Ideas for a cheap vegan lunch for 20 people

[Fushia123]

Have offered to make a simple lunch for up to 20 people. Think activist action day in between delivering leaflets. Some will be vegan and I’ll be serving up in the host’s kitchen. Not confident about cooking rice for so many, and have come up with…
2x slow cookers of vegan chilli
1x large pan of vegan soup
Chunks of bread to serve with both.
No dessert required.

Have since realised that by offering to cook, I’ve offered to foot the bill too.
Any ideas how I can make these cheaply or other ideas gratefully received.

Dips and hummus is always popular

Two slow cookers is not going to be enough for 30 people!

Cheap veg from market or promotion
Bean chilli, not fake meat.
Jacket pots are probably cheaper than bread and gluten free, or serve with / over a handful of economy nachos
No one will be expecting gourmet; they just be happy to come together for free hot food.

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables/allotment-cottage-pie/

Though you would have to swop the splash of milk and 40gm butter for vegan alternatives.
Though it suggests you can swop them for ordinary ones, I used the porcini mushrooms, gives a lovely savory flavour.

Bean chilli (so essentially beans, peppers, onions, tinned tons and spices) with a baked potato per person. Should be reasonably inexpensive.

I would stick with just soup and bread. I do a lentil soup for 60 at church. Really basic fried onions, red lentils, bouillon powder, tomato puree. I the finish it off by frying some cumin seeds with ginger and garlic (I use the frozen cubes) and stir it into the soup. I have a bowl of chilli flakes available if people want some heat.

If you're going for beans or chickpeas or lentils get them dried to be cheaper, although personally I think they're a faff to prep (soaking, some pre cooking for some of them depending on which ones)

Otherwise tins if you can stretch to it

Big slow clookers, say each one can serve 8, thats 16 portions and then 2 big stock pots of soup, should be able to serve 12-18 people, so largely you have your 20 people covered with tons and tons and tons of bread

Pearl barley is a cheap grain and will go massive once soaked and cooked so will be hearty.

It would be nice to have different flavours but that will up the cost. You could do one spicy soup and one fairly plain.

One curried type lentil slow cooker dish and then the other a mexicany/BBQ flavour bean dish.

Yes, bean chilli. You can buy cans of different beans for 50p or less. You can also buy cheap passata.

Bean chilli is not an expensive dish to make. With all the cooking and spices, you can use the cheapest beans (tinned, soaking is a massive faff) and veg. Look in the world foods/Asian aisles for the cheapest tinned beans and spices.

YY to jacket spuds rather than bread.

https://recipes.lidl.co.uk/recipes/creamy-carrot-and-sweet-potato-dahl-with-paneer

This dahl recipe (without the halloumi garnish) is delicious and uses low cost ingredients. Cook batches in a slow cooker in advance (cook longer than recipes states until the lentils go really creamy) and heat up on the day.

Swap rice for naan bread and serve cut into 3 or 4 pieces (check ingredients but most supermarket brands are made with veg oil rather than butter/ghee).

Cooking rice in the microwave in large pyrex bowls is also an option (easier then a pan of water) 2 cups of rice to 3 cups water uncovered for first 10 mins then cover and continue cooking https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-steam-rice-in-a-microwave

Microwave rice packets could be an alternative.

Actually with that brief I'd go for a massive pot of minestrone with additional chickpeas as well to add more heft.

I originally was going to say hummus and other dips and crudities but that will add up cost wise pretty quickly.

If you're doing a chilli, at least have some sour cream and grated cheese as toppings for the non vegans!

I would do a layered rice and spiced lentil dish - I can't remember what it's called but it is similar to a biryani. There are lots of recipes out there - a lot from the Middle East I think. I made one a while ago when my vegan neighbours came over and it was a big hit with both the vegans and the non-vegans. You can adapt it to use whatever vegetables you have to go with the lentils, and it just cooks - tightly covered - in the oven.

Garlic aioli is vegan and lovely on top of chilli.

My favourite recipe uses sweet potatoes and as many beans as you can chuck in. Plenty of garlic, onions cumin, smoked paprika and a squirt of ketchup (kashmiri chilli flakes are lovely for the chilli element). Vegetable stock as well as tinned tomatoes, bubble away for 45 minutes, then use a stick blender to blend about 1/4 to 1/3 of the pot, which makes it a really rich texture.

Loads of rice, aioli and sprinkling of value tortillas, absolutely lovely meal.

Of course you shouldn’t be footing the bill alone!

Get on your WhatsApp group chat and state clearly that while you’re happy to cook the food you hope they’ll understand they must all contribute to the cost.

No one could object as it will probably be a tiny amount each.

There’s a cost of living crisis. If they’re really happy for you to bear the cost alone they’re a bunch of freeloaders.

Rice is really easy to cook in the oven for lots. I've done it for 50 no problem. Big oven tray or roasting tin, pour on boiling water, tightly covered in foil. Will be much cheaper than naan or baking potatoes ( they are actually quite pricey if you buy the actual baking ones). Dahl is super cheap and vegan.

Lentil dahl with chapatti is always cheap and very tasty

Alioli is mayonnaise so has eggs in it.

Bean chilli with baked potatoes and value tortilla chips would be a good budget option. Perhaps some butter and cheese available too in case someone just wants the potato.

If you can borrow a rice cooker you can safely keep it warm.

But it sounds like you're overthinking it a bit. Baked potatoes, tortilla chips, chilli if made with just beans and veg and soup are all normal foods that are naturally vegan as long as you don't use any unnecessary animal products so don't need to be specific vegan versions.

Thanks everyone for your great suggestions.
I wish I was more confident about cooking rice successfully for a crowd.
I’ll look into all your ideas - thanks Team Mumsnet!

Aioli made from scratch is not mayonnaise, it’s olive oil, garlic and seasonings.

Once a month or so we have a lunch at the church social group I go to and we all pay the cook £6 each. I would hope that people enjoy eating together so much they will donate money to you. Please remember some might need contacting directly if they are not in the what's app group.