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    Home » Vegan Recipes » Vegan Main Courses » Festive Butternut Roast - vegan & vegetarian Christmas dinner

    Festive Butternut Roast - vegan & vegetarian Christmas dinner

    Published: Dec 21, 2015 · Modified: Feb 6, 2021 by Kate Ford · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Festive Butternut Roast
    JUMP TO RECIPE JUMP TO VIDEO
    Vegan Christmas Dinner

    This Christmassy butternut roast is the ultimate vegan & vegetarian Christmas dinner. Jam-packed with festive flavours , it can be made ahead and reheated on the big day, so no last minute rush!

    🍽 Why you will love this recipe

    This easy vegetarian Christmas centrepiece has wow-factor and tastes amazing, packed full of festive flavours with cranberries, pistachios, red wine, garlic, rosemary and thyme.

    It is so easy to make, and perfect for making ahead - you can easily make it and refrigerate for up to 2 days, then just pop in the oven to reheat on the big day.

    A stunning visual centrepiece to your Christmas dinner, it is a lovely vegetarian and vegan roast to carve at the table - just watch the meat-eaters tuck in too!

    Jump to:
    • 🍽 Why you will love this recipe
    • 📝 What you need
    • 👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your Festive Butternut Roast
    • 🎄What makes a great vegan or vegetarian Christmas Dinner?
    • ⭐️ Reader Testimonials
    • 👩🏽‍🍳 Top Tips and FAQs
    • If you liked that...
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments and Reviews

    📝 What you need

    Ingredients for vegetarian christmas dinner

    Ingredients

    Butternut Squash Aim for a fairly big squash which will be easier to scoop out and stuff. The long skinny ones with a big bulb at the end will make the job a bit tricker!

    Puy lentils Using dried lentils in this recipe gives the roast filling a lovely texture and a bit of 'bite'. I would recommend using dried rather than tinned or pre-cooked lentils to preserve this lovely texture.

    Cranberries You can use either frozen or fresh cranberries.

    Red Wine If you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it! But of course, any full-bodied red wine will be fine here, there's no need to spend a fortune or choose anything special.

    👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your Festive Butternut Roast

    For a full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page 👇🏼.

    Halve and roast the butternut squash

    Halve and roast the butternut squash for 40-45 minutes until golden and tender. Meanwhile, fry the red onion then add puy lentils and cranberries.

    Simmer lentil mixture with red wine and stock until tender.

    Add red wine and vegetable stock, then rosemary, thyme and nutmeg. Simmer for 30 minutes. Roughly chop the pistachios and spinach and stir into the mixture. Season well.

    Scoop out flesh of butternut squash then stuff.

    Scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash, mash the flesh into the lentil filling, then stuff it into the empty squash halves.

    Tie squash roast up with string then bake

    Place the two halves together then tie with up with string. Bake for 10 minutes until piping hot throughout.

    🎄What makes a great vegan or vegetarian Christmas Dinner?

    For me, a great veggie Christmas centrepiece should be:

    • Be full of festive flavours and ingredients I've had Christmas menus including 'Penne with a tomato and Mediterranean vegetable sauce', and 'Asparagus and sun-dried tomato risotto'. These are not Christmassy! Delicious, I'm sure, but give me cranberries, walnuts, nutmeg, port, rosemary and sage any day.
    • Create some theatre at the table The turkey turns up at the table to oohs and ahhs, and is ceremoniously carved, whilst you plate up your sorry looking nut roast to pitying looks from around the table…. sound familiar?  This Christmas, make some drama with your veggie option too.
    • Avoid all the veg you will be eating with it I've had some really tasty spiced winter root vegetable pies as the main event for Christmas dinner, but realised that I was eating potato, parsnip and carrot in a pastry crust, with potato, parsnip and carrot next to it as side dishes. Don't overdo the root veg!
    • Indulgent, but not too heavy! Save some space for all the trimmings, Christmas pudding and custard afterwards, and some Vegan Christmas Cake later in the day!
    • Relatively simple to make-ahead I'm a great believer that everyone should enjoy Christmas Day from start to finish, including whoever is doing the cooking.  Getting as much prep out of the way in the days beforehand means less stress on the big day itself.  So choosing a veggie option that can sit happily in the fridge for a day or two then simply be re-heated 10-15 minutes beforehand is a very good idea.

    ⭐️ Reader Testimonials

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My partner made this veggie option for me for xmas dinner and it was sooo amazing I'm having it again this year. It was delicious!" Natalie

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I *highly recommend* this stuffed butternut squash. It's hearty, easy, and has all of those festive flavors! Thanks for this awesome recipe 👍🏼 I used dates instead of cranberries and added sage for extra flava flaves!" @thehealthycamper

    👩🏽‍🍳 Top Tips and FAQs

    Simmer the filling until all the liquid has bubbled away. It should be fairly dry so that it keeps its shape when stuffed into the squash.

    Don't scoop out too much squash. Leave a border all around so that the squash keeps its shape and slices well.

    Don't over-fill the squash. If you have too much filling, leave some out and serve it on the side.

    Vegetarian Christmas Dinner

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make the butternut roast in advance?

    Yes! The roast can be made a few days ahead, wrapped in foil and kept in the fridge, then just reheated in the oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.

    Can I freeze this roast?

    I wouldn't recommend freezing this as it will change the texture of the butternut squash. If you really need to, I suggest under-cooking the butternut squash a little, then making sure it is fully defrosted before reheating in the oven.

    What else shall I serve with this for a full vegan or vegetarian christmas dinner?

    For a full Christmas dinner menu, how about trying:
    Starter Creamy Mushroom Soup with porcini
    Main Festive Butternut Roast, Garlic & Rosemary Roast Potatoes, Orange & Maple Carrots and Ginger & Sesame Brussels Sprouts
    Dessert Vegan Christmas Pudding
    Teatime Sun-dried Tomato Vegan Pâté with crackers, Vegan Mince Pies

    If you liked that...

    .... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:

    • Vegan Christmas Cake
      Vegan Christmas Cake
    • Chestnut Roast
      Chestnut Roast with porcini & cranberries
    • Vegan Christmas Pudding
      Vegan Christmas Pudding
    • Christmas Pie
      Vegan Christmas Pie

    You might also enjoy my posts:

    • 34 Vegetarian Sunday Lunch Recipes you need to know about
    • 33 Vegan Sunday Lunch Recipes you need to know about

    Loved this recipe? ⭐️ Leave a star rating below! 📸 Snap a photo of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram, tagging me @thevegspace or #thevegspace 📩 And get all my latest recipes in a weekly e-mail by subscribing to my newsletter.

    📖 Recipe

    Vegetarian Christmas Dinner Butternut Roast

    Festive Butternut Roast

    Kate Ford | The Veg Space
    This Christmassy butternut roast is jam-packed with festive flavours - pistachios, cranberries, red wine, puy lentils, rosemary and thyme. It can be made ahead and reheated on the big day, so no last minute rush!
    4.91 from 32 votes
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    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 50 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine British
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 401 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 large butternut squash
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 red onion
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed or finely chopped
    • 100 g puy lentils
    • 70 g frozen or fresh cranberries
    • 2 stalks fresh rosemary leaves stripped and finely chopped
    • 2 stalks fresh thyme leaves stripped
    • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    • 75 ml red wine
    • 250 ml vegetable stock
    • 80 g fresh spinach unsalted, finely chopped
    • 50 g pistachios roughly chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
    • Slice the butternut squash in half lengthways, and scoop out and discard the seeds. Brush or spray with a little oil, then bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the flesh is tender enough to scoop out with a spoon. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
    • Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or frying pan with a lid, heat the olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes until softened.
    • Add the lentils, cranberries, rosemary and thyme leaves, nutmeg, red wine and vegetable stock, bring to the boil, then cover and lower to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender, (but still have a little bite to them). NB you may need to add a little more water near the end of cooking time if the lentils have soaked up all the liquid - keep an eye on them and stir regularly.
    • Take one half of the butternut squash and scoop out most of the flesh with a spoon, leaving a little all the way around so that the squash holds its shape. Be careful not to tear the skin if possible, (though the occasional hole won't be disastrous!).
    • Add the squash flesh to the pan of lentils, and mash it into the mixture with a fork. Repeat with the other squash half. Taste the mixture, and add salt as necessary.
    • Stir the spinach and pistachios into the lentil mixture, and mix well to combine, then spoon the mixture into both halves of the squash until it is level, there may be a little left over, but keep this aside to serve separately - don't over-fill or you will lose the nice, neat circular shape of your roast.
    • Place one half on top of the other, then tie with string every 3-4 centimetres.
    • Return to the oven for 10 minutes until piping hot throughout.

    ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

    Video

    Notes

    Simmer the filling until all the liquid has bubbled away. It should be fairly dry so that it keeps its shape when stuffed into the squash.
    Don't scoop out too much squash. Leave a border all around so that the squash keeps its shape and slices well.
    Don't over-fill the squash. If you have too much filling, leave some out and serve it on the side.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1portionCalories: 401kcalCarbohydrates: 61.9gProtein: 12.5gFat: 13.8gSaturated Fat: 1.8gSodium: 97mgPotassium: 1444mgFiber: 15.8gSugar: 10.1gCalcium: 216mgIron: 6mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was! Mention @thevegspace or #thevegspace
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    For more Vegan and Vegetarian Christmas dinner ideas from blogging friends, take a look at:

    • Lentil Roast with Gravy from Wallflower Kitchen
    • Chestnut and Cashew Nut Roast from Thinly Spread
    • Vegan Haggis Stuffed Peppers from Planet Veggie

    Please note that all recipes and images on The Veg Space are copyright protected. If you would like to share the recipe, please use the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or copy and paste the recipe, (even if credited to The Veg Space). Many thanks for your understanding

    « Christmas Pudding Ice Cream Sauce
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    About Kate Ford

    Hi! I'm Kate, vegan home cook and blogger behind The Veg Space and author of Vegan in 15. I'm passionate about creating easy vegan recipes that even a first-time cook can follow.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Simone Kirby says

      November 07, 2023 at 10:54 am

      What can I substitute the nuts with as I have a nut free guest.

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        November 07, 2023 at 7:21 pm

        Hi Simone, you can just leave them out - or if your guest is safe with seeds you could mix in some sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds for texture.

        Reply
    2. Christine says

      October 07, 2022 at 3:19 pm

      This sounds delicious, and easy. My daughter is vegetarian and I always try to find her something delicious as an alternative to the turkey the rest of the family want, but as you say it has been difficult to find something that will go with all the usual sides (which she loves) and doesn't include them as ingredients. Sadly she's not able to come for Christmas this year, but I might just make this for New Year's dinner when she is visiting, everyone will enjoy it.

      Reply
    3. Jean says

      December 16, 2021 at 8:27 pm

      Hello, thank you for this recipe,
      What kind of sauce would you recommend to go with the butternut ?
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        December 17, 2021 at 5:28 pm

        Hi Jean, I always serve this with gravy as that's what I want with the rest of my Christmas dinner and it works really well. But pretty much any sauce would go well with this - a rich red wine sauce would be lovely, or an onion marmalade.

        Reply
    4. Jessica Hill says

      December 13, 2021 at 11:59 pm

      Hi.

      I am looking forward to making h the is for Xmas this year. If one of my guests has an allergy to pistachios, do you think walnuts would be a good substitute?

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        December 14, 2021 at 1:15 pm

        Yes absolutely, walnuts would be lovely x

        Reply
    5. Karen says

      November 28, 2021 at 5:18 pm

      This looks amazing! Going to try it in a few weeks! Quick question: if I plan to make this a couple of days beforehand, do I cook it for the last 10 minutes after wrapping it, and then put it in the fridge to keep? Or do I omit the last 10 minutes, store in fridge and cook for 10-15 minutes before serving? Just don’t want to overcook or have it become overdone! Thanks so much.

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        November 30, 2021 at 10:52 am

        Hi Karen, I would omit the last 10 minutes of cooking time, then store in fridge and cook for 10-15 minutes. It is hard to 'overcook' so don't worry too much. Hope you enjoy it! Kate

        Reply
    6. Rachna says

      October 20, 2021 at 12:54 pm

      I just have some butternut squash at home. Will try this soon. Love the stuffing idea.

      Reply
    7. Natalie says

      October 20, 2021 at 12:30 pm

      That butternut roast looks fantastic. What a brilliant idea! I'm going to make this for Thanksgiving. Can't wait to serve it to my family and friends.

      Reply
    8. Suzy says

      October 20, 2021 at 12:21 pm

      The BEST! Such a beautiful presentation and the flavorful was out of this world! We could not get enough!

      Reply
    9. Tavo says

      October 20, 2021 at 11:37 am

      I loved this recipe! Looks like a real and uncomplicated veggie dish to put together for Xmas! Thank you!

      Reply
    10. Shashi says

      October 20, 2021 at 10:40 am

      So love this stuffed squash - now I know what to make for Christmas dinner!

      Reply
    11. Mary says

      December 28, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      This recipe looks delicious!! I am making this right now. I am add Moong Dal beans to this recipe along with mixed vegetables. Can’t wait till taste it, it smells delicious 😋. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        December 28, 2020 at 5:27 pm

        What a great idea - let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
    12. Win Hawkins says

      December 26, 2020 at 8:00 pm

      Made this fir my Christmas dinner and really enjoyed thank you. Plenty left over for the next few days. How do I post a photo?

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        December 28, 2020 at 5:28 pm

        That's so great to hear, thanks Win.

        Reply
    13. Orb says

      December 26, 2020 at 9:29 am

      Amazing. Loved the presentation of this at the table to carve. Tasted gorgeous. Had veggie friends for Christmas making this my first veggie Christmas dinner and I will happily do this rather than something meaty next year. Friends stated best Christmas meal they have ever had much better than their traditional nut roast. Thank you for sharing this recipe as we all really enjoyed.

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        December 28, 2020 at 5:29 pm

        That's so great to hear, thanks Rachel.

        Reply
    14. Jenny says

      December 13, 2020 at 9:48 pm

      Hi Kate,
      I made this last week as a trial for Christmas. It was absolutely sensational. I have made so many different nut and lentil loafs that crumble and disappoint so I was a little nervous. This is SO good that it is going to be the centrepiece for the big day. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. PS My husband and I are not vegan but our children and their partners are. 🙂

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        December 16, 2020 at 9:06 pm

        That's so great to hear - thanks Jenny! Enjoy it on the big day! X

        Reply
    15. Nancy Andres says

      November 19, 2020 at 4:19 pm

      Wonderful recipe for festive-butternut-roast. I already have my holiday dinners planned, and I'll probably make this in the New Year. Will let you know how it goes, and saved this post at Pinterest for future reference. Happy Holidays and keep up the good work! Warm regards, Nancy Andres @ Colors 4 Health

      Reply
    16. Eva says

      October 19, 2020 at 10:48 am

      I work at a ski resort so both Christmas Eve and Day are busy days at work for me. Any recipe that requires no more than 15 minutes to prepare but still delivers the wow factor when I finally make it home to my hungry family is an absolute winner. Thank you, thank you!

      Reply
    17. Kechi says

      October 19, 2020 at 10:41 am

      Just wow! This dish is so creative and just phenomenal. I would never have thought to cook butternut squash this way!. Thanks so much for sharing this nutritious Christmasy recipe. I will want to make it!

      Reply
    18. Laura says

      October 19, 2020 at 10:28 am

      This really is the ultimate vegan holiday dish. It looks so pretty and it's special. Slicing it at the table is a definite must.

      Reply
      • Becki says

        November 11, 2020 at 9:26 pm

        I want to make this for Thanksgivng and was wondering what type of pistachios you used. Plain, unsalted, roasted, salted, etc? I don't want to use salted ones if that would add too much salt!

        Reply
        • Kate Ford says

          November 12, 2020 at 8:40 am

          Hi Becki, good question, sorry I should have specified and will update the recipe now - definitely unsalted, then you can adjust the seasoning as you wish. Hope it goes well, do let me know what you think of the finished dish! X

          Reply
          • Becki says

            December 25, 2020 at 12:58 am

            Totally forgot to respond. Sorry! It turned out really well, although I replaced the red wine with red wine vinegar as I do not use alcohol in any way and didn't care for the taste as it seemed to get stronger with each day it was in the fridge. I also had SO much of the filling left over that just wouldn't squeeze into the whole thing that I ended up freezing some and using it later to make quick veggie burritos. Convenient on that part, but not sure what to do about the red wine vinegar. Could I just use water or more veggie broth? I'll definitely try it again...maybe even with company!

            Reply
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