Lentil and Parsnip Wreath
This festive, protein-rich lentil wreath is made from green lentils, finely sliced leeks, and aromatic shallots, and finished with a delightful sprinkle of crunchy pumpkin seeds for added texture. It’s hearty, wholesome and makes a for a very vibrant vegan centrepiece on the dinner table when topped with parsnip and beetroot crisps.
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Any leftovers make an excellent alternative to bubble and squeak, simply fried in a pan with some leftover, shredded sprouts until starting to crisp up. Perfect for Boxing day brunch!
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Rating:
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 8)
- For the wreath
- 93.75 93.75 g parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
- 0.125 0.125 x 400g tin green lentils, rinsed and drained
- 0.375 0.375 leeks, washed and finely sliced
- 0.75 0.75 shallots, peeled and very finely chopped
- 0.75 0.75 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 0.25 0.25 Tbsp dairy-free butter
- 0.375 0.375 Tbsp chia seeds, ground to a powder
- 1.125 1.125 Tbsp water
- 0.375 0.375 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 0.25 0.25 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- You will also need
- a ring baking tin, or a round springform cake tin (approx 8in/20cm)
- 0.25 0.25 Tbsp dairy-free butter, for greasing
- toppings of your choice to decorate (we used pumpkin seeds, parsnip and beetroot crisps, and fresh rosemary
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4, 350°F) and grease the tin with the butter.
- Melt the butter for the wreath over a medium heat in a large frying pan and add the leeks, shallots and garlic along with a pinch of salt. Leave to sauté gently, stirring occasionally, until soft but not coloured.
- Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the parsnips and a pinch of salt and leave to simmer for 10 minutes or until soft.
- In a small bowl, mix the ground chia seeds with approx 9 tablespoons of cold water. Mix well and set aside to thicken.
- When the parsnips are ready, drain well and leave to steam in the colander for a few minutes to get rid of any excess water. Return them to the saucepan and roughly mash with some salt and pepper.
- Add the cooked leek mixture, the mustard, the chia mix and the drained lentils to the pan and mash again until everything is combined. Fold in the pumpkin seeds and taste the mixture to check the seasoning.
- Spoon this into your prepared tin, taking care to pack down really well to avoid any air pockets and to make it easier to remove from the tin after baking. Transfer to the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm.
- Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a plate to serve. Decorate with toppings of your choice.
Nutritional information per 100g: Calories 98, Fat 3.1g, Saturates 0.6g, Carbohydrates 1.1g, Sugars 3.4g, Protein 4.3g, Salt 0.18g
Fancy a festive tipple to wash it down? Get inspired with these stunning vegan cocktail recipes.
