The British enjoy a Sunday roast meal, and being vegetarian doesn’t mean I have to miss out! You might also hear British people refer to this meal as a ‘Sunday lunch’.
Before you read much more of this blog post, if you are interested in reading about a vegetarian Christmas meal, please click the link.
I love vegetarian roast meals, and during Spring, Autumn and Winter, I will often eat this meal on a Sunday. If too much has been made, or our stomachs can’t fit everything in, then left-overs are a welcomed meal on a Monday!
Back when I was younger I loved roast meals so much, that my Mum would freeze one for me, ready reheat and enjoy during the weekday. When people talk about having something different on a Sunday, there are few meals that I think can compete for my Sunday lunch / dinner.
However making a vegetarian roast meal does take time, but luckily isn’t as time consuming as a meat eaters version.
Let’s address ignorance first.
Years back a few non-vegetarians would say, but you can’t have a vegetarian roast meal without the meat! Well let’s look at what is often put on the plate of a British roast meal:
- Roast potatoes
- Boiled or roast parsnips
- Boiled brussel sprouts
- Yorkshire pudding
- Cauliflower cheese
- Boiled peas
- Gravy (I love onion gravy)
- Stuffing
- Boiled carrots
- Boiled Cabbage
- Boiled Broccoli
Most of a roast meal that meat eaters enjoy is comprised of vegetables, and all the above items can easily be made using vegetarian suitable ingredients.
Also it is important to mention, that many feel that vegetarian meals take extra effort. The classic, ‘I’ve practically got to cook a separate meal for the vegetarian’, which frankly is a load of nonsense.
When I ate a British roast meal round a relatives house, they told me all they had to do, was change the way they cooked the roast potatoes, and gave the vegetarians at the table their own gravy jug. Talking about gravy, my wonderful girlfriend makes a great mushroom and onion gravy, which I will blog about sometime.
In Britain if you are cooking for a vegetarian, just read the food packaging. If your usual stuffing, doesn’t have a ‘V’ sign or say it is suitable for vegetarians, you will probably find others which are.
Don’t eat eggs?
I also happen not to eat eggs, which means we just make egg free Yorkshire puddings! Which also happens to be a great way to use up left-over milk.
It doesn’t have to be time consuming to make.
Often I will make a quick and simple vegetarian roast meal, such as peas and carrots, then accompanied by stuffing, roast potatoes and gravy. This also helps keep the cost of the meal down, as well as enabling me to not spend too much time in the kitchen that day!
I would never eat a roast meal without the gravy! For many vegetarians I presume they wouldn’t eat the meal without roast potatoes either.
Meat alternative for a vegetarian roast meal.
I must admit I mainly eat a roast meal without a meat altenative.
Why? If I was to buy soya etc meat alternatives for most meals, my food bill would go up quite quickly!
That being said at times I don’t enjoy a meat alternative, such as a ‘Cheatin Roast beef’ brought from Holland & Barrett in the UK.
I also quite like the packet mixes you can buy, which actually taste pretty good in my humble opinion.
Extra special vegetarian roast.
Talking about putting the price up of a roast meal, if you want to go to the extra effort, then a cauliflower cheese is a must!
The condiments!
I love condiments, and with a vegetarian Sunday roast meal, I will often have pepper and mint sauce. If a vegetarian ‘beef’ meat alternative is cooked, then instead of the mint sauce, I probably will have ‘English mustard’, which is quite strong.
I used to make the ‘English mustard’ myself using the powder, and have enjoyed homemade mint sauce before, but now the sauces are brought in jars and stored in the fridge!
Conclusion
A Sunday roast meal can still be a fantastic meal if you are a vegetarian. I hope this blog post helps out and provides insight, to both people cooking for vegetarians and those looking to become vegetarian.
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