It’s nearly time for us to celebrate Scotland’s greatest bard – Rabbie Burns. And as is tradition, 25 January is dedicated to a supper in his honour.
I can’t say even before I turned to a plant based diet that haggis was one of those dishes that filled me with joy, when I discovered what was in it. I do remember the spice and texture and while I’ve tasted many a vegetarian haggis none of them really set my palette on fire.
Vegetarian haggis is fast becoming a popular shelf item in our supermarkets as an alternative to the meat option. However I got a shock this afternoon when I realised the nutritional value of these shop bought ones. Two hundred grams of my recipe below gives 206kcal, 11g fat, 26.2g carbs and 13.5g protein. The popular shop bought vegetarian (suitable for vegan) haggis by comparison has a whopping 546kcal, 32.6g fat, 45.8g carbs and 12g protein. It’s not that far behind the meat version. NB: The vecon and spices are not included in any of my nutritional calculations.
My vegan haggis doesn’t have any additives or preservatives in it – it’s just packed full of goodness and flavour – perfect as a boost to my current training regime. So of course I have to share it with you – and if you want something a little different – you can also try my vegan haggis burgers, which I published previously.
Ingredients (serves 6 at least)
- 250g brown lentils cooked in 1 tsp of vecon
- 40g ground oats
- 100g kidney beans cooked
- 100g red onion
- 100g chestnut mushrooms
- 100g steamed carrots
- 25g ground sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp mace
- 1-2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Method
- Saute the red onion and mushroom until soft then puree
- Puree the carrots
- Roughly mash the kidney beans
- Now add everything together in one big pot, adding the oats a sprinkle at a time until thoroughly mixed
- Cook on the stove top for 20-30 minutes, keeping topped up with water so it doesn’t stick
- You can finish off in the oven – gives a lovely baked top when you do
You can opt for a traditional neeps and tatties side dish and some onion gravy, or go for something completely different – it’s really up to you. However you serve it, enjoy and feel free to address the haggis – I’m sure the Bard would approve of this alternative version of our celebratory dish.
The Baking Biker Chic 