Christmas Vegan Main Course Recipe - Tia Clara (2024)

Looking for a Christmas vegan main course? This vegan eggplant roulade is a flavorful and elegant-looking dish perfect for the occasion. The intense flavors and beautiful presentation will win over meat lovers.

By Clara Gonzalez - Last revised Dec 18, 2023. Published Dec 29, 2011.

Why I ❤️ it Recipe Ingredients Preparation

Christmas vegan main dish.

Why I ❤️ it

If you're having vegan or vegetarian guests over for New Year's dinner, I encourage you to serve this; you will surprise and impress them instead of expecting them to be content eating just side dishes or whatever is left that doesn't contain meat.

I have yearly vegan guests that I host for our Christmas Eve dinner, and I serve this every year, and even meat lovers partake.

This free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, and I receive a small commission when you purchase, at no cost to you. Thank you!

This eggplant roulade is a flavorful and elegant-looking Christmas vegan main course. The intense flavors and beautiful presentation will win over meat lovers.

Author: Clara Gonzalez

• Baking tray with wire rack

Ingredients

For the eggplant

• 3eggplant(large),or 1 very large eggplant
• 3tablespoonsvegetable oil
• 1red onion(small),cut into strips
• 2garlic cloves, crushed
• ¼cuppitted green olives,sliced
• ¼cupcapers(optional)
• 1teaspoonoregano(dry, ground)
• 1cuptomato sauce
• 1cupboiled chickpeasor canned
• 1cupbreadcrumbs or homemade breadcrumbs (our recipe)
• ½teaspoonground black pepper (or more, to taste)
• 1teaspoonsalt(or more, to taste)

For the dough

• 1cupall-purpose flour
• ½teaspoonsalt
• ½teaspoonsugar (white, granulated)
• ½teaspoonbaking soda
• ¼cupvegetable oil

For the glaze

• 1tablespoonsoy milk
• ½teaspoonbrown sugaror maple syrup
• 1tablespoonvegetable oil

Preparation

Before you start, make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1: Preheat oven

Pre-heat oven to 250°F [120 °C].

Step 2: Cutting eggplants

Cut the eggplant into halves.
Separate the peel from the flesh. Scoop out the flesh, leaving as little as possible. Cut the flesh into small cubes.

Step 3: Sautée vegetables

Heat the oil in a pot over very low heat. Add the onions and cook and stir until they become translucent.
Add the garlic and cook and stir for a minute. Add the olives and capers, followed by the oregano, and mix. Cook for a minute.

Step 4: Stew eggplant flesh

Add the eggplant flesh (reserve the peels). Mix well. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Pour in the tomato sauce, mix well. Cover for another minute.

Step 5: Finish the filling

Turn off the heat. Add the chickpeas, followed by the breadcrumbs. Mix well. Season it with 1 teaspoon of pepper and salt to taste.

Let the filling cool down to room temperature.

Step 6: Fill the eggplants

Fill the two peels with the filling and join together one on top of the other, being careful not to spill the filling.

Step 7: To make the dough

Mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Add the soy milk and oil. Mix well. Lightly knead the dough until it is soft (about 1 minute).

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Step 8: Make the glaze

Mix the oil, soy milk, and syrup.

Step 9: To assemble

Roll out the dough to about ⅛" thick (3 mm). Place the eggplant on top of the rolled-out dough (careful not to disturb the filling).

Pull up the dough until it meets at the top. Smooth it out and use a finger wet in the glaze to seal it, cutting the excess dough as you go along.

Poke some small holes in the crust on the side with the seam and turn over (the seam will be at the bottom).

Roll out the remaining dough and, using a cookie cutter, cut out the decoration. Stick to the eggplant with a finger wet in the glaze. Place on a roasting tray with a rack.

Step 10: Bake

Brush the glaze over the eggplant, careful not to overdo it. Bake for about 10 minutes.
Re-apply glaze (be very careful with hot surfaces!).

Bake until the crust is light golden.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 2 minutes before serving.

Top tips

• One eggplant. Yes, I found these ginormous eggplants at the local supermarket, measuring about 10 inches long (25 cm). This dish fed four people at our table.
• If you do not find these giant eggplants, substitute for two regular large ones. If you are feeding more than four people, or your guests have large appetites, make the appropriate adjustment in the quantities to make more servings.
• If you wish to make some of the preparations beforehand, do so until step 16, wrap the eggplant in foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
• You can also prepare the dough and leave it in the fridge wrapped in plastic film. From there on, it should take about 30 minutes for the dish to be ready to serve.

Serving suggestions

If you're having vegan or vegetarian guests over for New Year's dinner, you can serve this with my Christmas rice with raisins and almonds, my Festive rice with cranberries, or any of my Christmas recipes. They're all perfect for a vegan Christmas dinner menu.

Nutritional information

Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1817mg | Potassium: 691mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 11.6mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 4.1mg

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