Vegan party food: mezze for drinks, a birthday or a reception
Mezze may be the easiest vegan party food there is, and it was vegan long before anyone had a word for it. Dips with bread, something hot and crisp, something sharp and fresh in between: that is how the Levant eats when people come round. Our kitchen is vegetarian and every dish can be made vegan, so everything below can make a fully vegan spread.
Why mezze works as vegan party food
Mezze is made for sharing. Everything goes in the middle, everyone takes what they want, and with a piece of pita you do not need cutlery. It works at a table and it works standing up, with a glass in the other hand.
And a lot of classic mezze is plant based by origin. Hummus, baba ghanouj, muhammara, falafel, olives and pickles were not made vegan for the occasion: that is how they have always been. What stops a mezze table being vegan is usually what sits next to it, such as cheese or a sauce on a yoghurt base.
Cold vegan platters
Everything on this list is vegan as we serve it:
- Hummus, and Spicy Hummus with harissa for anyone who wants heat.
- Baba ghanouj: roasted aubergine with tahini, garlic and lemon.
- Muhammara: roasted red pepper and walnut with pomegranate molasses. It contains nuts.
- Mixed pickles: cucumber, carrot, turnip and cauliflower.
- Bread & olives, and fresh vegetables: tomato, cucumber, radish and mint.
- For something sweet at the end: pistachio date balls and pistachio tahini halva.
Hot vegan party food
All of this is vegan as served too:
- Falafel balls: vegan falafel made from chickpeas, with a lemon tahini dip.
- Stuffed falafel: the Jordanian classic, a larger falafel filled with onion and sumac.
- Falafel rolls and spinach rolls: crisp spring rolls filled with falafel, or with spinach, harissa and pomegranate molasses.
- Makali: fried aubergine, courgette, cauliflower and potato, with a tahini dip.
- Batata: fried potatoes with a garlic dip.
How much food do you need?
Mostly it depends on whether the food is the main event or the background to the evening. A table that works has three layers: something to dip, something warm and substantial, and something fresh and sharp to cut through the first two. That third layer is the one most people forget, and it is the one that stops a table feeling heavy halfway through.
If you are eating with us as a group, order for about three quarters of the group, eat, then add. If you are having it delivered for drinks or a reception, we help you work out the quantities.
Ordering vegan food for a group in Rotterdam
For a small group, the sharing boxes on our menu have already done the sum for you:
- Gathering Box, EUR 49, serves 4 to 6: 16 falafels, hummus, baba ghanouj, spicy hummus, muhammara, fatteh, makdous, olives, pickles, sauces and pita.
- Picnic Box, EUR 49, serves 4 to 6: the same falafels and dips, with fattoush, grilled halloumi and falafel rolls in place of the fatteh and makdous.
- Nabäti Trio Box, EUR 35 for 9 half sandwiches or EUR 44 for 12: falafel, makali and batata half pitas, with pickles, olives and sauces.
All three are vegan on request: the kitchen replaces the dairy, or for the Picnic Box leaves out or replaces the halloumi. Say so when you order.
For a bigger party or a reception, there is our catering, with two formats made for exactly this. The Mezze Spread is for birthdays, receptions and other celebrations: dips, large fatteh bowls to share, falafel balls, batata, pickles, bread and olives, all in the middle of the table. The Half Sandwich Buffet is for standing events, receptions and walking dinners: half sandwiches with hummus, baba ghanouj and pickles alongside. Both can be made vegan: the dips and the falafel already are, and where a dish has dairy as standard, such as the yoghurt tahini dressing on the fatteh bowls, the kitchen swaps it. Say so when you ask for a proposal.
Good to know before you order:
- At least 6 guests for a private party, 10 for a business event.
- Order at least 24 hours ahead. For 25 guests or more, we recommend 48 hours.
- We deliver to your location in Rotterdam and nearby areas, or you can pick your order up from us. There is no on-site service.
- Every order gets a tailored proposal within one working day. A 20% deposit confirms the order.
Allergens
The pita, the bread and the rolls contain gluten, the falafel, the hummus and the tahini dips contain sesame, the muhammara and the desserts contain nuts, and the pickles contain sulphites. Our kitchen handles all of the allergens listed on the menu. Equipment and utensils are shared between dishes, so we cannot guarantee that any dish is completely free of an allergen, even when an ingredient is left out on request. Please tell us about any allergy when you order, and we will check it for you.
Where to find us
Nabäti Eatery is on Keizerstraat 168 in Rotterdam Centrum, about five minutes on foot from Rotterdam Blaak and a short walk from the Markthal. The kitchen is vegetarian and Jordanian. The short version of what we cook is on our page about falafel in Rotterdam, and the rest of our vegan options in Rotterdam are marked with the same leaves on the menu.
See the full menu, dish by dish, or ask for a proposal for vegan catering in Rotterdam.
Frequently asked questions
Which party food is vegan?
At Nabäti: hummus, spicy hummus, baba ghanouj, muhammara, falafel balls, stuffed falafel, falafel rolls, spinach rolls, makali, batata, olives, pickles and fresh vegetables, and for dessert the pistachio date balls and the halva. All vegan as served.
Is mezze vegan?
A lot of classic mezze is plant based by origin: hummus, baba ghanouj, muhammara, falafel, olives and pickles. What stops a mezze table being vegan is usually cheese, yoghurt or meat served alongside.
Can you order vegan party food in Rotterdam?
Yes. For a small group there are the sharing boxes, vegan on request. For drinks or a reception from 6 guests, or 10 for a business event, we cater, delivered in Rotterdam and nearby areas.
How much food do you need per person?
It depends on whether the food is the main event or the background. For catering we help you with the quantities; at a table, order for three quarters of the group and add afterwards.
How far ahead do you need to order catering?
At least 24 hours. For 25 guests or more, we recommend 48 hours.
