The Perfect Vegan Christmas Lunch

looking for recipe inspo for the best vegan xmas lunch?

Want all the taste but none of the hassle, we’ve got you covered! This speedy Christmas lunch will give you time to enjoy spending time with your loved ones and also surprise & delight them!

To start, a festive mocktail:

Maple spiced mulled kombucha

• Your chosen kombucha – we love a ginger or apple flavour for this recipe.
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp maple syrup

1. Put all the ingredients in a glass and leave to infuse for a few hours.
2. Pour through a funnel and into a glass with slices of orange and cinnamon.

To Start, a christmas favourite made vegan:

Vegan pigs in blankets

• ½ tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ sheet ready-rolled dairy-free puff pastry
• 16 chipolata-style vegan sausages
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• For the glaze
• 1 tbsp soy milk
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ¼ nutmeg, grated
• ½ garlic clove, grated

1. Use the oil to coat a large baking tray, unroll the puff pastry on a work surface so that it’s flat, then cut it into 16 x 10cm-long strips.
2. Wind a strip of pastry around each sausage, so it looks like a corkscrew. Transfer to the prepared tray & chill for 15 minutes. Will keep in the fridge overnight – if you want to get ahead.
3. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To make the glaze, combine the soy milk, oil, nutmeg, garlic, a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper in a bowl. Brush the glaze over the pastry spirals using a pastry brush, then sprinkle with the sage. Bake for 25-30 mins, or until the pastry is puffed up and golden, and the sausages are cooked through.

For mains, a real crowd pleaser

Jewelled squash, chestnut & mushroom wreath

Ingredients:

• 800g butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes (prepared weight)
• 2 tbsp olive oil  plus extra for the tin and for the sage leaves
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 400g chestnut mushrooms, chopped
• 4 tbsp ground flaxseed
• grating of nutmeg
• 8 sage leaves, 4 finely chopped, 4 left whole
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs
• 4 rosemary sprigs rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 400g can green lentils, drained, or 270g cooked green lentils
• 160g cooked chestnuts (vacuum- packed or canned), finely chopped

For the jewelled topping

• 125g mixed dried fruit (we used a mix of cranberries and apricots), roughly chopped
• 1 orange, juiced

1. First, make the topping. Combine the dried fruit and orange juice in a pan, and heat gently over a low heat for 5-10 mins until all the juice has been absorbed and the fruit is plump. Set aside and leave to cool.
2. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the squash with 1 tbsp oil in a roasting tin. Season and roast for 25-30 mins until soft, stirring after 20 mins to prevent the squash from burning.
3. Meanwhile, oil a 24cm bundt or savarin tin. Line the base with baking parchment – this is easier if you cut out smaller rectangular pieces of parchment and overlap them in the base. Heat another 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a low heat and cook the onions until tender, about 8 mins. Add the mushrooms, season and cook for another 5-8 mins, or until the mushrooms are soft and any liquid they’ve released has evaporated. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Mix the flaxseed with 8 tbsp hot water, and leave until the mixture is gel-like.
4. Rub a little oil over the whole sage leaves and arrange in the base of the tin. Press the fruit topping over the leaves so the base is fully covered.
5. Combine the roasted squash, cooled onion and mushroom mixture, flaxseed, nutmeg, breadcrumbs, chopped sage leaves, rosemary, lentils and chestnuts. Season well, then pack into the tin over the fruit. Cover with foil. The unbaked wreath will keep, covered in the fridge, for two days.
6. With the oven still at 200C/180C fan/gas 6, bake the wreath for 45 mins, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 mins. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then run a cutlery knife around the inner and outer edge to loosen it. Place a plate over the tin, invert, then lift off the tin. Remove the baking parchment and serve.

finish on a high – a gingerbready high

gingerbread christmas trifle

Ingredients

(Servings: 15)

• For the cake:
• 350 g plain (all-purpose) flour
• 300 g brown or coconut sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 360 ml plant-based milk
• 180 ml sunflower oil
• 1.50 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• For the gingerbread men cookies:
• 250 g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus more for dusting
• 60 g vegan butter
• 100 g brown or coconut sugar
• 60 ml maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp ground chia or flax seeds
• 2 tsp cinnamon, to taste
• 2 tsp ginger, to taste
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 0.50 tsp bicarbonate of (baking) soda
• For the frosting:
• 60 g icing sugar
• 1 Tbsp plant-based milk
• For the custard:
• 1 litre soy milk
• 50 g coconut sugar
• 80 g cornflour (cornstarch)
• For the cream:
• 3 x 400g tins of coconut cream, refrigerated overnight
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• To decorate:
• 2 punnets of strawberries or raspberries, blueberries or seasonal fruit, chopped

1. For the cake, make it 1-2 days before serving: preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas Mark 3. Line a 20cm (8in) cake tin.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl until there are no lumps. Add the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into the tin and bake for 40-50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack.
3. For the cookies (also make in advance): add the ingredients to a large mixing bowl or food processor. Mix until a smooth dough forms. Add a little water if it’s too dry. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. When ready to roll out, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 8mm thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place the cookies on a lined baking tray with a little space between each. Repeat until you have no more dough. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges of the cookies should be slightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely.
5. For the frosting, mix the icing sugar and milk in a bowl. Add more sugar or milk to get the consistency needed. Use a fine-tip piping bag to decorate some of the cookies as desired. Let the icing set and set aside.
6. For the custard (make in advance): add the ingredients to a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer while constantly stirring. Simmer until it thickens to a pourable consistency (it thickens when it cools). If there are lumps, blend using a stand or handheld blender. Set aside in the fridge.
7. For the coconut cream (on the day of assembly): remove the tins from the fridge and scoop out the thick part at the top. You need about 800ml thick coconut cream. Put the cream in a large bowl or stand mixer. Add the vanilla, then use the mixer’s balloon attachment or electric beaters to whip the cream until soft peaks form. Set aside in the fridge.
8. To assemble the trifle: use a serrated knife to slice the cake in half. If the dish is smaller or larger than the cake, break up the cake into chunks. Set aside.
9. If the custard has solidified, use a blender on it until it is soft again.
10. Scatter half the cake in the bottom of the trifle dish and press down to form an even layer. Arrange the cookies in the dish to lean on the glass sides. Layer the trifle with half the custard, half the whipped cream and half the fruit. Repeat layering. Top with the decorated cookies. Serve immediately.