Festive Vegan Butternut Roast for Christmas Dinner

🍽 Why you will love this recipe

This simple vegetarian centrepiece delivers real wow factor and delicious seasonal flavours—cranberries, pistachios, red wine, garlic, rosemary and thyme combine for a festive, satisfying dish.

It’s straightforward to prepare and ideal for making ahead. You can assemble and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours, then reheat in the oven just before serving.

The roast looks stunning on the table and makes a great vegetarian or vegan option to carve and serve—meat-eaters often love it too.

🎄 What makes a great vegan or vegetarian Christmas dinner?

A memorable veggie Christmas centrepiece should:

• Showcase festive flavours — think cranberries, nuts, nutmeg, port, rosemary and sage rather than everyday pasta or risotto dishes.
• Create table theatre — present and carve the dish for a dramatic moment, just like a traditional roast.
• Complement the sides — avoid repeating the same vegetables in both main and sides so the meal feels varied and balanced.
• Be indulgent but not too heavy — leave room for trimmings and dessert.
• Be make-ahead friendly — choose a main that can be prepared in advance and reheated easily to reduce stress on the day.

Loved this recipe? ⭐️ Leave a star rating below! 📸 Snap a photo of your finished dish and share it on Instagram, tagging @thevegspace or #thevegspace. Subscribe to the newsletter to get new recipes by email.

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed or finely chopped
• 100 g puy lentils
• 70 g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 stalks fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
• 2 stalks fresh thyme, leaves stripped
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 75 ml red wine
• 250 ml vegetable stock
• 80 g fresh spinach, finely chopped
• 50 g pistachios, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Slice the butternut squash in half lengthways, scoop out and discard the seeds, brush or spray with a little oil, then roast for 40–45 minutes until the flesh is tender. Remove and cool until you can handle it.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the red onion and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes until softened.
4. Add the lentils, cranberries, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, red wine and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the lentils are tender but still have some bite. Add a little water if the mixture becomes too dry while cooking.
5. Spoon out most of the flesh from each roasted squash half, leaving a border so the shell keeps its shape. Add the scooped squash flesh to the lentil mixture and mash in with a fork. Season to taste.
6. Stir the chopped spinach and pistachios through the filling, then spoon the mixture back into both squash halves. Do not overfill—reserve any leftover filling to serve on the side.
7. Place the two halves together and tie with kitchen string every 3–4 cm. Return to the oven for 10 minutes until piping hot throughout, then slice and serve.

Simmer the filling until most of the liquid has evaporated. It should be fairly dry so it holds together when stuffed.

Leave a border of squash flesh. This helps the roasted shell retain its shape for neat slices.

Don’t overfill. If you have surplus filling, serve it alongside rather than overstuffing the squash.