9 vegan Christmas recipes

Christmas is here and being vegan in this season might seem a bit complicated – but, in reality, it is not!

If you follow a vegan diet or know someone who does, try some of these vegan Christmas recipes. From appetizers to desserts, we gathered delicious suggestions for a festive dinner free of animal-based ingredients, perfect for sharing with your loved ones.

Ingredients:

• 200 g of fresh mushrooms (shiitake or button mushrooms);
• 100 g of walnuts;
• 1 small onion, chopped;
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped;
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil;
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce;
• Black pepper and aromatic herbs to taste.

Preparation:

Sauté the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in olive oil until golden. Transfer to a food processor and add the walnuts, soy sauce, pepper, and herbs. Blend until you achieve a creamy paste. Transfer to a festive bowl and serve garnished with chopped walnuts and a drizzle of olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour;
• 1/2 tsp salt;
• 1 cup water;
• 1/4 cup vegan butter substitute (almond, for example), melted;
• 2 cups sauerkraut;
• 2 tbsp vegan butter substitute;
• 1/2 cup chopped onion;
• 4 ounces mushrooms;
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper;
• 1 small boiled potato, chopped;
• 1 tbsp soy cream;
• ½ tsp salt.

Preparation:

Start by making the dough: mix the flour, water, ½ tbsp salt and ¼ cup of melted vegan butter in a bowl. When evenly mixed, knead for about 5-10 minutes in a lightly floured surface. Let rest for one hour.

Now for the filling: rinse sauerkraut in cold water and drain well; sauté for 10 minutes until dry and set aside; sauté onion and mushrooms in vegan butter, and add sauerkraut and pepper; fry until sauerkraut is golden and add the chopped potato and soy cream; season with pepper and salt, to taste. Mix well and let cool thoroughly before stuffing pierogi.

While the stuffing is cooling, cut the dough in halves and lay in a floured surface. Roll until thin – less than half a centimetre thick – and cut in round shapes of around 7 centimetres – use a cutter or even a wide drinking glass. Put about one tablespoon of the filling in the centre of each circle and close it in the shape of a half-moon. Fry in vegetable oil or vegan butter.

Serve pierogi with some vegan cream, caramelized onion and chives.

Ingredients:

• 1 vegan alheira;
• 1 large potato, boiled and mashed;
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
• 1 small onion, chopped;
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped;
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped;
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika;
• ½ cup of breadcrumbs (for the mixture);
• Additional breadcrumbs for coating;
• ½ cup of unsweetened plant-based milk;
• ½ cup of wheat flour or chickpea flour;
• Vegetable oil for frying.

Preparation:

Remove the synthetic skin from the alheira and crumble the filling. In a pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add the crumbled alheira, smoked paprika, and mashed potato. Stir well until you get a homogeneous mixture. Remove from the heat and add the chopped parsley and breadcrumbs, adjusting the consistency, so the dough is moldable.

Form small balls and set aside. In a bowl, mix the plant-based milk and flour, and stir. Dip the balls into this mixture and then coat with breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil until golden or bake in the oven at 200 °C for 15-20 minutes for a lighter version. Serve hot with vegan mayonnaise or mustard sauce.

Ingredients:

• 250 g chopped tofu or seitan;
• Vegetable oil to fry;
• 1 large onion, chopped;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 1 bunch of thyme;
• 1 bunch of parsley;
• 1 cup wholewheat bun crumbled;
• 100 ml soy cream;
• 1 tbsp of chopped capers;
• 400 g de Filo dough;
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach;
• 50 g vegan margarine substitute;
• White Pepper;
• 1 tsp salt.

Preparation:

Sauté the tofu or seitan in oil with the onions and the herbs. When the onion is browned, set aside.

In a bowl, put the previous mix together with the breadcrumbs, soy cream and capers, and let rest. Meanwhile, lay one sheet of the Filo dough in a workspace sprinkled with flour. Brush some partially melted margarine substitute on the other side of the sheet and place a new one on top of it. Repeat until there are no more sheets.

Spread the tofu/seitan mix on the Filo sheets and place the spinach in the centre. Roll and seal the edges. If needed, use kitchen twine to close it, but be careful to not break the roll. Brush once again with the margarine substitute and let it brown in the oven for 25 minutes, in 180 ºC.

Serve with white rice or, to spruce it up a bit more, add some sautéed nuts and raisins.

Ingredients:

• 400 g of smoked tofu;
• 200 g of egg-free lasagna sheets;
• 2 cups of tomato sauce;
• 1 cup of vegan béchamel sauce;
• 1 cup of fresh spinach;
• 200 g of mushrooms;
• 1 zucchini, sliced;
• 1 aubergine, sliced;
• 2 carrots, grated;
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce;
• 2 tablespoons of white wine;
• Salt and pepper to taste;
• Vegan grated cheese (optional).

Ingredients for the Béchamel:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or vegetable spread);
• 2 tablespoons of wheat flour (or rice flour for a gluten-free version);
• 500 ml of unsweetened plant-based milk;
• A pinch of nutmeg;
• Salt and pepper to taste;
• 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast (optional).

Preparation:

Crumble the smoked tofu and sauté in a frying-pan with the mushrooms. Season with salt, pepper, soy sauce, and white wine. Remove, set aside, and sauté the vegetables in olive oil until golden and tender. Season it with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce onto a rectangular baking dish to prevent the lasagna from sticking. Place a layer of lasagna sheets on top of the sauce, followed by a generous portion of sautéed vegetables, and then a layer of fresh spinach. Cover the vegetables with more tomato sauce and repeat the process, with layers of lasagna sheets, vegetables, spinach, and tomato sauce until you’ve used all the ingredients.

Finish the last layer with lasagna sheets, cover with the vegan béchamel sauce, and sprinkle with nutritional yeast or vegan grated cheese (this last part is optional). Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

For the Béchamel:

Heat the olive oil or vegetable spread in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly until it forms a smooth paste. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Gradually add the plant-based milk while stirring vigorously until you get a smooth, uniform cream. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. If you want a cheesy flavour, add nutritional yeast and mix well.

Ingredients:

• 400 g firm tofu;
• 2 sheets of nori seaweed;
• 6 small potatoes;
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced;
• 4 tablespoons olive oil;
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme;
• 1 bay leaf;
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

Cut the tofu into thick slices and season with salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Let it marinate for 15 minutes. Cook the potatoes whole with the skin on in salted water until tender. Then, drain, gently smash each potato, and place them in a baking dish.

Sauté the tofu slices in olive oil for a few minutes. Then, place the tofu in the baking dish, topping each slice with a piece of seaweed (cut to size). Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with sliced garlic, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bake at 200 °C for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve hot, drizzled with more olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 8 two-days- to one-week-old bread slices, any shape;
• 800 ml vegan drink of choice (soy, oats, rice, almond, etc);
• 4 lemon peels;
• 3 tbsp corn starch;
• 500 ml vegetable oil for frying;
• 100 g sugar or agave syrup;
• Ground cinnamon;
• 2 tbsp sugar to sprinkle;
• Other spices (cardamom, ground ginger, etc) to taste.

Preparation:

Heat up the vegan drink in a pan with lemon peels, without bringing to a boil. Add sugar or agave syrup and the spices of your choice. Once cooled, carefully dip the bread slices in the vegan drink mix one by one and set aside.

On another container, slowly mix the corn starch with water, and when thoroughly mixed, dip the bread slices in this mix – this will give your Vegan French Toast an eggy texture. Fry both sides in oil. Sprinkle more sugar and spice on both sides.

Best served warm but will be tasty even when cold. When serving, if you look for a richer dessert, serve with some vegan vanilla ice cream and berries.

Ingredients:

• 1 vegan shortcrust pastry base;
• 4 sliced apples;
• ½ cup brown sugar;
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon;
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch;
• Juice of half a lemon.

Preparation:

Start by lining a tart pan with parchment paper and placing the shortcrust pastry on top, lightly pricking the bottom with a fork. In a bowl, mix the sliced apples with the brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and lemon juice, which helps thicken the natural juices from the fruit and enhance the flavours. Spread the filling over the pastry base and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling well-cooked. Let it cool slightly before serving. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour;
• ½ cup cocoa powder;
• 1 cup brown sugar;
• 1 teaspoon baking powder;
• ½ teaspoon baking soda;
• 1 cup plant-based milk;
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil;
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar;
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Ingredients for the filling and glaze:

• 200 g vegan melted chocolate;
• ½ cup solid coconut milk;
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional);
• Red berries or powdered sugar for decoration.

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a large rectangular baking tray with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Then, add the plant-based milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Stir well until you have a smooth batter and spread it evenly in the baking tray. The batter needs to be levelled and smooth. Bake for 15-20 minutes and let it cool slightly before removing from the tray.

Now, prepare the filling and glaze. Mix the melted chocolate with the solid coconut milk until it forms a thick, shiny cream. Add powdered sugar for a sweeter cream.

To assemble the cake, flip it onto a clean towel dusted with cocoa powder or powdered sugar. Remove the parchment paper and spread half the chocolate cream over the cake. Then, carefully roll the cake with the help of the towel. Cover the rolled log with the remaining chocolate cream and use a fork to create wood-like texture marks. Decorate with red berries or sprinkle powdered sugar to create a snow effect. Let it chill in the fridge for an hour before serving.

With these vegan recipes, you can start planning a Christmas dinner full of flavour. With good food, great conversations, laughter, and the sound of children playing, Christmas becomes a celebration of love and unity. After all, that is what this special season is all about!