5 Vegetarian Winter Warmer Recipes

The temperature is dropping and the nights are getting longer. It’s time to start cooking hearty, wholesome meals. When most people think of winter dishes, they imagine meat stews and roast turkey dinners, but there are lots of veggie options. Here are five vegetarian winter warmer recipes you can try at home.

Miso-glazed Aubergine

This is an easy dish, bursting with umami flavours that vegetarians will love. It can be served with rice or a cold soba-noodle salad.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• • 2 large aubergines

• • 3 tbsp white miso paste

• • 2 tbsp sesame oil

• • 1 tsp honey

• • 1 tsp mirin

• • 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

Method

• • Preheat the oven to 190°C.

• • Slice the aubergines lengthwise. Brush the slices with sesame oil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

• • Mix together remaining ingredients, except for the sesame seeds. Place on top of aubergine slices.

• • Return them to the oven for a further to minutes.

• Sprinkle white sesame seeds on top, then serve.

Mulled Wine

This isn’t a meal in itself, but it is very warming and the perfect treat for a long winter’s night.

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• • 1 cinnamon stick

• • 7 cloves

• • 3 star anise

• • 1 orange, sliced

• • 2 tbsp brown sugar

• • 750ml bottle red wine

• 100ml brandy

Method

• • Pour red wine into a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

• • Add the rest of the ingredients.

• Stir gently, on a low heat, until wine is warmed through (don’t let it boil).

Festive Mac and Cheese Bake

A comfort food classic, jazzed up with some festive leftovers.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• • 500g macaroni pasta

• • 50g butter

• • 50g flour

• • 750ml milk

• • 1 handful roast chestnuts

• • 2 tbsp leftover cranberry sauce

• • 300g-400g leftover cheeses, Camembert, Brie, Wensleydale, Red Leicester

• 1 tsp mustard

Method

• • Preheat the oven to 200°C.

• • Boil the macaroni pasta in one pan until al dente.

• • In the other pan, make a simple roux (to thicken the sauce) by melting butter and adding flour to make a paste. Slowly add the milk, stirring quickly to make sure there are no lumps. Flavour with mustard if you wish.

• • Add cheeses of your choice (saving some to crumble on top) and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

• • Stir in the pasta and chestnuts. Slowly swirl in the cranberry sauce.

• • Place the mixture in an ovenproof dish, and cover the top liberally in grated cheese.

• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the top has turned golden brown.

Christmas Parcels

The standard vegetarian fare for Christmas is a nut roast, but they can be quite fiddly and time-consuming to make, and are often dry. These festive filo parcels, on the other hand, take mere minutes. I serve them with McCain potatoes – my favourite brand of ready-made roasties – some vegetable sides, and gravy.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• • 100g walnuts

• • 150g goat’s cheese

• • 100g beetroot, precooked

• • cranberry sauce

• • 1 tsp powdered allspice

• • 270g filo pastry

• • 1 handful fresh chives

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

• • Preheat oven to 190°C.

• • Dry roast walnuts on the pan, until a nutty aroma rises into the air. Add the allspice and mix in. Leave for 20 seconds. Remove and roughly chop.

• • To make an individual parcel, take a sheet of filo pastry and cut it in half. Place one sheet over the other, crosswise. In the middle of the pastry, place a smear of cranberry sauce, a dollop of goat’s cheese, the diced walnuts and chopped beetroot. Fold the sides of the pastry up, and twist. Tie up with a fresh chive. Brush lightly with olive oil.

• Place finished parcels in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Shakshuka

This is my family’s favourite brunch recipe – eggs simmered in a rich tomato and bell-pepper sauce. We eat it with crusty sourdough bread.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• • 2 tsp cumin seeds

• • 1 tsp smoked paprika

• • ½ tsp ground coriander

• • 1 medium onion

• • 1 green bell pepper

• • 2 cloves garlic

• • 6 medium tomatoes

• 4-6 medium eggs

Method

• • Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add the cumin seeds then add diced onions. Fry until softened, then add the chopped garlic and fry for another 30 seconds.

• • Add coriander powder and paprika.

• • Add the diced bell pepper and fry for 1 minute.

• • Dice tomatoes and add to mixture, alongside several tablespoons of water. Put the lid on and wait for the mixture to soften.

• • Add salt and pepper to taste.

• • Make indentations in mixture with a spoon and crack an egg into each hollow.

• • Put the lid back on and leave until eggs are cooked.

• Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

These five recipes show that vegetarian food can be just as decadent, tasty and comforting as meat-based dishes. I hope you enjoy cooking them this Christmas!

This is a collaborative post.