9 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes for the Ultimate Vegetarian Holiday Menu
Simple and festive recipes that everyone will love.
While gifts can often be the centre of attention during the holiday season, as far as we’re concerned food comes a very close second. And regardless of how your festive celebrations might look this year, if you’ve been asked to bring a plate, or you’re taking on the responsibility of playing host, there’s no need to panic - because we’ve got all your recipe bases covered.
But instead of whipping out the same repertoire of dishes you use every year, why not spruce things up a bit? From delicious starters to memorable desserts, keep reading for the recipes your guests won't forget this festive season.
Starters
The Ultimate Cheese Board
A cheese board is a definite crowd-pleaser and a fantastic way to start or end a meal. They are easy to prepare and can be done so in advance, and there's no cooking involved! However, there are some tricks involved with creating beautiful and delicious cheeseboard and Lia Townsend has them down pat.
Seared Stone Fruit Salad With Goat Cheese, Mint and Pistachios
This fresh dish is incredibly simple to throw together and serve but will really level up your salad game. The sweetness from the apricot and peach, spice from the peppery rocket, creaminess from the goat cheese, crunch from the almonds and pistachios, freshness from the mint, and a subtle punch from the zesty vinaigrette creates the perfect balance of textures and flavours.
Paola Bacchia’s Baked Ricotta with Basil Pesto and Confit Cherry Tomatoes
Topped with rich confit cherry tomatoes and herby pesto, this recipe delivers a flavourful punch with a deliciously creamy foundation. It's incredibly easy to make and can be served warm or cold alongside your favourite gourmet crackers or toasted bread.
Mains
Risotto Verde With Peas, Spinach, and Parsley
In this recipe, Rey Vakili utilises Arborio rice, butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano combined with fresh peas, spinach, and parsley. The result? A risotto verde that embraces the creaminess we love and that is brought to life with greenery that adds vibrancy and freshness. It's most delicious when the broth is high-quality and the rice has a good bite.
Cheesy Eggplant Parmigiana With Tomato and Basil
There are only three main components to this recipe; the eggplant, the layers, and the tomato sauce, all of which can be pre-prepared so that when guests arrive all you need to do is assemble it and pop it in the oven.
Generous amounts of parmesan and fresh buffalo mozzarella are used to make this dish extra tasty and creamy, and panko breadcrumbs bring a beautiful crispy texture to the recipe. The overall richness is sure to impress even meat lovers.
Spicy Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca
Those who love a salty snack will salivate at the ingredients list which consists of anchovies, capers, and two kinds of olives in a rich tomato sauce. Topped with parsley for freshness and parmesan for added bite, this pasta dish is balanced, bright, and downright delicious.
Dessert
Crème Caramel
If you're partial to creamy desserts, this delightful dessert will not disappoint. Crème caramel has won a special place in the hearts of food lovers around the world. With its delightfully silky texture, and delicate balance of sweetness cut with rich cream, this French dessert classic brings an understated sense of sophistication to any spread.
It’s a stress-free dessert for entertaining as you can make it in advance, it's fuss-free to whip up, and it tastes heavenly.
Pavlova with Crème Fraiche, Blackberry Curd, and Blackberries
Pavlova is a true summer classic that Australians and New Zealanders love to indulge in on Christmas day. Clementine's irresistible version stars a crisp meringue topped with crème fraîche, a delightful blackberry curd, and fresh blackberries.
Chocolate Tart with Roasted Hazelnuts
This easy-to-make dessert is an ode to our linen colourways, Cacao and Hazelnut. It features a rich ganache consisting of dark chocolate, cream, and eggs, poured into a crisp, chocolate pastry shell. It's topped with roasted hazelnuts for a toasty flavour that perfectly complements the cacao.
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