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Easy Vegan Haggis

 An easy recipe for tasty vegan haggis baked in a loaf tin. Full of oats, vegetables, spices, and seeds.

Easy vegan haggis served with tatties, neeps and a creamy whisky sauce

EASY VEGAN HAGGIS

I usually buy veggie haggis to use in my dishes, but as many of my readers don't live in Scotland and find it hard to find veggie haggis, I promised I would create a recipe for homemade haggis.

Well that was ages ago and I never seemed to get round to it.

However, Burns Night is coming up, so it was time to get that notebook out, have a look at my notes and have a go at making vegan haggis myself.

This easy vegan haggis is baked in a loaf tin and can be served in slices or broken up into the more familiar mince like texture.

It is made with a few simple vegetables, pulses, oats, seeds and spices.

It tastes really good!


Easy Vegan Haggis

HOW IS HAGGIS SERVED?

Haggis is traditionally served with neeps and tatties as well as a creamy whisky sauce to pour over the dish.

If you aren't familiar with Scots, neeps is the Scottish name for turnip (which is called swede in England and rutabaga in other parts of the world).

Tatties is the Scots name for potatoes. The potatoes are usually served mashed, as are the neeps.

Check out my guide on How to Cook Neeps and my Creamy Whisky Sauce to serve with the haggis.

Alternatively, you could serve it with homemade mushroom gravy or red pepper nut roast sauce.


WHEN IS HAGGIS SERVED?

Haggis is traditionally served with neeps and tatties on Burns Night as part of a Burns Supper.

Burns Night is when we celebrate Scotland's national poet and bard Robert Burns or Rabbie Burns as we call him.

Rabbie Burns was a Scottish poet in the 18th Century.

His poems are still learned and recited in schools in Scotland and we celebrate his birthday every year on the 25th of January.

You may not think you know any of his poems, but I'm sure you've sang along to "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot" at the end of a party, a wedding or at Hogmanay (New Year).


ingredients to make vegan haggis

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE VEGAN HAGGIS?

Vegan haggis is made with a few basic vegetables, pulses, oats, seeds and spices, plus a little oil to saute the vegetables.

  • rapeseed oil
  • garlic
  • onion
  • carrots
  • mushrooms
  • kidney beans
  • red lentils
  • oats
  • sunflower seeds
  • vegetable stock
  • marmite
  • dried thyme
  • dried coriander
  • salt and pepper


HOW IS VEGAN HAGGIS COOKED?


Traditional meaty haggis is encased in a sheep stomach to hold it in that iconic pudding shape.

Shop-bought vegetarian haggis (which is suitable for vegans) is encased in plastic for that pudding shape, which is removed before cooking.

For a homemade vegan haggis, the easiest way to cook it is to bake it in a loaf tin.

When it's baked in a loaf tin, it is lovely and crisp at the edges and holds its shape so you can cut it into slices if you like.

You can also break it up into a more coarse, mince-like texture.


porridge oats in a blue patterned bowl

WHICH KIND OF OATS SHOULD YOU USE VEGAN HAGGIS?


Many haggis recipes call for pinhead oats, which are also called steel-cut oats or coarse oats.

They are used as they give more texture.

As this vegan haggis contains pulses and seeds as well as oats, there is plenty of texture, so porridge oats are perfect for this dish.

Porridge oats are the bog-standard oats you use to make your porridge for breakfast in the morning. They are also known as rolled oats.


WHAT DO YOU USE AS A BINDER FOR VEGAN HAGGIS?


To hold this vegan haggis together when it is baked, red lentils are cooked in stock with dried thyme and mixed with the other ingredients.

It holds the mixture together but it also adds a lot of flavour and of course it adds a good portion of protein to this haggis.


Vegan haggis, neeps and tatties served with creamy whisky sauce

SLICES OR CRUMBLED HAGGIS?


I cut the haggis into slices, which looks good on the plate, but I tried crumbling it with a fork and that works too.

If you are adding it into other recipes, as a filling you may want to crumble it.

If you wanted to cook it in pastry I would slice it and lay the slices on the pastry with either mustard or a fresh tomato sauce, then wrap it in the pastry and bake until golden.

To make sausage rolls, I'd crumble some of the haggis in a bowl and mix with grated cheddar (vegan) as a filling.

It just depends on what you are doing and what you prefer. 

If you are slicing it I recommend using a sharp large chef's knife if you have one. 

I tried slicing it with a bread knife and I didn't get a good cut, it wanted to crumble at the edges.



Vegan haggis, turnip, broccoli and mashed potatoes on a plate

RECIPES USING VEGAN HAGGIS


If you have leftover haggis or if you want to make some to try some different recipes, here are a few for recipes for you to try.


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Homemade Veggie Haggis

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HOW TO MAKE VEGAN HAGGIS


Scroll down for step-by-step photos followed by a full printable recipe. If you don't have a printer, hit print then save as a PDF. 

You can also use the wee Grow Me widget with the heart at the right to save your favourite recipes by signing in. Every time you come back here they will be right there sitting waiting for you.


Making  Vegan Haggis Step 1 (red lentils in pot with stock)

STEP 1


  1. Gently cook the red lentils in stock with thyme until soft.
    • Once they are soft, whizz them in a food processor or blender, this will be the binder for your haggis.
    • If you don't have a food processor or blender you can keep cooking the lentils until they are mushy. You may need a little extra water or stock, but you want to cook any liquid off.
  2. Grease your loaf tin.
  3. Preheat your oven.

Making  Vegan Haggis Step 2 (chopped onions in a shallow cast iron pan)

STEP 2


  1. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil in a large pan or large frying pan.


Making  Vegan Haggis Step 3 (sauteed onions)

STEP 3


  1. The onions are cooked once they are soft and golden.
    • If it starts catching on the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water. As Jamie Oliver says this isn't burnt bits, it's flavour.

Making  Vegan Haggis Step 4 (carrots and mushrooms added to the pan)

STEP 4


  1. Add the grated carrots and mushrooms.
    • If you want a finer haggis, chop all the vegetables very fine. They do cook down, but I do love a coarser texture to haggis. 


Making  Vegan Haggis Step 5 (spices added to the pan)

STEP 5

  1. Stir the veg well and add the ground coriander.
  2. Season well with salt and pepper.


Making  Vegan Haggis Step 6 (vegetables cooked down)

STEP 6


  1. Gently cook the vegetables until soft.
  2. Make sure all the water the mushrooms release is absorbed before adding any more ingredients.


Making  Vegan Haggis Step 7 (kidney beans and seeds added to the pan)

STEP 7


  1. Add roughly chopped cooked kidney beans and seeds to the pan.
    • I used tinned beans that are precooked, but you can soak and cook them from dry if that's what you prefer.


Making  Vegan Haggis Step 8 (oats added to the pan)

STEP 8

  1. Add oats and marmite to the pan and season with more black pepper.
    • I used porridge oats which are also called rolled oats.
  2. Cook gently for a couple of minutes.


Making  Vegan Haggis Step 9 (red lentil puree added)

STEP 9


  1. Add the red lentil puree to the pan and mix it in well. You'll see your mixture start to come. together.


Making  Vegan Haggis Step 10 (haggis added to loaf tin)

STEP 10

  1. Pack the haggis mixture into the loaf tin and press it down well.
  2. Bake for 20 minutes covered in foil, then another 30 minutes with the foil removed.


Making  Vegan Haggis Step 11 (cooked haggis)

STEP 11


  1. When the haggis comes out the oven it should be brown and crisp.
    • It will be crisp on the outside but soft with lots of texture inside.
  2. Leave it in the tin for a couple of minutes before turning it out onto a chopping board. If you place the chopping board on top of the tin, then carefully flip.
  3. Slice with a sharp chef's knife.


Making  Vegan Haggis Step 12 (haggis served with neeps and tatties)

STEP 12


  1. Serve a slice of the haggis with neeps, tatties and a creamy whisky sauce.
    • Heck serve it with whatever veg you like.
  2. Enjoy!
  3. Scroll down for the full printable recipe and if you like this hit that heart button on the right.

vegan haggis, veggie haggis, vegetarian haggis, haggis, Scottish recipes, Burns Night recipe, vegan Burns Night recipe, vegetarian Burns Night recipe, Burns Supper, vegan Burns Supper, vegetarian Burns Supper
dinner
Scottish, vegan
Yield: 6 - 8 slices
Author: Jacqueline Meldrum
Easy Vegan Haggis

Easy Vegan Haggis

An easy recipe for tasty vegan haggis baked in a loaf tin. Full of oats, vegetables, spices, and seeds.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 H & 10 MTotal time: 1 H & 20 M

Ingredients

  • 150 g/ 1 scant cup red lentils 
  • 350 ml/1.5 cups vegetable stock (2 stock cubes)
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 medium carrots, grated
  • 6 large closed cup mushrooms, diced
  • 3 tsp dried coriander
  • 180g/ 1 cup cooked kidney beans (I used drained tinned beans) , roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 100g/ 1 cup  oats
  • 1 tbsp marmite (or other yeast paste)
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Gently cook the red lentils in a pot with the thyme and vegetable stock for 20 minutes. You can add a little more hot water if you need to. Blend the lentils into a paste.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan/400f/gas mark 6.
  3. Grease a loaf tin.
  4. Saute the onion in rapeseed oil in a large pan with the garlic until soft. If it catches a little on the bottom of the pan add a splash of water.
  5. Add the mushrooms and carrots and mix well.
  6. Add the dried coriander and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are soft.
  7. Add the kidney beans, the seeds, the marmite and the oats and cook for another couple of minutes.
  8. Add the red lentil puree to the mixture and mix well.
  9. Pack into the loaf tin and press down well.
  10. Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes, then continue to cook for another 30 minutes without the foil.
  11. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for a couple of minutes before turning onto a cutting board and cutting into thick slices with a sharp chef's knife.
  12. Serve with mashed neeps, tatties and a creamy whisky sauce.
  13. Enjoy!

Calories

221.87

Fat (grams)

6.29

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.75

Carbs (grams)

37.58

Fiber (grams)

10.36

Net carbs

27.22

Sugar (grams)

6.58

Protein (grams)

12.42

Sodium (milligrams)

703.90

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

40 comments

  1. This was delicious. I've never had "real" haggis, but a red lentil version, I'm all over. the instructions made it easy to follow along too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed it and yes there are a few stages but it's actually super simple to make.

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  2. I went to scotland last year and was brave enough to try haggis - i think veg haggis would be better!! haha yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha yes you are right there, although I only remember tasting the original as a child and not liking it. This version is yummy!

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  3. A very healthy and nutritious recipe. Glad that it is veg. My vegan friends to surely love this delicious dish.

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    Replies
    1. Oh yes they definitely would Veena. Do pass it on.

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  4. I am always on the look out for new vegan recipes for a friend saving this one!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love reading this as it is completely different to the food we are eating in Australia right now. Great informative post and lots to learn about haggis. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha yes, you will be suffering from the heat just now and only wanting to eat salads I imagine. I hope you try this in your winter.

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  6. This sounds really good, Jac. Unfortunately I can't can't tolerate lentils but I would like to make it got Andrew as a Burn's Night treat. Great instructions and tips, as well as lovely photos. Thanks, Jac. Happy 2021 to you and your family x

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    Replies
    1. Oh that's a shame Kelling, but I hope Andrew enjoys it. Happy New Year to you both. It's been too long since we last spoke x

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  7. I've seen vegetarian haggis in the supermarket before but never knew what to do with it. I bet this one is much nicer. Printing it out. Jill

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The supermarket one if fine for adding to dishes but this one has more flavour and texture. I hope you enjoy it when you make it Jill.

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  8. I never even considered making vegan haggis - what a great idea! It came out so delicious, can't wait to make it again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so glad you enjoyed it Thanks for letting me know.

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  9. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the texture but I loved it. It was great reheated too.

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  10. I absolutely love these ingredients especially lentils and kidney beans cant wait to try this one

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    Replies
    1. Yes lots of lovely textures and flavours in this haggis

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  11. That looks so so delicious. I have never tried making Haggis at home - this looks so easy and flavorsome.

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  12. I learned so much from this recipe, thank you! I'm excited to make this veggie version, and might have to make all the sides as well to have the whole neeps and tatties experience. :)

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  13. Do you have a favorite creamy whiskey sauce? I'm vegan and I'm thinking cashews would work for the cream, but I'm interested in what recipe you would recommend.

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  14. I used to buy a vegetarian haggis when we lived in the UK, but I’ve not found one here in Canada, so thank you for this recipe. I shall try this for Burns Night. It looks delicious and easy enough to make.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry Frank, I just spotted your comment. I hope you enjoyed it.

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  15. This sounds terrific, I’ll be making it for Christmas dinner this year, might have a practice this weekend. I’ve always loved haggis, the vegetarian one from Sainsbury is good (can’t remember the manufacturer) but they don’t always have it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm making it for Christmas this year too. Having a practice is always a good idea, although it it very easy to make. At Christmas I will make it the day before and pop it in the fridge to cook the next day to save time. I hope you love it as much as we do.

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  16. Hi would any left over freeze okay?

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    Replies
    1. Yes.A lot if people in my Facebook group, cook it, cut it in slices and freeze it, then reheat in foil.

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  17. How do you make without quantities?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you scroll up just a little above these comments you will find the printable recipe card with full ingredients and method. You must have only scrolled to the step-by step photos which is purely a visual guide abd starts by saying scroll down for full ingredients in the recipe card.

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  18. 5 star. Really tasty and easy to make. One on my many favourites from tinned tomatoes.

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  19. Could this be steamed instead of baked? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wouldn't like to say without trying that first. Also it's not in a casing, which would usually be used in a steamed product like this or white pudding

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  20. I made this last night - it is delicious! Lots of leftovers, Yum!

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    Replies
    1. I am so glad you enjoyed it Ann and yes it freezes well. It's good crumbled on a baked potato or in a toastie or wrap too

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I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x