5 Vegetarian Christmas Dinner Mains That Aren’t Nut Roast

Every vegetarian knows the Christmas dinner script: everyone else gets the roast, you get the nut roast — again. This year, skip it. These are vegetarian Christmas dinner mains pulled from the Leafline recipe archive that are festive enough for the big day, most of them make-ahead friendly, and none of them are nut roast. Each one links to a recipe collection on this site.

The showstoppers

1. Festive Feasts: 21 Mouthwatering Christmas Holiday Main Dishes — our roundup of 21 Christmas holiday main dishes includes two vegetarian Wellingtons: a mushroom Wellington with rosemary and pecans, and a fully vegan Wellington. A Wellington is the closest thing vegetarian Christmas cooking has to a centrepiece roast — flaky pastry, rich filling, and it slices beautifully at the table.
2. 15 Healthier Lasagna Recipes for a Guilt-Free Meal — our roundup of 15 healthier lasagna recipes. A proper festive lasagna feeds a crowd, reheats perfectly, and pleases the meat-eaters too. Assemble on Christmas Eve and bake on the day.

Cozy and make-ahead

3. 15 Healthy Comfort Food Recipes You’ll Actually Enjoy Eating — our roundup of 15 healthy comfort food recipes leans vegetarian-friendly, with a roasted butternut squash curry packed with lentils, a vegan cauliflower and chickpea curry, and a crockpot vegetarian chilli. Pure comfort food dressed up for the holidays; the base can be made two days ahead.
4. 15 delicious and healthy cauliflower recipes perfect for weight loss! — our roundup of 15 cauliflower recipes. A whole roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce is dramatic served whole, then carved into steaks at the table.

Lighter mains

5. 15 Vegetarian Keto Recipes for Christmas and Thanksgiving — our roundup of 15 vegetarian keto recipes for Christmas and Thanksgiving includes a vegan zucchini curry with tomatoes and a whole roasted tandoori cauliflower. For less traditional tables, a rich festive curry is a legitimate main — and the leftovers are the best part of Boxing Day.

Build the full menu

Round out the table with sides and sweets from the archive:

• Christmas Appetizers: 29 Delicious Recipes to Impress Your Guests — start the feast with our roundup of 29 Christmas appetizers.
• Sweet Treats for the Holidays: 21 Christmas Candy Recipes — finish with our roundup of 21 Christmas candy recipes.