Walnut, chestnut mushroom & cranberry nut roast
A hearty vegetarian nut roast with toasted walnuts, chestnut mushrooms and dried cranberries — perfect as a centrepiece or Sunday supper.
A proper nut roast that isn't dry or stodgy — this one uses toasted walnuts and chestnut mushrooms for a meaty texture, with cranberries for bright pockets of sweetness. It's exactly the sort of brilliant vegetarian centrepiece that gets asked about again and again at Sunday lunch or Christmas.
It holds together well for neat slices but also tastes great cold in sandwiches, so make it ahead if you like. The recipe serves eight and keeps and freezes beautifully.
Ingredients
- 200 g walnuts — toasted
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms
- 1 brown onion — large, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic — finely chopped
- 150 g carrot — grated
- 100 g celery — finely diced
- 25 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
- 50 g dried cranberries
- 30 g plain flour
- 120 g dried breadcrumbs
- 2 free-range eggs — lightly beaten
- 200 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 15 g tomato purée
- 15 ml soy sauce — or tamari
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 ml mixed dried herbs
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- food processor
- 23 x 13 cm loaf tin
- baking tray
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Line a 23 x 13 cm loaf tin with baking paper and set a baking tray to one side.
Spread the walnuts on the prepared baking tray and toast in the oven until aromatic and just starting to colour, 8–10 minutes. Watch carefully so they don't burn, then leave to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium hob. Add the brown onion, garlic, carrot and celery and sauté until softened and most of the moisture has evaporated, about 8–10 minutes.
Add the chestnut mushrooms, smoked paprika and mixed dried herbs to the pan and continue to fry until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates, 6–8 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and soy sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Place the toasted walnuts in a food processor and pulse briefly until coarsely chopped — you want texture, not paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the dried breadcrumbs and plain flour.
Add the sautéed vegetable and mushroom mixture to the bowl along with the dried cranberries, fresh parsley, free-range eggs and 150 ml of the hot vegetable stock. Season with sea salt and black pepper and mix thoroughly. The mixture should hold together when pressed but not be soggy; add up to the remaining 50 ml stock only if too dry.
Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin, pressing down firmly and smoothing the top. Score a shallow line down the centre with a knife to help even cooking.
Bake on the middle shelf for 50 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out mostly clean.
Leave the nut roast to rest in the tin for 15 minutes. This resting time firms the loaf and makes slicing far easier.
Carefully lift the loaf from the tin using the baking paper, transfer to a board and slice. Serve warm with gravy and roasted vegetables, or cool completely and slice for sandwiches.
Tips
- Toast the walnuts first — it deepens the flavour and helps them break up cleanly in the processor.
- Cook the vegetables until most moisture has evaporated; an overly wet mix is the most common reason for a soggy roast.
- If you don't have a food processor, roughly chop the nuts by hand and use a fork to combine — texture matters more than uniformity.
- Make ahead: cool completely, wrap and refrigerate overnight — flavours improve and it slices more cleanly.
- To freeze: bake, cool completely, slice and freeze individual slices between baking paper for up to 3 months.
Substitutions
walnuts → mixed nuts (pecans, almonds) same weight
Stays closefree-range eggs → 2 flax 'eggs' (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water, mixed and left 10 minutes)
Noticeably differentdried breadcrumbs → 150 g cooked quinoa (drained) — adds moisture, reduce stock slightly
Stays closesoy sauce → 15 ml tamari
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 340
- Calories
- 9 g
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 500 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this nut roast nut-free?
You can replace the walnuts with a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds plus extra cooked quinoa for body; flavour and texture will be slightly different but still very good.
How do I stop the roast falling apart?
Ensure the veg are well cooked so moisture has gone, press the mixture firmly into the tin and allow the full 15 minutes resting time before turning out.
Can I prepare it the day before?
Yes — bake, cool completely, then wrap and refrigerate. Reheat gently in the oven before serving or serve cold in sandwiches.
How should I reheat leftovers?
Reheat slices in a 160°C fan/180°C conventional oven for 12–15 minutes or in a non-stick frying pan over a low hob until warmed through to keep the edges crisp.
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