A vegan Christmas dinner that even the meat-eaters will want to try

Brought to you by Lidl

Have a vegan guest coming to Christmas dinner?

It can be tricky to come up with ideas for meat- and dairy-free meals and sides that are both satisfying and suitable for the big day. Not to mention keeping the dinner budget-friendly.

With the cost of the items that make up a traditional Christmas dinner expected to rise by 31% in Ireland this year the idea of pulling off a celebratory meal to suit all tastes in 2022 can be daunting.

But fear not; with this list of vegan meals and tips in your back pocket, you’ll impress every kind of eater at the table this year without breaking the bank.

Mains 

For your centrepiece dish, you’ll want something that’s packed full of flavour. More often than not, vegan festive mains can be treated like an afterthought. A bland, one-note addition to the meal. But it’s Christmas, the happiest time of the year and you’ll need a dish that can sing. The safest bet is a traditional and reliable protein-packed crowd-pleaser like a nut roast.

Since a Christmas dinner is about sharing, you’ll have to keep the sides suitable for all guests. You don’t want to be caught out with butter in your mash or drippings in your roasties. They’ll still be talking about you in the new year.  

So for the potatoes, roast them in extra virgin olive oil rather than duck/goose fat and add garlic and fragrant herbs like rosemary to ramp up the flavour. If you’re going for mash, you can achieve the beloved creamy texture with olive oil and non-dairy milk. Nobody will notice there’s no butter in there. And if they do... they’re not getting an invite next year! 

 

Root Veg 

For a vegan take on buttery carrots and parsnip, try glazing them in margarine or a dairy-free butter and add a sprinkling of brown sugar to draw out their natural sweetness.

  Sprouts