One of the biggest parts of the festive season for me is absolutely the food (figures – why we run a food blog!). It’s not just the big centrepieces that I love and that make the meals special. The key really is the vegan Christmas sides! Those tasty dishes you make to accompany the mains that are impressive, add colour and variety, and generally taste all-round delicious. That’s why I had to publish these Caramelised Mustard Roasted Parsnips and Chestnuts! The sugar gives a sticky glaze, and the mustard contrasts brilliantly with the parsnips and chestnuts.
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BIG NEWS!!! As Louise and I love creating vegan Christmas recipes so much, we have published a beautiful recipe book (our first one!) full of the most delicious festive vegan foods from centrepieces, sides, fun canapes, and of course… indulgent desserts! This really has been a labour of love for us both, and it’s available to buy as an ebook or as paperback (affiliate link)– for those of you that like to crumple the pages and have it physically with you each year!
Roasted vegetables are one of the easiest vegan Christmas side dishes, as they take very little preparation, and you can pretty much add in what you want. Then have a glass of bubbly and a sit by the fire while you wait for them to cook!
While the only root vegetables I’ve used in this dish are roasted parsnips, you can add others in too. If you want, you can add carrots. This would give a beautiful mix of colours, and extra flavours to the dish. Let’s not also forget how healthy root vegetables are for you! We are very pro-carb here at The Vegan Larder (well, pro a balanced and healthy diet), and root vegetables like parsnips are a great source of slow releasing energy. So no need to feel guilty eating all those vegan Christmas side dishes!
So what are the ingredients for this vegan Christmas side dish?
With roasted vegetables, it’s about how you season and flavour them. It’s all very simple, but makes a massive difference. Here are the lovely ingredients I used for these roasted parsnips.
- Parsnips – The main focus. Cut into attractive battons. They have a more intense, and almost nutty flavour, to potatoes. So I love using these, alongside obligatory potatoes and gravy. Check out Louise’s mindblowing vegan gravy and roast potatoes!
- Garlic – because everything needs garlic, especially a vegan Christmas side dish! Can’t get enough of it. It lifts any dish and adds extra flavour. The cloves are left whole to roast with the parsnips, which also go carmelised and soft. Yum!
- Wholegrain mustard – I love the way this looks and tastes (and wholegrain is healthier). It gives an extra crunch and texture to the edge of the parsnips, as well as a kick to the whole dish.
- Coconut palm sugar / any brown sugar – this is what gets them to caramelise, and gives that delicious stickiness! I prefer coconut palm sugar (a little healthier on the sugar scale, but still sugar!). Any brown sugar will work just fine.
- Cooked chestnuts – I love chestnuts any time of year. They add a nutty flavour and extra protein to dishes, and are a quintessential Christmas ingredient! You can buy them in jars or vacuum-packed (l use Merchant Gourmet’s brand a lot – affiliate link), and any unused ones can even go in the freezer.
- Thyme – cooking with herbs is what transforms dishes, especially dishes like roasted parsnips, into something special. Thyme is good all year round, but also great for flavouring all sorts of other vegan Christmas side dishes. Dried or fresh will work just fine.
Once you’ve cooked this incredible dish, you can pair it with all sorts of other amazing side and centrepieces. We recommend checking out these incredible vegan Christmas dishes to go with your roasted parsnips:
Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon Pie
Harissa Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato & Onions
Green Beans with Caramelised Shallots and Toasted Almonds
If you liked our roasted parsnip recipe, please rate and comment below. This really helps others discover and try our yummy food. Thank you 🙂
These Caramelised Mustard Roasted Parsnips and Chestnuts are the perfect Christmas side dish. The sugar gives a sticky glaze, and the mustard contrasts brilliantly with the parsnips and chestnuts.
- 5 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped in battons
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 5 garlic cloves (still in their skin)
- Handful of cooked chestnuts
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme (use dry if no fresh)
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Pre-heat oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
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Par-boil the parsnips - place in boiling water for about 5 minutes to allow them to soften a little. Then drain.
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Put all the ingredients, including the parsnips, in a baking tray and mix thoroughly, making sure the parsnips are fully covered with all the ingredients.
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Roast for around 45 minutes, tossing occasionally, or until the edges of the parsnips have browned and they are a bit sticky from the sugar.
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