Need an impressive looking but hard-to-cock-up vegetarian meal for 6 people - any ideas?

[deathbyprocrastination]

Catering for two couples next week. Both are amazing hosts and we've never had them over before so I feel quite a lot of pressure to cook something amazing. They are all vegetarian and my veggie repertoire is very narrow and not at all fancy - can anyone suggest something that ticks those boxes and can, ideally be mostly prepared in advance so that I'm not faffing in the kitchen the whole time the guests are with us? Thanks so much in advance

I think for a really impressive veggie meal its about doing lots of different things rather than following the pattern of a meat-based meal which is usually presented around the special cut of meat - does that make sense?

So if you look at any Ottolenghi book there are ideas for a 'feast' - five or six small dishes. (I know that sounds harder work but most of them will be cold/cooked in advance).

So I'd do something like
Flatbreads (bought, warmed through then doused with garlic butter and herbs) Hummus (bought but served in a nice bowl with olive oil and a sprinkle of nuts/seeds)
A big salad with lots of interesting things - mange tout, green beans, olives, that sort of thing.
Great tomatoes with oil and red onions
Another cold salad like maybe lentils and feta?
Then something hot or warm that you like that goes with the above, probably based around aubergines.
And corn ribs, but I'm obsessed with those right now.

All really simple, prepped in advance, but done generously in nice dishes and you'll blow their socks off.

Like this for the main dish - this is bloody gorgeous. I've had it with freekeh but also with those supermarket mixed grain pouch thingies and both were great. And the two things on the sauce (birds of paradise and awjain?) I never have either, but the sauce is still great.

If you did that I probably wouldn't do the feta/grain salad and you may not need the tomato salad either cos it's a tomatoey dish.

Gah forgot the link, sorry for multiple posts!

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/diana-henrys-butter-roast-aubergines/

Starter platter of antipasti maybe. Nice bread, balsamic and olive oils, cherry tomatoes, burrata, griddled artichoke, rocket, grilled peppers, red onion.

Then maybe something like a lemon and asparagus pasta for main or an oven baked tomato risotto or stuffed peppers (remove peppers from starter if serving as main).

Pudding would be something nice and summery - maybe a tiramisu would go well.

I think simple food, with good ingredients, done well is always better than stress-filled complicated things.

Agree with @HoldontoOneMoreDay thats of different things is good. Ottolenghi is great but i must warn you will be chopping for hours!

There’s a great Guardian recipe for compote chickpeas that is lovely and just chuck in the oven. That, with a couple of other salads (Ottolenghi’s warm tomato and yoghurt?) and flatbread would be a really nice meal .

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/fresh-lasagne-pesto

Might not be impressive but is delicious. Even fussy eaters like it.

recipes.sainsburys.co.uk/recipes/lemony-lentil-salad-with-griddled-halloumi
This is lush too

I think I'd do a pesto and roasted vegetable tart, cheese, olives, really good bread and a couple of salads.

Order from Gousto. All the ingredients included and clear instructions with details of the amount of preparation and cooking time. Good choice of vegetarian meals.

I would do spanakopita (but make sure the feta is vegetarian) with salad and Greek dips with pitta and olives.
Or curries- saag paneer, buternut and chickpea, Dahl, with rice and naan.

Or I quite often make chickpea curry (using butter chicken style sauce), carrot and cashew biryani and some other vegetable curry. Maybe paneer and peas if Ican be arsed

I am the world's worst cook and would probably do a veggie chilli with posh salads, sour cream, cheese, homemade guacamole, tortillas etc. And a really posh pudding.
The best thing about this is you can just pre-prep everything so you aren't fannying around in the kitchen when they arrive.
It doesn't hit the "something amazing" though but sometimes people don't mind something simple done well

Or these if you want a second tart mushroom tart [[https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/wild-mushroom-tartlets]]

Oh curry is a great idea too! This thread is making me hungry...

Savoury cheesecake realfood.tesco.com/recipes/savoury-cheesecake.html
Spinach and mushroom en croute thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/mary-berrys-spinach-and-mushroom-en-croute
Pithiviers www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/vegetarian/butternut-squash-and-gruyere-pithivier/
Spanakopita realfood.tesco.com/recipes/spring-greens-spanakopita.html
Truffle mac and cheese www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a549828/luxury-truffle-mac-and-cheese/

ooh these are all so great. Thank you!!! And yes, @HoldontoOneMoreDay I'm def up for the lots of different dishes approach.

How about a mushroom wellington?

Anything by Anna Jones. Trained by Jamie Oliver, same school of thought (ie. chuck in a pinch of this, handful of that.) Can't go wrong and everything is delicious. Our go-to dishes are the black beans with chipotle and lime tacos, the tahini greens, and her dahl with coconut milk and sweet potatos.

Dh made a gorgeous, easy vegan green thai curry last night with noodles

This is great: www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/mushroom-lentil-pappardelle-bolognese/

So is this:
www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/vegetable-tagine/
Especially if you make it earlier/ day before. Also, don't bother with all the spices, just get a jar of Tagine paste.frpm the supermarket.

Or a vegetable curry with lots of veg side dishes like aloo gobi, dahl, veg samosas. You can buy them ready made at the supermarket...

@HoldontoOneMoreDay love that aubergine dish. Definitely going to try that!

Depends on the weather to be honest.
I love mixed curries with flatbreads, tomato and coriander leaf salad, raita if it isn't too hot, otherwise tarts and lovely salads.

Have a look at Bosh or Ottolenghi (sp); both have some amazing dishes which can be served cold or room temperature if it is too hot.
Nice bread is good with almost everything.

At my 50th we served shot glasses of very cold gazpacho as a canapé: you could do it as an amuse bouche before your starter as a simple way to take it up a level ( who doesn't love an amuse bouche?)

At this time of year go light on starter and dessert if you want a heavier main, or vice versa.

Let us know what you choose: I get loads of ideas from these threads! Thanks

Yes I think I would do a curry or chilli but with lots of exciting accompaniments.

These ideas are exactly what I was after. You're all brilliant.

I particularly like the look of this:
annajones.co.uk/recipe/buttery-aubergines-with-toasted-couscous

Do you think that would work with the lemony lentil salad (posted upthread) and be enough for 6?
recipes.sainsburys.co.uk/recipes/lemony-lentil-salad-with-griddled-halloumi

Or maybe a third dish / some nice bread...

The Green Roasting tin is my veggie bible, I would normally do escalivada thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/escalivada with potatoes - I love Cypriot potatoes cooked in oil, lemon and garlic - add some nice bread, yum!

Also really like the mushroom and polenta one from this book but haven’t cooked a single meal that hasn’t been delicious and they are all simple and one tray.

I’d probably follow with a white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake.