This recipe for my vegan Christmas nut roast comes out regularly for family gatherings – particularly when we’re feeling festive – but is also a versatile main for any time. It is such a favourite, I have actually been making it for over 25 years (which is hard to believe) but I think that goes to show what a reliable and tasty recipe it is!
It’s perfect for a roast dinner with gravy, apple sauce and all the trimmings, but leftovers are also delicious served cold in slices or even cubes as a tasty lunch or snack – unfortunately, we never seem to get many leftovers!
The recipe, which I have veganised, is based on a very old vegetarian recipe book of mine called Vegetarian Kitchen by Sarah Brown. Not a book I would necessarily buy now as a vegan because it contains a lot of egg and cheese recipes , but it was a lifesaver when I first went vegetarian as a teenager.
Is this nut roast recipe easy to make?
Although at first glance it looks like a long list of ingredients and processes, it is actually incredibly easy to make. Yes, there’s a bit of prep but once that’s done it cooks away quietly in the oven for an hour whilst you get on with everything else.
Can I prepare it in advance?
Yes, you can prepare it all ready for cooking the day before if you like, just make sure you cover it tightly when storing in the fridge to ensure it doesn’t dry out, and take it out of the fridge for at least an hour before you start cooking it to bring it up to room temperature.
What can I eat it with?
I call this a vegan Christmas nut roast, but it is actually incredibly versatile and can be eaten at any time of the year. You can of course eat it as part of a traditional roast dinner, particularly during festive times, but I sometimes make one and keep it in the fridge to eat cold with salads, pickles and grains for weekday lunches.
It goes particularly well with my mushroom gravy recipe as part of a roast dinner, but the gravy can also be blended into a creamy mushroom sauce which goes well with this nut roast cold.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy making my vegan Christmas nut roast recipe, whatever time of the year you eat it.
Vegan Christmas Nut Roast Recipe
Equipment
- baking parchment for lining the loaf tin
- tin foil
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped red or brown
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 225 g cashew nuts, finely chopped I often reduce the amount of cashews a little to add in some brazils and almonds
- 110 g fresh breadcrumbs I use wholemeal, but white is fine
- 1 flax egg – optional 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 2.5 tbsp water – leave for 5 minutes
- 3 medium parsnips, cooked and mashed with some vegan butter you can substitute with celeriac for a slightly different flavour profile
- ½ tsp each of dried rosemary and dried thyme double if using fresh
- 1 tsp yeast extract (Marmite)
- 150 ml vegetable stock I use Marigold's vegan bouillon
- 25 g vegan butter
- 225 g mushrooms, finely chopped I use chestnut mushrooms
- salt & black pepper
- vegan butter for greasing tin
Instructions
- Peel your parsnips, cut into 3-4cm chunks (try to cut them to similar sizes so they cook evenly)
- Place into a small saucepan of boiling water with a pinch of salt and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Then drain & mash with a little vegan butter – it needs to be broken down well but doesn't need to be absolutely smooth
- Grease your loaf tin well with a little butter and line with a long strip of baking parchment along its length
- Make your flax egg if using (I find the mix normally holds together well without it)
- Pre-heat the oven to 180℃ (fan) / Gas mark 4-5
- Heat 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil in your sauté pan on a medium heat
- Fry the onion and garlic gently until soft but not browned (about 10 minutes), then remove from the heat
- Grind your chosen nut mixture in a food processor until finely chopped (about the size of large breadcrumbs, you want to keep some texture)
- Add your bread into the processor with the nuts and give it a quick whizz to break it down into crumbs. Ensure the nuts and breadcrumbs are mixed together well.
- Tip the nuts and breadcrumbs together with the onions and all their juices from the pan into a large bowl and mix well
- Mix in the mashed parsnips and herbs, stirring well to combine
- Dissolve a generous tsp of Marmite into 150ml of vegan stock, then add to the dry ingredients
- Season as required (taste, taste, taste – remember the Marmite is already salty!)
- At this point, the mixture should be like a very thick porridge and not too dry! Add a tbsp or so of the flax egg and stir well.
- Leave this to cool a little whilst you prepare the mushrooms. Using the same sauté pan (no need to wash in between!) melt the 25g of butter over a medium heat, then sauté the mushrooms, stirring frequently, until soft but not dry
- Press half the nut mixture into your prepared loaf tin, smoothing it out so it's level. Cover evenly with the mushrooms, letting the juices from the pan soak into the nut layer below.
- Top carefully with the rest of the nut mixture, then cover tightly with a piece of greased foil.
- Cook for 1 hour, removing the foil lid carefully for the last 10 minutes of cooking time
- Remove from the oven when cooked (you can use the same skewer test as you do for cakes if you like, but mine has always been cooked through) but leav in the loaf tin for at least 10 minutes to cool
- Using a flat knife or stiff spatula, work round the sides of the nut roast to loosen it from the tin, then invert on an oval shaped plate or serving dish. It is happy to stand for some time (I start the roast potatoes AFTER I've removed the nut roast from the oven because I can crank up the heat for them) and actually cuts better – make sure you use a sharp knife to slice it though!
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