Vegan Haggis for Burns Night

Vegan Haggis: A Burns Night Tradition in Our Little Vegan Kitchen

Every January, our house transforms into a mini-Highlands as we celebrate Burns Night, the annual Scottish holiday honouring the poet Robert Burns. It’s a tradition my husband (proudly Scottish) holds dear, and one we’ve happily veganized over the years. Central to the celebration is, of course, the haggis. While traditional haggis may not suit a plant-based lifestyle, vegan haggis is just as hearty, comforting, and packed with flavour—without the need for animal products.

This year, thanks to Storm Eowyn, our Burns Night feast had a bit of a twist! With roads blocked and cupboards raided, we had to work with what we had. Out went the pinhead oats (typically used in haggis), and in came trusty rolled oats. The result? Still absolutely delicious and served with onion gravy, tatties, and neeps. Let’s dive into the recipe and how you can make this perfect vegan haggis at home.

The Recipe

This recipe is inspired by The Pesky Vegan’s fantastic vegan haggis recipe, with a few tweaks to make it work during a stormy week!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegan butter

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 carrots, grated

• 1 leek, finely chopped

• 100g mushrooms, finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

• 200g cooked lentils (brown or green work best)

• Mark added Crushed walnuts ( these are definitely optional but tasted nice) 

• 100g oats (rolled oats worked brilliantly!)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 500ml vegetable stock

The How to BIt:

1. Cook the Veggies:
   In a large pan, heat the olive oil or vegan butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and leek, cooking until softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes until everything is golden and fragrant.

2. Spice It Up:
   Sprinkle the nutmeg, black pepper, coriander, smoked paprika, and cayenne into the pan. Give it a good stir and let the spices coat the veggies.

3. Combine:
   Add the cooked lentils, mashed black beans, oats, soy sauce, and vegetable stock to the pan. Stir everything together until the mixture is thick and well combined.

4. Cook Slowly:
   Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The oats will absorb the stock and bind the mixture.

5. Bake or Steam:
   You can either transfer the mixture to a lined loaf tin and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30-40 minutes until firm or wrap it tightly in baking paper and foil to steam for 1 hour. Both methods give you that crumbly, haggis-like texture.

Serving Suggestions

In true Scottish tradition, we ususally served our vegan haggis with mashed tatties (potatoes) and neeps (turnips or swedes). This year we didn't have mashable potatoes so baoiled potatoes in their skins with Vegan butter had to do.  For extra comfort, we ladled on a generous helping of onion gravy, made with caramelized onions, vegetable stock, and a splash of soy sauce thickened with cornflour. It brought the whole dish together!

Why Vegan Haggis?

Haggis is one of Scotland's most iconic dishes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t reinvent it for a plant-based lifestyle. This vegan version is full of earthy, nutty flavours, packed with lentils, beans, and spices that give it a wonderful texture and depth. Plus, it’s much friendlier on the environment and the animals, which is always a win in our book!

Burns Night: A Time to Celebrate

Burns Night is more than just a meal; it’s a celebration of poetry, music, and Scottish culture. Every year, we play Scottish folk songs, Mark recites Address to a Haggis (though in our case, it’s a vegan one!), and toast to the Bard with a wee dram of whiskey (or a glass of apple juice for those skipping the booze or those who have no way of getting to a shop !!).

This year’s Burns Night may have been a bit different thanks to Storm Eowyn, but it reminded us of the joy of making do with what we have and celebrating the things that truly matter: good food, family, and a bit of poetry.

What are your Burns Night traditions? Have you tried vegan haggis before? Let us know in the comments!

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