Are you looking for ideas for Christmas Eve dinner? You are in the right place, because coincidentally, we have thought of you! For this occasion we want to offer you a completely vegetarian menu, featuring vegetables and cheeses, which you can integrate as you see fit.
Appetizers
Every festive dinner takes inspiration from a well-thought-out appetizer. For Christmas Eve, a dish based on winter vegetables allows you to inaugurate the menu with a preparation that invites you to taste it without creating excesses.
Pumpkin squash
This crunchy and tasty pumpkin is perfect as a party appetizer, thanks to its contrast between the external crunchiness and the internal softness. The rich flavor of Parmesan and rosemary makes it an excellent choice to open a festive meal, adding a touch of elegance and freshness to the table. It goes well with other vegetable and cheese dishes, offering a healthy and tasty solution that everyone will like.
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To prepare a crunchy and tasty pumpkin, peel and cut the pumpkin into cubes. In a bowl, mix it with grated parmesan, flour (your choice: wholemeal, type 1/0, chickpeas or sg), water, extra virgin olive oil, salt and rosemary, until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Pour the dough onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and level it. Cook in a preheated oven at 230°C for 40-50 minutes, turning on the grill in the last few minutes to make it even crispier. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, it will be irresistible!
Alongside the pumpkin squash, you can introduce a warm salad of fennel and citrus fruits, enriched with a few flakes of lightly toasted almonds. The meeting between the scent of citrus fruits and the delicacy of fennel creates a contrast that opens the palate and anticipates the menu line: clear, clean flavors, designed for a dinner that aims for harmony.
Warm fennel and citrus fruit salad
Ingredients:
Wash and thinly slice the fennel. Peel the oranges and cut them into slices. Toast the almonds in a fat-free pan for 3-4 minutes. In a bowl, mix the fennel with the orange slices, add the toasted almonds and season with oil, salt and pepper. Serve immediately as a fresh and aromatic appetizer.
First courses
The Christmas menu does not give up a rich and refined first course. In a vegetarian version of Christmas Eve, a porcini risotto can play the role of the central dish. The mushrooms give depth to the flavour, the creaming made with butter and Parmesan creates the creaminess that envelops the dish. The rice, if toasted carefully and cooked gradually, creates a velvety consistency that enhances the aroma of the porcini mushrooms without covering them.
Porcini risotto
Ingredients:
Fry the chopped onion with a drizzle of oil and the rosemary in a pan. Add the sliced porcini mushrooms and brown them for about 5-6 minutes. In another saucepan, toast the rice with a drizzle of oil, then add the mushrooms and start cooking, gradually adding the hot broth. Cook for approximately 18 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the risotto is ready, stir in the butter and Parmesan, adding salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
If you prefer a lighter preparation, opt for ravioli filled with artichokes, seasoned with a walnut sauce and a shower of chopped parsley. The fresh pasta, rolled thin, leaves room for the aromatic filling, while the sauce gives a soft note that enriches the dish without turning it into something heavy.
Ravioli stuffed with artichokes with walnut sauce
Ingredients:
Clean the artichokes, cut them into small pieces and cook them in salted water for about 10 minutes. Drain them and blend them until you obtain a puree. Roll out the fresh pasta, cut out some squares and fill them with the artichoke puree, then close them to form ravioli. Prepare the walnut sauce by blending the walnuts with the cream and butter, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook the ravioli in salted water for 3-4 minutes, then season them with the walnut sauce and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Second courses
A vegetarian menu for Christmas Eve must offer a second course that gives the impression of completeness. A balanced solution comes from a seitan roast with herbs, served with a red wine reduction and a side dish of Brussels sprouts sautéed with a little onion. Seitan, if cooked slowly, absorbs the aromas of herbs and wine, taking on a compact consistency that recalls the character of traditional Christmas preparations.
Roast seitan with herbs
Ingredients:
Cut the seitan into thick slices and marinate it with red wine, rosemary, bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper for at least an hour. Brown the seitan in a pan with a drizzle of oil, then add the chopped onion and continue to cook. Pour the marinade into the pan and leave to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the sauce reduces. Serve the seitan with the red wine sauce.
Alternatively, if you prefer a less structured solution, choose a crown of baked vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, parsnips and red onions, arranged in a radial pattern and flavored with some spices, form a dish with a sure visual and substantial impact.
Baked vegetable crown
Ingredients:
Peel and cut the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and onions into thin slices. Arrange them in a crown-shaped pan, alternating the various ingredients. Season with oil, salt, pepper, paprika and rosemary. Cook in the oven at 180°C for 40 minutes, until the vegetables are golden and crispy. Serve as a main side dish.
Side dishes
Alongside the second course, the side dishes guarantee balance to the entire menu. A Jerusalem artichoke cream, served in small glasses or bowls, provides a velvety texture and a delicate taste that accompanies without stealing the show, where the Jerusalem artichoke, which is naturally sweet, creates a contrast with the baked vegetables or the seitan, establishing a pleasant continuity between the courses.
Jerusalem artichoke cream
Ingredients:
Peel and cut the Jerusalem artichokes into thin slices. In a saucepan, fry the chopped onion in the oil, then add the Jerusalem artichokes and leave to brown for 5 minutes. Cover with the vegetable broth and cook over a low heat for 20-25 minutes, until the Jerusalem artichokes are soft. Blend everything until you obtain a smooth cream, adding salt and pepper. Serve in small bowls as a delicate side dish.
Another effective side dish comes from chard sautéed with a little garlic and a squeeze of lemon. Chard is an often underestimated ingredient, which actually adds freshness and colour, offering an ideal support for more structured dishes.
Sautéed beets with garlic and lemon
Ingredients:
Wash and clean the chard, separating the leaves from the stems. In a pan, brown the garlic in the oil. Add the chard and sauté over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve as a fresh and tasty side dish.
Sweets
The conclusion of the dinner follows a line of sobriety and taste. A dark chocolate mousse prepared with fresh cream and quality cocoa is a classic, simple, elegant dessert and perfectly suitable for Christmas Eve. The presence of chocolate creates an ideal link with the Christmas atmosphere, without transforming the end of the meal into an overly rich moment.
Dark chocolate mousse
Ingredients:
Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave. Whip the cream with the icing sugar (and vanilla, if desired) until fluffy. Add the melted chocolate to the whipped cream, mixing gently. Transfer the mousse into cups and leave to cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
For those who prefer a lighter option, some cups of Greek yogurt enriched with honey and red fruits will be fine, a fresh and tasty solution that cleanses the palate.
Greek yogurt cups with honey and red fruits
Ingredients:
Distribute the Greek yogurt into individual cups. Garnish with honey and add fresh red berries. Serve immediately as a fresh and light dessert.
Happy Holidays!
