Planning a Vegan Afternoon Tea Menu

Vegan Afternoon Tea Menu?? Y E S!

Teas are the easy part! Just about all of Adagio's teas are naturally vegan (just avoid ones with marshmallows or sprinkles). The new Earl Grey Supreme would be a decadent choice for Afternoon Tea. Want something iced? The release of the summer, Guava Creme Green, could be the perfect answer!

Traditional British afternoon tea menus are rich with butter, eggs, and milk, so what’s a vegan to do?

Fortunately, creative vegan chefs have applied astute culinary expertise and a large dose of imagination to come up with hundreds of alternatives. You can, too, with just a short list of pantry items to have on hand like coconut milk, non-dairy dark chocolate or cocoa powder, and water crackers, matzoh or your favorite breads made only with flour, salt, and water.

As for scones and crumpets, the Internet has tons of vegan alternatives, however, consider these easy-to-find grocery bakery staples: seasoned focaccia, ciabatta or French baguettes. Slice ‘em, toast ‘em, top ‘em with sweet or savory spreads and you’ll be amply satisfied.

Add toppings from delicious dips and spreads, and you’ll have an endless assortments of small bites to share. Remember fun finger foods like nuts, dried fruits, candied fruits or nuts, or even the biting punch of pickled veggies, and you’ll want to create vegan afternoon tea often.

Vegan chocolate sources are readily available including Lindt’s Excellence, Trader Joe’s 72% Dark Chocolate, Ghiradelli 72% Cacao Twilight Delight Bar, and Costco’s Kirkland's Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips. Hershey’s Original Chocolate Syrup and Hershey’s Cocoa Powder and traditional dark baker’s chocolate are also vegan.

For those who love milk in their teas, offer sweet oat milk for a creaminess or other vegan faves like oat, soy, almond, or cashew milk.

We’ve created a sample menu to inspire. And, remember, a pot of fabulous Adagio tea is reason enough to invite a few friends over; adding nibbles is an added pleasure.

NOTE: * indicates recipe is provided below.

VEGAN AFTERNOON TEA MENU

• Ramekin of raw cashews and dried cranberries
• Herbed Focaccia pieces with guacamole topped with sliced English cucumbers drizzled with rice vinegar, garnished with fresh dill and a pinch of red pepper flakes
• Cannellini Bean Bruschetta*
• Chocolate covered fresh strawberries*
• No-Bake Date Matcha Balls*

RECIPES

CANNELLINI BEAN BRUSCHETTA

You can also use either garbanzo or black beans. Change herbs to taste.

YIELD: 1 ½ cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup cooked cannellini beans or one 15 oz. can; beans rinsed, drained, and air dried
• 1T balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1T olive oil
• 1T finely chopped fresh rosemary plus small sprigs for garnish
• 1 small French baguette, sliced and toasted

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium-sized bowl, combine everything but the bread. Mix thoroughly so that beans are well coated. Scoop out ¼ cup and set aside. Mash the remaining ingredients. Toast the bread slices. Spread each with the mashed beans, then top with whole beans. Garnish with additional rosemary.

Alternative bruschetta toppings: baba ghanoush, nut butters, olive tapenade, classic Italian tomato-garlic-basil or sun-dried tomato, artichoke spread or hummus.

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

The summertime afternoon classic is so easy to make and yummy!

YIELD: Approx. 12-16 servings, depending on size of strawberries; choose large ones as available.

The plump, sweet strawberries gracing the grocer’s shelf these days practically demand a place on the afternoon tea table. Not into strawberries? Try chocolate-dipped slices of kiwi, regular or Asian pear or citrus segments.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pint of large strawberries
• 8 oz. of non-dairy dark chocolate, bakers’ chocolate or chocolate syrup

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse and dry a pint box of strawberries thoroughly, taking care to preserve the green stem. Place in a bowl.

Cover a small sheet pan with wax paper and place on or next to the stove.

In a small saucepan, melt 8 oz. of chocolate over medium-low heat. Using tongs, gently pick up a strawberry and dip it into dip the melted chocolate, coating it thoroughly. Set on pan. When all the berries are covered, set pan on the counter for the chocolate to completely dry and harden. When dry, cover loosely with wax paper and refrigerate until your guests arrive.

To serve, place the strawberries on a pretty serving platter or one level of a tiered tray, add a decorative set of silver or wooden tongs or insert a toothpick through the top. Allow two large or four small berries per person.

NO-BAKE DATE MATCHA BALLS

YIELD: 12 balls

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup desiccated coconut for coating
• 2 cups Medjool dates, pitted
• 2 t Adagio matcha powder
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 3/4 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
• 2 t pure vanilla extract
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Line a baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. Set aside.

Place ¼ cup of the desiccated coconut in a small bowl for coating. Set aside.

In the bowl of a large food processor, put in all the other ingredients and pulse to a paste. Add more water as necessary.

With a melon baller or tablespoon, scoop 1” quantity. Roll it into a ball in your hands then roll in the coconut until coated well; place balls on the parchment lined-baking sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is made into balls.

Cover the sheet with parchment paper and freeze at least 2 hours.

To serve, remove the sheet pan from the freezer. Uncover and place the date balls on a pretty serving dish. Allow a few minutes for them to thaw completely. The texture is soft and chewy.