Homemade vegan haggis is a truly delicious and nutritious recipe. But don't just think of it as a dish to celebrate Burns Night, it's great comfort food whenever the weather's cold. Luckily, it's fairly easy to prepare. Mostly made with store cupboard ingredients, it has a crispy top and a distinctive and appealing chewy texture.
Drain and rinse the lentils a couple of times. Place them in a saucepan which has a lid. Add just enough water to cover them and pop the bay leaf in. If using tinned, just leave in the sieve until you need them.
125 g whole brown lentils, 1 bay leaf
Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on until the lentils are soft and have absorbed all or most of the water. This will take 15 to 20 minutes, but longer if they haven't been soaked first*. Drain off any excess liquid, but retain it for later use.
Whilst the lentils are cooking, place a large saucepan which has a lid over a medium heat. Fry the onions in the oil for a couple of minutes until translucent.
2 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 onion
Add the carrot along with the salt and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
1 carrot, ½ tsp sea or rock salt
Add the mushrooms and garlic and fry for a further five minutes, stirring occasionally.
250 g mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic
Add the spices and lentils. Stir then cook with the lid on until the lentils are hot - about 2 minutes.
½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp grated nutmeg, ½ tsp ground coriander
Whilst the lentils are heating, top up any water leftover from cooking the lentils with water from a just boiled kettle. You can use veg stock if you like, but I don't find it necessary. Stir in the Marmite.
4 tsp Marmite, 250 ml water
Set the oven to 200℃ (180℃ fan, 400℉, Gas 6).
Finally, add the oatmeal to the pan along with the Marmite water. Give a good stir, bring the mixture to the boil, pop the lid on, then turn the heat down and simmer for fifteen minutes. You should have a thick porridge like consistency when done with no liquid left. Stir from time to time to prevent the oats catching on the bottom of the pan.
150 g coarse oatmeal (pinhead oats or steel cut oats)
Taste test at this point. Add additional seasoning or Marmite if you think it needs it. Stir in the pumpkin seeds.
25 g pumpkin seeds
Scrape the contents into a greased or lined loaf tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
Leave to settle for a couple of minutes, then turn out onto a platter and serve whilst hot.
Notes
*If you haven't soaked the lentils first, you'll need to cook them in more water. About three times their volume should do it.Will serve 6-8 people depending on how hungry you are.Serve with neeps, tatties and greens. Gravy or whisky sauce is optional.To slice cleanly, use a large sharp knife, not a serrated one.For crispy bottom and sides as well as top, turn out of the tin onto a lined baking tray and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.Will store in the fridge for three days. To reheat leftovers, place in an air-fryer or hot oven and cook at 200℃ (180℃ fan, 400℉, Gas 6) for fifteen minutes. The outside will go deliciously crispy.You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.