Vegan Christmas Dinner
With Christmas around the corner, it's got us thinking about those mouth-watering dinner recipes that we look forward to all year round. Whether you crave crunchy roast potatoes, roasted butternut squash or delicious vegan gravy, there's nothing quite like a Christmas Dinner.
But maybe this is your first Christmas as a vegan, or perhaps it's your first year hosting dinner for your vegan friends & family, well no worries! We've got you covered.
Today we'll be taking a look at the best Vegan recipes to get you through Christmas Day.
Starting off at the beginning, we're jumping straight into Breakfast:
Vegan Christmas Breakfast
This recipe is perfect if you want to start your day with something light and healthy, but still indulgent. It’s packed full of protein and fibre & flavour, so you can feel good knowing you’re getting everything you need in one meal, without sacrificing taste.
Vegan Shakshuka
This is one of our favourite Vegan Winter Breakfasts, and what better day to celebrate indulgence & richness than even at breakfast time! Our Vegan Tofu Shakshuka is full of flavour with paprika, cayenne, garlic & onion paired with your favourite crusty bread and parsley. This is definitely the more luxurious, more filling vegan breakfast.
Read More About Our Vegan Shakshuka
Vegan Berry Oats
If you love berry flavours then this is the breakfast for you! The combination of berries & oats makes this an amazing breakfast option for those who love light breakfast with fresh flavours. You could also add some nuts for extra protein.
Our Vegan Berry Oats can be made the night before for ease or can be made the morning of.
Read More About Out Vegan Berry Oats
If you're looking for more Christmas Breakfast inspiration, check out our detailed guide to our Christmas breakfast ideas - we take a look at fluffy American-style pancakes, Casseroles & more.
Moving on from breakfast, it's time to focus on dinner ideas, traditionally during the holiday season, or particularly during Christmas, friends & families sit down together for a full three-course meal, including starters, mains & dessert.
There's nothing worse as a Vegan than not receiving the same options as all guests at the dinner table, so we've developed a three-course meal menu for our Vegan guests.
Vegan Starters
We have two starter options: Roasted Butternut Squash & Parsnip Soup, which is a hearty soup with a creamy texture, topped with roasted pumpkin seeds, which are lightly seasoned with spices and served alongside warm pita bread.
Or our fan-favourite Vegan Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms & Ciabatta, which uses our best-selling garlic & mushroom vegan-friendly sauce, sauteed mushrooms & parsley on your favourite crunchy, crisp Ciabatta bread.
Both dishes are easy to make ahead of time and freeze really well too, not to mention they require fairly simple ingredients that won't break the bank.
Roasted Butternut Squash & Parsnip Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash & Parsnip Soup is a warming winter soup, full of flavour and nutrients. It’s made with sweet butternut squash, parsnips and carrots, topped with crispy sage leaves and served with warmed pita bread and topped with roasted pumpkin seeds.
Vegan Garlic Mushrooms & Ciabatta
The Vegan Garlic Mushroom Ciabatta is a delicious appetiser that will satisfy any appetite. It’s filled with our best-selling garlic mushroom vegan-friendly sauce and topped with sliced mushrooms, parsley and vegan cheese.
Vegan Dinner
Ok, we've moved on from starters, and it's time for the main event, the classic vegan dinner. This year we're saying Goodbye to boring nut roasts, and hello to the perfect Vegan Dish that won't bore your holiday guests.
But where do we even start? Let's break it down section by section
Vegan Roasts
Traditional British Christmas Dinners will consists of meat (typically Turkey), usually accompanied by vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips, cauliflower, cabbage, etc., and gravy.
However, when it comes to cooking vegan holiday recipes, we swap out animal products for a plant-based approach.
The first thing we'll look at are alternatives to turkey.
Vegan Mushroom Wellington
The vegan centrepiece of your Christmas dinner, this is a delicious mushroom and sweet potato wellington that serves up to 8 guests and only takes 1 1/2 hours to cook.
Ingredients:
- 90g dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 tbsp olive onion
- 1 medium white onion
- 2 large sweet potatoes cut into small cubes
- 250 chestnut or button mushrooms
- 3 cloves of garlic, grated
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp dried sage
- 100g soft breadcrumbs
- 30g walnuts
- 30g dried cranberries
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 sheets of dairy-free puff pastry (320g)
- plain flour
- 4 tbsp oat milk
- 2 tsp mustard
Method:
Step 1: Place the mushrooms into a heatproof bowl and add 500 ml boiling water from the kettle to cover them. Stir and press them down so they’re well covered, then leave them to soak.
Step 2: In a large frying pan, fry the onion and mushrooms in the olive oil for 20 minutes on medium heat, allowing them to reduce.
Step 3: Add the garlic & sweet potatoes to the mushroom mixture, followed by the porcini mushrooms and the boiling water. Cook for an additional 12 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the sweet potatoes are tender.
Step 4: Add the herbs, breadcrumbs, nuts & berries - Add salt & pepper to taste.
Step 5: Remove from the hob once the mixture is firm, with the water being completely absorbed.
Step 6: Preheat the oven 200C/180C fan/gas 6
Step 7: Unroll the pastry onto a lightly greased baking tray (or on parchment paper on a baking tray).
Step 8: Spoon the cooled filling down the middle of the pastry sheet leaving a few cm on either side.
Step 9: Mix together the mustard & oat milk to create a bonding paste
Step 10: Lay the second pastry sheet on top, pressing down and forming the pastry over the filling to remove any air.
Step 11: prick the top of the pastry with a fork or knife
Step 12: Place in the oven for 40 minutes until golden.
Step 13: Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Alternatively, another fan favourite of ours for the main addition to your Vegan Dinner is a classic:
Vegan Mince & Onion Pie
This mouth-watering Vegan mince pie feeds up to 6 vegan guests and is a perfect addition to your vegan holiday recipes - and arguably the favourite here at Skinny Food Co HQ.
Ingredients:
- 1 Sheet of dairy-free puff pastry (320g)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Medium white onions
- 3 Cloves of garlic, minced
- 250g Meat Free 'Vegan Mince' - We like 'Meatless Farms - Plant Based Mince'
- 450ml vegetable stock - We use Knorr Vegetable Stock Cubes
- 400ml Onion Gravy - We follow Cup Of Kale's Easy Vegan Onion Gravy Recipe here.
Method:
Step 1: In a large frying pan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
Step 2: Add the garlic and season with salt & pepper, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the mince
Step 4: Add the gravy & vegetable stock to the pan, and leave to simmer for 10 minutes until reduced and thick.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4
Step 6: Transfer your now-cooled mince mixture to a casserole dish, lay your pastry on top, and prick with a fork several times.
Step 7: Pinch the edges together and place in the oven to cook for 40 minutes.
So you've made your main attraction, but you're struggling as to what veggies to prepare as part of your festive feast, the great thing is when it comes to vegan cooking, roasted vegetables, warm spices and other classically Christmas side dishes are usually vegan-friendly, and it's more to do with the way in which we prepare them.
Here are some of our favourite festive season vegetables we pair with our Vegan centrepiece. Choose your favourite roast vegetables and create your own unique menu.
- Honey-glazed carrots - Using our 100% Vegan-friendly honey, we tray bake our carrots with the tips still on, with cracked black pepper and rosemary.
- Crispy Roasties - Using Sunflower oil, garlic & rosemary
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Minted Peas
- Roast squash
- Green Beans
- Garlic & Rosemary Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Red or Green Cabbage
- Parsnips with maple syrup
Vegan Gravy
Gravy is the pinnacle of the Christmas dinner menu, without it, we would be lost.
Luckily, there are hundreds of helpful Vegan Gravy recipes that can help add flavour to your dinner party. here are our top 3 picks.
- Jamie Oliver's Vegan Gravy
- M&S Plant Kitchen Gravy
- Vegan Bisto Onion Gravy
Alongside your favourite Gravy, we love pairing our dinners with cranberry sauce, mint sauce & mustard.
Vegan Christmas Cake
No Festive season would be complete without the delicious dish which is Christmas cake, with a massive burst of flavour, this plant-based fruity cake is full of your favourite dried fruits from raisings to festive cranberries.
Ingredients:
- 1Kg of Mixed Fruits ( Currants, sultanas, raisings & cranberries)
- Juice of 1 Orange
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 150ml Rum
- 250g Coconut Oil
- 200g Brown Sugar
- 175g Plain Flour
- 100g Ground Almonds
- 4 Tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 Tsp Ground Cloves
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Cheesecake Flavouring
Method:
Step 1: In a large saucepan combine the Rum, Mixed Fruits, Orange Juice, Lemon Juice & Sugar on medium heat, mixing well and bringing to a boil.
Step 2: Once boiled, leave simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved.
Step 3: Allow to cool for 30 minutes
Step 4: Preheat the oven to 50C/130C fan/gas 2.
Step 5: Line a cake tin with baking paper
Step 6: Mix Chia Seeds with 150ml water until gel-like
Step 7: Combine the remaining ingredients with the fruit mixture, add the chia seeds and stir well.
Step 8: Transfer to the baking tin - bake for 2 hours
Final Thoughts
We hope this guide has helped you plan your first-ever Vegan Christmas dinner! If you have any questions about how to make your first-ever Vegan meal feel free to get in touch via our contact page. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram
For further information on how to best dress you Christmas Table decorations, check out our helpful guide.
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