Four vegan cooking pros reveal their favorite Christmas recipes

Plant-based Holiday Feasts: Vegan Chefs' Favorite Recipes

Celebrate this festive season with a plant-based twist on traditional Christmas fare! Four talented vegan chefs share their favorite recipes for a delicious and sustainable holiday spread.

From caramel apple pie bars to vegan roulades with red cabbage and dumplings, these mouth-watering dishes showcase the best of plant-based cuisine. And, with the environmental impact of beef production in mind, we've included a few plant-based protein options that will have your guests swooning.

Caramel Apple Pie Bars by Chloe Coscarelli

Ingredients:

For the Shortbread: 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour 1 cup (225g) vegan margarine, cold 1 cup (115g) organic cane sugar 1/2 tsp salt

For the Apple Filling: 5-6 apples, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup (170g) vegan margarine 1 cup (170g) granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a 9x9 inch (23x23cm) baking dish with parchment paper.
2. To make the shortbread, combine flour, margarine, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Press half of the dough into the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 18 minutes.
3. For the apple filling, melt vegan margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add apple slices and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, and cook until the mixture caramelizes, about 10 minutes.
4. Pour the apple filling over the baked shortbread layer and crumble the reserved dough over the top. Reduce heat to 150°C (300°F) and bake for about 30 minutes, or until set. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Festive Roulades with Red Cabbage and Dumplings by Niko Rittenau and Sebastian Copien

Ingredients:

For the Roulades: 2 large soy steaks Salt and pepper 2 tbsp coconut oil 1 small carrot, peeled 2 g gherkins 100g smoked tofu 2 tbsp medium-hot mustard

For the Sauce: 1 large onion, chopped 100g carrot, peeled 150g celery, chopped 100g coconut oil 1 sprig rosemary 2 tbsp spiced yeast flakes 25g beluga lentils 300ml dry red wine 2 tbsp tomato paste 500ml vegetable stock 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp pickle juice

For the Red Cabbage: 1 small head red cabbage, sliced 1 apple, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar Pepper 1 tbsp coconut oil

For the Dumplings: 300g floury potatoes, peeled Salt 300g dumpling dough 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (for cooking water)

Preparation:

1. For the roulades, soak the soy steaks in boiling water for 10-30 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper, and pan-fry in coconut oil until browned on all sides.
2. In a large saucepan, sauté onion, carrot, and celery in coconut oil over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add rosemary, yeast flakes, lentils, wine, tomato paste, and stock, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season with soy sauce, pickle juice, and mustard.
3. For the red cabbage, mix all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.
4. For the dumplings, boil potatoes until soft, then mash and mix with dumpling dough. Form into round balls and boil in seasoned water for about 15 minutes.
5. To assemble, layer roulades on a serving platter, spoon sauce over top, and serve with red cabbage and dumplings on the side.

Creamy Salad Soup by Sophia Hoffmann

Ingredients:

1/2 head lettuce 1/2 onion, chopped 3 tbsp oil Few sprigs of parsley, freshly chopped (optional) 3-4 tbsp tahini Salt Dash of acid (vinegar or lemon juice) Sweetener, if needed

Preparation:

1. Sauté lettuce and onion in oil until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend with tahini, salt, and acid until smooth.
3. Taste and add sweetener, if needed. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Hearty Oven-Baked Stone Fruit and Grain Risotto by Sophia Hoffmann

Ingredients:

2 apples, diced 1 large onion, chopped 6 tbsp oil 300g pearl barley 1 L vegetable stock Salt Pepper

Preparation:

1. Sauté onion and apple in oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add barley and stock to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat for 40-50 minutes, or until barley is tender.

Vegan Herring Salad and Baked Apples by Jérôme Eckmeier

Vegan Herring Salad with Smoked Tofu and Beetroot:

Ingredients:

For the salad: 2 kg waxy potatoes 1 red onion 2 sour apples 200g smoked tofu 1 jar of pickles (370ml) 2 nori leaves

For the dressing: 300g oat cream 2 tbsp cucumber water 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1-2 tsp agave syrup 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1/2 tsp ground caraway seeds Salt, freshly ground pepper 2 tbsp freshly chopped dill

Preparation:

1.Boil the potatoes until soft, then cool and slice. Sauté the onion in oil until tender. 2.Cube the apples, tofu, and beets, and mix with the onion, pickles, and nori leaves. 3.Beat all dressing ingredients together except dill. 4.Stir in the dill and toss with the salad ingredients.

Baked Apples with Vanilla Sauce:

Ingredients:

For the baked apples: 2 tbsp raisins 3 tbsp rum 4 apples 4 speculoos 8 vegan dominoes 2 tsp almonds, chopped 1/2 tsp orange zest 1/2 tsp speculoos spice 2 tbsp margarine 2 tbsp brown sugar

For the vanilla sauce: 1 L oat milk 2 tbsp liquid vanilla extract 1-2 tbsp sugar 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Preparation:

1.Soak raisins in rum for an hour. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). 2.Core apples and place in a baking dish. Fill with the soaked raisins, speculoos crumbs, and chopped almonds. 3.Melt margarine in a small saucepan, add brown sugar and orange zest, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour this mixture over the apples. 4.Bake for 30 minutes, until apples are tender. 5.For the vanilla sauce, heat oat milk in a saucepan, add vanilla extract, sugar, and cornstarch mixed with water. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Serve over baked apples.

No matter which dish you choose to serve, these vegan alternatives guarantee a delicious and eco-friendly holiday spread that will impress your guests while keeping the planet in mind. Happy holidays!

Enrichment Data: Soybean production has lower greenhouse gas emissions than beef production, and its carbon footprint is estimated to be between 1 and 5 kg CO2e/kg[1]. Cattle farming is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with beef production creating 13.6 kg CO2e/kg, while soybean products, such as soy granules, have a lower carbon footprint[4]. Incorporating plant-based protein sources into your Christmas meal can help reduce its environmental impact and promote sustainability.

Sources:[1] [2] <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044866123006843[3] <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356928415_Carbon_Footprint_of_Eating_Foods_from_the_United_States[4] [5]