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Root veggie nut roast with chestnut gravy
Serves: 8
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Emma Guscott
Root veggie nut roast with chestnut gravy
We’ve updated the meat-free classic with layers of root veg mash. Serve as a centrepiece with your favourite veg
Serves: 8
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time:
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
459Kcal
Fat
25gr
Saturates
4gr
Carbs
36gr
Sugars
14gr
Fibre
8gr
Protein
19gr
Salt
0.2gr
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst ’s recipes
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst ’s recipes
Ingredients
- 350g diced butternut squash
- 1 tbsp chopped sage (or 1 tsp dried), plus a few leaves
- 350g parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary (or 1 tsp dried), plus sprigs
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 x 400g tin lentils, rinsed and drained
- 100g cooked chestnuts
- 60g dried apricots, diced
- 60g dried cranberries
- 300g mixed nuts, chopped (we used a mixed bag, but use up whatever is in your storecupboard)
- 3 medium eggs, beaten
For the chestnut gravy
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 echalion shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tsp smoked garlic granules
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 200g chestnut purée
- 500ml vegetable stock (use 1 cube)
- 80g cooked chestnuts, chopped
Step by step
Get ahead
The nut roast can be assembled and kept in the fridge the day before baking, or frozen, making it perfect to prep ahead for Christmas. Defrost fully before baking, adding an extra 10 minutes or so to make sure it’s piping hot. The gravy can also be made ahead and frozen.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Boil the squash for 8-10 minutes or until tender, then remove to a bowl with a draining spoon. Crush gently, season and stir through the sage. Repeat the process with the parsnips, adding the rosemary to the crushed parsnip. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 5-6 minutes, until soft. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg, then the lentils, chestnuts and dried fruit. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix in the chopped nuts and eggs then season well.
- Spoon a third of the nut mixture into the prepared tin and level out. Top with the parsnip mixture and press down evenly. Continue with another third of the nut mixture, followed by the squash, then the remaining nut mixture. Bake for 45 minutes.
- For the gravy, heat the oil in a pan and soften the shallots, garlic granules and rosemary for 4-5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, then mix in the chestnut purée, followed by the stock. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Add the chopped chestnuts and season to taste..
- Leave the nut roast to rest for 10 minutes, then remove. Garnish with herbs and serve with gravy.