Let us be honest – Christmas dinners with the family can be stressful. Especially when we all have different dietary needs.
I cannot think of a better opportunity though to share the wonderfully rich and versatile plant-based cuisine than Christmas. Sharing is caring, and what better way to show your love than preparing an epic Christmas feast that is cruelty-free, ethical, healthy, and environmentally sustainable!

STARTER
Roasted pear with walnut & ginger filling

Ingredient

• 5 large rounded pears
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 70 gr walnut halves
• 20 gr pine nuts
• 20 gr stem ginger , optional

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Halve 4 pears (you’ll be using 1 for decoration), and place them all cut-side up in a large ovenproof dish.
2. Sprinkle over ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon and the caraway seeds and pop the 8 halves in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re just browning at the edges and the flesh is soft. Allow to cool.
3. Place the walnuts and pine nuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes – the pine nuts won’t take long to turn golden, so keep an eye on them. Set aside a few toasted pine nuts for serving.
4. Once the pears have cooled, scoop most of the flesh out of 4-6 of the halves (depending on how many person you’ll serve; 1 pear half per person), leaving just enough so the sides don’t collapse.
5. De-seed, de-stem, and chop up the other roasted pear halves and the scooped-out pear flesh, and pop in a food processor with the toasted nuts. Add the stem ginger and the rest of the cinnamon and blitz. If you want a paste that’s quite textured, blitz only for a couple of seconds. If you want it totally smooth, keep blitzing.
6. Divide the pear mixture between the 4-6 scooped-out pear skins. Peel and core the reserved pear, slice it thinly lengthways and arrange a couple of slivers on top of each stuffed pear.
7. Decorate with a few chopped toasted pine nuts and serve, warmed through or cold. It’s great with a little peppery salad, like rocket leaves, on the side.

MAIN 
Smoky leek & hazelnut tart

Ingredients

• 500 g ready-made vegan shortcrust pastry
• 4 leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced
• 20ml olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, peeled, finely sliced
• 2 tsp plain white flour
• 300ml soya milk
• ½ tsp vegan stock powder
• a small pinch of clove powder
• 150g smokey or piquant vegan cheese 
• 30g  cranberries, broken into little pieces
• 1 Tbsp harissa paste
• 100g tinned roasted peppers, sliced
• 1 tbsp cranberry sauce
• 100g hazelnuts, roasted, chopped
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To garnish:

• 1 tsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• ¼ red pepper, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line a greased 28cm round, loose-bottomed flan dish with greaseproof paper. Roll out the pastry and use it to line the dish. Trim the excess pastry. Prick the pastry.
2. Cover the pastry with parchment paper, then add baking beans. Blind bake for 25 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, then bake for another 10 minutes. Leave to cool.
3. While the pastry is cooking, gently sauté the leeks in 10g olive oil. After 5 minutes, add the garlic and spring onions and fry for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
4. For the cheese sauce, gently fry the onion in the remaining oil for 10 minutes. Sprinkle on the flour and continue to stir for 2 minutes. Slowly add the soya milk, a little at a time. The sauce should get thicker as the milk is heated. Add the stock powder and a pinch of clove powder. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 100g vegan cheese and dried cranberries. Once the cheese has melted, fold into the cooked leeks. Season as required, then set to one side.
5. Spread the harissa paste onto the pastry base, then add the peppers and cranberry sauce. Top with one-third of the nuts. Carefully add the leek mixture to the pastry case, then top with the remaining Vegusto. Bake in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
6. Mix the remaining nuts with a little paprika, then season. Remove the tart from the oven, scatter the mixture over the top, then bake for another 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley, red pepper and paprika.

SIDE
Shredded Brussels Sprouts salad with Lemon dessing and Pomegrante

Ingredients

For the salad

• 450g Brussels sprouts / about 6 cups shredded
• 1 cup thinly sliced radicchio
• 1 cup stemmed and thinly sliced kale
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup toasted nuts almonds, walnuts, or pecans

For the dressing

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice plus the zest of one lemon
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Holding each Brussels sprout by the stem, slice into very thin slices with a mandoline or sharp knife. Toss in a bowl with the radicchio, kale, half the pomegranate seeds, cranberries, and nuts.
2. Combine the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, shallot, maple syrup, and mustard in a small jar (like an old jam jar). Season with salt and pepper. Seal the jar and give it a good shake.
3. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Let the salad stand for 1 hour at room temperature or 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator. Toss with the remaining dressing and sprinkle with the remaining pomegranate seeds just before serving.

DESSERT
Chocolate pots

Ingredients

• 200 g dairy-free dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa)
• 700 g silken tofu
• 160 g maple syrup
• 1 lime , zest of
• 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 Tbsp dark rum
• 1 large pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 1 large pinch of sea salt

Preparation

1. Place a small pan over a medium-low heat, half-fill with boiling water, then place a medium heatproof bowl on top, making sure the base doesn’t touch the surface of the water. Break in the chocolate, then allow to melt, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, line a medium bowl with a clean tea towel. Add the tofu, bunch up the tea towel and squeeze out the excess moisture into the bowl.
3. Add the tofu to a food processor with the remaining ingredients and 1 good pinch of sea salt, then blitz for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth.
4. Add the melted chocolate and pulse until silky and combined.
5. Divide the mixture between little bowls (to make it extra special, I like to use a mixture of espresso cups and cute little glasses).
6. Pop in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill, then serve.

No egg “Egg”Nog

Ingredients

• 1/2 pack (appr. 175g) silken tofu
• 180ml almond or soy milk
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 14g sugar
• 1 Tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 70ml rum

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients (apart from nutmeg and rum) in a food processor until well combined and then chill.
2. When ready to drink add rum and mix thoroughly, pour into glasses and sprinkle nutmeg over each glass.

Still got room for more? Don’t miss out on our next plant-based recipe and leave us your details below. We’ll email you as soon as we upload a new recipe to our website.

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Please let us know how any of the Christmas dishes have turned out for you! Take pictures and share them on your social with the #EpicVeganChristmasFeast, or leave us a comment below.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a magical holiday!!!