10 Scrumptious Vegan Holiday Recipes To Spruce Up Your Dinner This Season

Yes, we understand. Vegan food at the center of a sumptuously crafted holiday tablescape isn’t a sight we get to see every day. But if you are a die-hard vegan like me, I bet you are looking to indulge in the festive holiday fare without breaking your vows. With the holiday season right around the corner, here are some truly mouthwatering vegan holiday recipes to delve in! Whether you want to mix up your menu this season or treat your guests to all the wonders of a vegan spread, these vegan holiday recipes will surely get you the applaud you deserve.

Best Vegan Holiday Recipes From My Secret Recipe Stash

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe yields 8 servings
Prep time: 25 m
Cook time: 1h

Ingredients:

• 600g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 600g Maris piper potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 12 sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 (40g) tin of lentils
• 1 (40g) tin of chickpeas
• 350g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• vegan red wine
• 30g fresh breadcrumbs
• 100ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp. coriander seeds, roughly ground
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 40g dairy-free margarine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• olive oil, as required
• 2 sticks of celery, finely sliced
• a few leaves of thyme
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 5 sprigs of parsley
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Of all the vegan holiday recipes, this one’s my best. Preheat the oven to 200 C. Boil the potatoes until tender and drain. Add margarine, salt, and pepper and mash until smooth. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add carrots, onions, garlic, coriander seeds, and thyme leaves. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender.

Add mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons of sundried tomato oil from the jar. Cook for 10 minutes, add a splash of red wine and allow the broth to simmer.

Mix in the chickpeas, lentils, and stock, and cook or 5-10 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add parsley, salt, and pepper and transfer the filling to a baking dish.

Slather the mashed potatoes over the filling in the baking dish. Sprinkle rosemary leaves, breadcrumbs, and lemon zest over the potato layer and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 2-3 minutes, or until golden. Serve with your favorite assorted greens.

Recipe yields 5 servings
Prep time: 15 m
Cook time: 20 m

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. uncooked ribbon noodles
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 ½ lbs. chopped mushrooms (half Portobello and half button mushrooms) (2-inch pieces)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 3 tbsp. whole wheat flour, divided
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 cup vegan sour cream
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. dried sage
• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Boil the noodles according to the packaged instructions, drain, and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté onions for 2-3 minute. Toss in flour and vigorously stir for 30 seconds, until well incorporated.

Add the broth, soy sauce, tomato paste, and lemon juice while stirring constantly. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, and thyme.

Cook for 5-10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Add a splash of vinegar and allow it to simmer for 5 more minutes. Fold in the noodles, sour cream, and parsley, and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Dish out and serve hot.

Garbanzo Stir Fry

Recipe yields 4 servings
Prep time: 15 m
Cook time: 30 m

Ingredients:

• 1 large Zucchini, halved and sliced
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup mushrooms, halved
• 1 tomato, chopped,
• 1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic, basil, oregano, pepper, garbanzo beans, and zucchini, and stir well to combine. Cook covered for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in cilantro and mushrooms and cook on low heat until tender. Add the chopped tomatoes, cook for a few more minutes and take off the heat.

Cheesy Vegan Alfredo with Peas and Kale

Recipe yields 2 servings
Prep time: 15 m
Cook time: 30 m

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 oz. pasta
• kale leaves from 4 large stalks
• ½ a cup of peas
• ½ cup raw cashews (optional)
• 1 ½ cups almond milk
• 2 garlic cloves
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
• ½ tbsp. vegetable broth concentrate
• ¼ tsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Follow the instructions on the package for cooking the pasta, drain, and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté garlic in the olive oil. Add the kale leaves, peas, and ½ cup of water. Season with salt and pepper and let the mixture simmer on low heat until the water evaporates.

To prepare the sauce, Combine together almond milk, cashews, yeast flakes, broth concentrate, onion powder, and lemon juice, in a blender until smooth. Add salt and pepper and heat the sauce in a pan until it begins to bubble, stirring constantly. Add the boiled pasta and the peas and kale mixture, and fold together until completely coated in the sauce.

Curried Red Lentil Soup with Dried Cherries and Cilantro

Recipe yields 4 servings
Prep time: 20 m
Cook time: 30 m

Ingredients:

• 1 piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1¼ tsp. salt
• 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 5 cups water
• ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk
• ⅓ cup coarsely chopped tart dried cherries
• 1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed
• 3 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro stems (plus extra for garnish)

Preparation

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Toss in chopped ginger, garlic, carrots, and shallots. Sprinkle salt over the top and cook for about 7 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Add curry powder and cook until fragrant, stirring continuously. Add half of the coconut milk, lentils, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow the broth to simmer until the lentils are soft.

Pass two cups of lentils through a fine sieve until the solids are completely separated from the liquid. Reserve the solids and pour the drained liquid back in to the pot. Take off the heat and allow the soup to cool down to room temperature. Process the soup in a blender until smooth.

Reheat the soup in the pot and add the reserved solids. Add cherries and cilantro stems and swirl in the remaining coconut milk. Ladle out soup into bowls, garnish with cilantro, and serve hot with lightly toasted whole-wheat Naan.

Sesame Noodles

Recipe yields 8 servings
Prep time: 10 m
Cook time: 10 m

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. whole-wheat spaghetti
• 4 cups snow peas, trimmed and sliced on the bias
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced and divided
• ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. unflavored coconut oil
• 2 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 ½ tsp. crushed red pepper
• 2 tbsp. rice-wine vinegar, or lime juice
• ½ cup sesame seeds, toasted
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Preparation

Boil water and cook spaghetti according to the packaged instructions. Drain, rinse, and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup scallions, sesame oil, canola oil, vinegar, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, and 2 tbsp cilantro. Add bell peppers, snow peas, and boiled noodles and toss to coat well. Stir in sesame seeds and garnish with the remaining scallions and cilantro.

Southwestern Salad with Black Beans

Recipe yields 1 serving
Prep time: 15 m

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup packed fresh cilantro
• 3 cups mixed greens
• ½ ripe avocado
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• ½ cup grape tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic, quartered
• 2 scallions, chopped
• ½ cup canned black beans, rinsed
• ½ tsp. stevia
• ½ cup soy yogurt
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup corn kernels

Preparation

To prepare the dressing, Place avocado, soy yogurt, cilantro, garlic, scallions, stevia, lime juice, and salt in a blender and blend until a smooth puree.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mixed greens, beans, tomatoes, and corn kernels with half of the prepared dressing and toss until well coated. Refrigerate the remaining dressing for a later use.

Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili with Avocado

Recipe yields 4 servings
Prep time: 20 m
Cook time: 1 h

Ingredients

• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 drained (15 ounces) cans black beans
• 2 Avocados, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 chopped medium red onion
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, reserve the liquid
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 small peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 1 tbsp. chipotle pepper, chopped
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• Salt, to taste
• 3 corn tortillas for crispy tortilla strips
• Chopped cilantro (to be used for serving)

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté onions, bell pepper, and butternut squash, until the onions turn translucent. Add garlic, chipotle pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, and cumin, and stir until fragrant. Continue cooking until the butternut squash is tender and the liquid has reduced down, producing a hearty chili consistency. Take off the heat, garnish with cilantro, and serve with avocado and crispy tortilla strips.

** To prepare the crispy tortilla strips, cut each tortilla in to strips. Stack the strips in a lightly oiled pan and evenly brown each side.

Grilled Mediterranean Veg with Bean Mash

Recipe Yields 2 servings
Prep time: 15 m
Cook Time: 25 m

Ingredients

• 2 courgettes, sliced lengthways
• 1 egg plant, sliced lengthways
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and quartered
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

For the mash

• 1 tbsp. chopped coriander
• 410g can haricot beans, rinsed
• 100ml vegetable stock
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• lemon wedges, to serve
• Black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Heat the grill and place the sliced vegetables over a grill pan. Brush the vegetables with oil. Grill the vegetables, flipping occasionally, until golden on both sides and tender. In a small pan, toss in the beans, along with the crushed garlic and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and let it simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Mash roughly with a potato masher and add more stock if the mash seems crumbly or dry.

To serve, place the mash in a serving platter, top with the vegetables and lemon wedges, drizzle over any remaining oil, and sprinkle with black pepper and coriander.

Braised Eggplant with Tofu in Garlic Sauce

Recipe Yields 4 servings
Prep time: 10 m
Cook Time: 20 m

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Chinese eggplants
• 1 (12 ounce) box firm chopped silken tofu (1-inch pieces)
• ¾ cup dry sherry
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 2 tsp. vinegar
• 3 tbsp. preserved mustard root, finely minced
• 3 tbsp. Soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. corn starch
• 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 2 whole crushed garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp. fermented broad bean chili paste

Preparation

Place the eggplants in a bamboo steamer and place on top of a wok (fill the wok with water up to around 2 inches). Bring to a boil, cover the steamer, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the eggplant is tender. Set aside.

 To prepare the sauce, mix together wine, vinegar, and cornstarch, until well incorporated. Add chili paste, brown sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce.

To a dry wok, add oil and sauté garlic cloves, until fragrant. Discard the whole cloves, and add garlic slices, preserved ginger roots and scallion whites. Toss until the vegetables obtain a golden tinge. Stir in the prepared sauce, tofu, and eggplant and bring to a boil. Cook on low heat until the gravy is thick and glossy and serve right away with rice.