Today’s advent calendar door brings us to the Vegan Christmas Dinner main dish. A whole spiced roasted cauliflower with spicy lentils, this would make the perfect centre piece at any Christmas meal! To catch up on all of the Vegan Advent Calendar posts, click here!
One of the big dilemmas of the holiday season is what to cook for a vegan coming round for Christmas dinner, or what to make for yourself for Christmas dinner, that isn’t, well, nut roast. Is it just me who’s sick of nut roast already? Christmas dinner is one of the most important meals of the year, often one of the only times the whole family is around the table together, so a good meal is a must.
This spiced cauliflower is bursting with great flavour, sitting on a bed of spicy, thick lentils, it’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The lentils are gently spicy and intensely tomato-ey, and they add a real heartiness to the dish.
It’s also one of the easiest recipes you will ever make, there’s almost no prep involved, and the majority of the time needed is hands off. Just some chopping and light frying at the beginning. Then, I would suggest you enjoy a nice glass of wine with some Christmas music on, while the stove and the oven do the hard work for you ;)
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 90 minutes |
| Servings |
people |
- 1 Cauliflower
- 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Shallots
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Green Bell Pepper
- 2 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1 cup (200g) Black Lentils
- 3 + 3/4 cups (900 ml) Vegetable Stock
- 1 can Crushed Tomatoes
- 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes
- 1/2 tsp Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
Lentils
| |
- Prepare the cauliflower first. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Peel the leaves off the cauliflower and cut the bottom of the stalk off so you can lay the cauliflower flat on the base.
- Mix together the oil and the spices and rub all over the top of the cauliflower. Cover the cauliflower in tin foil and place in a baking tray. Bake for 60/90 minutes until cooked through.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the lentils.
- Finely dice the shallots and green pepper. Fry the shallots for 2-3 minutes in a large stock pot, then add the minced garlic and fry for another 2 minutes. add the green pepper and chilli powder and continue to fry until the pepper is soft.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30-35 minutes until the lentils are cooked and the mixture is thick.
- Serve the cauliflower on a bed of lentils and top with some freshly chopped coriander, pomegranate seeds and flaked almonds.
About Lauren Caris
Lauren is the author and chef of the vegan food blog, Lauren Caris Cooks. She is passionate about showing people just how awesome vegan food can be with simple, delicious recipes and vegan lifestyle tips.
Sorry for the confusion!! It goes in at the same time as the vegetable stock
Oh. My. Goodness.
I need this RIGHT NOW. If I had any lentils on hand, this would be tonight’s dinner. Wonder if this would work with pinto beans in place of the lentils…?
I know — what kind of vegan lets herself run out of lentils?!