Plant Based Celebrations: Steal Our Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Memorial Day Menu
Memorial Day is a great holiday to get together for a party with your friends. You’ll need sunscreen, (more than) a few libations, and, of course, a delicious menu!
Whether you’re new to plant-based cooking or even a longtime adherent, cooking for groups can be tricky. Our latest recipe blog post, 4 absolutely perfect vegan recipes for the spring, gave a few good examples of crowd pleasers, but we thought you needed more for the perfect outdoor meetup.
Let other people bring the chips and dips. Our menu includes two appetizers, a main dish, and a tasty dessert that are sure to please any group of friends. So, let’s get to it!
Guacamole Pinwheels
An American midwestern staple! These pinwheels are the perfect finger-food that whet the appetite for more.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 big tomato
- ½ red onion
- 4 tbs cilantro
- ½ lime
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 – 4 large tortillas
- Optional: ½ cup vegan cream cheese
Directions
- Cut avocados in half, take out the seed, and dice the tomato/onion
- Fork the insides, diced tomato/onion, and cilantro into a bowl
- And vegan cream cheese if using
- Squeeze the lime directly into bowl
- Add all seasonings and stir until smooth yet chunky
- Spread evenly on tortillas
- Tightly roll tortillas and cut into 1 – 2 inch “pinwheels”
- Stack sideways on a plate and chill until party time!
Cucumber Hummus Bites
There are dozens of ways to customize this easy recipe, so get creative with your garnish!
Ingredients
- 2 cukes
- Your favorite hummus (Trader Joe’s Mediterranean Style Hummus is a great choice)
- 10 oz Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 can black olives
- Parsley
Directions
- Slice cucumbers into ½ inch slices
- Spread hummus on each slice
- Cut cherry tomato in half and place atop the hummus
- Place black olive next to the tomato for a slaty element
- Garnish with parsley
- Chill until ready to serve
Pulled “Pork” Burgers with BBQ Oyster Mushrooms
Now for the main dish! This recipe comes out of The Wholesome Culture Cookbook, available now on our website.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cups oyster mushrooms, shredded
- 1 medium white onion
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of salt
- Hamburger buns
- Sliced pickles
- vegan coleslaw
- Optional: jalapeños
Directions
- Using a fork, shred the top halves of 4-8 oyster mushrooms until you have 3 cups worth. Add oil to a pot or large pan on medium high and add in mushroom shreds, stirring occasionally
- While they cook, chop the onion into thin slices. Add to pan and continue to cook for around 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add in garlic powder, salt, and barbecue sauce and stir well
- Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken
- Toast hamburger buns briefly and then generously scoop mushrooms onto the bottom half of the buns
- Top with vegan coleslaw, pickles, shredded lettuce, or jalapeños if desired.
Puppy Chow
What would this fresh and savory meal be without something sweet to top it off? Luckily, this dish is as easy to prepare as it is cheap.
Ingredients
- 1 box of Chex cereal (recipes call for rice Chex, but any will do)
- 1 cup of dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- 2 cups of powdered sugar
- 2 reusable gallon freezer bags
- Note: you can also use a large Tupperware, but bags work much better
Directions
- Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth
- Combine chocolate and peanut butter
- In a large mixing bowl pour chocolate/peanut butter over the cereal and mix as best you can, it doesn’t have to be perfect
- Split the now sticky cereal into the bags
- Pour 1 cup powdered sugar into each
- SHAKE
- Ready to serve once the powdered sugar is distributed!
Looking for even more crowd-pleasing plant-based recipes? We’ve got you covered for get togethers with friends or just a chill night at home. Our Wholesome Culture cookbook has 80+ recipes you’re sure to love. Check it out here!
