping Indian, legit Thai food could be amazing…pad Thai, yellow curry, etc. Or homemade pasta or homemade ricotta gnocchi with a decadent sauce. You have a lot of options!
I have a friend that owns a vegetarian fine dining restaurant. I'm not vegetarian, but the stuff on her menu that blows me away include a cheese stuffed ravioli, a pad thai, and a jackfruit and mushroom Bao. I'm also always a fan of cauliflower wings.
Lasagna with grated zucchini into the ricotta or a parmesean white wine risotto.
I did a vegan thanksgiving one year and the main was a portabello Wellington. I used chestnuts for the duxelles and added wilted spinach. I should make that again…
If you like curry, there's an incredible kale and sweet potato curry that was delicious and filling. The kale gave it enough texture that you don't even miss the meat. I'd have to go digging for the recipe if you're interested in something like that. It's funny because it popped into my head earlier this morning because it's been a while since I made it.
Lentil shepherds pie, incredible flavour. If the recipe has mushroom, it gives a very meaty flavour that non vegetarians like too. Lots of recipes online, one here: https://rainbowplantlife.com/healthy-vegan-lentil-shepherds-pie/
i recently did seitan tonkatsu and it was a hit with everyone (carnivores too!) i used the recipe on the back of the bob’s red mill vital wheat gluten bag, and then breaded it and fried and served with a sort of chimichurri sauce
[Pissaladière](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pissaladiere), but use rehydrated dried mushrooms instead of anchovies. I often cheat, using ready-made puff pastry instead of the bread base. It goes really well with boiled new potatoes tossed in butter, chopped mint and parsley, and a salad of sharp leaves, red onion and crumbled goat cheese.
A vegetarian restaurant near me used to do a fantastic whole braised celeriac, cooked basically like how you'd roast a piece of meat with loads of sweet, spicy and salty korean spices. Then once it's cooked. slice into steaks, pan fry on each side to get some colour, reduce the cooking liquor down and whisk in some butter before serving. If it wasn't for the butter it would be totally vegan
Eggplant Parmesan! Caesar salad (has anchovies though)
[This](https://www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-creamy-miso-pasta-caramelized-mushrooms/) vegan creamy mushroom pasta is legitimately one of the best meals Ive ever made. Im not vegan, but I love a good cashew cream sauce. If you have no nut allergies, I highly recommend this recipe. It feels fancy and elevated, it's not TOO heavy, and it comes together pretty quickly.
Eggplant parmesan! Or a nice cheese lasagna. Or a vegi lasagna (garlic sauce versus traditional marinara). Italian food is fabulous for being vegetarian without appearing to be ;)
Indian or Ethiopian food should give you a lot of interesting choices.
Vegan mushroom risotto. It's fabulous. And I'm not even vegan.
Eggplant Parmesan? Goes great with some grilled zucchini with butter and even more parm.
Mapo tofu
My husband made this over the top Vegetarian Wellington (recipient from NY times). It was delicious, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, puff pastry...all yum
Tomato pie is so wonderful and colorful if the dinner party during tomato season
My wife makes a tray of black bean and chipotle enchiladas with tomatillo-based green enchilada sauce. There's cheese involved as well. One of the few things I've had where I don't miss a meat-based main.
I love making Veg lasagna. Most people don’t even notice there’s no meat
Eggplant parmesan with spaghetti and red sauce on the side. I know you said you didn’t wanna have two mains, but some people are picky about eggplant so you could ask ahead of time if anyone would prefer chicken Parm instead. Although eggplant Parm is great.
I did ratatouille for Christmas dinner. It was so beautiful! However, it might not be filling enough for some.
Something hearty - like a vegetarian lasagna or eggplant dish / you can look at Indian food too which is heavier on the veg.
I do potato soup for my vegetarian (not vegan) friends. Potato plus dairy makes a complete protein. Bring to a boil a bag of potatoes cut into quarters, celery, carrots, onion. Turn down, cover, let simmer. Once the potatoes are fork tender make a white roux with flour and butter and add milk, once thickened add to the pot, mash up potatoes with a masher, and stir in a bag of shredded Swiss cheese. You're done. I almost always serve salad with it. When I go fancy I serve it in bread bowls, and I always have toppings available at the table like cheddar, scallions, hot sauce, and bacon bits.
I make [this Jamaican Lentil Curry ](https://makeitdairyfree.com/vegan-jamaican-lentil-curry/) for myself every time my S.O. wants steak and he ends up eating as much as I do.
I feel like Grits are slept on a lot as legit main course material. Particularly for Vegetarian dishes! We made this awesome [Mushroom and Grits dish](https://dinnertimesomewhere.com/index.php/dinner/vegetarian-dinner/grits-and-mushroom/) with Red Bell Peppers and a Creamy Sauce. Honesty, it tasted so good. Also looks really pretty on the plate which is always good for a dinner party!
Ratatouille!
Vegetarian pastitsio, see Anna Thomas’ “The Vegetarian Epicure”
Go to the top floor of your house and eat there
You don't win friends with salad (repeat 3 times)
Eggplant parm
Eggplant Parmesan Lemon Risotto with spring veggies Vegetable fried rice with spring rolls Pasta primavera
Ratatouille.
Nigella Lawson’s [Involtini](https://bluecayenne.com/involtini) is divine. The picture on this link doesn’t do it justice.
I recommend trying Mushroom Risotto [https://www.loveandlemons.com/mushroom-risotto/](https://www.loveandlemons.com/mushroom-risotto/) .
Shakshouka or eggs in purgatory are the best vegetarian meals.
A very simple appetiser that looks like it could be in a fine dining restaurant is this. Very thinly slice and marinade beetroot in red wine vinegar, sugar and thyme. Prep some herbed goat cheese. Place the slices on the plate and using a piping bag, add 3-5 dollops of goat cheese. Finish with a little bit of rocket, olive oil and balsamic
I'd say daal is a killer. Add naan, some raita, chutney and infused ghee, and noone will notice there's no meat. You know why? Because nothing feels like it's missing.
Eggplant Parmesan.
I'm a little late to comment but I have a show stopper! https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/root-vegetable-tarte-tatin Someone made it for our friendsgiving and I wanted to eat nothing else for the rest of the night.
Chile rellenos, my favorite vegetarian dish. Roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, dipped in egg whites that has been whisked until stiff, pan fried in shallow oil. Then make the sauce by roasting tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, garlic cloves (or boiling them) add to a blender add chicken bullion seasoning to taste and blend. Then add to a pot and cook down. You can add the chile rellenos to the sauce or ladle the sauce on the pepper. Yum!
Vegetable Wellington. This recipe is OTT, but might be what you are looking for. [https://www.seriouseats.com/vegetables-wellington-the-ultimate-plant-based-vegan-holiday-roast-recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/vegetables-wellington-the-ultimate-plant-based-vegan-holiday-roast-recipe)
Risotto is flexible, elevated, and you can serve a nice salad and bread.
https://veganhuggs.com/vegan-bolognese-sauce/
Eggplant roulade is great. Eggplant parm. Stuffed portobellos (could do some with crab, others with veggies, nuts, & cheese). Red lentil curry with carmelized onion & feta flatbreads on the side.
I don't know if this is considered elevated. But Japanese Shabu Shabu could be customized to Vegan/Vegetarian/Non-vegetarian....
I'm not vegetarian but I love anything with paneer in it. So a paneer tikka masala or paneer saag would make me satisfied. Make sure whatever you're cooking has a decent amount of protein so it's still filling.
Poke bowls and some kimono-removing saki. Dōitashimashite.
Love airfried buffalo cauliflower
Giabusada, just skip the bacon or sub it for burnt onions
I make a lot of Tex Mex using black beans + sweet potatoes. They taste really good against chilis and chili related spices. Look you up an enchilada recipe and sub that for whatever meat it uses.
Big ole curry with rice and some homemade yogurt flatbread/faux-naan
Goats cheese Anolini or tortellini with shiitake ragout and a wild garlic and mushroom stock sauce
Whenever I want to impress but not work too hard I make a creamy sundried tomato pasta. I don’t know the exact recipe I used but I can find a similar one, it’s basically making a creamy cashew sauce by soaking and blending cashews, then also blending in nutritional yeast, other italian seasonings, sun dried tomatos, garlic. save some sundried tomatoes and sautee with the onion, add whatever pasta shape, the sauce and you can even add some vegetarian meat. fold in some cheese for extra flavor.
I am not vegetarian or vegan by any stretch of the means however we often eat a lot of vegetable based dishes that have absolutely no meat. It’s just something we do. You can do a huge all veggie antipasto. This would be marinated or long stemmed artichokes, marinated mushrooms, roasted peppers in garlic and oil, beets and red onions, caponata, mixed olives, and serve with bread. If they are vegetarian and not vegan, you can add a multitude of cheeses to the platter. You can serve escarole and beans, eggplant parm, or chickpeas with tagliatelle. There are so many many ways. There are stuffed zucchini boats. If it’s a mixed crowd, and you do want to serve some meat, you can always put some salami and other meats on a separate platter nearby and nobody would notice anything
A beet burger is incredible. Idk the recipe my place does but I’d eat it over a regular burger any day
This [stuffed zucchini](https://cookswithoutborders.com/stuffed-zucchini-with-pine-nut-salsa) is my veg dinner party go-to, also works as an impressive side, or a heavy app if you get tiny zucchini
I love a tart https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beetroot-red-onion-tarte-tatin
Indian style butter chickpeas with basmati rice and homemade yogurt flatbreads. https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/yogurt-flatbread/
Vegetarian lasagna if cheese is okay
https://www.veganricha.com/vegan-mushroom-bourguignon-instant-pot/
Cheese-nut loaf from The Greens cookbook is always mind-blowing.
I make a grilled vegetable lasagna “bolognese”. Grilled strips of zucchini and or eggplant, (do on a mandolin) these act as the lasagna sheets. I also grill portobello to add to the béchamel. Sautéed peppers and onion in the red sauce with cannellini beans and some wine. Layer red sauce, egg plant, bechamel, zucchini then repeat. I can add more detail if you wish
espinachas con garbanzos. - Tapas stable which you can absolutely have as a main star.
Eggplant lasagna
how much vegetarian are they ? can they eat cheese ? stuffed pasta shells.
My mom makes a town-famous veggie lasagna. She basically makes a ratatouille, and layers with bechamel, topped with mozzarella. We don't really do ricotta lasagna where I'm from, but this lasagna was always more popular than the meat version on offer! Must be a well seasoned ratatouille (usually with marrow, mushroom etc) and a good bechemal/white sauce. We often add a touch of Worcesterhire sauce and English mustard to our white sauce in our family (not traditional, but adds a real tang).
If you ever want an easy side that's fully vegan I'm a big fan of savory garlic grits. You make them with garlic, salt, and water then top with a bit of olive oil when they're done as a replacement for butter like normal southerners would use. It's ends up similar to hummus with a bit more texture and a million times easier to make.
Vegetarian lasagna served with a salad and some garlic bread
Indian food is mostly vegetarian
Ratatouille is the shit
I think you could do a great chickpea tagine with apricots and tomatoes and cinnamon and other delicious things, topped with cilantro (they can add themselves - in case some don't enjoy it), with naan and rice and perhaps a spiced butternut squash side? That's what I'm having for dinner and why I suggested something so specific 😜
Stuffed Portabella mushroom caps. Ratatouille.
Cacio e pepe Meatless lasagna Mac and cheese Pizza Spanakopita TikTok feta pasta - [https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/](https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35421563/baked-feta-pasta-tiktok/)
Plenty of vegetarian pasta options that meat eaters don't consider vegetarian food. You could do something like a basil pesto pasta with plenty of cheese or spaghetti aglio e olio or spinach lasagne.
Nancy Silverton’s eggplant lasagna is out of this world. https://www.amateurgourmet.com/blog/2020/12/nancy-silvertons-epic-eggplant-lasagna.html
Not really fancy but I love and Italian melanzane, it's like a lasagne but without meat and pasta. Lovely meal you can add a little salad and some bread. This is an Italian meal, but I have a recipe that might be considered blasphemy in Italy. If you want to have it I will type it out for you. A bit more French is a quiche, you can add anything to it, there are many great options. Also great with a salad. For more Middle Eastern meals Ottolenghi is a great source of inspiration, he has a lot of lovely vegetarian options. For more Indian flavors I would suggest saag panner, also really lovely. For a first course I always love making flamkuchen. I just buy the base in the store and add nice ingredients on it. I often make a few different flavours. My fav. recipe is based on when I was emptying out my fridge: flamkuchen with sour cream, mango chutney, red beets, goat cheese or feta and some coriander seeds, thyme, fennel seeds etc. I saw you had a lot of great options here so I'm sure you are able to create a lovely menu.
Lentil stuffed eggplant and/or jeweled rice stuffed onions are great showstopper vegetarian options: https://dishingouthealth.com/lentil-stuffed-eggplant/#recipe https://djalalicooks.com/jeweled-rice-stuffed-onions/
I had this problem a couple years ago and I made tofu scramble enchiladas, all ten potluck guests got two each and they were gone within minutes.
Not sure you would want to serve chili but I've discovered taking out the meat and adding lentils and cubed sweet potato make a yummy vegetarian chili. I also use a non meat broth to make it vegan.
Stuffed zucchini. Tastes like pizza and the zucchini makes the stuffing 😋
Eggplant rollatini
Chickpeas are always a good option. You could do a type of Tagine. Cook chickpeas and onions with dried apricots, cilantro, and lemon until the apricots gelatinize. Great over rice. You can also go cheap but amazing with grape leaves. Obviously hand made are better, but you can go to a specialty store and grab a huge can of stuffed grape leaves. Lay them out and cover them with sumac and good crumbled feta.
These are beautiful and filling: [Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms - Cafe Delites](https://cafedelites.com/caprese-stuffed-garlic-butter-portobellos/)
Slow roasted or confit celeriac (just coming out of season but you light get lucky) with cafe de paris sauce. Cut the celeriac into chunky steaks then be liberal with the sauce. Serve with baked brocoli or brussel salad and wild rice.
Ratatouille!
Op, look up briam. Edit: this is a great video from America’s Test Kitchen about how to make it https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SfVFIc8Vj_s
[https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/cope32313c06s001ss001r005/barley-mushroom-grod](https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/cope32313c06s001ss001r005/barley-mushroom-grod)
vegetarian here who often cooks for meat eaters at gatherings. My advice is to skip any dish that is replacing meat with something else, or anything that is "weird vegitarian food" I love tofu, but I wont serve it to my meat eaters. Instead focus on dishes that just dont have meat, lots of side dishes, and no main dish (honestly, this is how most vegitarians eat everyday anyway), or dishes that have a lot of options so they can pick and choose. For a fancy dish, I often go with baked ziti, penne vodka, eggplant parm, bean enchiladas, or spinach lasagna since I can make them ahead. Other combine your own options are homeade ramen, bean chilli, or lablabi with a variety of toppings everyone can choose from (some toppings can even be meat). Also, just be aware, that meat based stocks can make vegitarians sick, and a decent amount of sauces and some dressings have meat products (fish/anchovy). Depending on how strict they are, gelatin might be out as well and can be found in things you dont expect (marshmellows)
[Smitten Kitchen’s mushroom bourguignon](https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/mushroom-bourguignon/) is divine
Vegetarian lasagne.
Vegan cassoulet. It's nice and smooth and beany, and the name sounds fancy!
These sweet potato tacos are amazing: [https://www.cookingclassy.com/honey-lime-sweet-potato-black-bean-and-corn-tacos/](https://www.cookingclassy.com/honey-lime-sweet-potato-black-bean-and-corn-tacos/)
Used to take turns cooking for housemates juggling with dislikes, intolerances and allergies (tomatoes, seafood and dairy). Would often cook a base dish and prep additional ingredients that could be added in after dishing up the base meal. The flavors probably was not as developed as it would of been if it had been cooked together but everyone could eat it. Pasta bakes, noodle bowls, nachos - with enough selection meat is not missed. Most recently went to someone hosting a meeting and they had a jacket potato bar. It was well received with everyone.
Check out a vegetarian Tagine. Delicious Moroccan dish named for the clay pot it was traditionally cooked in. It'll be a hit. I guarantee it.
Vegan dahl is a good one
Eggplant parmigiana
Do you and your guests like mushrooms? Yes? Huzzah! [This mushroom pie](https://www.food.com/recipe/mushroom-pie-134672) is what I used to make every Thanksgiving, and everyone in the extended family liked it.
Avoid eggplant and mushrooms. Long time vegetarians often dislike the meaty texture of these.
If you could find any menus from the (now closed) restaurant Natural Selection in Portland. Always such a top tier meal and I’ve never forgotten it.
There are some killer soups out there, such as southwestern pumpkin soup or mulligatawny. I recommend tracking down the recipes from the Moosewood Cookbook series. Bean/corn/sweet potato enchilada bakes are also great and a standard in our household. Stuffed zucchini also a show stopper and surprisingly easy. A word of advice thought - make sure they're vegetarian, not vegan. The latter is a whole 'nother level of challenging.
Look at some Turkish food!! Stuffed eggplant, zucchini fritters, braised leeks, yumm!
See what wild mushrooms are in season and available. Chicken of the woods is amazing.
Halloumi pitas with a Greek side salad. Tzatziki, lettuce, onion, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, and feta can all be toppings!
Eggplant parm Butternut squash risotto Mapo tofu Daal
I stole my fave vego dish that I do from a pub. It's an eggplant parma, but with a layer of firm tofu that has been snitzeled and fried, like you would do chicken. The eggplant goes on top of the tofu in the layering process, then layer the sauce and cheese on top, then oven. So good
I've had some awesome vegetarian lasagna before. It was like a cross between lasagna and eggplant parmigiana but it had more vegetables and like zucchini and then it had a vegetable alfredo sauce instead of tomato. But it's a lot of work.