Vegetarian Wedding Reception: Planning Meal Options for Every Course

Planning a vegetarian wedding reception dinner might sound complicated, but with a little creativity it really isn't too hard. If you look around a little, you'll find there are plenty of classy non-meat and even purely vegan options for every course of your reception dinner. The first thing to decide is what kind of vegetarians you're planning for. Some people consider themselves "vegetarian" but still eat fish or even chicken. Vegans, on the other hand, avoid all animal products, including honey. To help you make sure to serve something everyone can eat and enjoy, here are some ideas for your vegetarian wedding reception menu.

Appetizers

When it comes to appetizers, the simplest solution is an attractive vegetable platter with dips like herb dip, black bean dip, tzatzki dip, and baba ganoush. Falafel or tempura vegetables with dip can also work well, especially during the cooler months. Some other ideas are vegetable and tofu kabobs, vegetable quesadillas, sushi rolls, and mushrooms stuffed with rice and herbs.

Salads

Naturally, recipes for vegetarian salads aren't exactly hard to find. The trick for a wedding reception menu is to find a salad that fits the festive occasion and doesn't look like "rabbit food." You might try a mandarin orange salad, four bean salad, or pepper salad for something colorful and flavorful. Because salads are so vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, consider offering two or three different types of salad.

Main dishes

There literally hundreds of vegetarian main course ideas that are suitable for a wedding reception. Try a hearty soup or casserole filled with plenty of vegetables and legumes. These main sound ordinary, but when made well with top quality ingredients, they can taste like gourmet cuisine. For more unusual vegetable-based dishes, look to East Asian and Indian cuisine. You could serve Indian rajma, Chinese stir-fry or a spicy phad Thai.

Side dishes

When your main dish consists primarily of vegetables and legumes, that leaves a lot you can do with grains and pasta for side dishes. It might be nothing more complicated a pilaf made with an unusual grain like amaranth or quinoa. Bulgur, millet, and buckwheat are also good options. Of course, there's nothing wrong with an interesting vegetable side dish like broccoli in tomato sauce, pineapple stuffed sweet potatoes, or pasta and peppers.

Desserts

If you're planning an ovo-lacto vegetarian menu, just about any traditional dessert will do. Romantic desserts like strawberries dipped in chocolate, chocolate fondue, or melt-in-your-mouth flourless cake work especially well. If you'd prefer to have a vegan dessert, though, there are plenty of classy options like fruit compote, sorbet, baked fruit, and wine poached pears.

Planning a vegetarian wedding reception isn't nearly as difficult as you might think. Once you've decided what type of vegetarians you're planning for, it's just a matter of focusing on vegetable and grain-based dishes. Not only are these choices healthier than high-fat, high-calorie meat dishes, the fact that they're often dishes you don't see everyday lends a gourmet flair to the menu without the expense of exotic ingredients.