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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers, Sides, Dips

    Quick Vegetarian Christmas Stuffing

    December 22, 2017 By Monika Last Updated November 30, 2022 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy vegetarian stuffing is a delicious festive recipe made using sage and onion, apple, cranberries, chestnuts and a fair amount of quality vegetarian sausages, which add flavour, substance as well as healthy protein.

    Vegetarian stuffing in white oval dish with spoon and red-and-white cloth to the right,plates and forks, chestnuts and apple in background.

    Vegetarian stuffing ingredients

    This quick and easy vegetarian Christmas stuffing is made using classic festive flavours including sage, onion, cranberries and chestnuts as well as apple and cider for added moisture.  It does contain some bread, but the main ingredient in this stuffing recipe are vegetarian sausages.  Good quality vegetarian sausages are delicious on their own but also make a great addition to stews, casseroles as well as stuffing.

    For this recipe I chose ones with lots of herbs in them.  They add loads of flavour without the fat that sausage meat (the 'meaty' kind!) would usually contribute.  So all the other ingredients are simply added to further enhance the flavour and give this stuffing a Christmassy feel.

    Step-by-step recipe instructions

    1.Start by preheating the oven to 375 F/ 190 C/ gas mark 5.

    In a medium size pan fry the onion with the oil for 3-4 minutes, until softened, then add the cider, fruit, seasoning and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.

    Chopped apple, cranberries, onions and spices in skillet with red spatula ti the right.

    2. Briefly process the sausages, bread and ⅓ of the onion mixture until the stuffing becomes sticky, but is still quite lumpy.

    Chopped sausage, cranberries, apple and bread pieces in blender.

    3. Stir in the cheese and chestnuts and combine thoroughly.

    Chopped chestnuts, grated cheese and sausage mixture in large metal bowl with spoon.

    4. Transfer the stuffing into a small casserole dish, arrange loosely so it has a rugged appearance (it will crisp up better), drizzle with a little oil and bake for 30 minutes.

    Vegetarian stuffing in white oval dish.

    5. Remove from the oven and serve.

    Top down view of baked vegetarian stuffing in white oval dish with red-and-white checkered cloth to the right.

    Substitutions

    • You can use either soft bread or bun, white or whole wheat.
    • Instead of cider use white wine or vegetarian stock.
    • I used mature cheddar cheese but you can use another strong hard cheese if desired.

    Top tips

    • Use good quality vegetarian sausages.
    • Blitz the ingredients for a few seconds only, until they start coming together so that the stuffing is not overblended and pasty.
    • Arrange the stuffing in the baking dish loosely, without smoothing out the top so that it has a bit of a rugged appearance which will crisp up nicely in the oven.
    • Best served immediately.
    • Freeze raw stuffing in the baking dish and bake from frozen.

    Consistency and texture of vegetarian Christmas stuffing

    If you are wondering about the texture of this healthy vegetarian stuffing, it's quite 'meaty', with lots of moisture in it (remember it contains apple as well as apple cider), and a bit of crunch from the chestnuts.  I added a little cheese as it's a great binding ingredient.  It also adds extra flavour and, due to its high fat content, helps to keep this vegetarian stuffing moist (vegetarian sausages tend to be low in fat).

    As this is my final Christmas recipe of the year I would like to wish everyone a happy, peaceful and delicious Christmas!

    I'll be back in a few days with a Christmas leftovers recipe (we are all bound to have some:)

    Christmas stuffing in white oval dish with spoon and red-and-white checkered cloth to the right, white plate with 2 forks in top right and chestnuts in round brown dish at the top.

    Serving suggestions

    This easy vegetarian stuffing is a delicious addition to a vegetarian Christmas dinner, perfect served alongside stuffed butternut squash or leek and mushroom pie.  You could also serve it instead of sausage meat stuffing alongside turkey, ham and other festive favourites. This stuffing is delicious with cranberry sauce, cranberry chutney as well as beetroot chutney.

    You might also like

    • Cauliflower Stuffing with Crispy Topping
    • Stuffing Meatballs with Cranberries & Chestnuts
    • Christmas Stuffing Casserole with Cranberries and Chestnuts

    Keep in touch!

    Have you made this festive vegetarian stuffing? I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!

    Recipe

    Vegetarian stuffing in white oval dish with spoon and red-and-white cloth to the right,plates and forks, chestnuts and apple in background.

    Quick Vegetarian Christmas Stuffing

    This easy vegetarian stuffing is a delicious festive recipe made using sage and onion, apple, cranberries, chestnuts and a fair amount of quality vegetarian sausages, which add flavour, substance as well as healthy protein.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Party Food, Side
    Cuisine: vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 232kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • Medium sized frying pan
    • Medium sized casserole dish

    Ingredients

    • 9.52 ounces (270 g) vegetarian sausages chopped
    • 1½ slices (50 g) soft bread broken into small pieces
    • 3 tablespoons (40 ml) cider
    • 1 medium apple
    • ⅓ cup (50 g) dried cranberries
    • 2.47 ounces (70 g) chestnuts chopped
    • 1 medium/large onion finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon dried sage
    • ¼ teaspoon onion granules
    • ⅓ cup (40 g) cheese mature cheddar or another strong cheese, coarsely grated
    • 4 tablespoons olive oil
    • Sea salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C/ gas mark 5. You will need a medium casserole dish.
    • In a large frying pan heat up 1½ tablespoons of the oil, add the onions and cook slowly for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the cider, peeled, cored and finely cubed apple, cranberries, sage, onion granules, a bit of salt and a good pinch of pepper, and continue simmering for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and cool a little.
    • Place the sausages, bread pieces, 1 tablespoon of oil and ⅓ of the onion mixture in a blender and process briefly until the mixture starts coming together and becoming sticky but is still very lumpy (this should take seconds).
    • Place the mixture in a large bowl, add the cheese and chestnuts and stir to combine. Transfer the stuffing into your oven dish, drizzle with the remaining oil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

    Notes

    • Use good quality vegetarian sausages.
    • You can use either soft bread or bun, white or whole wheat.
    • Process the ingredients for a few seconds only, until they start coming together so that the stuffing is not overblended and pasty.
    • Arrange the stuffing in the baking dish loosely, without smoothing out the top so that it has a bit of a rugged appearance which will crisp up nicely in the oven.
    • Best served immediately.
    • Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a frying pan with a little oil.
    • Freeze raw stuffing in the baking dish and bake from frozen.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 560mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!

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    Comments

      5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Kate says

      December 28, 2022 at 8:08 pm

      Mmm we made this this year after SEVERAL years of sub-standard vegetarian stuffing. This one is SO nice. Just the right texture and still delicious. I have some sitting in my fridge still and I am gonna go eat it after I write this comment 🙂

      Reply
      • Monika says

        December 28, 2022 at 9:51 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank your for your feedback:)

        Reply
    2. [email protected] and TraceyDelaplainMD.com says

      December 23, 2017 at 9:04 pm

      I don’t know why I do t make stuffing all winter long instead of just on holidays. I love it and this one looks great.

      Reply
      • Monika says

        December 23, 2017 at 10:28 pm

        Thanks Tracey! Stuffing really is great, isn't it?

        Reply
    3. cookingwithauntjuju.com says

      December 23, 2017 at 7:05 pm

      I had to laugh - a niece is vegetarian and I bought some Morningstar veggie sausages once. She said she was grossed out just with the thought of "sausage". Picky, Picky! Love dressing and I bet you don't miss the "real sausage".

      Reply
      • Monika says

        December 23, 2017 at 7:32 pm

        These taste so 'meaty' you wouldn't necessarily know they are vegetarian, especially with all the other stuffing ingredients, anyway I don't eat pork so these sausages are ideal for me.

        Reply
        • cookingwithauntjuju.com says

          December 23, 2017 at 10:05 pm

          I eat pork but I also eat veggie sausages, chicken, and so on. I would love this recipe and kick it up a notch if I needed to. I wonder if I could get away with it next Thanksgiving?

          Reply
          • Monika says

            December 23, 2017 at 10:27 pm

            Give it a try:)

            Reply
    4. Jacqui says

      December 23, 2017 at 11:14 am

      I love stuffing and make two for Christmas in fact i could happily skip the turkey and just eat the stuffing. Have a lovely Christmas Monika and thank you for linking this recipe to #CookBlogShare

      Reply
      • Monika says

        December 23, 2017 at 7:39 pm

        I am the same, there is always too much food anyway. Merry Christmas to you too Jacqui:)

        Reply

    Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking.

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