Rice congee topped with vegetable os choice. I like chopped scallions and cilantro, with a dash of sriracha sauce. You could serve it with a bunch of different toppings.
very late response, but a great brunch dish is a vegan version of chilaquiles. basically you saute tortilla chips in a flavorful salsa (i'm crazy about tomatillo-based salsas for this -- tangy, loads of flavor). you can toss in roasted veggies or whole beans or both. instead of cheese, use guacamole and / or more salsa to top the dish. if you're feeling lazy, you can serve directly from the skillet (or do a sheet pan-style version). best part? you don't really need a recipe for this dish.
My lads just made me vegan pancakes (http://www.win-winfood.com/easy-vegan-pancakes/) and Southwest Tofu Scramble (https://minimalistbaker.com/southwest-tofu-scramble/) for Mothers Day breakfast. Delicious!
Another option for a fancier entree is chickpea frittata/quiche. Made with chickpea flour and any vegetables or add-ins of choice, the texture is remarkably similar to eggs and super tasty. Google chickpea frittata for lots of ideas/recipes.
Vegan breakfast burritos/bowls! Tortillas (or bowls), cumin-seasoned black beans, brown rice (optional), roasted sweet potato cubes, green onions, spinach, cilantro, sauteed bell peppers and onions, jalapeno slices, salsa, hot sauce--the add-ons are limitless, and everyone can make their own to their tastes!
Enchiladas sauced with pipián verde would make a great hearty and savory vegan brunch dish. If you're not familiar with it, pipián verde is a traditional Mexican sauce that is rich and creamy from pureéd pumpkin seeds. You could fill the enchiladas with beans, vegetables, or both. There are tons of recipes but this one is particularly good and simple (I always sub a mild vegetable stock for the chicken stock called for):
http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/cookbook-review-truly-mexican-a-pipin-verde-green-pumpkin-seed-sauce-recipe-2382463
On the sweet side, I've been eyeing these "accidentally vegan" lemon-blueberry scones: https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/03/how-to-make-fluffy-vegan-scones-blueberry-lemon.html
I like that the author takes advantage of the particular qualities of coconut oil and coconut milk, rather than using them as a lesser substitute for dairy.
FWIW, my opinions on processed vegan dairy/meat subsitutes: I am vegetarian (with occasional seafood exceptions) but not vegan, but I do end up cooking a lot of vegan food for various reasons, including lactose-intolerant relatives. I have tried a bunch of nondairy yogurts and thought they were all pretty bad. Ok as a textural additive in some applications, but I would not eat them on their own or in any food where their original flavor would be detectable. I feel similarly about vegan cheese substitutes although I've tried fewer. I agree with Valhalla that vegan sausages tend to be good (Field Roast brand is one standout). I use soy milk all the time in all kinds of baked goods, however, and it works excellently as a direct replacement for milk (or buttermilk -- mix one 1 tbsp white vinegar per cup of milk to clabber it before adding to the batter). I like Organic Valley brand for its neutral flavor and relative richness -- some soy milks are a little thin.
I have made Ovenly's accidentally vegan chocolate chip cookies many times. I appreciate that they, like the scones you've suggested, weren't meant to include lesser substitutes for eggs or butter -- they just happen not to contain them.
Pasta with 4-nut sauce
Sliders or burgers of rlgrilled mushrooms or commercial vegan patties
Big tossed salad
Savory rice, noodle or bread pudding using tofu instead of eggs & a nut milk
Wine
Roast cauliflower with hummus or eggplant sauce
Lentil or other bean curry over basmati rice, fruit chutney on the side
My vegan friends love potatoes, and so do I. A big pile of crispy, seasoned home fries that included onions, peppers, greens/broccoli, and maybe some soy chorizo/sausage/beans/chickpeas would go over really well.
Yes! Also perhaps vegetable hash with beets (like red flannel hash without beef), perhaps with vegan hollandaise. A fresh fruit salad. Rolls, breads, muffins, coffee cake (vegan, of course). Lots of recipes on internet.
You could do a breakfast pizza (sub a plant-based milk or plain water in the dough, and leave out the cheese--it will still be good) like this (it's my recipe, sorry for the self-promotion!) https://food52.com/recipes/15521-glazed-shallot-walnut-sage-and-goat-cheese-pizza. You could do a "samfaina" of roasted or grilled vegetables including portobello mushrooms, red pepper strips, whole onions (grill or roast halves or quarters. They should be mostly cooked but still a little crunchy). Toss the above with steamed or grilled (or good jarred) artichoke hearts, good olive oil, white wine vinegar or lemon juice, minced parsley, ground pepper, salt and capers. Serve with crusty bread. You could take several blocks of tempeh, diced, sauté them in oil till reddish-brown, then remove from pan. Wipe pan clean and add more oil. Sauté aromatics like scallions, minced ginger or fresh galangal, garlic and lemongrass and a little hot red pepper (dry flakes or fresh, minced fine). Add a souring agent like lime juice, lemon juice or tamarind, and a "tan" sugar like organic or turbinado. (tempeh shrinks down when cooked, so on second thought this might make a better snack/appetizer if you are having a lot of people). Loosely based on Maddhur Jaffrey's recipe from World of the East Vegetarian Cooking. This can go over rice or noodles or another starch. It's so good. I never seem to make enough...
What else is on the menu? (We might be able to suggest adaptable things). Do something that is within you comfort level, but see if any of these sound promising:
They are making some great vegan yogurts if you serve granola, for example.
You could do a variation on breakfast burritos...
A tofu-vegetable scramble might be something easy enough to assemble. I don't eat a lot of processed food, but just about every version of vegan sausage I have tried has been great.
I'm not familiar with vegan yogurt, but yogurt parfaits could be a great option because I could serve non-vegan ones right alongside. Of my 17 guests, only two are vegan. I want to make sure to have a hearty option for them, but I won't be making all of my dishes vegan. In the end, the rest of the menu may be driven by the vegan dish I choose (in terms of whether I go more breakfast-y or lunch-y).
@keg72 - there are several threads here about cooking for a crowd (esp where the crowd has differing food regimes or allergies). Since your brunch has more than vegans, those threads may have ideas you can use or adapt.
18 Comments
http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/cookbook-review-truly-mexican-a-pipin-verde-green-pumpkin-seed-sauce-recipe-2382463
On the sweet side, I've been eyeing these "accidentally vegan" lemon-blueberry scones: https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/03/how-to-make-fluffy-vegan-scones-blueberry-lemon.html
I like that the author takes advantage of the particular qualities of coconut oil and coconut milk, rather than using them as a lesser substitute for dairy.
FWIW, my opinions on processed vegan dairy/meat subsitutes: I am vegetarian (with occasional seafood exceptions) but not vegan, but I do end up cooking a lot of vegan food for various reasons, including lactose-intolerant relatives. I have tried a bunch of nondairy yogurts and thought they were all pretty bad. Ok as a textural additive in some applications, but I would not eat them on their own or in any food where their original flavor would be detectable. I feel similarly about vegan cheese substitutes although I've tried fewer. I agree with Valhalla that vegan sausages tend to be good (Field Roast brand is one standout). I use soy milk all the time in all kinds of baked goods, however, and it works excellently as a direct replacement for milk (or buttermilk -- mix one 1 tbsp white vinegar per cup of milk to clabber it before adding to the batter). I like Organic Valley brand for its neutral flavor and relative richness -- some soy milks are a little thin.
Sliders or burgers of rlgrilled mushrooms or commercial vegan patties
Big tossed salad
Savory rice, noodle or bread pudding using tofu instead of eggs & a nut milk
Wine
Roast cauliflower with hummus or eggplant sauce
Lentil or other bean curry over basmati rice, fruit chutney on the side
They are making some great vegan yogurts if you serve granola, for example.
You could do a variation on breakfast burritos...
A tofu-vegetable scramble might be something easy enough to assemble. I don't eat a lot of processed food, but just about every version of vegan sausage I have tried has been great.