Annie's Vegan Christmas Cooking Tips

Annie’s Vegan Christmas Cooking Tips

26 November 2019
Whether you are looking to cook a more planet-friendly Christmas meal or have vegan guests you want to make sure get their fair share of the feast, Annie Herriott, our Head of Product Development’s tips will point you in the right direction.
- Make sure you know your guests’ dietary requirements – once you know this, putting the menu together will be much easier.
- When cooking for vegans be aware of the hidden ingredients you may not know about – Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, honey is an animal-derived product and regular pesto contains cheese.
- Lots of beers and wines are not vegan or vegetarian as eggs and fish can be used in the process to clarify them. Make sure to carefully check the labels to ensure that they are suitable. We love Freedom Beer and Larger which are certified by the vegan society and available to try in selected Searcys restaurants and bars.
- Making food that can be enjoyed by both meat and non-meat eaters will make your life a lot easier. For pre-dinner dips hummus or baba ganoush with crisps and vegetables are great choices.
- A vegan Christmas doesn’t mean bread sauce is off the table – you can buy a number of vegan dairy alternatives including cheese, milk, cream and yoghurt. Remember to try them out in advance to make sure they taste great and work well.
- Remember to include an interesting and festive dish to replace the turkey. A roast spiced cauliflower or a homemade nut roast make delicious showstoppers.
- Don’t forget about the gravy – instead of relying on meat juices you can use soy, marmite and mushrooms to add depth of flavour.
- It’s easier than you may think to make most of the Christmas sides vegan. Refrain from using butter and use cold-pressed rapeseed oil instead and you’ll still have crispy potatoes, tasty sprouts and delicious stuffing.
We hope these tips help you to plan a tasty meat-free Christmas meal. If you’re looking for more inspiration, St Pancras Brasserie’s vegan Christmas menu includes a chicory and Cheltenham beetroot salad with coconut ‘stilton’ and a mustard dressing and a Jerusalem artichoke risotto with roast almonds and black truffle. To find out more or book a table, click here.

Searcys’ vegan nut roast

Serves 8

This nut roast recipe is a delicious addition to the table, and you can make it 24-hours before, making your Christmas a little less stressful.

INGREDIENTS

150g – pearl barley
1 – vegan vegetable stock cube
330g – parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
14g – ground linseeds (or flaxseed)
45ml – rapeseed oil, plus extra for greasing
1 – onion, halved and sliced
3 – garlic cloves, crushed
400g – mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 – rosemary sprig, leaves stripped, plus extra to decorate
3 – sage leaves, shredded
100g – blanched hazelnuts, toasted until golden
220g – fresh cranberries
50g – vegan Italian-style hard cheese, grated
50g – parsley, finely chopped
3g – Cornish sea salt
2g – freshly ground black pepper
14g – pumpkin seeds
A grating of nutmeg

METHOD

1. Cook the pearl barley with the stock cube according to pack instructions. Reserve 4 tbsp of the cooking stock, then drain well.
2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the parsnips and cook until really soft. Drain well, tip back into the pan to steam dry for a few minutes, then roughly mash.
3. Mix the ground linseeds with the reserved stock water and leave to go sticky.
4. Put 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan with the onions and garlic. Fry gently until soft and golden, then stir in the mushrooms, rosemary and sage. Fry the mushrooms until they’re golden too, and any liquid has evaporated. Scrape into a big mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
5. Grease a 2lb loaf tin generously with oil. If it’s not a non-stick tin, line it with baking parchment.
6. Add the mashed parsnip, cooked pearl barley, sticky seed mix, grated vegan hard cheese, chopped parsley, whole hazelnuts and cranberries to the fried mushroom mixture. Season generously with salt, nutmeg and black pepper and mix everything together well.
7. Spoon the filling into the tin and press down firmly to fill the tin and flatten the top. Keep in the fridge for up to 24 hrs before baking.
8. Heat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas 6 and cover the tin with foil. Bake for 45 mins, until a skewer poked into the centre of the mixture comes out piping hot.
9. Use a small palette knife or cutlery knife to release the filling all the way around, then sit a serving plate on top and flip over. Carefully lift off the tin and top with whole pumpkin seeds to serve, plus some extra rosemary sprigs.

Searcys’ vegan Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and garlic

Serves 8

Sprouts are often the most underappreciated vegetable on the table at Christmas, but this recipe will convert even the most committed of sprout haters.

INGREDIENTS

275g – small Brussels sprouts
200g – vac-packed, peeled chestnuts
3 – cloves of garlic
40g – rapeseed oil
Cornish sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Put a medium pan of water on to boil.
2. Blanch the Brussels sprouts for 30 seconds and drain them well.
3. Heat butter in a large frying pan, when it is foaming add garlic and gently fry for 2 minutes over low heat until soft. Add the Brussels sprouts and season well with salt and pepper.
4. Cook for about 8 minutes, occasionally stirring them, by which time garlic and Brussels sprouts are golden and cooked through.
5. Finally, add the chestnuts and cook for a further 3–4 minutes, then pile everything into a warm serving dish.

Searcys’ vegan Christmas gravy

Serves 8

This recipe will make sure your vegan gravy packs a punch.

INGREDIENTS

2 – onions
2 – carrots
2 – sticks celery
25g – dried porcini mushrooms
rapeseed oil
2 – fresh bay leaves
2 – sprigs fresh thyme
30ml – port
30ml – redcurrant jelly
2 – tablespoons plain flour
2 – teaspoons Marmite
1 – tablespoon tomato puree
2 – tablespoons red wine vinegar
1.5 – litres vegetable stock

METHOD

1. Roughly chop the onions, carrots, celery and porcini.
2. Place in a large pan over a medium heat with a splash of oil and herbs. Fry for around 25 minutes, or until turning golden, stirring occasionally.
3. Add port and jelly and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, or until sticky and caramelised.
4. Stir in flour, then add Marmite, tomato puree and vinegar.
5. Pour in stock, then bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer for around 10 minutes, or until thickened and reduced.
6. Pass it through a sieve into another large pan, using a spoon to squeeze out the lovely flavours from the vegetables and herbs.
7. Heat through and serve with the vegan nut roast.

Annie’s Vegan Christmas Cooking Tips

Searcys’ vegan nut roast

Searcys’ vegan Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and garlic

Searcys’ vegan Christmas gravy