It’s that time of the year already; Christmas is only around the corner! The Christmas lunch is one of my favourite parts about the whole day because it’s a chance for everyone to sit around the dinner table and put all their differences aside to enjoy a hearty meal together.
With the rise of veganism and plant-based eating, most households will have at least one guest who won’t be eating the Christmas turkey, but that doesn’t mean they’ll miss out on tasty food. Below is a list of the top vegan dishes for an alternative Christmas meal – they’re so tasty that even the meat eaters of the table will want a bit too!
Mains
- Roasted Stuffed Butternut squash – Basil & Vogue
This is a great option if you want to make something that’s completely homemade because it’s so simple to make yet looks so impressive and tastes even better. This vegan stuffed butternut squash is so rich and comforting as it’s filled with warming spiced lentils and mushrooms, sweet apricots and crunchy nuts, then finished with a drizzle of tahini dressing.
- Morrisons The Best Grilled Vegetable Nut roast – Morrisons
A nut roast is a classic vegan alternative to the Christmas turkey. If you’ve never tried it before, most of them taste like stuffing but more crunchy and indulgent. There’s so many different types on the market now, it’s hard to choose which one to go for – but of the ones I’ve tried, Morrisons The Best Kale Nut Roast is well, the best! It’s packed with premium ingredients like walnuts and a variety of Mediterranean roasted vegetables. It also comes with a cranberry sauce sachet which is so moreish and sweet.
Sides
- Crispy roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips– Jamie Oliver
These are an essential part to any Christmas meal and are really easy to make Vegan-friendly as you can replace the butter for vegan margarine or olive oil.
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Vegan “no pigs in blankets” – Vegan Recipe Club
This is most people’s favourite dish of the whole Christmas dinner because it’s only really served this time of the year. If you’re a vegan and don’t want to have pigs in blankets, here’s an innovative recipe of the online which uses veggie sausages wrapped in sun-dried tomatoes. You can also use veggie bacon but be aware that most brands aren’t vegan.
Desserts
- Vegan Mince Pies – Jus Rol
You can make mince pies dairy free by making your own pastry using a vegan margarine or you can cheat by simply using Jus Roll (the common pastry brand) shortcrust pastry as it’s accidentally vegan! I recommend serving them with some Swedish Glace Vanilla Soy ice-cream which is insanely creamy and addictive.
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Vegan Peanut Butter and Banana Cake – Basil & Vogue
Peanut butter and banana is a classic match made in foodie heaven and if you’re looking to impress your guests with your baking skills then you should make this show-stopper cake! This vegan peanut butter banana cake is packed dried fruits and nuts such as dates, figs, and walnuts and the saltiness in the peanut butter balances the sweetness of the icing sugar which makes this cake so tasty that your guests won’t believe it’s vegan!
Images: my inspiration, Basil & Vogue, Jus Rol, Jamie Oliver, Vegan Recipe Club
Andri Neocleous