Today marks the birthday of Scotland’s most beloved poet, Robert Burns, and on both sides of the border and around the world, people will be celebrating the occasion with a traditional Burns supper. But if you’re planning to address the haggis tonight, go for a vegan version of the Scottish staple – because the contents of traditional haggis are not only gross but also the product of horrific cruelty.
Burns himself had an ethos of respect and compassion towards animals. In his famous poem “To a Mouse“, Burns apologises to a mouse and “fellow-mortal” for accidentally overturning her nest with his plough. “I’m truly sorry Man’s dominion/Has broken Nature’s social union”, he writes. What’s more, he recognises that both mice and men have the capacity for suffering and can feel “grief an’ pain” – a realisation crucial to the philosophy of animal rights.
So, who knows? Had vegan haggis been readily available in the 18th century, it might have been Robbie’s dish of choice. Today, take a cup o’ kindness and honour the compassionate poet’s memory with this animal-free recipe adapted from food blogger Vegan Lass – perfect with neeps and tatties (and even a wee dram!).
Haggis and Whisky Sauce
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 1 hour
Ingredients
For the Haggis:
4 Tbsp vegan butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 brown onion, finely diced
2 bay leaves
1 rib celery, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
A few big pinches smoked salt
150 g chestnut mushrooms, finely diced
250 g kidney beans, cooked
250g black lentils, cooked
50 g pumpkin seeds
50 g sunflower seeds
600 ml vegetable stock
1 Tbsp ground dried mushroom
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Fresh nutmeg, grated
1 tsp English mustard
2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
150 g rolled oats
For the Whisky Sauce:
250 ml vegan cream
2 tsp English mustard
4 tsp whisky
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
A small handful fresh parsley, chopped
A few pinches ground sea salt, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 175ºC (347ºF). Add the vegan butter to a large cooking pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bay leaf, celery, carrot and a big pinch of salt, then fry for 5 more minutes. Add the chestnut mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes, continuing to stir.
- Add the kidney beans to a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add to the pot along with the lentils and seeds. Mix in the vegetable stock, dried mushroom, spices, mustard, thyme and nutritional yeast. Add the oats and combine well. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture has begun to thicken. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- When the haggis has about 10 minutes left in the oven, make the whisky sauce: heat the vegan cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the mustard, whisky, lemon juice and chopped parsley, then season to taste with the salt.
- Serve together over mashed neeps and/or potatoes. Cabbage or kale goes well with haggis, too.
The post Recipe: Vegan Haggis for the Laddies and Lassies appeared first on PETA UK.