Description

These mini nut roasts with candied carrots are a delicious and hearty vegetarian main, perfect for festive occasions or comforting dinners. Featuring a nutty, savory base blended with mushrooms, lentils, and chickpeas, each loaf is topped with sweet, caramelized carrots and fragrant herbs for a beautiful presentation and rich flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

Carrots and Topping

250g bunch thin baby carrots
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
5 tbsp maple syrup, divided
Handful of sage and thyme leaves

Nut Roast Mixture

2 tbsp milled flaxseed
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
350g mixed mushrooms, finely chopped
3 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 tsp tomato purée
2 tsp tamari or dark soy sauce
1 tbsp smoked paprika
100g pecans
50g hazelnuts
400g can green lentils, drained
400g can chickpeas, drained
40g ground almonds

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Carrots: Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Scrub and trim the baby carrots, cutting them lengthwise in halves or quarters if large. Toss the carrots in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Season well with salt and pepper, then spread them cut-side down on a baking tray. Roast for 20-25 minutes until tender and starting to caramelize.
Soak Flaxseed: Mix the milled flaxseed with 4 tablespoons of water and leave it to thicken into a gel-like consistency, which will act as a binder for the mixture.
Sauté Vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and celery, frying gently for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent, adding a splash of water if necessary to prevent sticking. Stir in garlic, mushrooms, rosemary, tomato purée, tamari, and smoked paprika. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes until the mushrooms release their moisture and become tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Prepare Nuts and Pulses: Place pecans and hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped but not powdery. Add the drained lentils and chickpeas, and pulse again until the mixture forms a thick, dry paste.
Mix Nut Roast Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped nut and pulse mixture, sautéed vegetable mixture, ground almonds, remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and the soaked flaxseed gel. Season generously with salt and pepper, then mix everything well by hand until thoroughly combined.
Assemble Mini Loaf Tins: Lightly oil six holes of mini loaf tins and line each with baking parchment strips. Trim the roasted carrots and arrange them cut-side down in a snug, single layer on the bottom of each tin. Chop any leftover carrots and stir them into the nut roast mixture. Pack the mixture firmly on top of the carrots in each tin and smooth the tops.
Bake the Nut Roasts: Place the filled mini tins in the oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes until firm and golden on top.
Rest and Prepare Herb Glaze: Remove the nut roasts from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes before carefully inverting them onto serving plates. In a small frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and fry the sage and thyme leaves until crisp. Stir in the last tablespoon of maple syrup, then spoon this herb glaze over the nut roasts for added flavor and shine.

Notes

You can easily scale this recipe by making one large nut roast in a 900g loaf tin; bake at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 1 hour.
Be sure to finely chop the mushrooms to blend well into the mixture for a moist texture.
Using silicone mini loaf tins is recommended as they make removal easier, but greasing and lining any loaf tins will work.
Letting the flaxseed soak is important for binding; do not skip this step.
The tamari can be substituted with dark soy sauce for similar flavor if needed.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Vegetarian British

Keywords: nut roast, vegetarian main dish, candied carrots, holiday recipe, nut loaf, vegetable roast, plant-based main