Today’s recipe is a vegan nut roast – a meat-less roast staple that has sadly became the butt of many anti-vegan jokes. Nut roast hails from the days when vegetarian meat alternatives were few and far between, but I don’t see why it could not be enjoyed now even though commercial meat substitutions have become so good!

In the past, I would always make a puff pastry wrapped vegan Wellington or this giant sausage roll as my Christmas centerpiece, but this year I am craving something healthier and perhaps simpler too so I decided to give vegan nut roast a try.

This vegan nut roast is simple to make and it tastes delicious alongside some gravy (I made the mushroom cider one from this recipe), roast potatoes and other usual roast dinner trimmings.

My top tip for making a cracking nut roast is to gently roast the nuts before incorporating them into the dish and to leave them very chunky for a satisfying texture difference and a pleasant crunch! Alongside nuts, my vegan nut roast features sweet and smoky roast celeriac, sauteed mushrooms and shallots, dried cranberries and cooked lentils. All these beautiful, wholesome, ingredients are then brought together by means of some psyllium husk powder and a little bit of breadcrumbs. The loaf then gets baked in the oven until firm yet still moist and makes for a delightful yet nourishing vegan roast dinner centerpiece. Enjoy!

MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

CELERIAC: I used celeriac, also known as celery root, to add flavour and nutrition to this vegan nut loaf. I cut it up small and roast it the oven before adding to the loaf. If you are not a fan of celeriac, you could try sweet potato or squash for example?

AROMATICS: I used two massive French shallots and four cloves of garlic to flavour the loaf. You could swap shallots out for a medium onion, red or white, too.

HERBS: I used a combination of winter herbs that are traditionally associated with roast dinner – sage, thyme and rosemary, about a tablespoon of each. If you cannot get hold of fresh herbs, you can also use dry but as they are far more pungent usually, I would start off with one teaspoon of each.

NUTS: A nut roast is called a nut roast as it typically includes a generous amount of nuts. I used equal amount of hazelnuts, pecans and brazil nuts but other nuts will work well too (think walnuts, almonds, pistachios) or seeds if you cannot have nuts. I recommend toasting the nuts gently before adding them to the roast and not chopping them too finely for texture. I cut brazil nuts in 2 or 3 pieces and left the other two types of nuts whole.

MUSHROOMS: I added finely chopped and sauteed mushrooms to the mixture. I used chestnut mushrooms (which are known as cremini in the US, I believe) but any mushrooms will do.

LENTILS: Lentils are beautifully nutritious and make for a great addition to a nut roast. I used ready-cooked lentils to make my life easier. Mine came in a tetra pak, but you can also find them in cans or pouches. I used green lentils, but Puy are also a good choice as they keep their shape. I would steer clear off red lentils as they turns into mash too quickly.

CRANBERRIES: Dried cranberries are such a festive addition and they add such delicious, fruity, sweet and sour pops of flavour so I added them to the loaf and they worked out well. In theory, you could use other dried fruit too, but I personally like the fact that cranberries do not taste too sweet.

MISO: Miso paste is such an umami rich ingredient so I added a bit of it to this loaf to maximise its flavour. I used brown miso paste, but white miso paste will work well too.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR: Balsamic vinegar is another great carrier of flavour so I added some here for extra deliciousness. Mine is quite syrupy and thick, but if yours is thin, you may want to swap out a teaspoon of maple syrup instead of a teaspoon of balsamic.

PSYLLIUM HUSK POWDER: Psyllium husk powder is a binder that helps this nut roast to stay together. I used powder as opposed to whole husks, which are a little less potent so I would recommend using 3 tablespoons of those. In theory, you may achieve similar effect with ground up chia or flax, but they are certainly far less potent than psyllium husk so you would need to use at least double the amount, I imagine.

BREADCRUMBS: Breadcrumbs is another ingredient that helps this loaf keep together. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if making this nut roast gluten-free.

HOW TO MAKE IT?

1) ROAST NUTS AND CELERIAC

To begin with, I recommend you roast your nuts in the oven to intensify their flavour. Once they come out of the oven, roast celeriac cubes tossed in some olive oil, salt and smoked paprika until tender.

2) SAUTEE AROMATIC AND MUSHROOMS

In a heavy bottom pan, sautee finely chopped aromatics until translucent and fragrant, mix in chopped herbs for the last 5 minutes. Empty the pan, then pan-fry finely chopped mushrooms until they turn brown and all of their excess moisture cooks out. Return aromatics to the pan with mushrooms, adjust the seasoning.

3) COMBINE, TRANSFER TO A TIN & BAKE

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Season well (I used about 1 and ¾ tsp of Maldon flaky salt for the entire loaf, if using fine salt you will need far less). Allow to sit on the counter for 30 minutes, you can also store it overnight in the fridge if you wish. Transfer to a well greased 2lb cake baking tin. Compress the mixture really well and bake until the edges are firm. Cool a little before cutting.