Vegetarian Entree Ideas for Veg Bride & Groom

thompsontct

My fiance and I have been vegetarian for a few years.  We are going to offer a chicken and a veg option for our reception.  We are wondering if anyone has some ideas for a great vegetarian entree?  We dont want to have the same thing that is always offered at restaurants for vegetarians: alfredo, lasagna, spaghetti. How boring! We want it to be a special and delicious meal.
Also, it will be in July, and there is going to be salad and appetizer served also.  ~170 peole expected.
Any ideas would be great! Also, to make it more difficult my fiance doesnt like mushrooms!

specialk84

Eggplant parmesan and vegetable risotto are the first things that pop into my head.  What do you usually make or eat on fancy occasions?  

I was a vegetarian for years, and I, too, hated mushrooms.  I ate a lot of tofu and other soy products, but have since developed a serious sensitivity to soy.  Finding things to eat on a regular basis was becoming too hard, but I loved it while it lasted.

For Christmas, my mom always made vegetarian lasagna for me.  On Thanksgiving, I usually just ate the side dishes, since there were so many.  

jessicabessica

I love mushrooms but hate eggplant, although I don't think either of them are particularly filling as vegetarian entrees.  

You said you didn't want lasagna, but what about a more elegant version?  We are planning to have lasagna with bechamel sauce and artichoke and spinach as one of our vegetarian options.  I think ravioli can look nice, too.  For a July wedding, maybe roast summer vegetable ravioli with pesto?  

You could have a tofu or tempeh stir fry with veggies...maybe over quinoa or rice noodles instead of plain rice.  

Do you like legumes?  You could have lentil cakes or black bean patties with a little quinoa salad on the side.  

yjdkiy

We're having a vegetarian strudel option...it's kind of a thin pastry filled with veggies, tofu, cheese...and there is a vegan option without the cheese.

Our appetizers for cocktail hour are all vegetarian too: butternut raviolies, stuffed mushrooms, and bruschetta.

jessicabessica

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_vegetarian-entree-ideas-veg-bride-groom?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:35e07679-dea0-4086-a1e9-1f60450a9241Post:f1da3e64-f43f-40eb-8740-02534947556a">Re: Vegetarian Entree Ideas for Veg Bride & Groom</a>:
[QUOTE]We're having a vegetarian strudel option...it's kind of a thin pastry filled with veggies, tofu, cheese...and there is a vegan option without the cheese. Our appetizers for cocktail hour are all vegetarian too: butternut raviolies, stuffed mushrooms, and bruschetta.
Posted by yjdkiy[/QUOTE]

We are looking for a vegan option, and that streudel sounds awesome.  Was it a big deal to get the pastry itself to be vegan? 

yjdkiy

It's sort of a phyllo dough pastry, I think, so it's made with water flour and oil. Not sure, but the caterer assured me she could accomodate vegan requests with that.

jessicabessica

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_vegetarian-entree-ideas-veg-bride-groom?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:35e07679-dea0-4086-a1e9-1f60450a9241Post:67b34bf8-42f0-4c9d-b0f8-64f03bc3a863">Re: Vegetarian Entree Ideas for Veg Bride & Groom</a>:
[QUOTE]It's sort of a phyllo dough pastry, I think, so it's made with water flour and oil. Not sure, but the caterer assured me she could accomodate vegan requests with that.
Posted by yjdkiy[/QUOTE]

Great.  Thanks for the reply (and the idea).

Lizdc

I am vegan and at wedding they have often made me a dough filled thing. I like it depending on the filing. But it is something I don't often get. A fancy pasts can br nice if well don't and not the standard ones. A well done risotto is also a nice option. Even once I got a vegan pealla which was great. I think you are best off making something that can be veg and vegan so that if you have a vegan at the wedding you don't have to scramble to make a new dish. I would venture if you are both veg than you might have at least one vegan friend.

[Deleted User]

we are doing one chicken entree and one vegan entree-
the vegan entree is a fancied up, homemade black bean veggie burger with mango-lime salsa.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

What kind of chicken dish are you serving?

We had a vegetarian wedding, but did pasta for the main course - penne primavera and mushroom ravioli. So I'm no help.

But I would keep to whatever theme you're doing with the chicken. If it's more southwest/Mexican, you could do bean and cheese enchiladas. If it's an asian chicken, maybe go with a stirfry. You could do something middle eastern, with falafel, which might be nice on a hot day.

We had a fall wedding, but our passed apps were: vegetable croquettes with pesto, brie and apple quesadillas with chipotle crema, peanut tofu satay, and eggplant and feta-stuffed piquillo peppers. We also had a salad, a soup (butternut squash) and the pasta, plus cake.

BlueBoxBride

We're having "Southern caprese" with fried green tomatoes, mozz. cheese and greens drizzles with balsamic vinaigrette. We're also offering for vegetarians: vegan gazpacho, crudités with a guacamole, Vietnamese spring rolls, sheep's cheese/ apple on brioche toasts, mustard greens tarts, mushroom risotto bites, a watermelon/shaved fennel in tarragon vinaigrette salad and a spring pea soup. Hoping that between the passed canapes (accounting approx. 9pp), salad, soup, fried green tomatoes and wedding cake/dessert station, NONE of the vegetarians in the group will leave the reception hungry!

klynette84

Risotto is always good. I have a great asparagus risotto recipe if you'd like it.

I had a tofu stir-fry at the last reception I attended. Make sure you try any tofu dishes before making it your entree though. Not everyone knows how to cook tofu well.

Our vegan option is ratatouille over jasmine rice with a bean relish. I'm not sure what exactly the bean relish is yet.

naomiak

My wedding venue had some great vegetarian options to choose from. We decided on the phyllo purses with mango chutney and spicy red pepper hummus. It comes with basmati rice and vegetables. Our appetizer will be warm zucchini and feta pancakes with lemon tzaziki sauce. I'm so glad we did a tasting because I never would have picked them since I hate zucchini  and they are sooo good! I'm probably the only vegetarian at my wedding, but I know that I'm gonna be one happily fed bride! 

peanutty2

wow i want to go to like all the weddings above! 

jessica said: You said you didn't want lasagna, but what about a more elegant version?  We are planning to have lasagna with bechamel sauce and artichoke and spinach as one of our vegetarian options.  I think ravioli can look nice, too.  For a July wedding, maybe roast summer vegetable ravioli with pesto? 

i love those ideas! 

also the risoto option.  i did have that at a wedding once and i looooved it. 
we're probably doing eggplant rollatini for ours.  unless the caterer tells us they can whip up something more "different" this was the best veg "entree" (there's a pasta, veg, and potato dish also)

Ljacks87

We will be offering roasted vegetable wellington as the vegetarian option at our reception. Not sure how to make it, but the description is as follows: marinated and herb roasted vegetables wrapped with melted mozzarella inside of a delicate pastry shell and served upon basil cream sauce (http://www.100thbgrestaurant.com/100thbg/files/00539-Wedding_Package_First_Flight_no_price.pdf).

The chef says that it always gets rave reviews from vegetarians and meat eaters alike! Good luck!

cappleby

I'm a vegetarian and went to several caterers before I found one that understood that I wanted something more special than pasta! I'm having a veggie Napolean, which is a tower of eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, portabello mushrooms and cheese with an herbed ploenta layer. It tastes awesome and looks so pretty! We are attempting to make everyone wish they had ordered the veggie dish!

nickles26

Here are a couple non-pasta ideas that popped into my head:

-Veggie potstickers with noodles and some dipping sauces.
-Mini-quiche or veggie pot pie.
-Veggie burrito or enchiladas. 

RoMy215

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_vegetarian-entree-ideas-veg-bride-groom?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:23Discussion:35e07679-dea0-4086-a1e9-1f60450a9241Post:b2f3f34a-7dd9-482b-a0d3-5ccf10df5aa6">Re: Vegetarian Entree Ideas for Veg Bride & Groom</a>:
[QUOTE]We're having "Southern caprese" with fried green tomatoes, mozz. cheese and greens drizzles with balsamic vinaigrette. We're also offering for vegetarians: vegan gazpacho, crudités with a guacamole, Vietnamese spring rolls, sheep's cheese/ apple on brioche toasts, mustard greens tarts, mushroom risotto bites, a watermelon/shaved fennel in tarragon vinaigrette salad and a spring pea soup. Hoping that between the passed canapes (accounting approx. 9pp), salad, soup, fried green tomatoes and wedding cake/dessert station, NONE of the vegetarians in the group will leave the reception hungry!
Posted by BlueBoxBride[/QUOTE]

I WANT TO GO TO YOUR WEDDING!! I obviously don't go to a wedding just for the food, but obviously as a vegetarian, you get excited when you don't get the "after thought" plate that the catering company threw together. But WOW you are fancy! I worried that MY guests should've had doggy bags...but boy yours will really need them!! =)~

BlueBoxBride

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_vegetarian-entree-ideas-veg-bride-groom?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:23Discussion:35e07679-dea0-4086-a1e9-1f60450a9241Post:a49d95d3-1c7b-4d5b-b599-8ae73a8703c0">Re: Vegetarian Entree Ideas for Veg Bride & Groom</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Vegetarian Entree Ideas for Veg Bride & Groom : I WANT TO GO TO YOUR WEDDING!! I obviously don't go to a wedding just for the food, but obviously as a vegetarian, you get excited when you don't get the "after thought" plate that the catering company threw together. But WOW you are fancy! I worried that MY guests should've had doggy bags...but boy yours will really need them!! =)~
Posted by RoMy215[/QUOTE]



I was a vegetarian for almost twenty years and one of my bridesmaids is vegetarian, so I was VERY conscious about making sure there was plenty of options for everyone. My FI's family has some members that keep "kosher" (our caterer is NOT a kosher kitchen) and will not eat any shellfish items. We also have a few important guests that won't eat red meat... So lots of veggie options! We're still serving meat/seafood entrees and canapes so the carnivores can pick and choose what they want.

RoMy215

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_vegetarian-entree-ideas-veg-bride-groom?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:23Discussion:35e07679-dea0-4086-a1e9-1f60450a9241Post:00896e0b-b307-48cb-9946-f2e93275fe4c">Re: Vegetarian Entree Ideas for Veg Bride & Groom</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Vegetarian Entree Ideas for Veg Bride & Groom : I was a vegetarian for almost twenty years and one of my bridesmaids is vegetarian, so I was VERY conscious about making sure there was plenty of options for everyone. My FI's family has some members that keep "kosher" (our caterer is NOT a kosher kitchen) and will not eat any shellfish items. We also have a few important guests that won't eat red meat... So lots of veggie options! We're still serving meat/seafood entrees and canapes so the carnivores can pick and choose what they want.
Posted by BlueBoxBride[/QUOTE]

Sounds like my family!!! After a long time being veg, I broke down and started eating fish again (but no meat), one sis does the same. Mom and other sis plus several other people in my family are vegetarians. We grew up kosher (but since most of us are veg in part or full now it doesn't really matter) but Grandmother is still kosher. Some cousins go back and forth being vegan...and then there's the uncle who is raw vegan. Although DH and his family all eat meat, it was important that we had enough food for our vegetarians and that the main entree be really delicious and not an after thought. My first choice was the portobello mushroom ravioli with a cheese sauce that was so delicious, I wanted to bathe in it (now I can't even remember what it was though). We ended up with a penne primavera though because we thought it might be too much to have the ravioli (with a cheese sauce) and a baked brie appetizer.

SarahL33

oh gosh, all of these dishes sound amazing!!!

I'm not much help unfortunatly. Even though my FI and I are vegan, the food is pretty much for everyone else. Fried chicken(our venue's very well known in our area for it) , polish sausage and kraut and then a very basic vegan pasta that is just noodles and sauce. Our place doesn't really know what to do for vegans, so we're just letting it go. I should just make something kick ass for us to eat and bring it with, lol.

I do agree with PPs that the risotto would be awesome, I think people would be very pleased with it!

will47

Too bad he doesn't like mushrooms. I think that mushrooms are some of the best options to provide something kind of meaty without resorting to the whole fake meat thing.

I would definitely go with something that's served with some sort of starch - a risotto or pasta is always a good bet, or maybe something with farro, or something in a phyllo / puff pastry or pie crust type shell (mini veggie "pot pie"?).

I know beet salads have been done to death, but I love a beet "tartare" with some chopped candied nuts and chopped dried cherries -- like this sort of thing, with the additions I mentioned, and minus the goat cheese.
http://www.artisanalcheese.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NP1014

You could try to take some inspiration from ethnic cuisine if the caterer / restaurant can pull it off... a Moroccan tangine with a hearty tomato / bulghur wheat soup as the appetizer?

I'm always a fan of some dark leafy greens or roasted cauliflower on the side too.

thompsontct

Thanks for all of the suggestions!! They all sounded super good, I am especially intruiged by the vegetable wellington and strudel. And the roasted vegetables with ravioli and pretty much everything else! Now i just need to decide.