Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu & Recipes | Plant-Based Holiday Meal

Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu & Recipes | Plant-Based Holiday Meal, From My Messy Little Kitchen#

So, um, confession time. I used to think a “proper” Christmas dinner needed a bird at the center. Like a monolith thing. Then one year I burnt the gravy so bad the smoke alarm did a little carol of its own, and we ended up eating mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and green beans like it was a tapas situation. Accidently vegan. And it slapped. Ever since, my holiday table kinda leans plant-based on purpose, not by disaster. Turns out, vegetables are drama queens in the best way — crisps, roasty edges, deep sauces, buttery textures without butter. It’s cozy and generous and honestly more fun to cook.¶

What’s buzzing on plant-based holiday tables right now#

I’m not gonna do a lecture, but I’ve been side-eyeing menus, food shows, pop-ups, the whole internet… and a few thingies keep popping up. Also, I eat out too much. Research, right.¶

• Mushroom wellington is still the main character — but with walnut duxelles, miso, and thyme to push that umami up to eleven
• Air-fried Brussels, yes, but glossy with miso-maple butter and topped with frizzled shallots — real crunchy situation
• Mycelium-based “steaks” and cutlets are having a moment — thick, meaty texture without the heaviness. If you see Meati or similar, give it a go
• Aquafaba desserts aren’t just a TikTok trick anymore — stable meringues, mousse, even pavlova if you don’t mind a humidity fight
• Zero-proof is not a punishment — nice amaro-style sodas, spiced ciders, and legit 0% spirits are everywhere, so your aunt can still sip something grown-up

On the ingredient nerd side: precision-fermented dairy proteins started showing up in a few cheeses and ice creams last year. Some vegans are cool with it, some aren’t — it’s animal-free but not plant-based, so read your labels and pick what matches your vibe. Me, I keep it classic plants for the big day.¶

The menu we actually eat — cozy, festive, not fussy#

Here’s the plant-based Christmas dinner I’m making this year for our slightly chaotic crew. It’s generous, make-ahead friendly, and tastes even better when you slightly over-pour the gravy.¶

• Starter: Little potato blinis with carrot “lox” and cashew-dill cream
• Main: Mushroom + walnut wellington with miso-thyme gravy
• Sides: Miso-maple Brussels with crispy shallots; Porcini-cauliflower mash; Orange-anise cranberry sauce
• Salad (for brightness): Fennel, arugula, pear, and pomegranate with lemony tahini
• Dessert: Dark chocolate–orange tart with aquafaba cloud
• Drinks: Mulled apple cider, plus a zero-proof negroni-ish for the fancy glasses

Recipe: Mushroom + Walnut Wellington with Umami Gravy#

I had my first great wellington at Crossroads Kitchen in LA years back, right after a chaotic flight, and it made me feel like someone tucked me into a pastry duvet. Mine’s a bit rustic but hits those notes. Here’s how I do it, no stress.
Grab: 2 sheets vegan puff pastry, 1.5 lb mixed mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake), 1 cup walnuts, 1 big onion, 4 cloves garlic, a handful of thyme, 2 tbsp white miso, splash soy sauce or tamari, splash sherry or marsala if you like, olive oil, salt, pepper, Dijon.
Make the duxelles-ish: Chop the mushrooms small — not minced dust, leave a little texture. Cook in a wide pan with oil and a pinch of salt till they dump their water and go golden. Add onion, garlic, thyme. Stir. Add miso, soy, a splash of booze if you like. Cook till jammy.
Walnuts: Toast lightly, then pulse to a coarse crumble, stir into the mushroom mix. Taste. It should be salty-savory and a bit sticky.
Assemble: On parchment, lay one pastry sheet. Spread a thin smear of Dijon. Heap the filling in a log right down the middle, leave edges clean. Cap with the second sheet. Crimp with a fork. Score the top with little chevrons so steam escapes. Chill 20 mins because pastry likes a nap.
Bake: 400°F / 200°C for about 30–35 mins till deep golden. If it’s browning too fast, tent with foil. Let it rest 10 mins so it slices without tragedy.
Gravy: In the mushroom pan, add a glug of olive oil, 1 tbsp miso, 1 tbsp soy, 1 tbsp tomato paste, a splash of balsamic, and 2 cups veggie stock. Whisk in 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with cold water. Simmer till glossy. Taste for salt. A knob of vegan butter at the end makes it restaurant-y.¶

Recipe: Miso-Maple Brussels with Crispy Shallots#

I used to steam Brussels into sadness. Now I either air-fry or get the pan ripping hot. The miso-maple glaze makes them sticky and a touch smoky.
You’ll need: 1.5 lb Brussels, trimmed and halved. 2 big shallots thinly sliced. 2 tbsp white or yellow miso, 2 tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp neutral oil, pinch chili flakes, salt.
Crispy shallots: Toss with a spoon of cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Pan-fry in a shallow layer of oil till frizzled and bronze. Drain on paper. Try not to eat all of them.
Brussels: Toss with oil and salt. Roast at 425°F / 220°C for 18–22 mins, cut-side down, till charry on the edges. Or air-fry 375°F for 12–14 mins, shake once.
Glaze: Whisk miso, maple, vinegar, chili. Warm in a small pan. When sprouts are done, toss with glaze. Top with shallots. A squeeze of lemon at the end is non-negotiable.¶

Recipe: Porcini-Cauliflower Mash That Doesn’t Taste Like Diet Food#

I love potatoes but this mash is sneaky lush. The porcini brings that holiday roast gravy energy without heavy cream.
Do this: Soak 1 oz dried porcini in hot water 20 mins. Meanwhile steam or boil 1 big head cauliflower florets till tender, like 10–12 mins. Drain well.
Blend: In a food processor, add cauliflower, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp vegan butter, 1–2 cloves roasted or sautéed garlic, salt, pepper. Pour in the porcini soaking liquid through a fine sieve to catch grit, a few tablespoons at a time, until it’s creamy but still scoopable. Chop the soaked porcini and stir them in. Finish with chives. If you want extra body, fold in a boiled Yukon potato or two. Nobody’s mad.¶

Recipe: Orange-Anise Cranberry Sauce#

I can’t not make this. It perfumes the whole house and makes leftovers sing.
Into a saucepan: 12 oz fresh cranberries, zest and juice of 1 big orange, 1/2 cup sugar (use organic or beet sugar if you avoid bone-char filtered), 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, a pinch of salt. Simmer 10–12 mins till cranberries burst and it’s jammy. Fish out the spices. Stir in a spoon of port if you’re feeling classic. Cool — it thickens as it chills.¶

Salad Break: Fennel + Pear + Poms + Lemony Tahini#

When the table’s all brown and golden, you need a crisp whoosh of fresh. Shave a bulb of fennel paper thin, toss with arugula, slices of ripe pear, and a shower of pomegranate jewels. Dressing is just tahini, lemon juice, a splash of cold water to loosen, maple, Dijon, salt. It clings in the nicest way.¶

Dessert: Dark Chocolate–Orange Tart with Aquafaba Cloud#

Okay so my first aquafaba meringue collapsed like a tiny deflated tent. I was whisking with a sad hand mixer and also crying a little. The trick is clean bowl, patience, and adding sugar slowly.
Crust: Blitz 200 g vegan digestives or chocolate cookies with 70 g melted vegan butter. Press into a 9-inch tart tin. Bake 8 mins at 350°F / 175°C.
Filling: Warm 300 ml plant cream with zest of 1 orange till steamy. Pour over 250 g chopped dark chocolate. Sit, then whisk smooth. Add a pinch salt and a splash of vanilla. Pour into crust. Chill 2–3 hrs.
Aquafaba cloud: Drain a can of chickpeas and weigh 100 g aquafaba. Whip with 1/4 tsp cream of tartar till soft peaks. Rain in 100 g caster sugar slooowly while whipping to stiff glossy peaks. Torch kisses on top or keep them cloudlike. Note: humidity is the enemy, and some sugars don’t play nice, so stick to fine caster and a bone-char–free brand if that matters to you.¶

Little Starter: Potato Blinis with Carrot “Lox”#

I started doing this after a brunch at Planta in Toronto where the carrot lox was just… sea-kissed magic. My version: ribbon carrots, tossed with olive oil, smoked paprika, a splash of soy, a few drops liquid smoke, and a crumble of nori. Roast at 325°F till bendy and silky, like 25–30 mins. Chill overnight — the smoke mellows and the sea sneaks in. Make tiny potato pancakes with mashed potato, a spoon of flour, salt, pepper. Pan crisp. Top with a dollop of cashew-dill cream and the carrot. It tastes expensive.¶

Drinks: Mulled Cider & a Zero-Proof Negroni-ish#

Mulled cider is the friend who shows up on time. Warm good apple cider with orange peel, cinnamon, clove, star anise, and a thumb of ginger. Don’t boil it to death. For the negroni-ish, mix a bitter red zero-proof aperitivo with a juniper-y 0% gin and a splash of alcohol-free sparkling — basically a sbagliato that won’t make you nap. Orange twist and a big cube, you’re done.¶

Eating out, stealing ideas, and the dish that changed my mind#

The first fully plant-based Christmas menu I ever tried out was at a fancy spot in New York — you know the one that went vegan a while back and broke the internet. The beet coursed like jewelry and the parsnip soup tasted like a hug. In London, I had a mushroom wellington at Mallow that made me rethink pastry ratios. And in LA, Crossroads taught me to season like I mean it. I steal techniques everywhere — resting pastry, finishing sauces with a knob of vegan butter, pickling something bright for the plate — then I bring it home and slightly mess it up in a lovable way.¶

Timing so dinner doesn’t eat you alive#

Look, I am not a spreadsheet person, but this helps. Do what future-you will thank you for.¶

• Two days before: Make cranberry sauce, carrot lox, and cashew cream. Toast walnuts. Set the table if you’re that person. I wish I was.
• Day before: Cook the mushroom filling, chill it. Pre-slice shallots and store on paper towel. Make tart crust and filling, chill the tart. Chill the pastry sheets so they’re ready.
• Morning of: Assemble and chill the wellington. Make the salad dressing. Pre-cook the cauliflower. Right before guests arrive, roast Brussels, bake wellington, whip aquafaba, warm gravy, pour cider. Breathe.

CopyHoliday food doesn’t have to be heavy to feel rich, and it doesn’t have to be perfect to be loved. The best dishes on my table are always a little crooked around the edges.

Tiny notes, because I can’t not share them#

If pastry scares you, buy the good frozen vegan stuff and keep it cold till the second you need it. Taste the miso before you dump — brands swing from mellow to salty. Don’t skimp the acid — lemon, vinegar, a splash of something bright wakes up deep flavors. If you’re trying those new cacao-free chocolate bars popping up, they can be great, just check melting behavior before you commit to a tart. And if you’re cooking for mixed eaters, don’t label it vegan — just call it dinner. Somehow the plates come back cleaner that way.¶

Anyway. That’s my plant-based Christmas dinner — a little shiny, a little messy, very us. If you make any of it, tag me or just send a chaotic plate photo with gravy everywhere. I love that. And if you want more food rambles and recipes that don’t take themselves too seriously, I’ve been reading and sharing a bunch over on AllBlogs.in — lots of good stuff there lately.¶