A vegetarian haggis recipe

Haggis is traditionally piped in to the dining room

I have to admit something to you. In the days when I used to eat meat, I used to like haggis. In those days, it was available in our local supermarket.

Of course, the fact that it’s traditionally served with a glass of Scotch might have something to do with it and frankly, it’s not too good an idea to dwell on the ingredients if you’re a squeamish eater.

As I don’t especially care for the taste of meat, I liked the fact that haggis was composed quite largely of oatmeal and suet – the meat flavour wasn’t much in evidence. It’s also quite spicy.

Today, you can’t buy genuine haggis in America – the FDA disapproves – but you get get a canned version online here or even a vegetarian version.

Try a vegetarian haggis recipe

If  you’re serving real haggis at  Scottish-themed dinner party ,it’s a great idea to make  vegetarian version too. It’s very likely that some of your guests will be non-meat eaters and if you have squeamish diners expected at your party, they’ll appreciate it too.

Here’s the recipe in full.

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Meat-free haggis recipe

Rating  5 from 1 reviews

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  1 hour

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated
• 1 cup button mushrooms, diced
• ¾ cup red lentils
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup kidney beans, mashed with a fork
• ¾ cup mixed nuts, finely ground
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon rosemary, minced
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Salt & fresh ground blackpepper to taste
• 3 cups quick cook oatmeal
• ½ cup Scotch
• ½ cup water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine onion,olive oil and shortening in a large skillet over a medium heat and saute until onions are tender - about four minutes
3. Add carrots and mushrooms and cook a further 3 minutes
4. All the lentils and 1½ cups stock and set to simmer
5. Meanwhile combine the kidney beans with the remaining stock
6. One the lentil and vegetable mixture has reached a simmer add the beans, nuts, soy sauce, lemon juice and seasonings
7. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes
8. Stir in the oats,Scotch and water and remove from the heat
9. Lightly oil 8 ramekins or other small baking dishes. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Uncover during the final 5 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie Jackson, also known online as BritFlorida, is a highly experienced designer and writer. British born and now living in the USA, she specialises in lifestyle issues, design and quirky stories. You can see a wide range of articles here, or visit her website Tastes Magazine. See The Writer’s Door for more information.