To ask for vegan light lunch ideas?

[DilemmaDelilah]

We have unexpected (but welcome) guests coming for lunch on Friday and I'm working every day up until then, plus I'm not well and get exhausted quickly, and they have specified a light lunch because they're travelling. One is vegan, one is not, we are not.

I don't want to cook anything so it will probably be food I have got from the supermarket or just put together in the morning. Any ideas as to what I can do that will suit the omnivores and provide some tasty options for the vegan?

I would normally do cold roast chicken or quiche with baked potatoes or bread and salad for omnivores, but then what do I get for the vegan? I don't want it to be a 'well just don't eat the meat' type of meal - this is my BIL and I like him. I do know what vegans can and cannot eat and want to make sure he has a proper meal with protein as well as carbs and veg. What nice kind of protein can I offer? So far I can only think of hummus, bean salad or baked beans. I would love to have some vegan ideas that I can just get from the supermarket. Last time they came I cooked some proper meals for him but I don't have the time or the energy to do that this time.

What about a shop-bought vegan lentil curry - MS/Waitrose probably do them.

Served with flatbreads, chutney, raita etc.

Falafel?

with houmus, salad stuff and pita/ flatbread. Omnivores could have the same or cold meat in place of the falafel.

Falafel is a good idea. I don't want to do curry as we would all have to have it, and I see it more as a main meal. Good thought though.

Hi OP, it's lovely that you're thinking of your BIL. I would stick with your original plan, and just add a couple of lovely pre-made bean/lentil salads and some hummus into the mix. As a vegan myself, I would be happy with that!
Just so you know, there's a vegan forum on Mumsnet so you might get good suggestions there too.

You could do a nice fresh salad with veg samosas, onion bhajis, humus, baba ganoush and some flat breads? Check to make sure they are all vegan but a lot will be. Or veg soup, bread and get some plant based spread instead of butter for the vegan?

Soup and a sandwich?

Very easy soup, can be eaten hot or cold. Takes about 20 mins and can be done the day before.

1 courgette per person
1 bunch coriander
oil
boiling water
veg stock cube
(dollop of crème fraiche for omnivores)

Oil in a pan, slice the courgettes and put in the pan to sweat for about 5 mins.

Add the stock cube, coriander (keep a few leaves back) and boiling water.

Cook for 15 mins and blitz.

Serve with crème fraiche and / or a couple of the leaves.

Sandwiches, just get some nice bread (s) and put out salad / veg and maybe some meat or cheese for the non vegan.

If you want to not cook at all then hummus, veg sticks, bread sticks, prepped salad, bread, olives, fruit, guacamole, grapes and maybe some nuts.

I would go to a decent supermarket and buy a range of picky bits (I know MN hates that phrase!) Vegan bread rolls, hummus, salads, falafels, a tub of soup. A vegan pizza to cut into slices and share. Some breadsticks or similar.

No need for pudding but fruit or some vegan biscuits perhaps.

Do they enjoy vegan cheese? If so get some of that for the baked potatoes, the pre grated bags will work. And include a nice soup to your list.

You're going to get a lot of suggestions for hummmus, falafel and pitta bread!

Including from me. Add a few more picky bits like bean salad, some veg samosas if you feel like heating things up. I'd get a vegan friendly dessert too.

I am vegan and your plan of jacket potato (or pitta/flat bread/baguette) with salad and hummus sounds good. If you can add a bean salad or other pre made salad (supermarkets often do a vegan cous cous) or a vegan deli meat (squeaky bean or quorn vegan) all the better.

If you can get to a Waitrose they have lots of good vegan picky bits that have protein and are quite posh.

Couscous with some lovely roast veg. Just roughly chop a couple of peppers, courgettes, red onions etc with oil. Few garlic cloves. Spice up. Pile the sticky roast veg on the couscous. Serve with a dollop of none dairy yoghurt and some harissa dressing. You can buy harissa paste at most supermarkets. Toast some pittas on the side

Will make everyone happy

Ratatouille served with couscous, you could add olives, capers and chopped cucumber to the couscous.

Soup....Gazpacho or potato & leek or bortch, with bread, followed by a puy lentil & chickpea salad with avocados vinaigrette.

A selection of baked stuffed vegetables, aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes stuffed with rice & herbs, mushrooms, couscous, mixed beans. Cook during the morning and serve at room temperature with bread to mop up the juice.

Platter of stuffed vine leaves, asparagus vinaigrette, avocado vinaigrette, uncooked tomatoes filled with houmous or aubergine pate, cucumber salad, new potatoes with chopped herbs, rice salad.

Hummus.

I would do some warm greek gigantes with bread and salad.

What you usually do but with a vegan quiche, vegan mayo for the salad and vegan spread for the jacket. A vegan dessert option is a nice touch. You can get vegan Gu. Also a plant milk for tea/coffee.

The Higgledly range of vegan quiches are nice. Asda or Sainsbury.

If you want to offer him protein in particular I'd say tofu is your best bet. I make lovely vegan egg mayo by crumbling tofu in a pan, adding turmeric, black pepper, salt and a touch of plant milk then mayonnaise as you would with egg. With some chopped spring or red onion and red pepper mixed in, on lovely bread, its a very nice sandwich.

Or if you want to push the boat out and have the time, look up carrot lox (smoked salmon fake) serve on dark rye with vegan cream cheese.

I'd do a homemade soup with crusty bread. My favourite is roast tomato and pepper which is v easy to make - roast a load of red peppers, large tomatoes, red onions, carrot, garlic, couple of red chillis on baking trays and blend with veg stock. You need quite a lot of veg to make a good amount of soup but it's very nice.

Refried beans https://cookieandkate.com/easy-refried-beans-recipe/

Make ahead and reheat. Have with tomato salsa, avocado, sprinkle of coriander. Non vegans can add cheese and or sour cream. Serve with nacho chips or in tortilla wraps or make a quesadilla (spread beans on tortilla, add other bits like salsa, another tortilla on top, toast in frying pan a few minutes each side, slice like a pizza)

And even better, imo, if you add red lentils. I prefer to do this after roughly blending the veg soup and then cook 20 mins until the lentils are tender.

Tray of chunky Mediterranean roast veg (you can buy ready made trays just to pop in the oven if you are really pushed for time), serve with cous cous, sprinkled with toasted seeds, toasted pitta bread, hummus dressing. Add a bowl of salad if you like.

Or chunky veg and lentil soup and bread

Berries and vegan coconut yoghurt or ice cream for dessert.

Get some plant milk in for tea/ coffee.

Do vegan salads with a range of things on the side. Let everyone select for themselves.

I'd do a Vietnames tofu noodle salad, although it does require a little bit of cooking (10 minutes to fry the tofu & cook the noodles)

https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/vietnamese-tofu-and-noodle-salad.html