Montreal Vegan Festival Returns Next Week!

Five years ago, the Montreal Vegan Festival began as a small, intimate gathering of like-minded people. This year, however, things are very different. The festival, which takes place October 20th and 21st is bigger than ever, and has had to move to the Palais des Congrès, one of Montreal’s largest venues, to accommodate the massive amount of expected attendees.

The vegan scene in Canada is lively, with over half the population reporting they eat meat alternatives. With such an upswell of plant-based eating, festivals like this one increasingly have to prepare for quantity as well as quality.

“We’ve become a victim of our own success so we’re moving to Palais des Congrès,” says festival spokesperson Jean Philippe Cyr. “There will be more than 150 kiosks and we’re expecting over 20,000 visitors this year. It’s the biggest free vegan festival in Canada and probably North America. Everyone is a volunteer. It’s important for us to keep it free so as to welcome more people and promote veganism.”

The festival’s activities have grown as well, offering bilingual health, mindfulness, nutrition, and other activities. Attendants can sample plant-based food, clothes, and beauty products from any of the festivals 160 exhibitors. The event also includes cooking demonstrations, conferences, and book signings by prominent plant-based health and nutrition experts.

There will also be a plant-based poutine competition, which Cyr assures will be a showstopper.

This festival follows on the heels of other vegan festivals around the world, in Brooklyn, London, Portland and Philadelphia, so if you can’t make it to Montreal, there’s sure to be a festival near you very, very soon.

Bring Montreal Into Your Kitchen

You don’t have to travel to Montreal to get their exciting flavors. Check out these three Montreal recipes, courtesy of the Food Monster App.

Buffalo Ranch ‘Chicken’ Poutine 

Try this non-traditional twist on an iconic Canadian dish. Fresh french fries topped with roasted jackfruit smothered in a Buffalo ranch sauce and a creamy cheese sauce. The flaky, meaty texture of Plant Tribe‘s Buffalo Ranch ‘Chicken’ Poutine closely resembles pulled chicken, making it the perfect veggie substitute for this dish! 100% plant based and 100 percent delicious.

Curry Pea Soup

This Curry Pea Soup by Kristina Humphreys is comforting and warming on a chilly day, this soup has a velvety texture and a wonderful flavor. The aromatic spices add a nice touch of heat to combat the crisp temperatures outside. This creamy dish is very easy to whip up in a vitamix or food processor in a matter of minutes. Just quickly steam or boil your peas then throw them in whatever food processor/blender tool you have along with the spices and voila–creamy, velvety, and warming curry soup in no time!

Savory Mushroom Tartlets

Be sure to make a big batch of these Savory Mushroom Tartlets by Lisa Lotts, because you will sure need it! Filled with mushrooms, onions, and sour cream, they are a little piece of heaven for sure.

For more plant-based recipes, we recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 10,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

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