7 vegan recipes for a perfect Christmas

It is possible to celebrate the holidays in a vegan and healthy way. Surprise your family with a vegan Christmas menu so tasty and different they won’t forget it!

When you are vegan, you may have doubts and reluctance regarding what to serve at the main lunches and dinners: that your family does not know what to do, that you yourself do not have a good plan, or that you find yourself facing diners unwilling to change, given the strength of tradition.

My advice is to take it easy, with enthusiasm and humor. Do not be overwhelmed by the meals you have to prepare or attend. Instead, propose solutions: let everyone do their bit and help in the kitchen, and get ready for a joyful and enjoyable evening for everyone, young and old. And, believe us, with these vegan Christmas recipes you will make it very easy.

EBOOKS BODYMIND

Would you be interested in introducing more vegetables into your diet? You’ll find great plant-based recipe ideas in the ebook “Healthy Lunches and Dinners: 100 Vegetarian Recipes.”

VEGETABLE TEMPURA

Ingredients for 8 people:

• 1 fresh red bell pepper
• 1 Italian green pepper
• 1 large zucchini
• 1 large eggplant
• 2 carrots
• 1 leek
• 1 large sweet onion
• 15 mushrooms
• 200 g tempura flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Olive oil for frying
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup water

Preparation (30 minutes):

1. Wash all the vegetables very well and then peel the onion and carrot.
2. Cut the vegetables into thin strips and the mushrooms into quarters.
3. Heat plenty of olive oil in a high saucepan.
4. Mix the tempura flour with the salt and add cold water, while stirring, until a mixture is formed with the consistency of a liquid cream.
5. When the oil is hot, pass handfuls of vegetables through the tempura, making sure they are well covered, and transfer them to the oil. When the batter is golden, take it all out, put it in a drainer or rack basket to drain and make the next batch.
6. For the sauce, heat the soy sauce in a saucepan with the rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and water until it starts to boil. Remove from heat.
7. Serve hot or warm with the dipping sauce.

CUCUMBER ROLLS WITH VEGETABLE PÂTÉS

Ingredients for 8 people:

• 2 long Dutch cucumbers
• 4 tablespoons hummus
• 4 tablespoons olive pâté
• 4 tablespoons guacamole
• 4 tablespoons vegan sobrasada

Preparation (20 minutes):

1. Wash the cucumbers and cut them into long thin strips with the help of a mandolin.
2. Spread one or two teaspoons of the chosen pate on the cucumber strip and roll it. Make sure that the filling does not come out of the edges.
3. If necessary, you can maintain the shape of the rolls by passing them with a toothpick.
4. Go leaving the rolls made in a dish.
5. Store it in the fridge, covered, until it’s time to serve.

VICHYSSOISE SPICED VEGETABLE

Ingredients for 8 people:

• 2 sweet onions
• 2 leeks
• 800 g potatoes
• 250 ml soy drink (unsweetened and unflavored)
• 5 cups water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves
• 2 star anise fruits
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 green cardamoms
• 1 piece of ginger (5 g)
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 black pepper balls
• The skin of 1/2 orange
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation (30 minutes):

1. Wash the vegetables. Peel the onions and potatoes. Cut the vegetables into medium pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium-high heat.
3. Put the onion and leek, covered, and let them poach until the onion is translucent.
4. Add the potatoes, salt and all the spices (you can put them in a cloth bag to remove them later more easily) and mix it well.
5. Add the water and put it on high heat. When it comes to a strong boil, lower the heat, cover it and let it cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).
6. Remove from heat, remove the spices, add the soy drink and beat everything together for a few minutes until you get a smooth cream, without pieces.
7. Try it and rectify salt. You can add more water or soy drink if you see it necessary.
8. You can serve this cream hot, warm or cold.

ROUND STUFFED SEITAN

Ingredients for 8 people:

• 3 roasted piquillo peppers
• 10 fresh mushrooms
• 1 <>/<> cups wheat gluten powder
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat or oatmeal
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 <>/<> cups warm water
• Medium zucchini
• Half green pepper
• Medium leek
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley
• A pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup water
• A pinch of salt

Preparation (45 minutes):

1. Mix in a bowl the gluten, flour, soy sauce and water. Knead it by hand for a couple of minutes. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Wash the vegetables and cut them into strips or julienne. Put them in another bowl with the starch, spices and a pinch of salt, and mix well.
3. Boil plenty of water in a large pot.
4. Stretch the seitan with the roller and form a rectangle. Put the vegetables in the first quarter and roll it. Wrap in a tight cooking net or boiling paper.
5. In the boiling water, put the seitan roll, cover it and lower the heat a little. Keep it 30-40 minutes.
6. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
7. Cut the onion into quarters and brown it for a few minutes.
8. Add the tomato sauce and stir quickly. Add the soy sauce and mix well. Put the bay leaf and water.
9. Boil for a few minutes, until the sauce is mellow, and set it aside.
10. Take the seitan to a serving dish and bathe it with the sauce.

LEGUME CAKE

Ingredients for 8 people:

• 1 <>/<> cups cooked quinoa
• 1 <>/<> cups cooked lentils
• 1 <>/<> cups brown rice
• 200 g hard tofu
• 1/2 cup peeled and toasted almonds
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (shoyu or tamari)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• A pinch of ground pepper
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

Preparation (45 minutes):

1. Preheat oven to 200°C with heat up and down.
2. Crush the almonds in a mortar. Then crumble the tofu with your hands.
3. Put in a bowl all the ingredients, except the tomato sauce, and mix it very well. Add 100 ml of water if you see it very dry.
4. Spread a square or rectangular mold, high, with a little olive oil, and place all the dough, trying to compact it well.
5. Bake it for 25-30 minutes, until it starts to peel off a little around the edges.
6. Take it out, let it sit for a few minutes and shred it on a tray.
7. Brush it with the tomato sauce and spread some chopped nuts on top.

RICE AND COCONUT BUTTER WITH ORANGE

Ingredients for 25 servings:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup ground almonds
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preparation (30 minutes):

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Sift the rice flour and almonds onto a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Distribute well and bake at medium height 6-8 minutes, until dry and quarter. Let cool and raise the oven to 180 °C.
3. Melt the coconut oil and put it in a bowl with sugar. Beat it with a fork or hand whisk.
4. Add little by little, while beating, the flour with the almonds, cinnamon, cornstarch, zest and orange juice. You should get a manageable mass. If it is very brittle, add a pinch of water.
5. Put the sesame on a plate. Stretch the dough with a rolling pin, to a thickness of 2 cm. Cut the mantecados with a pasta cutter, pass the top through the sesame and leave them on a baking tray on baking paper.
6. You can sprinkle the dough with a little more rice flour to make it easier for you.
7. Bake the mantecados at 180 ° C, at medium height, 16-18 minutes, until lightly browned.
8. Take them out and let them cool on a rack. Store them in a closed container.

VEGAN BROWNIE WITH ALMONDS

Ingredients for 12 people:

• 100 g whole wheat flour
• 50 g ground almonds or almond flour
• 25 g chickpea flour
• 25 g corn or tapioca starch
• 1 <>/<> teaspoons baking yeast
• 100 ml vegetable drink of soy or oatmeal
• 90 g brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons soft olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon rum essence
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 120 g dark chocolate (minimum, 75% cocoa)
• 100 g peeled walnuts (cut or coarse)

Preparation (50 minutes):

1. Brown the ground almond in a skillet over medium-low heat while stirring. It should only take a little color and aroma. Put it aside.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C with heat up and down.
3. Chop the chocolate and melt it in a water bath over low heat. Meanwhile, prepare a pan with baking paper.
4. In a large bowl mix the oil and ground almond. Add the sugar and keep stirring. Add the flours and yeast and gradually the vegetable drink. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, rum essence and zest, and keep mixing so there are no lumps.
5. Pour the melted chocolate little by little while stirring. Finally, add the walnuts.
6. Put the dough in the prepared pan and bake it 35-40 minutes, until it grows a little and browns. Let it cool before cutting.

HOW TO PREPARE A VEGAN CHRISTMAS MENU

To celebrate the holidays, what I recommend is that you offer to prepare Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas lunch with the help of your family.

Make the kitchen a collaborative space in which they participate, who are part of the process, who contribute their personal touch, who ask their doubts, who try new things … The celebration can begin with the preparation of the feast.

Cucumber rolls with pâtés are a good start. Invite your diners (now kitchen helpers) to try them before doing anything with them. Surely someone has not tried anything similar and can give more ideas.

You can also offer to take part of the lunch or dinner so that you only have to heat it or present it at the host’s house. Notify in advance and make your proposals so that they do not prepare too much food. If necessary, you can do a previous homemade tasting.

If you prefer, propose that dinner or lunch be at home and cook for everyone. If you propose a good vegan Christmas menu – that is tasty, complete and varied – the health of your guests will thank you, especially the next day, when instead of discomfort what they have is the desire to try some of the delicacies of the previous day.