Christmas nut roast
Hearty, herby Christmas nut roast with mixed nuts, chestnut mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes — a showstopping vegetarian centrepiece.
A proper Christmas centrepiece for vegetarians that doesn’t skimp on flavour or texture. This nut roast is nutty, herby and studded with chestnut mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes for festive colour.
Make it for Christmas Day or any winter supper where you want something celebratory that holds its own next to roast potatoes. The key is good texture — coarse chopped nuts, softened veg and a firm rest so it slices neatly.
Ingredients
- 300 g mixed nuts
- 120 g plain breadcrumbs
- 50 g rolled oats
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms
- 1 brown onion — medium
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 carrot — large, grated
- 2 celery sticks — finely diced
- 70 g sun-dried tomatoes — drained if oil-packed
- 15 g fresh parsley — finely chopped
- 2 eggs — large
- 30 ml olive oil
- 15 ml soy sauce — or tamari for gluten-free
- 15 g plain flour
- 5 ml dried thyme
- 200 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 1 lemon — zest and 1 tsp juice
- 5 ml sea salt — adjust to taste
- 5 ml ground black pepper
Equipment
- food processor
- 900g loaf tin (approx 23 x 13cm)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.
Place the mixed nuts in a food processor and pulse in short bursts until you have a coarse crumb — you want texture, not a paste.
Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium hob heat. Add the brown onion, garlic cloves, carrot and celery sticks and sweat gently until soft and translucent.
Add the chestnut mushrooms and the remaining olive oil. Continue to cook until the mushrooms have released their moisture and it has mostly evaporated.
Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, dried thyme and plain flour and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
Tip the cooked veg into a large mixing bowl. Add the pulsed mixed nuts, plain breadcrumbs, rolled oats, fresh parsley, eggs, soy sauce, lemon zest and juice, and most of the hot vegetable stock. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper and stir until combined — the mix should hold when pressed; add a little more stock if too dry or a handful more breadcrumbs if too loose.
Pack the mixture firmly into the prepared loaf tin, level the top and press to remove air pockets. Smooth with a damp spatula.
Cover the tin loosely with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue to bake for a further 15 minutes until the top is deep golden.
Leave the nut roast to rest in the tin for 30 minutes to firm up before turning out and slicing.
Turn the roast out, slice thickly and serve warm. It keeps well sliced for sandwiches the next day.
Tips
- Pulse the nuts to a coarse texture — too fine and they’ll release oil; too large and the roast won’t bind.
- If the mixture feels wet, add extra plain breadcrumbs a tablespoon at a time; if too dry, stir in a little more hot vegetable stock.
- Make ahead: bake the roast, cool completely, wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight. Reheat at 160°C fan/180°C conventional for 20–30 minutes.
- For neat slices run a sharp knife under hot tap water, dry with kitchen paper and slice in a single confident motion.
- Freeze slices individually on a tray, then bag for up to 3 months; defrost in the fridge and reheat gently.
Substitutions
mixed nuts → equal weight of walnuts and almonds (300g total)
Stays closeeggs → flaxseed mixture (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water, left 10 minutes) for a vegan version
Noticeably differentplain breadcrumbs → gluten-free breadcrumbs, same weight
Stays closesoy sauce → tamari (for gluten-free) or 15ml Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian) — flavour will shift
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 390
- Calories
- 13 g
- Protein
- 29 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 450 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this nut roast vegan?
Yes — replace the eggs with a flaxseed ‘egg’ (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water, set 10 minutes) and use tamari if avoiding soy. Texture will be slightly different but still delicious.
How far ahead can I make it?
You can bake and cool it the day before. Keep wrapped in the fridge and reheat in a low oven (160°C fan/180°C conventional) for 20–30 minutes.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze whole (wrapped tightly) or in slices for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Why did my nut roast crumble when I sliced it?
Most often it was cut too soon. Resting in the tin for at least 30 minutes lets it firm up. Also check the moisture balance — if too dry add stock, if too wet add more breadcrumbs.
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