Catering for 20 vegetarian guests (and a vegan or two) adults and kids

[Tearyouapartlikeahumancheesestring]

Just that. Its DHs 40th in a few weeks and we’re having a few families and kids of varying ages over at lunchtime. Hoping weather will be good but obvs can’t depend on that. I’ll be doing the food and can prep the day before and want something that are easy to get on the table. Most of them are veggie (as am I, although not DH but he’s fine with no meat) so will keep menu without meat or fish.

I’m going to do some salads and a cakes so far but obviously will need more than that - any ideas would be great. Thanks

Make a few nice quiches. Cous cous with roasted veg and feta.

Treat yourself to a Middle Eastern cookery book (my current favourite is Falastin) and there will be so so many ideas for Vegetarian and vegan feasts. I had family round yesterday, with numerous dietary requirements, and Middle Eastern food ticked all the boxes.

I second a Middle Eastern cookbook.
Hummous on flatbread, loubieh bi zait (beans and pitta bread), batatas kizbra... yum!

Green roasting tin book. Loads of recipes that would be suitable and could be scaled up for a buffet.

Author of above book (Rukmini Iyer) also has a green barbecue book if you think you could get one fired up?

I don't have a barbecue so haven't made anything from it but have used all of her other books and everything has worked so i'd trust her recipes.

A big pot of chilli with rice and nachos?

I'd buy some cheese and tomato pizza and quorn nuggets for the kids.The kids may be veggie but they can still be fussy eaters.If you can get them the Linda McCartney red onion and rosemary sausages are absolutely divine

I've basically become vegetarian at home since I started cooking from her books. So many good meal free recipes.

Tabbouleh is always a big hit here. Bulgar wheat, lots of parsley and mint!

Rice and bean salad
Pesto pasta salad
Potato salad
Garlic bread
Quorn mini eggs
Devilled eggs
Cheese board
Vine leaves
Frozen cheese onion and vegan 'sausage' rolls. Which can be put in the oven just before.
Quorn 'chicken' nugents

Veggie hot dogs or burgers, mac and cheese for the kids
Tofu kebabs, corn on the cob veggie hallumi kebab barbie

I would do quinoa salad with some veg in, either a bean salad or veggie bean chilli, some nice breads (ciabatta, sourdough, baguette) and dips like houmous and baba ghanoush with crudites and breadsticks. I would probably do some veggie sausage rolls for the kids and puff pastry pizza, maybe some veggie spring rolls and even sushi maki rolls. I also often do a rice noodle salad with cabbage, carrot, coriander (like a slaw) with a peanut and lime dressing. Loads of nice fruit for pudding.

Coleslaw
Roast potatoes
Couscous
Corn on the cob

My niece made the best vege giant sausage roll ever and it’s now a firm favourite in our house. It’s so so easy to make too

its simply..
1 pack of Richmond meat free sausages mushed up into one big “ sausage meat”

1 pack of just roll puff pasty

put the “ sausage meat in the centre of the Rolled out puff pastry slice and wrap the pastry around the meat. Pop in oven for about half hour. It can then be sliced into big chunky sausage roll pieces. It’s a winner with both our vegetarian and meat eaters.

Absolutely this.

easy to prep, easy to cook, put in a few big bowls on the table with nachos and rice and salad and guacamole etc.

When I’m feeding that sort of number I usually do a hot buffet, I have some banquet trays, but if you ring around places that serve buffet style they will often rent them out, the last time I fed a group I did (well I think anyway, I may have missed some bits).

Pilau rice, quick, simple and extremely cheap
Garlic and coriander naan, again, quick, simple and very cheap
Salad
Raita
DIY Biryani, I fried up all the Biryani bits so people could add it to ice themselves, that way I only needed one tray of rice.
Vegetable Salan
Hoi lo garma
I also did some frozen nibbles for any fussy children, so pizza, quorn nuggets, baked beans and chips

Yup big pan of veg chilli & rice then serve on the side grated cheese, nachos, wraps, lettuce or spinach, jalapeños, sour cream salsa, guacamole so people can take what they like and eat it as a wrap or bowl with sides.

Don’t even try.
Vegetarians are difficult to please.
Vegans are impossible, that is their sole purpose in life.

Did you miss that the OP is a vegetarian herself?

Pita, houmous, a couple of different types of falafel (make the day before and reheat in the oven on the day) with salad and a nice yoghurt dressing. Haloumi and Mediterranean veg kebabs would also nice, skewer every thing up in advance and again just put in the oven on the day.
Maybe a big fritata or puff pastry tart topped with roasted veg and pesto.
What salads were you planning on doing? I like a Moroccan cous cous salad with chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, peppers, red onion and plenty of fresh herbs.
A mixed bean salad would also be good, particularly with vegan guests.
A sweet potato salad, homemade apple slaw, a green salad and a tomato, basil and mozzarella salad with balsamic would all be nice.

Such a weird response. Why even bother replying, it's not like this is on the AIBU board.

Thanks everyone else - loads of great suggestions on here.

Smittenkitchen.com has an excellent spinach sheet pan quiche that's great for a crowd (although not vegan). I'd be inclined to do that, some sweet potato falafel, a platter of griddled halloumi and griddled courgette (drizzled with pomegranate molasses), tabbouleh and a green/mixed leaf salad. Depending on how old the kids are I'd perhaps add something more traditionally kid-friendly - maybe hummus and raw veg? Or vegan hot dogs?

My only practical suggestion is divide the buffet into 2 generic areas, with a cheerful sign to indicate such,. like "all vegan" or all vegetarian/ "mostly vegan". Then people will know that whole area is foods that meet their requirements.

I do a lovely meze platter with stuffed vine leaves, falafel, humous, tzaziki, etc. With this being the star of the show:

www.thekitchn.com/appetizer-recipe-pomegranate-olive-relish-recipes-from-the-kitchn-181181

With labneh and loads of pitta.