Taking on a plant based diet sometimes feels like you’re missing out comforting classics especially when you watch your meat eating friends tuck into their bangers and mash or steak and ale pie. We’ve found three mouth-watering vegan versions of our favourite pub classics to rid you of all of your comfort food envy.
Fish and chips
It’s hard to believe that there is a vegan substitute to this fishy favourite, but with a little imagination, some aubergine and the addition of frozen chips, we’ve managed to find a fantastic alternative.
You will need:
For the ‘fish’
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1 large aubergine
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1 1/2 tsp seaweed granules, milled to a powder
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1 tbsp lemon juice
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1 tsp garlic powder
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500-700mls vegetable stock
For the beer batter
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1 bottle of Stella Artois beer
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200g organic all-purpose flour
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65g organic all-purpose flour, reserved
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1 tsp kelp granules
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¼ tsp pepper
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1 tsp salt
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1 tsp garlic powder
In a casserole dish, mix together seaweed granules, vegetable stock, lemon juice, and garlic powder and whisk until smooth. Cut the aubergine into 1/2 inch thin fillet shapes, adding them to the mixture and ensuring that they are completely covered. Marinate for 3-5 hours.
For the batter, heat oil to 200°C/400°F in a large pan or deep fryer and preheat oven to 100°C/225°F. Pour the beer into a large bowl and sift in 200g flour, whisking until combined, adding in the spices.
Pat the aubergine dry and season with salt and pepper before coating in the beer batter. Dredge the aubergine in the reserved flour and slide into the oil filled pan. Fry for five minutes until golden brown and keep warm in preheated oven. Serve with McCain chips and garden peas.
The Sunday roast
The traditional Sunday roast can easily be veganised with alternatives ranging from complicated bakes to shop bought, faux roast beef. We’ve found this simple yet tasty nut roast recipe which you can accompany with your favourite seasonal vegetables, roast potatoes and Free & Easy Vegetable Gravy.
You will need:
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1 medium sized onion or 1 small leek, chopped
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2 tsp yeast extract in 1/4 pint hot water (optional)
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225g chopped mixed nuts
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2 tbsp ground almonds
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100g wholemeal breadcrumbs
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1 tbsp sage
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Pinch cayenne pepper
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Salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350°F and fry the onion or leek in a little oil until soft. Combine all of the ingredients together and pour into an oiled, oven proof dish and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
Shepherd’s Pie
While the long list of ingredients needed for this great British classic might make you feel a little overwhelmed, this wholesome and comforting dish is actually relatively simple to put together and utterly delicious.
You will need:
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600g Maris Piper potatoes
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600g sweet potatoes
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40g dairy free margarine
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1 onion
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2 carrots
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3 cloves of garlic
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2 sticks of celery
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1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
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olive oil
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1/2 a bunch of fresh thyme
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350g chestnut mushrooms
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12 sun–dried tomatoes
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2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
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vegan red wine
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100ml organic vegetable stock
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400g tin of lentil
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400g tin of chickpeas
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5 sprigs of fresh flat–leaf parsley
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2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
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zest of one lemon
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30g fresh breadcrumbs
Boil all the potatoes in a pan of salted water until tender and then drain and allow to steam dry. Return to pan and mash with the margarine and a pinch of salt and pepper and set to the side.
Peel and finely slice the onion, carrots, celery and garlic before finely grinding the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar. Combine the ground seeds and vegetables in a hot pan with a splash of oil and fry until soft adding in the thyme leaves. Roughly chop the mushrooms and sun–dried tomatoes and add to the pan along with the vinegar and two tablespoons of oil from the jar of sun–dried tomatoes.
Turn the heat up and add a splash of wine before adding the stock, chickpeas and lentils and allowing to reduce slightly. Finally add the chopped parsley before transferring to a baking dish and topping with the mashed potato mixture. Slice the remaining garlic clove and mix with the rosemary, lemon zest, breadcrumbs and a splash of oil and sprinkle on top. Grill for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Which is your favourite vegan pub grub dish?
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Wow. These look amazing. Im going to definitely have to try .
Wow. These look amazing. Im going to definitely have to try .
Haven’t tried the Sunday roast one yet – wonder what my family will make of this – I’ll love it
What lovely adaptations – all sound so very tasty!
Would never have thought of using aubergines to make fish and chips! It sounds delicious!