How to cater for vegan guests at Christmas

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How to cater for vegan guests at Christmas

Planning Christmas lunch can be a huge operation and even more so if it’s your first time at the helm.  So, what do you do when one of your guests tells you they’re vegan?

If you break down the Christmas lunch table then most dishes are actually plant-based and those that are not can easily be adapted without too much effort.

What do you serve in place of roast turkey?

There are many options that can be cooked alongside the turkey for your vegan guests.  

Vegan roasts made from ingredients such as nuts, seeds, beans, pulses and lentils are a good option and you can find many recipes online.  Look for recipes full of flavour which make the most of dried spices and dried fruits. Stuffed butternut squash is also a really nice option and you can make festive fillings using grains and dried cranberries.

Cooking a vegan roast is always going to be full of the key elements of taste including both flavour and texture.  Another option is a meat-free alternative which are normally made using tofu.  

What about the roast potatoes?

The only consideration here is the type of fat that you choose to cook them in.  Animal fats are often used to roast potatoes at Christmas so be sure to switch to olive or rapeseed oil.  Coconut oil can be used and offers an interesting flavour.  You can also roast with garlic and rosemary for something delicious. 

The key to nice and crispy roast spuds is picking a floury variety and giving them a good shake before you put them in the oven.

What about the vegetables?

All veggies are plant-based so there’s no issue here.  Some vegetable options do contain dairy such as parmesan roasted parsnips or cauliflower cheese.  You can adapt these dishes by using nutritional yeast and fortified plant-based drinks made from soy, nuts and seeds.

What about the gravy, savoury and sweet sauces?

No Christmas lunch is complete without a good gravy.  You can make a good vegan alternative using dried porcini mushrooms which give it a strong ‘umami’ flavour.  

Savoury and sweet sauces that use butter, milk or cream can be made using alternatives made from plant oils, fortified plant drinks, soy, nuts and coconut.

What about the Christmas pudding?

Christmas pudding is not vegan as it contains ingredients such as suet, eggs and honey.  You could make your own vegan alternative but buying one in is much easier.

What about the booze?

This is one thing that non-vegans may not even have ever thought about but not all booze is vegan friendly.  

Some drinks may use isinglass (substance obtained from fish bladders), gelatine, eggs white, seashells and other animal products during the filtering process prior to bottling.  Honey may also be used to sweeten certain drinks so worth keeping an eye out for.

You can check out which brand of alcoholic drink is vegan by using the website Barnivore.

Adapting your Christmas lunch to accommodate vegan guests is really not that difficult once you know where to make the changes.  Many of these changes can be used to feed everyone and will likely go unnoticed by your other guests.  

Of course the other option is start veganuary early and go completely plant-based this Christmas!