Cocktail Hour Canapés For Vegans & Vegetarians: 6 Recos You Won't Regret
When you have guests coming over with certain dietary preferences or those who want to simply avoid dairy and meat, it might make you anxious about what foods to serve them. Fret not, we have got you covered. During cocktail hour, guests crave bar bites and appetisers that can be popped easily into their mouths between sips of delicious drinks. Canapés are the perfect alternative at such times, and can be prepared easily at home.
Moreover, there are tons of variations of this small appetiser that is traditionally made by topping bread or a cracker with some veggies or meat and a vibrant garnish. And these variations include lots of vegan and vegetarian alternatives for your friends with stringent dietary choices. Not only can you choose from a wide range of vegetables and fruit toppings like figs, cucumbers, bell peppers and tomatoes as vegetarian options, you can also add hummus, olives and capers to your vegan roster. All these ingredients can be paired in different combinations to prepare mouth watering canapés that go well with several cocktails.
Read on below to know more about some of the vegan and vegetarian appetisers you can prepare for your guests the next time you host cocktails at home for those with specific dietary requirements:
Avocado And Tomato Crostini [Vegan]
A vegan alternative for your friends with dietary restrictions or preferences is a delicious baguette slice topped with avocado and tomato. You can grill the tomatoes and season them with salt and pepper if you are looking for a slightly smoky texture for your topping. When toasting the baguette make sure you go light on the flame and avoid buttering or oiling the bread to keep its vegan virtues intact.
Stuffed Mushrooms
If there was one appetiser that shined in the vegetarian roster of food and drink, it is stuffed mushrooms. These bite sized canapés are made by mixing cream cheese, garlic, herbs, bread crumbs and mushroom stems together with your choice of seasoning to prepare a stuffing that is put into the body of the mushrooms. Bake stuffed mushrooms well so the cheese melts and herbs like thyme and oregano release their aromas.
Olive Tapenade And Crostini [Vegan]
Olive tapenade is the perfect dish for a mezze style cocktail evening which serves delightful numbers like martinis, margaritas and select highballs. You can prepare a baguette topped with a homemade tapenade made using garlic, olives, capers and lemon juice. This is the perfect vegan alternative when you want to cut down on butter and oil, whilst ensuring your canapés taste creamy and indulgent.
Mini Bruschetta
A vegetarians’ delight, bruschettas can be prepared very easily at home when you are hosting a cocktail evening by using quality bread that is topped with fresh tomatoes, peppers, garlic and olive oil. You can also add some herbs like basil and a hint of mint for a refreshing taste. Bruschettas go well with a selection of different vodka, gin and tequila based cocktails because of their subtle flavours that balance the intensity of certain spirit-forward drinks.
Hummus Stuffed Bell Peppers [Vegan]
A vegan alternative that works well across different cocktail party themes is hummus and you can use chickpeas and tahini to prepare this dip at home. Olive oil is considered to be vegan by some experts so you can use it generously in your preparation of hummus that goes into grilled mini bell peppers. This slightly spicy and umami appetiser is a perfect pairing for fruity cocktails like mai tais and daiquiris.
Cucumber And Herbed Cream Cheese
Easy to prepare, all you need is cucumber rings that can be topped with cream cheese for fashioning this appetiser. Canapés are supposed to be delightfully refreshing flavour pops and this variation does exactly that by acting as a taste breaker between two mouthfuls of intense cocktails. You can add a cracker at the bottom of the cucumber ring if you want a crispy, salty texture to your canapés.
