I’m finally sharing my tried and tested, ultimate nut roast recipe! This Cranberry-Topped Nut Roast is packed with festive flavour and texture. Combined with all the trimmings, you’ll have yourself an unforgettable roast dinner.
Now, Nut Roasts get a bad rap (even amongst lots of vegans). But, I really don’t see why. When done properly, they can completely change a meal (for the better). Stuffing was actually always my favourite part of a roast dinner, and a nut roast is very stuffing-y in my opinion, so basically my dream main dish.
Combined with my homemade vegan gravy and crispy roast potatoes, this Cranberry Topped Nut Roast is the ultimate festive plant based main. Not only is it absolutely delicious, it also looks pretty impressive too.
The method is surprisingly simple, it’s kind of like a savoury upside down cake. My biggest tip would be to prepare your chopped nuts, chestnuts and breadcrumbs before you begin (add each to a food processor one by one – details for this are below in the recipe). This just makes it super simple to throw together later on.
TOP TIP: If you have leftovers, make a nut roast sandwich the next day (with lots of cranberry sauce!)
Cranberry Topped Nut Roast
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 brown onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 stick celery finely diced
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 3-4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped or 1 tsp dried sage
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 250 g mixed nuts
- 180 g chestnuts
- 180 g fresh breadcrumbs (or 180g stale white bread)
- 65 g dried cranberries or 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
- 2 tsp marmite or vegan yeast extract
- 170 ml boiled water
- 1 tbsp tahini you can also use almond or cashew butter
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
Cranberry Topping
- 150 g fresh cranberries
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a loaf tin with baking paper (ensure the baking paper hangs over the sides so you can remove it easily once cooked)
- Prepare the nuts by adding them to a food processor and blitz until they are chopped (but not ground completely)
- Remove the nuts from the processor then do the same with the chestnuts, set aside
- If you haven’t made your breadcrumbs yet, rip your bread into pieces and place in the food processor and blitz until you have fine breadcrumbs
- Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, saute the onion for a few minutes, then add the minced garlic and diced celery and cook for a few more minutes until softened
- Add the spices and fresh or dried herbs and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat
- In a jug, stir the marmite into the hot water
- Add the chopped nuts, chopped chestnuts, breadcrumbs, marmite water, soy sauce, tahini and dried cranberries to the pan and mix thoroughly
- To make the cranberry topping: add the fresh cranberries to a pan along with the sugar and hot water and cook for 2 minutes – stirring regularly – until the sugar has melted. Add the cranberries to the bottom of the lined loaf tin
- Add the nut roast mixture on top and press down with the back of a spoon until compact and even
- Place in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and leave to cool for a few minutes
- Carefully tip upside down on to your serving plate or board and lift the tin loaf off. Serve with all the trimmings!
- *This will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, so feel free to make the day before ready to re-heat and serve on the big day.
