Vegetarian Christmas Menu Ideas That Even Carnivorous Customers Will Love

The traditional festive dinner menu is dominated with meat. From the ubiquitous turkey and ‘pigs in blankets’, to goose fat-soaked roast potatoes and suet-packed Christmas puddings, Christmas meals can be a minefield for vegetarian and vegan restaurant guests who are seldom offered an appetising alternative.

With the number of UK people following vegetarian and vegan diets constantly on the rise, it’s highly likely that you’ll host quite a few meat-free guests over the course of the Christmas season. To make sure that their meal is just as enjoyable as that of their carnivore counterparts, try these inspiring vegetarian Christmas dinner menu ideas.

Say No to Nut Roast

It’s dry, bland, and utterly unadventurous, but somehow a nut roast has become the go-to turkey alternative for vegetarians and vegans over the years. This Christmas, try serving your guests something a little different like a delectable vegetarian Wellington,  a hearty chestnut, mushroom and ale pie, a butternut squash and caramelised onion galette or even a vegan lentil loaf, all of which will be accompanied perfectly by the traditional festive trimmings and lashings of vegetarian gravy.

You could even trial a more exotic main course, such as Yotam Ottolenghi’s mushroom parcels, which comprise of meaty-textured mushrooms and potatoes cooked in parchment with garlic, herbs, double cream and even Pernod to add a splash of merriment. Yotam suggests serving his version with white rice – what a delicious alternative to a carb-laden Christmas feast!

In fact, there has been a growing trend in eschewing all traces of tradition in Christmas dinners for vegetarians and vegans. Creamy curries, rich pasta bakes, and even tasty vegetarian burgers with ingredients like Brussels sprouts and cranberries in their mixture would all make interesting options for your more adventurous guests, even if they do plan to tuck into a turkey on Christmas Day.

A Lot on the Side

While your meat-eating guests are tucking into roast potatoes smothered with goose fat, let your vegetarian and vegan guests get their carb fix with extra seasoned, slightly spicy roast potatoes drizzled with lots of olive oil.

Veggie guests don’t need to miss out on delicious pigs in blankets either; try making a herbivore-friendly version of this meaty favourite by wrapping carrots in pastry, or vegetarian sausages in sun-dried tomatoes or even spinach or artichoke. You may spot their fellow guests trying to steal them when they aren’t looking!

And then we have the crowning glory of any Christmas meal – the gravy. In place of traditional gravy made with meat stock, try making a veggie sauce with red wine, caramelised onions or even paprika to pack in the flavour, and make sure that every one of your guests leaves fed, full and feeling festive.