This Nut Roast en Croûte is perfect for Christmas dinner. My take on the classic nut roast is packed with toasted nuts, squash, mushrooms, and festive herbs, all encased in a shortcrust pastry. This is a great showstopper dish that will no doubt impress your vegetarian guests.
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This is exactly what we have for Christmas lunch, everyone loves it. It's packed with all the flavours of Christmas and all the flavours of a classic nut roast, we've just elevated it a bit! Packed with toasted nuts, mushrooms, squash, and feta this nut roast en croûte is packed with flavour.
For Christmas lunch, we serve this with all the trimmings. A good cranberry sauce is also on the cards as it actually goes really great with a slice of this nut roast as is a good vegetarian gravy. For St. Stephen's Day/Boxing Day we will have this nut roast cold with some good red onion chutney. Christmas sorted!
Ingredients for Nut Roast en Croûte
- Nuts - I use a mixture of nuts including walnuts, almonds, and cashews. I find that the cashews add a little sweetness and creaminess however you could use any nuts here. Pistachios and brazil nuts would work very well too. I also add chestnuts to the filling.
- Mushrooms - I use chestnut mushrooms for this but you could add in some wild mushrooms too if you like.
- Vegetables - Carrots and butternut squash are perfect in this nut loaf. I like these to be chopped up a little on the rustic side, however, I have also chopped everything quite fine and that works very well too.
- Herbs - For the herbs, well it has to be rosemary and sage to get those Christmas flavours. I also add dried oregano.
- Feta - The creaminess that feta brings to this nut roast is perfect, so I wouldn't recommend leaving it out.
- Pastry - The nut roast is encased in shortcrust pastry then baked until golden brown. I use a ready-made ready rolled pastry, you can make your own pastry if you wish but it's Christmas, it's busy and I don't have time for that. I make no apologies for making my life easier.
How to Make this Nut Loaf
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Cook the veggies - Heat oil in a large sauté pan, add the onion and carrot and cook until soft. Then add the mushrooms, butternut squash, and salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Next, add the garlic and herbs and crumble in the chestnuts. Cook for about 5 minutes then take it off the heat and leave to cool.
- Toast the nuts - While the veggies are cooking toast the nuts in a large frying pan for about 5 minutes. Once you see them browning remove from the heat.
- Blitz the nuts - Add the toasted nuts to a food processor and blitz until they are a rough crumble.
- Combine the filling - Add the nuts to the squash and mushroom pan. Then add the breadcrumbs and egg to the mixture and mix well, finally add the feta and mix again.
- Making the nut roast en Croute - Unroll the pastry then roll it out a little more. Place the mixture onto the pastry and using your hands shape it into a sausage shape leaving room on the edges of the pastry.
- Finishing touches - Fold over the pastry, then fold up the edges. Turn the en croûte upside down onto the baking tray.
Now is the time to add any pastry decorations you wish to add or to patch up any rips or holes in the pastry. Brush the pastry with milk then place it on the middle shelf in the oven and cook for 40 to 45 minutes, turning the tray around halfway through cooking.
Top Tips for Making the Best Nut Roast en Croûte
- Leave the filling to cool - if the filling is too warm it will start to melt the pastry and make it difficult to work with.
- Have cold hands - when wrapping the pastry around the nut roast it is important to have cold hands. I seem to always have warm hands so I run the cold tap over my hands until they cool down a bit before working with any pastry.
- Buy the pastry - Christmas is a busy time so I recommend buying a pre-rolled pastry. It will save you so much time and energy!
- Nuts - this recipe is very adaptable, you can use most nuts in this so feel free to use your favourites.
- Milk wash - If you want a golden brown nut roast en croûte then be generous with the milk wash. You can sub the milk for an egg wash if you wish.
- Have extra pastry - cracking and splitting happens, I always keep some extra pastry to patch up any splits. It's also nice to decorate the nut roast too.
FAQs
Yes, you can freeze this nut roast. You can freeze it before you cook it if you want. You will need to freeze it on a tray for about an hour first then transfer to a freezer-friendly container and it will keep for up to a month. Defrost completely the night before cooking. Please note that the consistency may alter slightly if you do freeze this.
Yes, you can make the filling a day ahead of time, just keep it covered in the fridge. You can make the entire dish a day or two ahead and cook it then reheat it in the oven until the centre is piping hot.
This will keep for up to 4 days. Leave it to cool then transfer to the fridge. Reheat it in the oven, you may want to cover the pastry in foil first. Heat until the filling is piping hot.
What to Serve with this Nut Roast en Croûte
If we have this Nut Roast en Croûte for Christmas dinner then I will serve it with all the trimmings. This will include roast potatoes, honey roasted carrots and parsnips, Brussels sprouts and gravy. This dish is really great cold the next day too, so I serve it buffet style with chutney and any other leftover veggies.
More Festive Vegetarian Recipes:
- Vegetarian Sausage Rolls
- A Warm Winter Salad of Roasted Kalettes and Stilton
- Puff Pastry Mince Pie Squares
- Stuffed Squash
- Mushroom Quiche
Did you make this Nut Roast en Croûte recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Nut Roast en Croûte
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion (200g) finely chopped
- 2 carrots (230g) peeled and finely chopped
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms wiped clean and finely chopped
- 400 g butternut squash cut into small cubes
- 3 fat cloves of garlic minced
- 1 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
- 150 g mixed nuts I used walnuts, almonds and cashews
- 1 x 180g pack of roasted chestnuts
- 1 large egg
- 80 g feta cheese
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 small slices of white bread turned into breadcrumbs in a food processor
- 1 x 320g roll of ready rolled shortcrust pastry + more for any decorations or patching up
- 3 or 4 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200/180 degrees 392F. I use a fan assisted electric oven please adjust temperatures according to your own oven.Lightly grease a baking tray with olive oil.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, add the onion and carrot and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft, at least 10 minutes.Then add the mushrooms, butternut squash and salt and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Now add the garlic and herbs and crumble in the chestnuts. Cook for about 5 minutes then take it off the heat and leave to cool.
- While that mixture is cooking toast the nuts in a large frying pan for about 5 minutes. Once you see them browning remove from the heat then add to a food processor and blitz until they are a rough crumble. Add the nuts to the squash and mushroom pan.Next, add the breadcrumbs and egg to the mixture and mix well, then add the feta and mix again.
- Unroll your pastry, then using a rolling pin roll it out a little more.Place the nut and veggie mixture onto the pastry and using your hands shape it into a sausage shape, leaving room along the edges, enough room for the pastry to fold over. Please see the photo.
- Fold the pastry over the filling, then fold up the ends. Turn the en croûte upside down onto the baking tray.Now is the time to add any pastry decorations you wish to add or to patch up any rips or holes in the pastry.
- Brush the pastry with the milk then place on the middle shelf in the oven and cook for 40 to 45 minutes, turning the tray around halfway through cooking.Once the pastry is golden brown all over then remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before removing from the tray.
- Serve straight away with all the trimmings.
Notes
- Pastry - I use a pre-rolled ready-made shortcrust pastry. Cold hands are essential when handling pastry if you're like me and have warm hands then rinse your hands under the cold tap for a few minutes.
- Nuts - I use a mixture of my favourite nuts, you can change them up if you wish. Just remember to keep the quantity the same.
- Test Run - Please do a test run of this beforehand if you are planning to have it for Christmas dinner. Just to make sure you like it.
- Can I make it ahead - You can make the filling a day ahead of time, just keep it covered in the fridge.
- Can I make this vegan? This can easily be made vegan. Omit the cheese, use your favourite vegan shortcrust pastry. Use a flax egg to bind the mixture and use plant milk to glaze the pastry.
- Freezing/Storing - This nut roast en croûte is suitable for freezing. You can freeze it before you cook it if you wish. You will need to freeze it on a tray for about an hour first then transfer to a freezer-friendly container. It will keep for up to a month. Defrost completely the night before cooking. Please note that the consistency may alter slightly if you do freeze this.
- Nutrition - Nutritional information is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It is based on one serving.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published on December 18, 2018. It has now been updated with a step by step guide, expert tips and nutritional information.
I’ve made this a few times because the flavours are genuinely so good. Do you have any suggestions on how to tweak the recipe so that it can be made without the pastry?
Hi Fee, I have never made this without the pastry so I can't say how it would turn out perfect. But, I would probably cook it in a well-greased or lined loaf tin. I would also cover it in foil to avoid the top burning. You may also nee to adjust the time it cooks, it may cook in less time. I hope this helps, let me know how you get on. M x
Many thanks Michelle - I’ll give it a go. I have to say, it’s delicious with the pastry hence the 5 stars which I forgot to add to my last post. I’m just trying to tweak to make it a more everyday meal (as it’s so good)!!
Hi Fee, thank you so much! I'm going to try and make an everyday version of this as it's such a good idea, so watch this space 😉 X
Hi Michelle, I made or should I say attemped to make a nut roast last year and it didn't turn out well, but saw your recipe a week ago and decided to give it a go for Xmas. Absolutely fabulous!!! Your instructions are clear and easy to follow and it was delicious. My son and daughter were full of praise but that praise should really go to you. Thank you so much! Will use again and again I am sure.
Sorry, my comment above should show 5 stars.
Thanks so much Carol 🙂
Hi Carol, thank you so much for your lovely comment! I'm so thrilled that you all enjoyed it 🙂
Love it!
I tried this recipe last night as a test run for Christmas. I plan on reheating it today for a Sunday roast. I'm keen to figure out what it's like cold and reheated in preparation for Christmas!
I finely chopped everything rather than rustic and it worked really well. With everything chopped finely I'm not sure I needed the egg to bind it. It wasn't dry, if anything it was almost soggy so won't bother with the egg next time.
Really delicious, thank you for the recipe
Hi Kim, I'm so glad to hear that you love it. We have this every year for Christmas Day. I usually serve it cold the next day but I have also reheated which worked well too. Hopefully, it turned out well when you reheated it. Michelle 🙂
What a great recipe. I didn’t deviated at all. I made it up to adding the chestnuts on Xmas eve then finished it off on Christmas Day. Everyone loved it. It was both showstopper and gorgeous. Perfect for Christmas with all trimmings. Even my husband who doesn’t really like mushrooms loved it. Thank you so much for this, I basked in the glory of great compliments for the rest of the evening xxx
Hi Lauren, thank you so much for your lovely comment! I'm so glad you all loved it and I love that you basked in all the glory 😉 Xx
Delicious! Also it was huge! Only problem was slicing it. The filling started to fall out. I need to practice using a better knife or knife technique next time.
Hi Louise, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I use a bread knife to cut it, I think leaving it to cool slightly helps too.
Just enjoyed this for Christmas dinner thank you delish. Easy and high impact and very tasty. I think next time I’ll leave out the feta. I served with bread sauce. Everyone loved it. Thank you. (Saw link in the guardian I think, I’ll head over to your blog in a mo. First a nap!) happy Christmas.
Hi Sarah, that's so great to hear, I'm so glad you all loved it. Merry Christmas 🙂
Hi Michelle, I'm excited to try this! Can I ask, if I make this the day before, can I reheat in the oven for xmas lunch? I'm bringing it to a friend's place. Any tips for reheating? Thanks!
Hi Lani, I make this every year for Christmas and I can tell you that it is just as nice cold as it is hot. We usually have this cold on Boxing day. But if we do reheat it we do it in the oven. Preheat the oven first to 180C/356F. Place the nut roast on a tray and place in the oven for about 20 - 30 minutes. I would also loosely cover the pastry with foil so it doesn't get too brown or burn. I hope that helps and I hope you and your friends enjoy it. Mx
This was delicious. I made it for Thanksgiving and will make it again this week for Christmas. My usual classic nut roast recipe was getting boring. This is a welcome and very tasty change. Had not thought of using pastry wrap. I liked including the root veggies in the nut roast. J used sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash and goats cheese instead if feta...because that,s what I had. Thank you for the recipe, and I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Hi Fiona, thanks so much for your lovely comment, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And I'm so happy to hear you're making it for Christmas too! Mx
Looks absolutely delicious, very festive with all the trimmings
Thank you so much 🙂
Delicious savory flavorful!! I made without the pastry (pressed into loaf pan) - didn’t hold shape (crumbled. Any idea why or what to tweak? Only other changes were 1) I used dry breadcrumbs versus making my own and 2) used walnuts, cashews and sunflower seeds as I had no chestnuts. Even crumbly, I’ll make this again - very tasty!!
Hi Eileen, I'm so glad you liked it. The pastry really hods this together, I've never made this without the pastry but it could be the dry breadcrumbs. I would probably add another egg to bind it more, soaking the breadcrumbs in some milk may work too. Let me know how you get on. Mx
Dear Michelle
I've been searching through my 1000 cookbooks to find a long lost nut roast recipe...to no avail. But then I googled and found yours!!! This looks wonderfully tasty and I am very excited to make it. I'm vegetarian and my husband is a carnivor...so I know he will love your nut roast. Thanks so much
Julie from Amsterdam
Hello Julie, thank you so much. I hope you both enjoy the nut roast. It's a firm favourite in my house. I'd love to hear how you get on with it. Best wishes, Michelle
Totally yummy - Beats dry turkey at Christmas . We'll be making it again for sure!
Hi Suvi, thanks so much I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Adding cranberry sauce on the side is a fantastic pairing. Brings all the Christmas flavors together and adds a bit of zing to the roasty flavors. It's such a gorgeous dish.
Thanks so much Laura, yes the cranberry sauce brings everything together 😉
I never had anything like this - or even heard of it. But it's such an amazing idea for a vegetarian option for Christmas! Thank you!
Thanks so much Emmeline, I hope you enjoy it if you try it x
I can't wait to test run this recipe before Christmas! Are there any suggestions of what I could replace the mushrooms with?
Hi Alex, I haven't made this without mushrooms so I can't say that it will work perfectly without them. However, if you're giving this a test run then you could try using lentils instead, I would use a pack of the pre-cooked puy lentils. I hope that helps. Let me know how you get on, Michelle 🙂
Oh wow, this is definitely the recipe to try. Love how delicious it looks, and I can only imagine the amount of flavor that it gives!
Thanks so much Mahy 🙂
This looks so festive and tasty. I've been looking for new meat-free recipes to try so thanks for the inspiration!
You're so welcome Julia, I hope you enjoy it 🙂