During the Christmas holidays , food, family and gifts are the protagonists. These are days to enjoy the family and savor those typical and sweet Christmas dishes that you don’t usually eat the rest of the year. Seafood, roasts, cannelloni and mantecados conquer the tables of Christmas , Christmas Eve and New Year ‘s Eve meals . But then… What about vegans? We know that more and more people are choosing to follow a vegan diet , so today we are going to propose 12 healthy vegan recipes to succeed this Christmas season. Whether you are vegan and want to win over the palates of your most demanding relatives or if you want to surprise that vegan relative who you think only eats vegetables, take note of these dishes. In addition to being vegan and healthy , they are easy to prepare and… they are delicious!
1. Hummus con crudités de verduras
Make your own homemade hummus by mashing up cooked chickpeas, tahini, a few cloves of garlic, olive oil, and salt. You can correct the texture of the hummus by adding a little water. Sprinkle paprika and cumin on top when presenting. You can make different versions of healthy hummus by adding ingredients like beets, carrots, or avocado. To finish, peel and cut different vegetables into sticks: carrot, zucchini, celery and enjoy!
2. Vegan vegetable skewers
Prepare vegan and healthy skewers or brochettes with the vegetables that you like the most and cook them on the grill. You can accompany them with a romesco sauce.
3. Varied salads with seasonal fruits
Take advantage of seasonal fruits and give a special touch to your salads. You can add orange, pomegranate… salads are also welcome at healthy Christmas banquets !
4. Baked spiced pumpkin and carrot
Cut the carrot and pumpkin and spice it with cinnamon, cumin, paprika and pepper. Cook both vegetables in the oven with a little salt and oil. You will get a dish full of contrasts, vegan and healthy , perfect for your Christmas meals.
5. Vegetable minestrone soup with spiral pasta
To prepare this vegan and healthy soup, poach the different vegetables: onion, carrot, zucchini, cabbage. When they are golden, pour vegetable broth so that they finish cooking for 7 minutes. Then add the pasta that you like the most and wait 8 more minutes.
6. Eggplant stuffed with textured soy
To prepare these vegan stuffed aubergines , the first thing you have to do is cut the aubergines in half and roast them in an oven. Once roasted, remove the meat from the eggplant and reserve it. Soak the textured soybeans for about 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, you can go cutting and poaching an onion. When it is poached, add the eggplant meat and the hydrated textured soybeans . Sauté it all with Herbes de Provence. When you have the sautéed, stuff the aubergines. You can finish giving it a crispy touch in the oven by adding a little breadcrumbs on top.
7. Healthy Vegan Chickpea Stew with Peppers
To prepare this homemade and healthy vegan chickpea stew , first sauté the onion and garlic with a tablespoon of concentrated tomato and sweet paprika. Later add the diced pepper and let it poach with the onion, garlic and tomato. Add water or vegetable broth to cover the vegetables. When it starts to boil add the chickpeas, which you will have already cooked. Let it boil for about 5 minutes. After this time, turn off the heat and let it rest before serving.
8. Vegan Ratatouille with Herbs de Provence
Another option to incorporate vegan and healthy dishes these Christmas parties . To prepare the ratatouille , first you have to prepare a homemade tomato sauce by poaching onion and carrot and then adding crushed natural tomato. Let the sauce reduce and reserve it. Cut different vegetables (tomato, eggplant, zucchini) into large slices. Next, in a bowl, prepare a base of homemade tomato sauce and place the slices of vegetables that you have cut on top, one after the other. When you have placed them, put basil, salt, oil and pepper on top and let the vegetables cook in the oven for 25 minutes over medium heat.
9. Rosemary Garlic Baked Potatoes
To prepare these baked potatoes with garlic and rosemary , mix crushed garlic, rosemary, thyme and oregano with olive oil. Cut the potatoes into pieces or in half and mix them with the oil and spices until all the potatoes are well impregnated. Put the potatoes in a tray or oven container and let them cook at 180ºC for about 25 or 30 minutes.
10. Tempeh with soy sauce
This tempeh with soy sauce is a great way to add protein to your healthy Christmas dishes. Preparing them is as simple as cutting the tempeh as you like and adding a mixture of soy sauce with a little tahini to cook them on the grill. At the time of serving it you can present them with fresh coriander and some toasted sesame seeds . You can accompany it with the ratatouille that we have mentioned before and with the baked potatoes, which could be your ration of carbohydrates considering the healthy plate method .
11. Healthy Chia Cocoa Pudding
This healthy chia and cocoa pudding is a healthy and delicious dessert option for both Christmas lunch and Christmas Eve or New Year ‘s Eve dinners. To prepare the chia pudding, put a couple of tablespoons of chia seeds in a glass and cover them with your favorite vegetable drink mixed with pure cocoa (I especially advise you to use the coconut, hazelnut or oatmeal drink). Let it sit overnight. Before serving, top with a little soy-based coconut yogurt and add a few oat flakes to decorate.
12. Healthy mix of fruits and nuts
These Christmas holidays , at dessert time you can prepare a plate with a variety of dried fruits such as dates, raisins and dried apricots along with raw or roasted dried fruits. They will give a sweet touch to your vegan and healthy Christmas banquets and are perfect to accompany an infusion or a coffee after eating.
