Brighten up your Christmas table with these two delicious healthy vegan recipes that are guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face and have them going back for seconds!
Have a beautiful Christmas and enjoy getting creative in the kitchen during the festive season. Don’t forget to tag us @juiceinstitute with your creations!
Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Herb Cashew Dressing
This pumpkin salad is light, fresh, nutritious and the perfect side salad to any Christmas feast. The salad will keep for 2-3 days so you can enjoy it that little bit longer.
Ingredients for the salad
½ butternut pumpkin
120g spinach
¼ cup pepitas
¼ cup walnuts
¼ cup goji berries
Handful of mint leaves
For the dressing
1 cup cashews (soaked for at least an hour)
¾ cup water
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp dried basil
4 mint leaves
pinch of salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a tray with baking paper. Dice the pumpkin into cubes and place on the tray with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes or until soft and golden.
While the pumpkin is roasting, make the cashew dressing by simply blending all the ingredients together. (Feel free to add more water if you would like a runnier consistency. If you like a more acidic dressing add another tbsp of lemon juice). Set aside in the fridge.
Place a pan on the stove on medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the pepitas and walnuts and toast until golden and aromatic (approx. 5 minutes) and set aside.
Once the pumpkin has roasted, place the spinach on your favourite serving plate, top with the roasted pumpkin, the roasted walnuts and pepitas, goji berries and a handful of mint leaves. You can either drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad or place on the side to add as desired.
Raw Christmas ‘Nougat’ Slice
This Christmas inspired raw ‘Nougat’ slice is beyond delicious, very easy to make and jam packed with nutrients, what more could you want from a Christmas day dessert? The slice will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge or up to 2 weeks in the freezer.
Ingredients
Base
½ cup almonds
½ cup pistachios
½ cup dates (approx. 8 dates, soaked for 10 minutes)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Filling
¾ cup of cashews (soaked for 30 minutes)
½ cup of coconut cream
4 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
Toppings
½ cup fresh raspberries
¼ cup coconut flakes
¼ cup pistachios
¼ cup macadamias
2 tbsp goji berries
Method
Set aside a baking tin (I used a standard bread loaf tin) and line with baking paper. Add all the base ingredients into a blender and blend until combined. (You may still have chunks of nuts but that’s okay!). Add the mixture to the lined baking tray and flatten with a spatula. Place in the freezer to harden.
Drain the cashews and place them along with the other filling ingredients in a blender and blend until a smooth consistency. Take the base out of the freezer and pour the filling mixture on top.
Place the topping ingredients as desired into the filling mixture (you can change these to your favourite nuts/seeds if you like).
Place in the freezer for approximately 3 hours or until firm. Slice them up into bite size pieces and enjoy!
Recipes thanks to Naturally Edan.
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