When it comes to vegetarian dishes for Christmas, it’s hard to beat a traditional British nut roast. It’s such a classic vegetarian dish here in the UK – in fact, it’s probably considered pretty retro these days. But there’s a reason the nut roast has stood the test of time. It makes a perfect vegetarian main course for a holiday feast or a cosy Sunday dinner, sliced up and served with a few side dishes.

My easy nut roast is made with so many tasty ingredients, which all bring different flavours and textures to the loaf – each slice is packed with a little bit of everything (including a little bit of festive flair from the dried cranberries!).

And best of all, this recipe couldn’t be simpler to make. There’s absolutely no pre-cooking required – just mix all the raw ingredients together in a big bowl, then press it into a loaf tin, and let the oven do the rest. I do love a no fuss meal!

What is Nut Roast?

If you’re unaware, a nut roast is a hearty loaf made from nuts, vegetables, and whatever other tasty ingredients you like, mixed together and baked to golden perfection. It’s a British recipe, and here in the UK, it’s been a vegetarian favourite for decades, and sometimes it’s probably unfairly considered to be a bit old-fashioned. But I say it’s time to bring back this old favourite!

It’s really hard to beat a nut roast that contains so many wonderful textures and flavours – a soft crunch from the nuts, aromatic herbs, plenty of vegetables, and little pops of festive sweetness from the dried cranberries. It’s wonderful.

What Makes this Nut Roast so Easy to Make?

Many nut roast recipes call for a long list of (in my opinion) unnecessary steps: pre-cooking vegetables, boiling lentils, blitzing up breadcrumbs…

My version, on the other hand, is all about simplicity. There’s absolutely no pre-cooking required, so no hassle… just deliciousness. It’s such an easy recipe – if you can mix ingredients, you can make this easy nut roast.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• nuts – I used cashew nuts and peanuts (which happened to be red peanuts, but any type will do!). Nuts can be quite expensive, so honestly, I would just choose whatever nuts make sense to you. If you can find another kind of nut more cheaply, that’s totally fine.
• vegetables – I used carrot, mushrooms, and red onion. Make sure you chop your veggies nice and finely (or grate them, if appropriate), so that the nut roast holds together nicely.
• tinned lentils – using a can is so much easier than boiling dried lentils (but you can do that instead, if you prefer).
• rolled oats – a quicker, and more nutritious, alternative to breadcrumbs.
• grated cheddar – use a nice mature cheese for extra flavour.
• eggs – to help hold everything together.
• fresh sage – brings a Christmassy flavour. Use dried sage if you prefer, though I do like having the whole leaves to garnish the nut roast.
• dried oregano (or any other dried herb you like)
• garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar because it’s quick and easy, and I hate chopping fresh garlic.
• dried cranberries – you can skip these if you’re not a fan, but they really do bring a nice touch of sweetness to the nut roast.

This recipe is quite versatile, so you could swap out some of the ingredients, if you’d like to. For example:

• Most other kinds of nuts will also work just fine – use whatever you like. Walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc. will all be great. You don’t have to only choose two. I used plain, unroasted and unsalted nuts, but roasted nuts will also work. If yours are pre-salted, don’t add any additional salt to the nut roast.
• You can swap out the vegetables I chose (mushrooms, carrots and red onion) if you like – just make sure you chop everything quite finely, as big chunks of vegetable may stop the loaf from holding together strongly. Grated parsnip, chopped bell peppers, or finely chopped broccoli should all work okay. I’d avoid anything too wet, like tomatoes or zucchini (courgette), or you might end up with a soggy loaf.
• The herbs can be swapped for any other herbs (fresh or dried) you have on hand. Nut roast is a great opportunity to use woody herbs, like thyme or rosemary, but fresher herbs like parsley will also work well.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you’re using woody herbs like sage, thyme or rosemary, make sure you remove any tough stalks before chopping.

Printable Instructions

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Easy Nut Roast

This easy nut roast is the perfect vegetarian main course for Christmas or Thanksgiving! Just mix and bake – no pre-cooking required!

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, English

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 480kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 170 g (~ 6 oz) carrot (1 large or 2 small)
• 185 g (~ 6 1/2 oz) mushrooms
• 1 red onion
• 120 g (~ 1 cup) cashew nuts
• 120 g (~ 3/4 cup) peanuts
• 50 g (~ 1/3 cup) dried cranberries (optional)
• 2 sprigs fresh sage
• 100 g (~ 1 cup) rolled oats
• 100 g mature cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1 cup when grated)
• 400 g tin lentils, drained (265g, or ~ 1 cup, when drained)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 eggs

Instructions

• First, grate the carrots (I didn’t bother peeling mine), and finely chop the mushrooms and the red onion.
  
• Roughly chop the nuts. You don’t need to be precise about it – it’s actually quite nice to have a bit of variety in size (and therefore texture). You could even leave a few of the smaller nuts whole.
  
• Chop the dried cranberries into smaller pieces. Remove any woody stems from the sage, and finely chop.
  
• Heat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4 / 350°F). Line a loaf tin (mine measured 9 x 5 inches) with non-stick baking paper, and lightly spray it with oil.
  
• Add all of the previous ingredients to a large mixing bowl, along with the rolled oats, grated cheese, drained tin of lentils, garlic, dried herbs, and salt and pepper.
  
• Mix everything together very thoroughly. It’s worth taking a bit of time over this – spend a few minutes mixing to make sure everything’s evenly distributed. Then add the eggs, and continue to mash everything together very thoroughly. You may even find it easier to use (clean!) hands to get everything well mixed.
  
• Scoop the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, pressing down firmly in between scoops to ensure everything is well compacted. You can use a smaller spoon to press down right to the edges and corners of the pan. Try to make the top of the loaf as level as possible (not heaped), as this will end up being the base of your nut roast.
  
• Place in the centre of the oven, and roast for up to an hour. Ovens do differ, so keep an eye on it – it’s ready when it is firm and golden brown.
  
• Carefully turn the nut roast out of the tin (loosen the edges with a knife, if needed). Slice to serve.
  

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1thick slice | Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.4g | Protein: 21.3g | Fat: 28.7g | Saturated Fat: 7.7g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 552mg | Potassium: 623mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 10.8g | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 5mg

Other Festive Recipes

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Easy Nut Roast (just mix + bake!)

Slow Cooker Corn Casserole

Easy Cheesy Potatoes Anna

9 Perfect Gifts for Vegetarians

The post Easy Nut Roast (just mix + bake!) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

If there’s one dish that’s utterly perfect for a cold autumnal day, it’s a hearty mushroom pie. This version is taken to the next level with a creamy white wine sauce, the beautiful texture of cooked chestnuts, and a dumpling-like suet pastry crust (which is a lot easier to make than it sounds!).

I can’t decide which part of this mushroom pie I like most. The suet crust ends up crispy and flaky on the top, while underneath, it’s soft and dense like a dumpling, where it soaks up all the tasty sauce.

Underneath the crust, there’s a luscious filling of earthy mushrooms and tender chestnuts, coated in a creamy sauce that’s rich, savoury, and oh-so-indulgent.

I’ll admit, at first glance the ingredients list looks a little longer than most of my simple recipes, but don’t let that put you off – it’s really just a case of make the dough; make the filling; combine; bake!

Serve your mushroom pie with a few greens on the side, and you have an ideal hearty meal – perfect comfort food!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. You’ll also need a few cupboard staples, like butter, salt and pepper. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• mushrooms – I used a mixture of baby portobellos and chestnut mushrooms. Stick with one type if you prefer!
• onion
• garlic – I love using garlic paste or pre-chopped garlic from a jar, to cut down on prep time.
• dried thyme
• vegetable stock – I use a stock cube, but liquid or jelly stock would be fine too.
• chesnuts – I used the kind that come ready-cooked in a packet (Amazon UK).
• white wine – nothing too fancy! Any cheap dry white wine will be fine.
• shredded vegetarian suet (I use this one – Amazon UK / Amazon US)
• self-raising flour
• cream
• fresh parsley

Becca’s Top Tip

If you can’t find chestnuts, use chopped walnuts instead. They’ll do a great job of adding that slight crunch, and making the mushroom pie feel a little bit special.

Instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 1: Prepare the suet dough, and leave it to rest in the fridge.

Step 2: Cook the onion, mushrooms and chestnuts in the creamy sauce.

Step 3: Roll or press out the suet dough into a rough rectangle.

Step 4: Transfer the mushroom pie filling into a baking dish, and top with the suet crust.

Step 5: Bake until the filling is piping hot, and bubbling up around the crispy suet crust.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you’re baking something in a dish, always place the dish on a baking tray before putting it in the oven! Pies and casseroles have a tendency to bubble over the edge of the dish, and the tray will help to catch any drips.

Print

Creamy Mushroom Pie with Chestnuts (and Easy Suet Crust)

An irresistibly creamy mushroom pie, made extra festive with tender chestnuts and an easy homemade suet pastry crust!

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 781kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the suet pastry crust:

• 140 g (~ 1 cup) vegetarian shredded suet
• 280 g (~ 2 cups) self-raising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• ~ 175ml (~ 2/3 cup) water

For the mushroom and chestnut filling:

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 700 g (~ 1 1/2 lbs) mushrooms, cut into chunky pieces (I used chestnut mushrooms and baby portobellos)
• 180 g (~ 1 cup) cooked chestnuts
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 100 ml (~ 1/3 cup) dry white wine
• 1 vegetable stock cube (I used low salt), crumbled
• 100 ml (~ 1/3 cup) water
• 100 ml (~ 1/3 cup) single cream
• Few sprigs fresh parsley, roughly chopped

To assemble:

• More flour for dusting
• 1 Tablespoon milk

Instructions

• Start by preparing the suet pastry. Add the vegetarian suet, self-raising flour, thyme, salt and pepper to a large bowl, and mix to combine. Add half of the water, and mix with a fork. When the mixture starts to come together into a ball of dough, it’s easiest to set the fork aside and use clean hands to continue mixing. Add a little more water, and knead the mixture briefly in the bowl (30 seconds or so), until you have a firm, but slightly sticky, dough. You may not need all of the water listed in the ingredients, or you may need a splash more.
• When you have a firm ball of dough, cover the bowl and set it into the fridge to rest while you prepare the mushroom mixture.
• In a large frying pan, melt the butter with the oil over a medium heat. Add the diced onion, and cook for a few minutes, until fairly soft, but not browned. Next add the mushrooms, and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until they are fairly soft.
• Cut the chestnuts into small pieces (I cut each chestnut into about 4-6 pieces), and add them to the pan, along with the minced garlic, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
• When everything is nicely soft, make a gap in the centre of the pan, and add the white wine and the crumbled stock cube. Let it sizzle for a few minutes – you may need to raise the temperature a little to help cook off the alcohol.
• Turn the heat down again to medium-low, and add the water, the cream, and the chopped parsley. Cook for a few more minutes, until well combined.
• Heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F), and transfer the mixture to a baking dish – mine measured approximately 8 x 8 inches.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge, and thoroughly dust a board with flour. Knead the dough for another minute or so, sprinkling it with a little more flour until it’s not too sticky. Then roll or press the dough until it’s approximately the same size as your baking dish, and an even thickness all over. Place the dough on top of your pie filling, and tuck the sides in. It doesn’t need to be too precise.
• Cut a couple of slits in the top of the pie to let out the steam, and brush lightly with milk. Place on a baking tray (in case it bubbles over), then into the oven for approximately 35 minutes, or until the suet crust is golden brown, and the mushroom mixture is piping hot and bubbling.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 781kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 16.7g | Fat: 37.4g | Saturated Fat: 5.6g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 929mg | Potassium: 949mg | Fiber: 6.4g | Sugar: 7.8g | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 9mg

Other Mushroom Recipes

Vegetarian Mushroom Recipes

Easy Nut Roast (just mix + bake!)

Vegetarian Lasagne Soup

Mediterranean Vegetable Flatbreads with Goat Cheese

Feta and Roasted Vegetable Crustless Quiche

The post Creamy Mushroom Pie with Chestnuts (and Easy Suet Crust) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Coronation chicken has been a popular dish in the UK ever since it was created to honour the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II back in 1953. And it’s so ridiculously tasty that it deserves to be resurrected for King Charles’ coronation!

The vegetarian version uses chickpeas instead of chicken, along with little nibbles of tasty dried fruit and fresh herbs in a creamy curry sauce.

I’m always amazed by just how much flavour you can get from just a few ingredients, and these coronation chickpeas are the perfect example. With just 6 simple ingredients and literally 5 minutes of effort, the amount of flavour is unreal!

And what’s more, the flavour only gets better over time – so whip up a quick batch of this simple chickpea salad a little while before you need it, and it will be ready to go when you are.

We Brits are renowned for making something tasty from super simple ingredients (perhaps due to necessity during post-war rationing!), so check out my other British recipes for some more inspiration.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. You’ll also need a couple of cupboard staples, like salt and pepper. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• canned chickpeas
• mayonnaise (regular or light is fine)
• spring onions
• dried fruit – apricots, raisins, or a bit of both!
• curry powder
• cilantro (or parsley)

Becca’s Top Tip

The recipe is easy to adapt with whatever mix-ins you feel like, so make it your own! You could swap the curry powder for your favourite spice, add some extra fresh and crunchy vegetables, or use Greek yogurt instead of mayo. See my creamy chickpea salad sandwiches for some more ideas.

Instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 1: Add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl.

Step 2: Mix well to combine. If you have time, leave the mixture in the fridge for an hour or so, or even overnight. Otherwise, they’re great eaten straight away too!

Step 3: Serve chilled, on toast or salad.

Becca’s Top Tip

Although these creamy chickpeas are delicious on all kinds of bread, I prefer to choose a crunchy kind, as it adds a nice bit of texture to the dish. Something like a crunchy baguette or a slice of toast is perfect.

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Coronation Chickpeas

Coronation chickpeas are a quick and seriously flavourful vegetarian version of the British dish coronation chicken. Perfect for picnics!

Course Light lunch

Cuisine British

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 203kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained (240g when drained)
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons dried fruit (raisins, chopped dried apricots, or a bit of both)
• 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Few sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro) or parsley, chopped

Instructions

• Add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl. Mix well to combine. If you have time, leave in the fridge for at least an hour. If you’d prefer to leave them overnight, transfer to an air-tight tub.
• Serve chilled with toast, crunchy bread (e.g. baguette), or salad.

Notes

This dish is arguably even better prepared the day before you need it, and stored in an air-tight tub in the fridge to let the flavours develop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.1g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 454mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 5.9g | Sugar: 13.3g | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Coronation Chickpeas (Creamy Curried Chickpea Salad) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

A traditional British recipe, this perfect Welsh rarebit is the ultimate quick and easy lunch – made with a gooey cheese sauce, and grilled to perfection on crispy bread.

If there was ever a recipe that wholly embodies the name of this website, ‘easy cheesy vegetarian’, it’s Welsh rarebit – and since I’m half Welsh, I thought it was fitting that I share this recipe. It’s such a simple one, but if you’re a fan of gooey cheese, it’s really rather spectacular, and makes a perfect easy lunch.

How to make perfect Welsh rarebit

There are all sorts of different recipes for Welsh rarebit.

Some use beer, some don’t.
Some use real mustard, and others use mustard powder, or even no mustard at all.
Some recipes use Welsh cheese and others just use cheddar…

Nobody can really agree on just one Welsh rarebit recipe.

So this is just my version!

Step 1: Make a thick white sauce

I begin with a really simple béchamel sauce (white sauce). You can find step-by-step instructions for how to make a white sauce here, but it’s essentially just flour cooked in butter, with some milk added.

You can swap a little of the milk out for some beer, if you want some real indulgence.

You need to make the sauce quite a bit thicker than you would if you were making, say, macaroni cheese – otherwise, it will all drip straight off the bread and you’ll end up with a big mess. A tasty mess, but a mess nonetheless.

Instead, the sauce should be thick and spreadable – more of a paste, really.

Step 2: Add cheese and mustard

Of course, you can’t have Welsh rarebit without plenty of cheese.

Choose a good quality cheese with plenty of flavour. I went for an extra mature cheddar, but a Welsh cheese like Caerphilly would be fitting too!

I also added a dollop of mustard and plenty of black pepper.

Stir it well until the cheese has melted into the sauce and it’s all thick and gooey.

Step 3: Spread it on toast, and grill

You can use any type of bread for Welsh rarebit, but I like to use something a bit more special than a mass-produced white loaf. This time I used some slices from a nice crusty bloomer loaf.

I like to pre-toast the bread, so it gets crispy on the underside. Then, spread the thick cheese sauce on top.

Pop the tray under the grill (broiler) for a few minutes until the cheese sauce is bubbly and hot, with crispy golden brown patches on top.

All that’s left to do is eat!

More Authentic British Recipes

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Perfect Welsh Rarebit

A traditional British recipe, this perfect Welsh rarebit is the ultimate quick and easy lunch – made with a gooey cheese sauce, and grilled to perfection on crispy bread.

Course Light lunch

Cuisine British, Welsh

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 472kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 4 slices good quality crusty bread
• 1 Tbsp (~ 15g) butter
• 1 Tbsp plain flour
• 120 ml (~ 1/2 cup) milk (or you can swap a little of the liquid for beer if you like)
• 75 g mature cheddar cheese, grated (~ 3/4 cup when grated)
• 1 tsp mustard (I used Dijon)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Begin by laying the slices of bread on a baking tray, and placing them under the grill (broiler), set to a medium-high heat. Cook for a couple of minutes until one side of the bread is golden brown and crispy. Then, turn each slice over and remove from the grill.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan, and add the flour. Mix well for 30 seconds, then add half of the milk. Stir well until the sauce is smooth, then add the remaining milk and mix again. The mixture should thicken up into a smooth, thick paste.
• Add the grated cheese, mustard, and black pepper. Cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Spoon the sauce onto the untoasted side of each piece of bread, gently pushing it to the edges with the back of the spoon (don't worry if it spills over the edges a bit!).
• Place back under the grill (broiler) for about 5 more minutes, until the cheese sauce is just beginning to brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

For a richer flavour, you can replace a little of the milk with a splash of beer (light or dark, depending on how strong you want the flavour to be). As this is such a simple recipe, make sure you use a good quality bread and a flavourful mature cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 2slices | Calories: 472kcal | Carbohydrates: 47.1g | Protein: 19.1g | Fat: 22.9g | Saturated Fat: 13.2g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 730mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 3.7g | Calcium: 415mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Perfect Welsh Rarebit appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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Shepherd’s pie has got to be one of the best comfort foods in existence. Not only is it creamy and warming, it’s also packed with wholesome ingredients. This vegetarian version is made with lentils and plenty of veggies, and it’s the perfect cold weather dinner. I even added a special secret ingredient to really take it to the next level!

What is shepherd’s pie?

Shepherd’s pie is practically a British institution. It’s the sort of dinner we Brits were raised on.

There are two main layers to a shepherd’s pie:

1. A mixture of minced meat and vegetables in a rich gravy
2. A fluffy mashed potato topping

Obviously vegetarian shepherd’s pie swaps the meat for some sort of alternative – usually either a vegetarian mince substitute, or beans and lentils.

This time I used tinned lentils, as they’re ultra convenient, and they work so well to make this vegetarian shepherd’s pie quick and easy to make.

What’s the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie?

Just in case you’re wondering – some people use the terms ‘cottage pie’ and ‘shepherd’s pie’ interchangeably, but there is actually a slight difference between the two. Usually, cottage pie is made with beef, and shepherd’s pie is made with lamb.

But obviously, in the case of vegetarian shepherd’s pie, this distinction is entirely irrelevant – so you could definitely call this a vegetarian cottage pie if you prefer!

How to make vegetarian shepherd’s pie

Right, onto the recipe!

Step 1: Make some mashed potato

I like to start by getting my potatoes on to boil, so they can be bubbling away while I’m working on the filling of the pie.

Although I often leave on the potato skins when I make mash, I do think it’s worth peeling the potatoes for a shepherd’s pie. A nice smooth mash definitely contributes to the comfort food vibe of this recipe.

If you’ve never made mashed potato before, I’ve previously shared my perfect mashed potato recipe, so check that out first!

Step 2: Cook the vegetables and lentils

While the potatoes are doing their thing, cook off some vegetables in a frying pan.

For me, mushrooms are a must-have in a shepherd’s pie, as they add a lovely meatiness that makes the pie really hearty and satisfying.

I also added a frozen vegetable mix, containing carrots, green beans, peas and sweetcorn. I love frozen veg for this kind of thing, just like I did in my cheesy vegetable pie – it’s such an easy way to add a nice variety of veg without having to bother cutting everything up individually.

Don’t forget to add the tinned lentils, to make the pie nice and filling.

Step 3: Create the sauce

This step is the one that will make or break your vegetarian shepherd’s pie. The more flavour you can get into that lower layer, the better!

My secret ingredient is Geo Watkins mushroom ketchup. It’s not thick and gloopy like tomato ketchup; it’s actually a thin liquid, more like soy sauce. The flavour it brings to a dish like this is unbelievable. It gives a huge boost of umami (that savoury richness that vegetarian food sometimes lacks), and really amps up the flavour.

I also added some tomato puree, my favourite herbs and spices, and some veggie stock.

Step 4: Layer it up and bake

Transfer the lentil and vegetable mixture to a baking dish, and top it with the mashed potato.

You can draw lines in the potato with a fork, if you like – the ridges help it to become extra crispy on top. You can also sprinkle over a little grated cheese before baking, if you’re a fan of a crispy cheese topping like me.

Pop it in the oven for half an hour or so, until the topping is golden brown and crispy, and the gravy is bubbling up around the edges. The perfect veggie bake!

Easy shepherd’s pie

There you have it – my super easy vegetarian shepherd’s pie. I’ll admit, in my head shepherd’s pie always sounds like a pretty high-effort dinner – but actually, this version really doesn’t take that long at all.

There are a few little tricks in this recipe that make it quicker and easier to cook:

• using tinned lentils instead of cooking dried lentils from scratch
• using a mixture of frozen vegetables instead of preparing each one individually
• and you can even use frozen mashed potato if you like, to speed things up further

What else can you use mushroom ketchup for?

If you fancy making this vegetarian shepherd’s pie, you may be looking for other ways to use the rest of your bottle of Geo Watkins mushroom ketchup. I know how you feel – I can’t stand buying an ingredient just for one recipe.

Luckily, there are all sorts of ways to use the mushroom ketchup. I find myself adding it to anything that needs a bit of richness. Even just a splash is enough to make a difference.

For example, it would be a great addition to any of these recipes:

• lentil sausage rolls
• French onion soup
• stew and dumplings
• spaghetti bolognese
• pretty much any lentil recipe
• pretty much any casserole
• pretty much any mushroom recipe

Basically any recipe that could benefit from some extra oomph… get it in there. It’s so perfect in dishes like this vegetarian shepherd’s pie!

Shepherd’s pie FAQs

How to serve shepherd’s pie

Shepherd’s pie is pretty much a full meal in itself – it’s already got protein, carbs, and plenty of vegetables. So really, you don’t need to make anything extra to serve on the side if you don’t want to.

We had ours with just a handful of fresh rocket (arugula), to add a bit of extra colour and interest to the plate. Some garlic bread is also tasty, and adds a bit of crunch (will I ever not recommend garlic bread? Doubtful), or just some extra veggies work nicely too.

Can you cook shepherd’s pie in advance?

Shepherd’s pie is the perfect dinner to prep in advance. Just cook the mashed potatoes and the lentil mixture, and let them cool a little before layering them up. Then, once you’ve assembled the pie, you can store it in the fridge throughout the day, or even overnight, until you’re ready to bake it and serve.

If you’re baking it straight from the fridge, just remember that you shouldn’t preheat your oven – let your baking dish warm up slowly as the oven comes to temperature. It will also take a little longer to bake if it’s being cooked from fridge cold.

Can shepherd’s pie be frozen?

Absolutely! Shepherd’s pie is a great meal prep option. I tend to cook it fully (including baking), then once it’s cooled, cut into portions and freeze in tubs.

It will last in the freezer for a few months, until you’re ready to eat it. Allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat. I find the microwave is the best way to reheat shepherd’s pie, as cooking it for a second time in the oven can cause it to become dry.

More British Recipes

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Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd's pie is proper British comfort food, and this vegetarian version is absolutely packed with flavour and wholesome ingredients.

Course Main meals

Cuisine British

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 people

Calories 381kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the mashed potato topping:

• 1 kg (~ 2 1/4 lb) potatoes
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 25 g (~ 1/4 cup) grated cheddar cheese (optional)

For the lentil mixture:

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 250 g (~ 1/2 lb) mushrooms, diced
• 250 g (~ 2 cups) mixed frozen vegetables
• 2 Tbsp Geo Watkins mushroom ketchup
• 1 Tbsp tomato puree (paste)
• 400 g tin green lentils, drained (265g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 100 ml (~ 1/2 cup) water or vegetable stock

Instructions

• To begin, peel the potatoes, and cut them into chunks. Boil them in plenty of water until they’re totally soft – around 15-20 minutes or so. Then drain the potatoes, and add the butter, milk, and plenty of salt and pepper. Mash thoroughly until smooth. Set aside.
• While the potatoes are boiling, you can begin the lentil mixture. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and add the diced onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes, until fragrant, then add the frozen vegetables. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the vegetables have defrosted.
• Add the remaining ingredients (mushroom ketchup through vegetable stock), and mix to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, and allow to cook for a further 5-10 minutes.
• Transfer the lentil mixture to a baking dish (mine measured approximately 8 x 8 inches), and dollop the mashed potato on top. Spread the potato out with a fork, and sprinkle over some grated cheese if you want to. Bake at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 30 minutes, or until the topping is crispy and the gravy is bubbling up around the edges.

Notes

If needed, this vegetarian shepherd’s pie can be prepared in advance, and stored in the fridge overnight or until you’re ready to bake.

Leftovers can be frozen, or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheated thoroughly in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 14.6g | Fat: 9.4g | Saturated Fat: 3.8g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 683mg | Potassium: 1579mg | Fiber: 13.7g | Sugar: 8.1g | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 6mg

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Is there any better way to prepare parsnips than roasted in honey? If there is, I haven’t found it. The honey caramelises around the crispy parsnips, which stay soft and fluffy in the middle. They’re little bites of heaven.

This honey roasted parsnip soup transforms those same flavours into a thick and creamy soup, taken to a new level with the addition of fresh thyme, and a swirl of cream on top.

What’s so good about honey roasted parsnips?

In the winter, parsnips regularly feature on my weekly shopping list. There’s something so comforting about a roasted root vegetable, and the slight sweetness of parsnips makes them extra yummy.

Since they’re slightly sweet already, a little honey goes a long way on parsnips – just enough to tip them over into true deliciousness, without covering the beautiful parsnippy flavour.

How to make honey roasted parsnip soup

Step 1: Roast the parsnips

You guessed it: we start with roasted parsnips.

I added a few things to the baking tray:

• the parsnips themselves
• wedges of onion (roasted onion is incredible)
• plenty of salt and pepper
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• olive oil (which is tastier than a flavourless oil)
• and a little drizzle of that all-important honey

Lay everything out in a single layer, and pop it in the oven. The parsnips will end up perfectly crispy, infused with all those incredible flavours.

Step 2: Deglaze the pan

Once you’ve scooped all the roasted vegetables from the baking tray, you’ll notice a whole heap of crispy, sticky bits stuck to the bottom – little corners of roasted parsnip and onion, caramelised honey, fresh thyme leaves…

We don’t want to waste all this flavour! It would be absolutely criminal to stick this pan straight in the dishwasher.

So, this bit’s super important: we need to deglaze the pan.

All this means is, pouring some boiling water onto the pan, and carefully scraping up all the stuck bits. It’s actually pretty easy, as the hot water dissolves any sticky bits, and means everything comes off really nicely.

Tip the deglazing liquid into a saucepan with the roasted parsnips. On the right hand side of this picture, you can see the colour of the water after it had been used to deglaze the pan – it adds so much flavour!

Step 3: Blend the soup

Now it’s time to get your blend on. I generally like to use a hand blender (like this one: Amazon UK* / Amazon US*) to make soup, as it means you can blend right in the saucepan, which is generally easier than transferring everything to an upright blender. For this particular soup though, it doesn’t really matter what type of blender you use.

You’ll need to add a bit more vegetable stock to thin out the soup – just add however much you need to get your desired consistency.

How to serve parsnip soup

The soup should now be thick and creamy, earthy yet sweet – really delicious. You could quite easily scoop it into bowls, and eat it as is.

However, if I’ve made my soup for guests or any sort of special occasion (perhaps even Christmas dinner?), I like to serve it with a swirl of cream on top – purely because it looks beautiful. The contrast of the white cream against the orangey brown soup is really pretty.

A few additional thyme leaves on top also make it look a bit more fancy!

What to serve with parsnip soup

Since this is a super simple soup, you don’t need to go over the top with your side dishes. Some crusty bread and butter is ideal – I like to use those baguettes that you heat up in the oven, as it makes them extra crispy, and means the butter melts nicely.

Garlic bread would be pretty amazing dipped in this too… but then, I’m always happy for an excuse to eat garlic bread.

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Honey Roasted Parsnip Soup

This honey roasted parsnip soup is thick and creamy, with a touch of sweetness, and plenty of earthy parsnip flavour. Such a good appetiser or light lunch!

Course Appetiser, Light lunch, Soup

Cuisine British

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 2 bowls

Calories 240kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 300 g parsnips (~ 2 large parsnips)
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Few sprigs fresh thyme
• 750 ml (~ 3 cups) hot vegetable stock or water
• 2 tbsp cream, to serve (optional)

Instructions

• Peel the parsnips, and cut them into finger-sized sticks. Peel the onion, and cut it into a few wedges.
• Lay the vegetables on a baking tray (make sure you use one with raised sides), and drizzle with olive oil and honey. Sprinkle over plenty of salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Spread the vegetables out into a single layer, and lay a few sprigs of fresh thyme on top.
• Roast at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 30 minutes, stirring once halfway.
• When the vegetables are crispy, remove any thick thyme stalks from the tray (you can leave the leaves or any thin stalks). Then transfer the veg to a large saucepan (if using a hand blender), or straight into an upright blender.
• To deglaze the pan, carefully pour a few tablespoons of boiling water onto the baking tray, and leave it to sit for a couple of minutes. Use a non-metal spoon or spatula to gently scrape any leftover crispy bits off the bottom of the tray, then tip the whole lot into the pan or blender.
• Adding additional stock or water as necessary (I used about 3 cups of vegetable stock in total), blend the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. If needed, you can place the pan over the heat for a few minutes to ensure it’s piping hot before serving.
• If desired, serve topped with a swirl of cream and a few extra fresh thyme leaves.

Notes

Don’t skip the pan deglazing! It’s a vital step to make the soup as tasty as possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 2.7g | Fat: 8.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 668mg | Fiber: 10.1g | Sugar: 21.9g | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg

If you love a creamy soup, you should definitely try my ultra creamy roasted broccoli soup:

* Note: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Honey Roasted Parsnip Soup appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

In my opinion, these roast potatoes are perfect. They’re soft and fluffy in the middle, and super crispy on the outside – the perfect contrast. Whatever you serve them with, these roasties will be the best thing on your plate.

Just look at all those crispy bits…

Now, I definitely don’t make roast potatoes this way every time. I usually use the quickest method possible – literally just cut up some unpeeled potatoes, and stick them in the oven.

They’re still great when they’re cooked the lazy way (it’s very hard to make a roast potato anything short of delicious), but they don’t even come close to these perfect ones. If you have time, I would 100% recommend using the method below, to give utterly perfect roast potatoes.

How to make perfect roast potatoes

Making good roast potatoes is really easy. There are a couple of steps, but none of it is remotely difficult.

Step 1: Wash and peel potatoes
Step 2: Boil potatoes until fluffy
Step 3: Roast potatoes in plenty of oil

That’s it! Very straightforward really. Even if you’re not a particularly experienced cook, you should be able to make a roast potato taste good.

What are the best potatoes for roasting?

Whichever variety of potato you use, you’re probably going to end up with a delicious roast potato.

However, some varieties of potato do make slightly better roast potatoes than others.

Ideally, you want to use a type of fluffy potato. This will not only make the middles of your roasties super light and soft, but it will also help them to fluff up around the edges – and these are the bits that get nice and crispy as they roast!

The best potatoes to use for roasting include:

• Maris Piper potatoes
• King Edward potatoes
• Yukon Gold potatoes
• Rooster potatoes

This time I used Maris Pipers. You can find out more about different varieties of potatoes here, including some information about what types of potatoes are best for different recipes.

Should I peel my potatoes before roasting?

In short – yes.

As I said, I often don’t bother peeling my potatoes. Potato skins actually contain a lot of nutrients, and it’s quicker not to peel them, which is always a plus for a lazy cook.

But – this isn’t a recipe for the most nutritious roast potatoes, or the laziest roast potatoes. It’s a recipe for the tastiest roast potatoes.

So for these, you’re going to need to peel.

Peeling allows the potatoes to fluff up around the edges as they boil, and these are the bits that form the super crispy exterior of the roast potatoes (and we all know that’s the best bit). So peel away!

Should I boil my potatoes before roasting?

Again, when I’m in a rush / feeling lazy, I usually don’t bother boiling.

But boiling the potatoes before putting them in the oven softens them up, giving fluffy edges, and melt-in-your-mouth centres – so it’s a must if you’re aiming to make the best roast potatoes.

Just boil your potatoes until they’re nearly soft. You don’t want them to end up as soft as they’d be if you were making mashed potato, for example, but just enough that they begin to break down around the edges.

How to get crispy roast potatoes

Here comes the fun bit.

Once you’ve drained your boiled potatoes, hold a lid tightly over the pan, and give the whole thing a really good shake.

As the boiled potatoes bash into each other, they fluff up even more around the edges, and create lots of little loose bits that will crisp up beautifully as they roast.

It’s a pretty good arm workout too.

Obviously you don’t want to go overboard here – don’t end up making mash accidentally! Just a few good hard shakes will be enough to rough up the edges of your potatoes.

How much oil should I use on my roast potatoes?

I’ll say again: this is not a recipe for healthy roast potatoes.

In other words: the more oil, the better.

Okay, perhaps you don’t want to use an entire bottle, but don’t be too stingy – you need every single piece of potato to be well coated in oil to give those nice crispy edges.

(I’m getting hungry just thinking about those nice crispy edges…)

Lay the potatoes out on a baking tray, making sure not to overcrowd them. If they’re all squeezed together, they won’t crisp up properly.

How to season roast potatoes

At this point, you’ll need to add some seasoning to your potatoes.

Potatoes love salt – they soak it right up, and it really brings them to life. So add a really generous pinch of salt, and of course, some black pepper too.

I tend to leave it there, but you could also add some garlic powder, dried herbs, or ground spices (smoked paprika is my favourite!).

Then, put the tray in the oven for around 45 minutes or so, until the potatoes are crisped up to your liking.

You can always add an extra pinch of salt while the potatoes are still hot, if needed.

How to serve roast potatoes

As much as I’d love to eat a whole plateful of roast potatoes on their own and call it a day, they really work best as a side dish, as part of a roast dinner. They’re also an absolute must every Christmas!

Here are a few ideas for vegetarian meals that all work well alongside some roasties:

• spinach and ricotta lentil slice
• veggie en croute
• creamy lentil and aubergine stack
• cheesy bean roast
• carrot and white bean veggie cutlets
• mushroom stroganoff pie
• vegetable toad in the hole
• vegetarian haggis and mushroom wellington
• honey and mustard sticky sausages

What do you like to serve alongside your roast potatoes?

What to do with leftover roast potatoes

‘Leftover roast potatoes’ isn’t a phrase that’s ever uttered in my house. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a leftover roast potato…

But if you do end up cooking more than you can eat, there are plenty of things you can do with them.

If you’d like to eat them in the same way again, they’re best reheated in the oven (microwaving can make them soggy!). Obviously they’ll end up even crispier second time round, so don’t turn the oven up too hot, and keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.

Alternatively, you can use your leftover roast potatoes in a new way entirely. Here are a few ideas:

• use them instead of chips, topped with homemade veggie chilli, to make vegetarian chilli cheese fries
• throw them into a vegetarian curry to make it extra nourishing
• add them to a vegetable stew
• scatter them (cold or warm) through a hearty salad, like this creamy green bean potato salad
• cover with sauce and grated cheese, and pop in the oven to make a super easy potato bake
• give them a new identity as Bombay potatoes
• chop them up into breakfast burritos
• blend them into a warming vegetarian soup, to thicken it up
• slice them up to create a crispy topping for a vegetarian hotpot

Thinking of all these brilliant ideas for ways to use leftover roast potatoes is actually inspiring me so much that I think next time I’ll try to resist eating the whole tray in one go. It’s just so hard when they’re such perfect roast potatoes!

More Potato Recipes

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How to make perfect roast potatoes

This recipe makes utterly perfect roast potatoes! These roast potatoes, with fluffy middles and super crispy edges, are definitely the star of every plate.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine British

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 294kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 kg (~ 2 lb 3 oz) potatoes (see blog post for best varieties)
• 4 tbsp unflavoured cooking oil (e.g. vegetable oil or sunflower oil)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Peel the potatoes, and cut them into chunks (depending on your preferred size).
• Place the potatoes in a large pan of water, and boil until they are just soft, but still holding their shape. Drain the potatoes, and return them to the pan.
• Holding the lid on tightly, firmly shake the pan several times to fluff up the potatoes. They should start to break down just slightly round the edges.
• Transfer the potatoes to a baking tray, and toss in a generous amount of oil. Spread them out into a single layer – use two trays if needed. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
• Roast at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 45 minutes, turning the potatoes halfway through cooking time, until crisped up to your liking. The exact cooking time will depend on how big you cut your potatoes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 39.6g | Protein: 4.3g | Fat: 13.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 597mg | Potassium: 1024mg | Fiber: 6.1g | Sugar: 2.9g | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

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Stew and dumplings is a British classic. We ate it regularly when I was growing up, and it’s still one of my favourite dinners. There’s nothing more comforting than a bowlful of rich veggie stew. And the best bit: fluffy suet dumplings!

Dumplings are practically a British institution, but if you’re never made them before, here’s how to make perfect suet dumplings!

What are suet dumplings?

Seemingly every cuisine in the world has their own version of the dumpling. Japanese gyoza, Polish pierogi, Spanish empanadas… and British suet dumplings! They’re a much-loved British dish.

Suet dumplings are cakey and fluffy – vaguely similar in texture to a dense cornbread.

They’re often cooked right on top of a gravy-based stew, which is perfect, as the bottom of the dumpling soaks up the gravy beautifully. The top of the dumpling gets slightly crispy.

What is suet? Is it vegetarian?

If you’re not British, you may be unfamiliar with suet. It’s commonly used in traditional British recipes – the infamous spotted dick, for example, along with various other sweet and savoury suet puddings.

Suet is usually not vegetarian – I’ll leave you to read up about it yourself if you’re interested in where it comes from, as I don’t really want to go into the gory details here!

However, there are brilliant vegetarian suets available, which are a great substitution, and make a fantastic dumpling. It comes in small, solid pellets.

Vegetable suet is easy to find in all big supermarkets in the UK. If you’re in a country where suet is less common, you may be able to find it online – here’s the one I use on Amazon US, for example.

How to make suet dumplings

Step 1: Mix the suet and flour

To make your suet dumplings, just add the vegetable suet to a mixing bowl, along with some self-raising flour.

I know self-raising flour isn’t common in some countries – so you can either buy it online, or make your own, using plain flour and baking powder.

Step 2: Add some flavour

This step is technically optional, but if you don’t add any additional flavours to your dumplings, they’ll be pretty tasteless. At a minimum, I like to add a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

I also tend to add some dried herbs, and perhaps some ground spices too. Just use your favourites. Dried thyme always works nicely with a rich, gravy-based stew, and some garlic granules too.

Step 3: Mix with water

Add some water to your dry ingredients, and use a fork to mix. It doesn’t take much stirring.

The raw dumpling mixture should be thick and sticky – quite wet.

Step 4: Dollop on top of your favourite stew

The stew I made this time was a variation on this stew recipe, except I used vegetarian mince instead of beef-style chunks. Any gravy-based stew works brilliantly – and for the proper British experience, make sure you use Bisto gravy granules!

Just add big dollops of the dumpling mixture right on top of the stew once it’s mostly cooked, and return it to the oven.

Step 5: Bake until the dumplings are firm

You can either bake the dumplings with a lid on, or not.

If you keep the lid on, the dumplings will end up entirely steamed, so they’ll be softer and slightly wetter.

If you leave the lid off, they’ll crisp up more on top, and be slightly drier.

I like to do a bit of both, so I’ll usually leave the lid on for the first 10 minutes or so, then take it off for another 10.

You’ll know the dumplings are fully cooked when they’re nice and firm.

How many dumplings is one portion?

This recipe makes a fair few dumplings. Obviously the exact number will depend on exactly how big you make them, but I managed to get 7 good sized dumplings from this recipe.

Suet dumplings are pretty filling, so one dumpling per person is probably enough – definitely no more than 2. After all, they’re supposed to be a fun addition to a bowl of stew, rather than the main focus of your plate.

If you want to make a smaller batch of dumplings, just halve the recipe.

Can you make dumplings with plain flour?

If you don’t have any self-raising flour, you might be wondering whether you can use plain flour to make your dumplings instead.

Technically you can, but your dumplings will definitely end up being pretty dense. Suet dumplings are fairly stodgy at the best of times (in a good way!), but they lean towards too stodgy if you use plain flour.

If you only have plain flour in the house, add some baking powder as well, to help them rise and become fluffy. This post suggests using 1 tsp of baking powder for every 100g of plain flour.

What to serve with suet dumplings

You can cook these suet dumplings on top of all kinds of vegetarian stew and casserole.

I’d opt for a fairly wet stew, with plenty of sauce or gravy, so that there’s enough steam to cook the dumplings. This also helps to keep things a little lighter, as dumplings can feel a bit heavy if you’re not careful.

Here are some of my favourite vegetarian stew recipes:

• rustic vegan cassoulet
• mushroom bourguignon
• vegetarian sausage casserole
• 15 minute mushroom stroganoff
• vegetarian ‘beef’ stew
• lentil and mushroom stew with Branston pickle
• spicy bean hotpot
• vegetarian Irish stew

All of these stews and casseroles could be great with a few suet dumplings on top! Did you know how to make suet dumplings before?

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Traditional British Suet Dumplings

Suet dumplings are a British classic – especially served with a rich, gravy-based stew! Here's how to make perfect suet dumplings.

Course Main meals, Side Dish

Cuisine British

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 7 dumplings

Calories 267kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 130 g (~ 1 cup) vegetable suet
• 260 g (~ 2 cups) self-raising flour
• 1 tsp dried herbs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic granules
• 250 ml (~ 1 cup) water

Instructions

• Add the vegetable suet and self-raising flour to a large bowl, and add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix to combine. Add the water, and mix with a fork to create a sticky dough.
• Dollop the dumpling mixture on top of your favourite stew when it’s nearly cooked. Add a lid, and return the stew to the oven for a further 20-25 minutes, until the dumplings are firm. I like to remove the lid for the final 10-15 minutes of cooking time, to help them to crisp up a little.

Nutrition

Serving: 1dumpling | Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.7g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 12.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 2mg

Want to cook more traditional British food? Savoury mince is another classic! Here’s my vegetarian version.

* This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post How to Make Suet Dumplings appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

I imagine kedgeree is a dish that a lot of you won’t be familiar with. It’s an Anglo-Indian dish, so it’s only really known in the UK – but I think that should change! If you’re unfamiliar with kedgeree, read on, and I’ll tell you how this smoked tofu kedgeree came about.

What is kedgeree?

Kedgeree is thought to have been brought to Victorian Britain in the 1800s, by British colonials who were inspired by the food they’d enjoyed in India – in particular, a rice and lentil dish called khichdi.

As we Brits are wont to do, we changed the dish beyond all recognition, gave it an Anglicised name, and claimed it as our own. And thus, kedgeree was born!

Kedgeree is usually made with smoked fish, along with mildly curried rice and boiled eggs. Obviously I wasn’t going to put fish in my vegetarian version though, so I used smoked tofu instead!

Smoked tofu kedgeree

To begin making your tofu kedgeree, just fry off some smoked tofu in a pan, along with some onion, garlic and ginger.

We’re aiming for a nice smoky tofu here, so buy the pre-smoked stuff if you can, rather than plain. It brings a lot of flavour to the dish, and mimics the smoked fish you’d usually find in kedgeree. If you can’t find smoked tofu, just use regular tofu, but make sure you add some extra smokiness elsewhere instead – perhaps a dash of liquid smoke (Amazon UK / Amazon US).

Unlike when I cook tofu for a saucy dish, you don’t want to overcook the tofu here, as you don’t want the final dish to end up feeling dry. Just cook it enough that it ends up as little soft pockets of that smoky flavour, which will be amazing scattered through the curried rice.

How to cook rice like pasta

Next, add cooked rice.

I’m going to admit something here that will probably get my food blogger card revoked: I cook rice in exactly the same way as I cook pasta. Put it in a pan with lots of water (you want it to have plenty of room to swim around), boil it until it’s cooked, then drain away the excess water.

People seem to have very strong opinions about how to cook rice, and this is never the method they’re arguing for – but this is how I’ve always cooked rice, along with every other British person I know. Rice cookers aren’t really a thing here (I’d actually never even heard of a rice cooker until I was about 20!), and this just seems like the simplest method to me – there’s no need to carefully measure the water, or worry about the rice sticking and burning, or accurately counting the minutes. Just boil it, and drain. Easy peasy.

And most importantly, it gives perfect rice every time. It’s not sticky or gloopy, it’s not crunchy, or overcooked… it’s just perfectly cooked rice.

When the rice is ready, add it to the pan with the curried tofu. At this point, you can add a good knob of butter, which coats the rice and helps it all to become glossy and irresistible.

Finally: Boiled eggs

The finishing touch is some hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges that nestle nicely in amongst the rice.

I know, kedgeree seems a bit random really, doesn’t it, but it works!

I boiled my eggs for about 11 minutes, and ended up with a firm, but not overly hard, yolk. You can cook them for a little longer if you like, or cook them for less time if you prefer a gooey yolk. I bet it would coat the rice beautifully.

Sprinkle plenty of fresh parsley on top, and your kedgeree is ready!

How to serve kedgeree

Unlike a lot of Indian-inspired dishes, kedgeree isn’t really the sort of thing you’d eat as part of a huge Indian feast, with vegetable curries, lentil dal, veggie samosas, etc…

No, kedgeree is more of an ‘eat it on its own’ sort of thing. Supposedly, the Victorians would eat it for breakfast, but I’m not sure I could face such a hearty meal early in the morning – I’d definitely serve it for lunch or dinner, myself.

How to adapt this smoked tofu kedgeree recipe

As you may know, I’m no food purist – I believe foodie rules are there to be broken (see also: how I cook rice).

So as long as you end up with a tasty dish at the end of it, feel free to mix up your smoked tofu kedgeree however you like. You could add some spring onions, a few wedges of fresh tomato, a dollop of mango chutney… whatever you feel like.

Actually, something that’s often included in kedgeree is sultanas / raisins. Yes, I know it sounds weird, but curry+sultanas is actually an amazing combination that we Brits seem to like quite a lot (like in another of my super duper British recipes, coronation tofu sandwiches). Try it yourself before you turn up your nose!

Will you be trying this smoked tofu kedgeree?

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Smoked tofu kedgeree

This smoked tofu kedgeree is a vegetarian version of an Anglo-Indian dish from the Victorian era, which is usually made with curried rice, boiled eggs and smoked fish!

Course Main meals

Cuisine British, Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 660kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 300 g (~ 1 1/2 cups) long grain white rice (e.g. basmati)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste (or minced fresh ginger)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 225 g (~ 8 oz) smoked extra firm tofu, cut into chunks
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 vegetable stock cube, crumbled
• Black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp water
• Few sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 lemon (juice only)

Instructions

• Boil the rice in plenty of water until it’s just tender, stirring every few minutes. When it’s cooked, drain any excess water, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, boil the eggs in their shells for around 10-11 minutes. Drain away the boiling water, and rinse the eggs a few times in cold water. Set aside until they’re cool enough to touch.
• While the rice and eggs are cooking, heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan, and add the sliced onion, ginger, garlic and smoked tofu. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or so, until the onion is soft. Add the curry powder, smoked paprika, crumbled stock cube (or just salt, if you don’t have stock cubes), and plenty of black pepper. Cook for a minute or two longer.
• When the rice is cooked, add it to the pan with the tofu, along with a good knob of butter and a splash of water. Mix well, and allow to cook over a gentle heat until the butter has melted and coated the rice nicely.
• Peel the eggs, rinse off any fragments of shell, then slice them, and add to the pan. Also add some fresh chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Gently mix everything together, and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 660kcal | Carbohydrates: 90.9g | Protein: 22.9g | Fat: 23.7g | Saturated Fat: 8.4g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 461mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 4.2g | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg

We Brits often put our own spins on international dishes – like our chip shop Chinese curry!

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If you grew up in the UK in the 90s, you might remember the almighty baked bean pizza. Piled up with Heinz baked beans, tomato sauce, and oodles of cheese, it’s a British kid’s dream. Unfortunately you can’t buy a baked bean pizza in the shops any more – but it’s really easy to make your own!

What is a baked bean pizza?

Back in the 90s, Heinz used to sell a frozen baked bean pizza, known as the Heinz Beanz Pizza. It was just the thing to throw in the oven on a Friday night, to scoff in front of The Simpsons.

It’s just what it sounds like – a cheesy pizza, topped with plenty of baked beans. And I don’t mean the sweet, American-style baked beans. This is a British dish through and through, made with British-style baked beans in tomato sauce.

The pizza was discontinued in 2003, much to the disappointment of the entire country. Luckily, it’s really easy to make your own baked bean pizza – here’s how!

Where to buy British baked beans

Obviously if you’re in the UK, you’ll know where to buy baked beans. Even the tiniest corner shop will have baked beans on the shelves.

However if you live elsewhere, you may need to search in your largest superstore – preferably one with an international section. If they stock any British foods at all, they should stock baked beans.

Alternatively, you can just buy them online, which is much easier than searching the shops! Here they are on Amazon US*.

Once you’ve got your hands on some baked beans, you’re ready to get cooking!

Baked bean pizza recipe

Step 1: Choose your base

If you like, you can begin your baked bean pizza with a beautiful homemade pizza base, made with a delicate yeasted dough, hand-stretched to the perfect size… or, you could remember that we’re aiming to replicate a frozen pizza here, and go for an easier option. I love naan bread pizza – or you can just use a shop-bought pizza base instead.

The baked bean pizza is not haute cuisine. It’s not meant to be fancy. It’s not elegant, it’s not posh nosh, it’s not high-class.

It’s just good grub – it’s filling, it’s incredibly tasty, and it’s supposed to be a fun treat. So go ahead and buy a pizza base – the end result is the perfect recreation of a real Heinz baked bean pizza.

Step 2: Add some pizza sauce

I chose to use a tomato and basil pizza sauce, which is already flavoured with garlic, pepper, etc.

You can pretty much use whatever tomato-based sauce you like. Even just plain tomato puree (tomato paste) will work, but since there are so few toppings going on this baked bean pizza, I like to get some extra flavour in where possible.

Step 3: Add the baked beans

It’s baked bean time! Go crazy here. You don’t want to just scatter a few beans sparsely around the pizza – there’s no point making a baked bean pizza if you’re going to do it by halves!

I probably used around two thirds of a tin – just keep adding beans until you’ve got a nice single layer all over your pizza base.

We don’t really want to add loads of excess sauce at this stage (nobody likes a soggy pizza), so I find it works better to scoop the beans out of the tin with a spoon, rather than pouring them on.

Step 4: Add plenty of grated cheese

Again, we’re not going for gourmet here, so don’t feel bad about using pre-grated cheese from a bag. We’re trying to recreate a frozen pizza, remember, not replicate a traditional Italian pizza.

I find a mix of grated cheddar and grated mozzarella works perfectly on pizza, so that’s what I always use. It gives the most amazing crispy texture on top, it stays a little bit gooey underneath, and it’s got the perfect amount of flavour.

Make sure there’s a nice thick layer of cheese covering the whole pizza, and pop it in the oven until it’s cooked to your liking – I like my cheese to be golden brown all over.

Can you cook a pizza straight on the oven rack?

Yes! You can cook pizza straight on the oven rack, as long as it’s a slightly firm base, rather than a soft, fresh dough.

If I’m cooking a frozen pizza, or using a firm shop-bought base like this one, I always cook my pizza straight on the oven rack. I just pop it straight onto the wire shelf! It helps to make the base extra crispy underneath, avoiding any sogginess (and it also means I avoid having to wash a baking tray!).

The only time I don’t cook my pizza straight on the oven rack is if it’s a soft base that’s likely to droop down through the grill – for example, if I’m using a fresh, homemade pizza dough, or if I’m cooking a chilled (rather than frozen) shop-bought pizza.

Otherwise, straight on the rack all the way! I never usually have any problems (like dripping cheese, for example), but I do have a non-stick oven liner*, just in case – so if there is the odd drip, it’s really easy to just wipe the oven liner clean. These ones look the same as mine, and they’re brilliant – just cut them to the right size, place them on the bottom of your oven, and you’re good to go.

And there you have it! A cheesy, tomatoey baked bean pizza. It’s like we’ve stepped back in time, and we’re all kids again. Just need some potato smilies on the side!

Print

Baked bean pizza

A homemade version of the classic Heinz baked bean pizza that was discontinued in the early 00s! Proper British kid nostalgia.

Course Main meal

Cuisine British, Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 611kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp tomato pizza sauce
• 1 large pizza base
• 1 tin Heinz baked beans
• 150 g (~ 1 1/2 cups) grated mozzarella / cheddar cheese (I used a mixture of both)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
• Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza base, and top with the baked beans. You don’t necessarily need to use the entire tin of beans, just keep adding them until the base is covered with a nice layer of beans.
• Sprinkle the grated cheese on top, and ensure it’s well distributed across the whole pizza.
• Bake the pizza for around 15-20 minutes, or until piping hot and cooked to your liking.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5pizza | Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.1g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 24.9g | Saturated Fat: 12.9g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 860mg | Potassium: 768mg | Fiber: 10.1g | Sugar: 7.2g | Calcium: 568mg | Iron: 4mg

Love British food? A vegetarian full English breakfast is a must-try!

* This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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