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.
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.