10 vegan-friendly recipes for the festive season, from mains to desserts
This roast butternut pumpkin — scored, studded with cloves and served with side vegetables — is a great addition to the Christmas table. (ABC Everyday: Hetty McKinnon)
Need some inspiration for a vegan-friendly festive feast? We've got you covered.
From main dishes to sides and desserts, these recipes will help you create a plant-based platter that will appeal to everyone.
Mains
Roast butternut pumpkin with hoison marmalade glaze
The onion and garlic add a lovely perfume to the veggies. (ABC Everyday: Hetty McKinnon)
A whole butternut pumpkin might seem like a left-of-centre choice for your holiday vegetable centrepiece, but this modern take on the classic Australian glazed ham is sure to go down a treat with herbivores and carnivores alike.
The cloves add earthy notes that infuse the flesh, and the bold hoisin, marmalade and ginger glaze is a lively coating for the butternut that also serves as a vibrant dressing for the vegetables.
Artichoke 'lobster-less' rolls
This vegan version of the New England classic swaps lobster for artichokes. (ABC Everyday: Hetty Lui McKinnon)
Lobster rolls without the lobster might sound like sacrilege, but this recipe uses artichokes to successfully mimic the firm, succulent texture of crustacean flesh while also providing a refreshing, tart spiciness that pairs perfectly with a buttery roll.
The blend of celery salt, paprika and cayenne is inspired by the sweet, spicy complexity of Old Bay Seasoning, and also gives the artichokes a colourful hue that cleverly conjures lobster.
Charred zucchini salad with pearl couscous, preserved lemons and peas
Simplicity is the key to this seasonal salad. (ABC Life: Hetty McKinnon)
This is a minimalist recipe that also requires minimal effort — and the end result is a tasty, filling dish that takes less than an hour to prepare and cook.
It takes two in-season veggies — humble peas and earthy zucchini — and teams them with pearl couscous to create a big bowl of heartiness.
Cauliflower 'chorizo' tacos with salsa
These flavoursome cauliflower tacos need little accompaniment other than some creamy avocado and a simple salsa. (ABC Everyday: Hetty Lui McKinnon)
Cauliflower is always an ever-popular vegetable and it's also one of the most versatile, as this spiced-up taco recipe proves.
For these tacos, the smoked paprika, cumin and coriander give the cauliflower a "chorizo-esque" vibe and the turmeric adds an extra layer of earthiness.
Sides
No festive feast is complete without a hearty serve of side salads and these inventive spins on some classic dishes will be sure to have your guests coming back for seconds.
Potato salad with caramelised leeks
This potato salad uses vegan mayonnaise in place of an egg-based one and mustard, olives and cornichons to put a fresh spin on a classic. (ABC Everyday: Hetty McKinnon)
This one requires very little effort to adapt into a tasty dish that can be enjoyed by everyone.
Most supermarkets stock rich and creamy vegan mayonnaise — if you can't find it with the condiments, check the fridge or health food aisle.
The delicious dressing, which is loaded with the briny, salty goodness of mustard, olives and cornichons (small pickled gherkins), elevates this from staple salad to a new family favourite.
Potato gratin with miso cashew cream
This potato gratin pairs well with other roasted veggies and goes well as part of a feasting table. (ABC Everyday: Hetty McKinnon)
Another recipe that makes potato the star — this gratin is cheese-less and dairy free by design, not by necessity.
Cashew cream delivers a nuttiness and a natural sweetness and makes the potatoes feel light, while still offering maximum carby comfort.
Mango and cabbage rice vermicelli salad
Mango adds sweet bursts to this refreshing noodle salad, which is dressed with a zesty, creamy tahini-based sauce. (ABC Everyday: Hetty McKinnon)
Make the most of mango season with this minimal-cook salad.
Mango is the undeniable star of this dish but the raw cabbage and sugar snaps (or snow peas) complement it well, giving the salad a crunchy but moist texture.
As well as being vegan, it's also gluten-free by default, as long as you use tamari sauce, rather than traditional soy.
Desserts
No festive feast is complete with adding something sweet to the mix, and these three offerings are as quick and easy as they are delicious.
Mango coconut and ginger trifle
This mango, coconut and ginger trifle is an easy Christmas dessert. (ABC Everyday: Hetty McKinnon)
This recipe gives the humble trifle a tropical makeover with the inclusion of mango, lime, coconut and ginger.
Making this simplified dessert is a far less painstaking process than a traditional trifle.
Hetty Lui McKinnon uses gingernut biscuits for the base, as they tend to be vegan (remember to double-check the ingredients), but other plain packet biscuits, shortbread, or even leftover cake can also be substituted.
Watermelon and rose granita
Making this watermelon granita is as easy as blitzing, freezing, scraping and serving. (ABC Everyday: Annika Kafcaloudis)
As well as being vegan, this summer dessert is delicious, refreshing and requires no special equipment — "simply a humble fork and a little time".
To make this one, you'll just need to blitz up some sweet watermelon chunks with a bit of sugar, rosewater and mint, then freeze, scrape and serve.
Quick vegan ice cream with cookies and peanut butter
This banana ice cream with cookies and peanut butter is as delicious as it is easy to prepare. (ABC Life: Edwina Storie)
This four-ingredient banana ice cream with cookies and peanut butter only takes minutes to prepare, provided you have frozen the bananas beforehand.
It also doesn't require an ice-cream machine or any fancy kitchen gadgets other than a high-powered blender or food processor.
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