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 your hand at 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 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 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 re-heat Nut Roast?
Slice into portions, cover in foil and heat at 180C for about 20 minutes or until piping hot.
I’m sure you’ll love this Vegan Nut Roast so don’t forget to share a comment and rating down below or share with me by tagging @FabFood4All on social media!
Pin this vegan nut roast recipe for later!
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.
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:-)