Vegan Super Bowl Soirée

Whether your knowledge of third-down conversions and first-round draft picks rivals John Madden’s, or you pick your favorite team based on the color of its jerseys, the Super Bowl can be an intimidating affair for vegans. While the media may have you believe it’s an event meant exclusively for inhaling chicken wings and sloshing back beer in a bar, hosting your own vegan Super Bowl party at home can be an easy way to ensure you enjoy the big game without compromising your ideals. Here are some simple ways to throw an animal-free football extravaganza, with plenty of time left to cheer on your favorite team.

Game-Time Grub
Chips and dip are always a crowd-pleasing option, due to the ease of consumption and short bowl-to-mouth time. Watch your guests inhale chips with this simple guacamole recipe, or serve with crudités for a healthier dipping alternative. Serving vegan wings is much simpler, and no longer means a trip to the natural-foods store. Brands like MorningStar Farms and Gardein both make delicious barbeque meat-alternatives, which can be found in a number of large grocery stores’ frozen-food sections. Whip up a side of vegan ranch dressing and watch people jump on those wings faster than players on a fumble. Chili, another Super Bowl staple, can be prepared in advance and left in a slow cooker to avoid missing game time or impromptu reenactments of the Super Bowl shuffle. You can keep it classic with a fiery Two-Alarm Chili, or give the hearty dish a Sweet Potato or Chocolate Chili twist. Serve it up during The Who’s half-time show, when guests are most likely to take the time to actually use utensils.

State Snacks
While team colors are a simple way to show your pride, indulging in foods from each team’s city is an inventive way to show solidarity. Indiana may not have an official state food, but breaded-pork sandwiches and Van Camp’s pork and beans are both commonly associated with the capital city. For pig-friendly versions, try a breaded-tofu sandwich, or cook up a big batch of Tempeh BBQ Baked Beans instead. If you want to support the Colts with some simple snacking, nosh on a bowl of DIY popcorn—Indiana is the home state of Orville Redenbacher. 

A mention of the state of Louisiana commonly conjures up images of creole creations and Cajun comfort food, and New Orleans is no exception. The state’s official cuisine, gumbo, and donut, beignets, are both readily available in the Big Easy and easily veganized at home. For inspiration, check out the veggie gumbo recipe from VegWeb, or try rolling vegan doughnut holes in powdered sugar to mimic a beignet. If you’re more in the mood for finger food, the multi-layered muffaletta sandwich is a New Orleans staple, and just as delicious loaded with faux meat and non-dairy cheese.

Can’t-Beat Beverages
Like jerseys and chest bumps, football and beer are a nearly inseparable combination. While not all beers are vegan, safe bets include game day stand-bys Budweiser, Corona, Coors, and Miller. For those with lighter palates, Mike’s Hard Lemonade is produced without animal products, and O’Douls offers a vegan non-alcoholic brew. You can also mix up a batch of virgin Hurricanes by filling a punch bowl 3/4 full with a combination of orange juice and pineapple juice, and topping it off with sweet and sour mix and grenadine—just don’t tell Indianapolis fans they’re enjoying a drink invented in New Orleans.