In association with The Vegetarian Society
Simple to make and delicious hot or cold this Vegan Nut Roast (vegan & gluten free) is the classic main course for a veggie Christmas.
Today I’m bringing you a festive Nut Roast from The Vegetarian Society Cookery School. I was thrilled when The Vegetarian Society got in contact with me and asked me to re-create one of the schools Christmas dishes.
As many of you know my daughter became a vegetarian a few months back and this will be her first Christmas as a vegetarian so I had wondered about what I was going to serve her on the big day!
I chose to make this Nut Roast recipe as it’s something that you can easily make in advance (keeps up to 3 months in the freezer or in the fridge for 3 days).
I also really love Nut Roasts but had never made one. I have a long list of dishes like this, stuffed peppers and mushrooms being 2 others that spring to mind!
We seem to be eating a lot more vegetable based food since my daughter became vegetarian as it’s just a lot easier that way or I’ll adapt our meaty dishes so that the meat is added just before serving so that my daughter can eat the same dish minus the meat.
It’s all been a bit of a learning curve!
So this vegan Nut Roast recipe came along at the perfect time as I now know what I’ll be serving my daughter on Christmas Day and I’m sure any leftovers will be hoovered up by everyone else or eaten cold the next day.
Not only was this veggie nut loaf really tasty (just check out all those fab ingredients) but it was really quite filling too so I would say it would easily serve 6.
If you have a foodie in your life that you’re stuck for a present idea for then why not consider giving them a course from The Vegetarian Society Cookery School or better still treat yourself.
They have fun friendly cookery experiences throughout the year packed with flavoursome dishes, culinary techniques and effortless expertise.
You can try bread making, take an Indian masterclass or sample stunning street food.
If you enjoy foraging or want to “beat the heat” on a chilli-inspired session then there’s a tasty workshop for you.
You can also add to your repertoire with the vegan toolkit or vegan party food course. Visit www.vegsoccookeryschool.org for the full calendar of courses and to buy online gift vouchers.
More Festive Vegetarian Recipes
- Parsnip & Carrot Rostis with Mushrooms & Wenslydale Sauce
- Cranberry, Feta and Quinoa stuffed Butternut Squash
- Kale Lovers Christmas Pie
- Easy Lentil Pumpkin Bowls (vegan & gluten-free)
- Sweet Potato & Chestnut Pie
- Veggie Christmas Easy Vegetarian & Vegan Recipes
Can you freeze Nut Roast?
Yes, allow the mixture to cool and then freeze it before baking. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then bake as per instructions.
What can you serve with Nut Roast?
To make this lentil and nut loaf extra special serve it with:
- Crispy Coated Roast Potatoes
- Easy Slow Cooker Vegan Stew
- Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables
- Easy Christmas Jam (cranberry sauce)
Looking for a vegan dessert to have afterwards? Try my Vegan Apple Meringue!
How do you reheat Nut Roast?
Slice into portions, cover in foil and heat at 180C for about 20 minutes or until piping hot.
Pin this vegan nut roast recipe for later!
Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.
NB: Post commissioned by The Vegetarian Society and all opinions are my own.
Nut Roast (Vegan &; Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 200 g red lentils
- 1 onion finely sliced
- 50 g sun-dried tomatoes oil reserved, drained and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 50 g dried apricots chopped
- 200 g mixed nuts chopped
- 50 g mixed seeds
- 1½ tsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 tsp soy sauce*
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Cook the lentils in plenty of water for 15 minutes, then drain using a fine sieve.
- While the lentils cook, heat a little of the sun-dried tomato oil in your largest frying pan and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add all the other ingredients, except the seasoning.
- Stir really well, add the cooked lentils and stir again, seasoning to taste.
- Line a loaf tin (approx 20cm x 10cm) with non-stick baking paper and spoon in the mixture, patting down well.
- Bake for 37 – 45 minutes and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing and cutting into thick slices.
Laura
Thank you for this recipe! I work with a lot of vegetarians and we’ve got a work holiday potluck coming up. This will be much better than the ham I brought last year 🙂 And my Hindu and Muslim friends will appreciate it I’m sure.
Camilla
Awesome Laura, enjoy your party:-)
Peter Anthony Boland
I have just eaten this for lunch with roast veg, potatoes and cheese sauce absolutely delicious and the recipe is easy to follow and most of the ingredients were in my cupboard, thanks for sharing
Camilla
Awesome Peter, so glad you enjoyed it:-)
Sheena
Tastes delicious. I added courgette and mushroom for extra moisture, due to comments about texture. I cookwd for 34 mins, and some areas still crumbled, but the bits with courgette stuck well.
I will make again n tweak so it doesnt crumble.
Very tasty recipe. Thanks
Camilla
Well done Sheena, I was just thinking I should develop my own version of this recipe the other day.
Fiona
Copied your tweaks Sheena, and added one flax egg. I accidentally cooked it for 45 mins. Left it to cool, and it sliced with no problem. Tasted great, and was easy to make. Definitely one to make again.
Helen Bates
Can I make this into individual ones
Camilla
Hi Helen, I would be wary of doing individual nut roasts with this particular recipe as they could just turn into a pile of crumbs or it might be fine. Without trying first I can’t really advise I’m afraid.
Tracy
Any suggested alternatives for the tomatoes as can’t eat them..?
Camilla
Try Chargrilled peppers in sunflower oil or similar.
Mickie
Tasted great, but crumbled on serving when I tried to slice it
Camilla
Hi Mickie, how long did you cook it for? I remade this last week and put new timing on it and it didn’t crumble for me when I baked it for 37 minutes. It’s a recipe from The Vegetarian Society, not one of my creations.
Grace Gilpin
Very tasty but just wouldn’t stay together or slice, just fell apart, sadly.
Camilla
Hi Grace, how long did you bake the nut roast for? I remade it last week and added a new cooking time of 37 minutes which made all the difference. Plus did you leave it to rest before slicing? You can see in the picture with the chilli sauce how well it sliced.
Margaret Ewles
Cooked your nut roast for my niece and her husband yesterday. My husband and I are not vegan or gluten intolerant and this was the first time I had cooked a nut roast. I as concerned when mixing the ingredients in case it turned out to be dry and crumbly but suffice to say it was just right. My husband and I thought it was delicious and I will be cooking this again. I shall be making more vegan dishes in the future. In addition my niece and her husband thought it was the best nut roast they have had.
Camilla
Thank you Margaret, although I can’t take credit for the recipe as it is from The Vegetarian Society but I did tweak the cooking time last week as people were finding it a bit crumbly.
Amanda
This sounds great but we’d rather use something savoury instead of apricots – no sweet tooth. Any suggestions of a savoury alternative please?
Camilla
Someone in the comments said they added mushrooms so if you chop those up small I think that would work.
Amanda
Thanks Camilla, we’ll give it a go
Camilla
Excellent, enjoy:-)
Laura
Hello! I have not made this yet, but am wondering if you used raw nuts or toasted? I have a bunch of toasted nuts left from something else and would love to use.
Camilla
Hi Laura, the nuts in this are raw. I don’t think toasted would be suitable as would make it extra crumbly and the outer nuts could burn.
Laura
Makes sense – thank you!
Camilla
I made this again tonight and have reduced the baking time which improved the crumbliness issue. Details in the recipe and notes:-)
Shaniey Howard
Can I freeze this before or after cooking
Camilla
Hi Shaniey, as this Nut Roast can get quite crumbly I can’t see why it couldn’t be frozen after preparing, then thawed and cooked. In fact I’m going to give this a go myself to test it out. I’ll let you know when I’ve completed my mission.
Carol
What is the best way to reheat this?
Camilla
Hi Carol I have now updated the post with the re-heating instructions that The Vegetarian Society gave me after another enquiry a few years ago. “put it on a baking tray and cover with foil. Reheat at oven 180C or Fan 160C for 50 mins until piping hot.”
Ruth
Hi what do you serve it with do you have a low carb recipie , as this sounds amazing and would like to try it
Thanks
Camilla
Hi Ruth, you could serve it with Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/mediterranean-roasted-vegetables-main-side-dish/ or even my Simple Ratatouille https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/simple-ratatouille/
Alan
Great recipe, although found it bit dry and it crumbled even after letting stand for 15 mins. Wonder if flax or chia seed egg would help bind. Still no complaints about flavour and it was so easy to do. A definite do again and even as a weekday meal.
Camilla
Thanks Alan, this recipe was developed by The Vegetarian Society so I can’t alter it as this was a commissioned post. I’ve had a look at other nut roasts and the common theme seems to be eggs and Cheddar cheese. So yes to keep this vegan you could try using flax or chia seed egg and maybe some vegan grated cheese. It might also be an idea to put a loose layer of foil over the top while the roast bakes (perhaps removing 10 minutes before the end).
Catherine Nice
Any idea what I can use instead of soya sauce/ I really don’t like soya sauce.
Thanks
Camilla
Hi Catherine, you really can’t taste the soya sauce it just adds to the seasoning. There are foods I don’t like but it will depend on their use sometimes. I would just leave it out if it’s not something you’ll use once bought, perhaps add a little more salt or a smokey flavoured salt.
Catherine Nice
Brilliant- thank you- going to give it a go!
Camilla
Great:-)
Nicole
Loved this recipe! The lentils in place of breadcrumbs are great. I used fresh rosemary and added in a handful of finely chopped mushrooms as well.
Camilla
The addition of mushrooms sounds like a great idea, glad you like the recipe Nicole:-)
Matt
So I’m not a good cook, just trying to have a variety in my diet. I love nut roast, cooked this, but variety in my diet. Cooked this but its just crumbled as soon as took out the bread tray. As I tried to cut it.. How can I stop this from happening please?
Camilla
Hi Matt, you need to allow it to cool a little before turning out, I’d give it about 5 – 10 minutes.
Rory
Great recipe. Everyone loved it at Christmas and made it again today. Have already passed it on to relatives and friends. Thank you.
Camilla
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you for passing it on:-)
Nige
I cooked this for Christmas and it was delicious. I froze the rest and have been enjoying it since. It makes a lovely sweet treat when drizzled with maple syrup . Thanks for the recipe.
Camilla
So glad you enjoyed it Nige:-)
marcelle steyn
HI there.. Thank you for this lovely recipe.. I will be making it this xmas.. Just a heads up.. Soy sauce has gluten in it. Its best to use gluten free Tamari…
xx
Marcelle
Camilla
Hi Marcelle, I imagine The Vegetarian Society thought that vegetarians would know that. I’ll amend the recipe, thank you:-)
Kate
Hi. I will be making this tomorrow ready for Christmas Day, can you please advise how best to reheat on the day? Thank you.
Camilla
Hi Kate, I asked The Vegetarian Society a similar question last year as it’s their recipe and they said “put it on a baking tray and cover with foil. Reheat at oven 180C or Fan 160C for 50 mins until piping hot.”
Yoka Daams
As a vegetarian since i was little, i made many a nut roast. One of my favourite vegetables to add into the roast, is butternut squash, and this also helps with crumbling.
I’d always roast my veggies first to get that extra sweetness.
Any nut roast,hot or cold, is also very nice sprinkled over salads. But dont then splatter it with vegan mayo.
If you do think you need eggs, yet want to stick to the vegan idea (I switched to veganism quite a while back) than add 1tbs of flax seed meal to 2.5 tbs water. Stir, rest for 5 minutes, and add to ingredients as 1 egg.
Camilla
Thank you for your ideas. I was actually lying awake the other night thinking about the addition of a vegan egg substitute but have zero time to try out the idea as it’s been a trying year to say the least.
Debs
I’ve been looking for a nut roast recipe for Christmas Day and this looks great. It’s good as the person I’m making it for doesn’t eat mushrooms and many other recipes have mushrooms in. I did wonder if i might add in some parsnip or cranberries.
Thanks for sharing this though I’ll definitely be using the recipe.
Camilla
Hi Debs, I wouldn’t add cranberries as they would most likely make the nut roast fall apart, it’s already quite crumbly. I’ve never tried adding parsnip so again I couldn’t vouch for what that would be like. I think I’d just serve those two things alongside.
kiwi
I’ve never made a Nut Roast. Great recipe idea.I was thinking of adding a lot of caramelized onions instead of sweating the onions. An extra level of sweetness to the body of the loaf (aside from the Cashews and rice). I’m not sure if it’ll complement or not though.
Camilla
I’m sure that would be fine, it’s just a step further than sweating the onions:-)
Radwa
Looks amazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Katie
I’ve made this before and loved it. How would you recommend freezing?
Camilla
Hi, The Vegetarian Society advised to freeze after cooking defrost the nut roast first and to reheat put it on a baking tray and cover with foil. Reheat at oven 180C or Fan 160C for 50 mins until piping hot. You could also freeze individual portions and pop in the microwave.
Jen
I made this, amazing taste I even forgot the garlic but I don’t think it needed it. However it didn’t hold well together. Could I possibly blend before baking, do you feel this would help?
Camilla
Hi Jen, I’m glad you enjoyed it. It is on the crumbly side but that improves as it cools. It’s a recipe I recreated for The Vegetarian Society and the first Nut Roast I’d ever made so I wish I could give some advice but feel blending would perhaps make it stodgy?
Jeff
Used all good quality ingredients, cooked following the instructions to the letter. Looked nice, smelt nice but tasted very bland and crumbled into a pile. I might try it again but add a couple of eggs as I’m wheat intolerant but not vegan.
Camilla
Sorry to hear that Jeff, it’s a recipe from The Vegetarian Society Cookery School that I shared on their behalf. It is on the crumbly side but really benefits from being left to cool a little to firm up before carving and there’s no problem at all when it’s cold. Do let me know how it goes if you try it with egg.
Cheryl
Made this for winter solstice and was perfect success. Texture and flavour were excellent. No crumbling at all. Made two dishes one of which is frozen for new year. Worried the roast would be crumbly but not at all. Will definately use his again possibly with variation,
Thank you,
Camilla
Excellent, so glad you liked it:-)
Vicky
Hi, if I made this for a non vegan, could I use egg as a binder? If so, how many?
Thanks vicky
Camilla
Hi, I have no idea what effect that would have but in my turkey meatloaf using the same tin I use 1 egg as a binder! https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/turkey-meatloaf-actifry-roast-potatoes/
Robert Keeley
I noticed that a lot of people said that the recipe as it is crumbled easily, could I use silken tofu as a binder?
Camilla
Hi Robert, I’ve only used silken tofu a couple of times and would not think it suitable for adding to this nut roast.
Liz
After reading the comments I added 2 tblsp of flax mixed with water to make less crumbly which seemed to work well, might only need 1tblsp though as it was fairly sticky
Mary
The flavour of this is gorgeous. However, I had it packed really well into the tin, and let it cool before I cut it, and it was very crumbly. How could I get it to stick together? Thanks.
Camilla
Hi Mary, this is a recipe I shared on behalf of the Vegetarian Society Cookery School and is on the crumbly side. Perhaps I should develop my own recipe.
Susan Crane
We absolutely loved the flavour of this nut roast!! I followed the recipe and didn’t deviate and unfortunately is was a crumble and we weren’t able to slice it.
Would appreciate suggestions to make the loaf stick together 🙂
Camilla
Glad you like it Susan. This is a Vegetarian Society Recipe that I shared on their behalf and it was on the crumbly side. Make sure the mixture is packed down very firmly in the tin and do allow to cool a little before cutting. I found it cut the best when cold for leftovers the next day.
Sarah
Hi could I use cranberries instead of apricot
Camilla
As this nut loaf has a tendency to be quite crumbly I think it would make it too crumbly as the apricots are quite sticky when chopped up. But if you don’t mind taking that risk then I think the flavour would be great!
Frances
Good flavours tho I substituted chopped olives for apricots.. As I didn’t fancy the sweetness. I would have given it 5 stars, except that it didn’t stick together and ended up as nut crumble!
Camilla
Olives are oily and would have repelled the other ingredients whereas apricots as sticky and act like glue.
Ella Davies
2 tbsp of ground flax seeds mixed with some of the starchy lentil water and leave to go gluey. This can be used as an egg substitute to bind mixture together
Liz
Perfect, thanks for this tip, mine worked a treat and tasted fab.
Tracy Scoggins
Are the red lentils split or whole?
Camilla
Hi Tracy, I didn’t actually know you could buy whole red lentils but on Googling I see one can get hold of them on-line. In my recreation of this recipe I used split red lentils but I imagine whole red lentils would have been fine too.
Jocelyn
I have cooked and frozen it for Christmas.,Would I cook it from frozen or defrost first., and how long please?
Camilla
Hi Jocelyn, you should defrost the nut roast first and to reheat put it on a baking tray and cover with foil. Reheat at oven 180C or Fan 160C for 50 mins until piping hot. A food thermometer is really handy!
Rosie
Absolutely delicious nut roast, just very very crumbly. Any suggestions to make it stick together a bit more please?
Camilla
You could try letting it cool a little before slicing with a very sharp knife. It’s a Vegetarian Society recipe that a recreated for them.
Alex
I usually put some well blended silken tofu and it acts as an egg binder 🙂
Sophie
Silly question but do you have to cook it before freezing it or do you just assemble
It then put in freezer? Also what do you expect the cook from frozen instructions to be ? Ta!
Camilla
Hi Sophie, I had to ask the Vegetarian Society Cookery School for you as this isn’t my recipe but theirs, the answer I got was “I’d cook it first then freeze it. Ingredients often survive the freezing and defrosting process better when cooked. You could portion up before freezing also.
I’d advise defrosting before cooking rather than cooking from frozen. Then it’s a simple reheat in the oven.”
Nehal
Just made it (albeit without the apricots as I don’t like sweet in my savory). A bit crumbly, but I like it!
Camilla
Great Nehal, a recipe is just a starting place as Nigel Slater says! It’s nice cold too:-)
Robert Price
A great recipe
Margaret Gallagher
Never actually made my own – no excuse now – taste will be EXQUISITE
Camilla
It is fabulous:-)
2pots2cook
Surrounded with gluten free people; will pass the news to all! Thank you so much! Pinning!
Camilla
Thank you:-)
Leila Benhamida
A lot great ingredients. Love the added apricots.
Camilla
It is a great recipe:-)
Tracy Nixon
I will try this recipe! You cannot buy a decent nut loaf anywhere these days!
Camilla
Excellent Tracy, I’m sure you’ll love it-)
Kate - gluten free alchemist
I do love a nut roast and have a favourite cashew nut roulade which I have blogged. As a result, I have not wavered far from that favourite and find many nut roasts to look quite ‘brown’. This one that you have made looks lovely though….. I have bookmarked as I am more than very tempted! x
Camilla
Excellent Kate, I will have to check out your cashew nut roulade:-)
Hannah
Coconut aminos is a good soy substitute.
Camilla
Thank you for sharing-)
Kelly Mahan
Wow, this nut roast looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing the details with us!
Camilla
A pleasure Kelly-)
Neva
Do you use salted nuts? This is the first time I have heard of a nut roast.
Camilla
No, plain nuts:-)
Agness of Run Agness Run
This is a perfect recipe for the Christmas dinner, Camilla. My mouth is watering now from seeing your recipe. Is there any alternative to using soy sauce?
Camilla
Thank you Agness, I’m not sure why you want to avoid the soya sauce, if you need a gluten and wheatfree version there is Japanese Tamari Soya Sauce.
Kavita Favelle
Always good to have reliable and tasty veggie recipes on hand, for all of us, even if we are not veggie we should all eat more.
Camilla
So true Kavey-)
Choclette
I love nut roast and would eat it a lot more often than at Christmas if I could. Good luck with your daughter’s vegetarian journey. It must be quite a learning curve your you. So many delicious discoveries to make though 🙂
Camilla
Thank you Choclette, it’s been a learning curve with things like her not being able to have takeaway chips as they’re cooked in beef dripping, so many meat products sneak into things you don’t expect!
Martyn
I love the idea of adding sun-dried tomatoes and dried apricots. I’ve actually never made a nut roast before but I think I’ll give this a go tomorrow when I’m off work. Many thanks.
Camilla
Great Martyn, enjoy:-)
Martyn
The test run went great! It was pretty straightforward to make and came out really well. I loved the balance of flavours and textures and it was also nice and filling. I’m going to make this for Christmas Day.
First time reading this blog as well, but I’ve bookmarked you, Camilla, and I look forward to checking out any more veggie/veggie recipes you might be kind enough to feature. Thanks again.
Camilla
That’s excellent Martyn, so glad you like it and pleased to have been bookmarked. I’m sure there will be quite a few veggie recipes in future, you might like my latest post for Brie & Cranberry Tear & Share Wreath which is great for a Christmas buffet/tea-)
Mrs Gray
This looks wonderful. One big problem for me though – my newly vegetarian daughter has always had a nut allergy. Would you be able to advise me on what to use to replace the 200g of nuts?
Camilla
As it’s the nuts that give the so much flavour and texture to this dish I wouldn’t like to suggest a replacement as it would no longer be a nut roast without them. You could try tins of mixed beans perhaps but they would not have the bite or flavour intensity of nuts so without trying myself I couldn’t say if this would be an acceptable alternative.
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
That sounds delicious Camilla. I bet the sun dried tomatoes really enhance the flavour! We are always looking for new and interesting nut roast recipes for my other half who is veggie. I’ll be forwarding this on to my Dad who is cooking the dinner this Christmas.
Camilla
Excellent Emma, I’m sure he’ll love it-)
Kate | The Veg Space
That looks really lovely Camilla, what a great list of ingredients – sun dried tomatoes & apricots etc. make it really special for the big day. Hope your daughter enjoys it!
Camilla
Not that I can take credit for the recipe, but yes a great list of tasty and healthy ingredients-)
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
This looks so delicious! I love the addition of dried apricots. Thanks for including my stuffed butternut squash Eb x
Camilla
It really is a winner Eb – a pleasure-)