Five ways to lure carnivores to try plant-based dishes

Plant-based entrees are becoming mainstream menu options, but it can still be a challenge to encourage non-vegetarians to try such dishes—especially at catered events. Ron DeSantis, director of culinary experience at Yale University, in New Haven, Conn., has successfully made a plant-based menu the focus at faculty events. DeSantis shares five tips for creating enticing plant-based dishes that don’t leave guests asking, “Where’s the beef?”

1. Think beyond the center of the plate

DeSantis says he sought feedback from vegetarians and vegans on campus as he incorporated more plant-based menu items into the menu. He discovered that those students don’t see a meal as an entrée with a side of vegetables. Instead, they select a number of side items that could make a complete meal.  As a result, DeSantis focused less on creating center-of-the-plate entrees and opted to create a combination of dishes that complement each other to create a satisfying meal.

2. Start simple

If your operation is just starting to offer plant-based options, it’s best to stick with vegetables that are familiar to most guests. Non-vegetarians could be more inclined to try common vegetables that are flavored with broths and spices.

For example, DeSantis suggests taking a vegetable such as cauliflower, seasoning it with olive oil and turmeric or smoked paprika and roasting it.  The roasted cauliflower can be sliced to order in front of guests.

“Stick with things guests can relate to,” says DeSantis. “If you can make these foods approachable, they can identify with them.”

3. Play with texture

Another way to make plant-based menu items appeal to more guests is to experiment with texture combinations, such as pairing a steamed vegetable with a crispy shiitake mushroom that has been sliced and roasted. When prepared in this way, “the shiitake has almost a bacon-like texture,” says DeSantis. “It mimics the flavor because it is so high in umami.”

4. Use fresh ingredients

Fresh, in-season vegetables are essential to creating flavorful dishes, says DeSantis. He works with produce packers and farmers in New York and Connecticut to provide locally grown corn, yellow squash, zucchini and beans. He also flash-freezes some produce, so it can be used in the late fall and winter months.

5. Entertain guests

Guests also will be attracted to dishes that incorporate an elaborate presentation or cooking demonstration. During a faculty holiday party, Yale’s catering staff offered freshly made baba ghanoush and hosted cooking demos so guests could learn how to make the dish. “Guests are appreciative that it isn’t coming out of a can in the back, but instead, the chef is making it in front of you,” says DeSantis. “There is a conversation taking place and all of these fun things that go on.”