Delight in a festive vegetarian Christmas menu featuring creative dishes like mushroom risotto and vegetable spring rolls. Chef Johann Lafer highlights how spices such as yuzu and homemade vegetable broth elevate flavors. The menu includes a starter of rutabaga cream soup with crispy cheese rolls, a main course of fried vegan chestnut gnocchi with maple-glazed apple Brussels sprouts, and a decadent vegan tiramisu for dessert, offering a sumptuous holiday feast for all to enjoy.
Delightful Vegetarian Christmas Menu Ideas
Christmas without a traditional roast is a concept that may baffle many. However, the realm of vegetarian and vegan cuisine opens up a treasure trove of festive culinary possibilities. Renowned chef Johann Lafer emphasizes that a creative approach can lead to an exquisite holiday meal. He suggests a Christmas risotto infused with mushrooms or a refreshing vegetable spring roll drizzled with orange vinaigrette as delightful options.
According to Lafer, the secret ingredient for achieving that ‘wow moment’ in vegetarian dishes lies in the diverse range of spices beyond the usual salt and pepper. His top picks for enhancing vegetarian and vegan meals include yuzu, oat block butter, and a homemade vegetable broth, alongside a variety of winter vegetables. For those looking to impress even the staunchest meat lover, Lafer recommends a dish of caramelized chestnuts glazed with passion fruit juice, served with lamb’s lettuce dressed in pumpkin seed oil, light balsamic vinegar, and pumpkin falafel. Below are some inspiring recipes to recreate a vegetarian Christmas feast!
Starter: Rutabaga Cream Soup with Crispy Cheese Rolls
Serves: 4
Ingredients: 2 shallots, 250 g rutabaga, 2 tbsp rapeseed oil, 1 tsp sugar, 600 ml strong vegetable broth, 200 g finely grated Gruyère cheese, 1 tbsp milk, 1 egg, 2 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 sheet of strudel dough (ready-made), about 3 tbsp liquid butter, 50 g butter, salt, pepper, juice of 1/2 lemon.
Preparation: Begin by peeling and dicing the shallots and chopping the rutabaga into small pieces. Sauté both ingredients in hot oil for approximately 2 minutes until they become translucent. Sprinkle with sugar and allow to caramelize slightly. Pour in the vegetable broth, cover, and let it simmer gently over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
For the cheese rolls, mix the Gruyère with milk, egg, flour, and baking powder. Brush the strudel dough with melted butter, cut it into four rectangles, and pipe the cheese mixture in a line onto each piece before rolling them up. Fry the rolls in hot oil until they turn golden brown and crispy, then drain on paper towels.
Using a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in butter, seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Optionally, garnish with fried rutabaga cubes and chopped chives before serving alongside the crispy rolls.
Main Course: Fried Vegan Chestnut Gnocchi with Maple-Glazed Apple Brussels Sprouts
Serves: 4
Ingredients: 250 g cooked chestnuts (fresh or vacuum-packed), 150 g vegan soy cream, 50 g chestnut flour, salt, black pepper, 400 g Brussels sprouts, 2-3 small apples, 2 sprigs of parsley, 3 sprigs of marjoram, 2-3 tbsp rapeseed oil, 50 g margarine, 3 tbsp maple syrup.
Preparation: Chop the chestnuts and cook them with the soy cream in a small pot for about 5 minutes, then blend until smooth. Mix in the chestnut flour and knead into a cohesive dough, seasoning with salt and pepper. Roll the dough into 2 cm thick sausages, cut them into short pieces, and roll into balls.
Clean and halve the Brussels sprouts, cooking them in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes until al dente. Drain and cool. Prepare the apples by quartering, removing the cores, and cutting into wedges. Finely chop the parsley and marjoram leaves.
Place the gnocchi in a pot of gently simmering salted water and cook for 5-6 minutes, then drain well. In a large non-stick pan, heat rapeseed oil and fry the gnocchi until golden. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, add the Brussels sprouts and apple wedges, cooking for 6-8 minutes. Add margarine and maple syrup to glaze the mixture.
Return the fried gnocchi to the pan, toss with chopped herbs, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Dessert: Vegan Tiramisu in a Glass with Spelt
Serves: About 12 small portions
Ingredients: 120 g spelt flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 50 g coconut blossom sugar, 60 g coconut oil, 120 ml sparkling mineral water, 1 tbsp fruit vinegar, 250 g fresh blueberries, 50 g gelling sugar 3:1, juice of 1 lime, 100 g dark chocolate (70%), 40 g coconut blossom sugar, 250 ml coconut milk, about 100 ml strong cold espresso, 75 ml amaretto, about 2 tsp cocoa for dusting.
Preparation: Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a deep baking tray with baking paper. Mix the dry ingredients—flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda—in a bowl. Melt the coconut oil and combine it with the dry ingredients along with sparkling water and vinegar. Spread the mixture evenly in the tray and bake for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then cut out circles to fit your serving glasses.
For the blueberry layer, combine blueberries with gelling sugar and lime juice in a pot and boil for about 4 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator. For the cream, chop the dark chocolate and heat it with coconut blossom sugar and coconut milk until melted. Cool this mixture in the refrigerator, then whip until creamy.
Soak the sponge discs in a mixture of espresso and amaretto. Layer the soaked sponge and blueberry ragout in serving glasses, finishing with a dusting of cocoa powder before serving. Enjoy this indulgent vegan dessert!