Vegan Dishes for Polish Christmas
For Poles, Christmas Eve is one of the most important holidays of the year, and, of course, is in great measure about eating. And Poles take their festive food very seriously. An old tradition has it that a 12-dish Christmas Eve dinner is a must. But getting through such a dinner when vegan can be much harder. Culture.pl introduces you to some delicious vegan dishes made for the Christmas table.
For Poles, Christmas Eve is one of the most important holidays of the year, and, of course, is in great measure about eating. And Poles take their festive food very seriously. An old tradition has it that a 12-dish Christmas Eve dinner is a must. But getting through such a dinner when vegan can be much harder. Culture.pl introduces you to some delicious vegan dishes made for the Christmas table.
Christmas Eve dinner in Poland is more than just a meal. It's the most important dinner of the year, and many dishes are only eaten on this particular day – you are bound to see a lot of fish dishes, some mayonnaise and some gelatine. Not exactly suitable for vegans. But did you know that Warsaw currently ranks 6th on Happy Cow’s ‘Top Vegan Cities of the World List’?
If you are not sure if you should invite your vegan friend for Christmas, if your fiancé has stopped eating gluten, or a bunch of your exchange friends that are about to visit have decided to skip lactose, just lay the table anyway, and try these delightful vegan Christmas dishes!
Vegan Christmas Eve red borscht
The vegan version of Polish Christmas Eve starts inconspicuously with the traditional barszcz, or red borscht. All of those gathered are hungry and happy, but when the word 'vegan' appears, you may see suspicion in the eyes of the grandparents. As it turns out, there's no need: for those who might be afraid of the veganisation of Christmas, this borscht should be the first reason not to be. Red borscht is 100% vegan and still traditional. In this case, the absence of animal products doesn't matter, as the most important thing is to achieve the amazing, slightly acidic taste that perfectly matches beetroot's sweetness. It is all about good ‘zakwas’.
To start Christmas dinner with proper borscht, you should prepare this sour base a few days in advance. Besides raw beets, boiled water, and garlic, high-quality bread is essential. Don't hesitate to use gluten-free bread made of seeds, nuts and groats. After gathering all the ingredients, just put them in a large jar (0.5 to 1 litre) and cover with boiling water. After three to five days, your sour base will be ready! Borscht is usually served with small dumplings, uszka (which, directly translated from Polish, means ‘small ears’), but you can serve it as the Górale (Highlanders) of the Tatra mountain region do – with delicious white beans or slices of bread.
Christmas almond soup
While in most houses, Christmas mushroom soup is the second soup to be served during Christmas Eve dinner, some Poles still prepare sweet almond soup. This traditional recipe is a little bit forgotten, and bringing it back to life is a great idea. All you need is wheat berries, almonds, plant milk, sugar and a vanilla stick. You can also replace wheat with your favourite groats to make it gluten-free.
Each nation has some stereotypes when it comes to cooking. In Poland, it is commonly maintained that Greece is the land of the so-called ‘Greek-style fish’. To be honest, there's no such dish in the homeland of Socrates, but in Poland, ‘Greek-style fish’ means fish prepared with carrots and spices. As a vegan cook, you refuse to even hear about preparing fish as one of the 12 dishes, but we've got you covered. Polish ‘Greek-style tofu’ might conquer the hearts (and stomachs) of your guests, so better make some more in advance.
Lentil & walnut 'meatloaf'
Meatloaf is a popular dish in Polish cuisine. This Christmas version (even the vegan one) is, of course, something special. It is based on lentils, and to prepare it you should be patient, as lentils like to have a cosy soak in water before they are cooked. After cooking, combine the lentils with vegetables, crushed walnuts and a pinch of spices (not to destroy the deep taste of the walnuts!), put them into a baking mould and wait (try not to drool!). If you want to spice it in an unusual way, use black carraway, an old Polish herb.
Mushroom & white bean pâté
Mushroom and white bean pâté is a great way of convincing friends and family of the multitude of ways that vegetables can be prepared. What’s more, it goes well with a slice of bread or fresh vegetables. It’s vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and will last for a few days in the fridge. The only things you need are mushrooms (to be honest, Polish Christmas has a case of mushroom fever), cooked beans and a good blender. We'll leave the rest to your imagination, inspired by Eastern European tastes like cumin, rosemary and lovage.
Braised sauerkraut
Even if you decided not to fill your pierogi with sauerkraut, there's no way to get away from it. But this isn't the sauerkraut of travel guides or podcasts about the world's weirdest dishes, but sauerkraut scented with smoked plums, sour apples and fresh rosemary. It used to be said that traditional sauerkraut is just cabbage with all the types of meat that you can find in the neighbourhood. Well, it is not: originally, sauerkraut was 100% vegan without any animal products, and only with the passing of time were more and more ingredients added.
Cabbage rolls (gołąbki)
These cabbage rolls might remind you of Latin American tamales or African dishes served in vegetable leaves, but in contrast to these, the leaves of Polish gołąbki are 100% edible. Stuffed with groats, mushrooms and spices, they will make you fall in love with cabbage. But be careful: they're very filling, so think twice before helping yourself to seconds, as you still have more dishes to try!
Wheat grains, poppy seeds, honey and a bit of candied fruit are all it takes to prepare one of the most amazing Christmas dishes. Looking at the ingredients list it may appear a poorer sort of dish, but in reality it’s a wonderful dessert tastes divine. In the past, kutia was perceived as a special holy dish and eaten only on special occasions. Nowadays, it's prepared only for Christmas Eve. To make it vegan, just switch the honey for maple syrup or sugar and forget about the cream, et voilà!
Polish gingerbread cookies
Another dish, especially for gourmands, are Polish gingerbread cookies (pierniczki). The best recipe comes from Nicolas Copernicus' home town. He was one of the greatest astronomers – but not only did he ‘stop the sun and move the earth’, he also had a sweet tooth. In Toruń, you can buy adorable packages of gingerbreads with his picture on the box and enjoy them on Christmas Eve. Another idea is to prepare them at home. Thanks to the variety of Polish cuisine you can prepare them in a 100% vegan way. Instead of honey, use caramelised sugar, and eggs can be easily replaced by linseed mixed with boiling water. Don’t forget to serve with a small bowl of jams and plum preserves. Vegalicious!
Poles are masters of preserving the tastes of summer through rainy autumn and windy winter. Dried-fruit kompot might sound like a terrible misunderstanding, but give it a shot. To prepare this simple beverage, you just need some dried and smoked fruits. The best, of course, are those that you saved from being eaten by your family while you spent a nice weekend in the countryside. To make a perfect Christmas compote, use apples, pears, plums and cherries. Even though mixing a smoky flavour with fruit might sound crazy, you’ll fall in love with compote. If not, you will at least better digest all of the rest of the dinner, because it is known to speed up your digestion.
Millet & cashew ‘cheesecake’
Christmas without proper cake is not Christmas – especially if you want to celebrate it Polish-style. To prepare one of the special cakes is a beloved tradition that brings grandparents, parents and the youngest ones together. The most popular are makowiec, or poppy seed cake, and cheesecake. A common Polish belief is that poppy seeds symbolise luck and prosperity, just like pomegranate seeds in Jewish tradition. The meaning of millet in Polish cuisine is very similar. Our millet and cashew ‘cheesecake’ combines both of them, which makes it the perfect Christmas cake.
Written by DS, 17 Dec 2015, updated by NR, 9 Dec 2019
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