If you’re a vegan, or simply trying out the lifestyle, you might find yourself missing the enjoyment of a classic British Sunday roast. Thankfully, Katie Georgeson, Brand Manager at Stoves shows us how to create the perfect vegan roast dinner
Recipe Katie Georgeson
With over 225,000 people taking part in Veganuary this year, and another 600,000 people that do it full-time, vegan recipes are becoming increasingly popular. But, if you’ve just made the switch, it’s easy to miss some of the classic British staples, like the Sunday roast.
Fortunately, there are easy ways to substitute the animal products you would normally use and create your very own vegan roast. In this article, I’m going to share with you my recipes for vegan gravy and Yorkshire puddings, as well as a fantastic dish you can use as a substitute for a joint of meat.
Vegan Gravy
In any roast dinner, gravy is an essential element that brings everything together. And good news – you can make a really tasty vegan version to dip your roasties into in around 15 minutes.
Ingredients
To make one litre of this delicious sauce, you will need:
1 large onion (sliced)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
60g plain flour
1 litre vegan vegetable stock
Sprigs of thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
To begin this simple recipe, sauté your large chopped onion over a medium-high heat until it browns. Add in your chopped garlic and stir for three minutes.
Reduce the heat and stir in the plain flour. Add the litre of vegetable stock a ladle at a time, stirring constantly until you get your desired thickness. Simmer on a low heat until the mixture is hot throughout and add thyme, salt, and pepper to taste.
Vegan Yorkshire Puddings
The classic Yorkshire pudding is a staple of the Sunday roast, and I’ve got a fantastic recipe that will allow you to enjoy them if you’re vegan. With only five ingredients, making a vegan alternative to this classic dish is quite straightforward.
Ingredients
To make 12 of these delicious treats you will need:
350g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
300ml oat milk (you can also use soya milk)
12 tsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Add the self-raising flour, baking powder, and oat milk to a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and leave to sit for an hour in the fridge as the cold batter will lead to a better rise.
Heat the oven to 200°C while you get the Yorkshire’s ready. Add a tsp of oil to each indent of the muffin tin and put it in the oven for five minutes to get hot. After that, carefully pour in your batter and bake for 25–30 minutes. You’ve got some fantastic vegan Yorkshires!
Meat alternatives
There are literally hundreds of vegan options out there to choose from instead of your typical joint of meat, but a personal favourite of mine is mushroom wellington. Combining the thick texture of portobello mushrooms with melt-in-your-mouth pastry, this dish is surprisingly simple to make.
Ingredients
4 large portobello mushrooms
3 large onions (chopped)
300g baby spinach
1 roll of vegan puff pastry
3 tbsp olive oil
4 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Add a splash of oil to a pan and cook the onions over medium heat for around 15 minutes until they’re golden. Remove them and add the spinach for a few minutes until wilted. After that, add some more oil to the pan, turn up the heat, and add the mushrooms. Cook for five minutes on each side and allow to drain on a paper towel. Transfer all three cooked ingredients to the fridge to cool.
Next, lay some baking paper in a baking tray and place your vegan puff pastry on it. Spread the cooked onions across the middle third of the pastry, leaving a 2cm border, and then add the spinach on top.
Spread the Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper across your mushrooms and place them on top of the spinach. Roll the pastry over the top of the mushroom mixture to create a log, pressing down the edges with a fork to seal. Freeze for around 15 minutes to solidify the mixture and then cook in a 200°C oven until golden and flaky (around 30 minutes).
Add some roast potatoes, a selection of choice vegetables, and some vegan stuffing, and your roast dinner is good to go.
