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Made with minimal ingredients, this vegan haggis is an easy vegetarian take on a Scottish classic. Even though it’s traditionally made with meat, you won’t even miss it in this recipe because lentils give it the same hearty texture. So be ready to become obsessed with your new go-to dinner!
save this recipe!If you’ve never heard of haggis, you’re not alone! I first heard of it while traveling in Scotland. While I didn’t have the courage to try the real deal, I tried a vegan rendition of haggis in Edinburgh that made me want to recreate it when I got home!
It’s traditionally made from sheep’s liver, heart, and lungs and mixed with beef, oatmeal, onion, and seasonings. It’s then boiled in a bag made of an animal’s stomach. It sounds easy to make vegetarian or vegan, right?
With some specific seasonings, this recipe wasn’t actually that hard to turn vegan. Make it a full Scottish meal, serve it with the classical pairing of neeps and tatties, or try out Scotch eggs!
here’s what you need
Haggis, by nature, is a meat-heavy meal, but vegan haggis ingredients include lots of vegetables and spices! Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements!
- Olive Oil: Always need a little olive oil love! We will use this to saute the onions and garlic.
- Onion: I use and recommend yellow onions because they are slightly sweeter and less pungent than white.
- Brown Mushroom: Mushrooms are critical to creating that traditional meaty texture of haggis. Brown button mushrooms fit the bill, but you could use any basic variety of mushroom.
- Carrots: Carrots add a great crunch and sweetness to this dish.
- Garlic: No dish is complete without the hug of garlic!
- Steel Cut Oats: These are traditional to haggis and work perfectly in this vegan haggis. We haven’t tested this recipe with rolled oats, which could make for a mushier end result.
- Green Lentils: These are also how we mimic the meaty texture. Lentils have a tough texture and take on any flavor they are cooked in which is what makes them perfect for this vegan haggis recipe!
- Broth: Vegetable broth is what the oats and lentils are cooked in. By cooking them in a broth, they absorb all that flavor without any extra work from us!
- Marmite: Marmite is a savory spread that adds umami to this dish. It is totally optional, but I highly recommend using it!
pick the right type of lentils
When cooking with lentils, it is important to use the right type of lentils. For this recipe, we use green lentils because they maintain a tough texture even when cooked while red lentils will begin to disintegrate when cooked for an extended time.
How to make Vegan Haggis
Making this haggis is super simple! It is almost a dump-and-go recipe, which is extra perfect for a snow day or slow fall Sunday. This is an overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full printable recipe.
Step 1: Saute the Onion
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until translucent and soft, about 3 minutes.
Step 2: Add the Veggies
Add mushrooms, carrots, and garlic. Continue cooking until mushrooms release their moisture, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 3: Add the Fillings
Stir in oats, lentils, and broth. Cover and cook until oats are al dente (they should be mostly cooked, but have a little bite to them). This should take 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 4: Prep For Baking
While oats and lentils cook, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a bread pan with parchment paper so that the bottom and sides are completely covered.
Step 5: Bake
Pour mixture into your prepared pan, then bake for 30 minutes or until dry to the touch and a bit darker brown on top.
Step 6: Serve
Serve from the pan or transfer to a serving plate. The haggis will be thick but will not hold its shape, so spoon it onto plates and enjoy!
mimic meat with chopping
It is best to chop vegetables in different sizes to mimic meat better. For this, I chop the onions very small to keep from taking a large bite of onion, while the mushrooms I rough chop to resemble the beef texture.
Easy Vegan Haggis Recipe (Scottish Classic)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, 30 mL
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 8 oz brown mushrooms, roughly chopped, 226 g
- 1 cup shredded carrots, about 2 carrots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup uncooked steel cut oats
- 1 cup dried green lentils
- 6 cups vegetable broth, 1.4 L
- 1 Tbsp marmite or vegemite, optional, for extra umami flavor
Instructions
- Onion: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until translucent and soft, about 3 minutes.
- Veggies: Add mushrooms, carrots, and garlic. Continue cooking until mushrooms release their moisture, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Fillings: Stir in oats, lentils, and broth. Cover and cook until oats are al dente (they should be mostly cooked, but have a little bite to them). This should take 20 to 30 minutes.
- Prep For Baking: While oats and lentils cook, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a bread pan with parchment paper so that bottom and sides are completely covered.
- Bake: Pour mixture into your prepared pan, then bake for 30 minutes, or until dry to the touch and a bit darker brown on top.
- Serve: Serve from the pan or transfer to a serving plate. The haggis will be thick but will not hold its shape, so spoon it onto plates and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Will be having this for Easter tomorrow. First time I had vegetarian haggis was last year in Scotland.
Nobody in my house likes mushrooms. Is there a substitute you could recommend? Thank you 🙂
I haven’t tested this recipe without them, but I think you could use crumbled up tofu here! You’ll just need to compensate the savory flavor of mushrooms with a little more marmite 🙂
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for this recipe. What’s the gravy you show in the photo? Do you have a recipe for it too? (Sorry if I missed this somewhere.) LOVE YOUR NEW BOOK! 🙂
Happy Cooking!
So happy you’re loving the book, Jeannie! This is the vegan gravy recipe I make 🙂
hi, I was reading the comment about substituting mushrooms for something else. I was wondering if I could use imitation meat crumbles (mine are soy based) or if I do choose the crumbled tofu option would I use firm or super firm tofu?
I haven’t tested this one with meat crumbles, but I think it would work! Would love to hear how it goes if you try it out!
I once went to a hotel at North Queensferry on the Firth of Forth. We hwd dinner and after the kitchen closed for the night a van load of vegetarian tourists came in and demanded the vegetarian meal they expected when they booked. They were late booking in which was their fault and after making a fuss and being quite rude to the staff they sent out for veggie food. Next morning they were tucking into Haggis at breakfast and going back for more! No one had the heart to tell them. By the way the scotch in scotch eggs means “to chop up finely” hence the expression ” his plans were scotched”. Nothing to do with scotland