The Vegetarian’s Sausage Roll

When I first made these un- sausage rolls a few years ago, my died- in- the-wool vegetarian daughter didn’t enjoy them because they tasted too much like the real thing, that is, sausage meat. Like that old advertisement, ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter’, one might exclaim, ‘I can’t believe it’s not a sausage roll.’ They’re a lot healthier than the real thing and great to have stashed in the freezer for the silly season. Sausage roll connoisseurs and those with a hangover may feel a little cheated of the fat and unctuous smell. Most will not even notice. Pass the tomato sauce please.

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The veggo sausage roll

This recipe is for mini bite- sized rolls. If you prefer a larger lunchtime shape, cut the puff pastry squares into halves and fill more generously .

Ingredients.

Before you gather your ingredients, remove the four sheets of puff pastry from the freezer and defrost.

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup well-drained ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup crushed walnuts
  • 2½ Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs made from stale bread
  • 1 ½ cups rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 sheets frozen puff pastry
  • ff

Method

  • Heat oven to 18oc fan forced and line biscuit trays with baking paper, or grease if you prefer.
  • Mix walnuts, eggs, ricotta cheese, onion and soy sauce together in a large bowl.
  •  Add rolled oats, breadcrumbs, herbs, parmesan and salt and pepper and mix well.
  • Cut pastry sheets into thirds and lay a thin strip of mixture down the middle of each sheet.
  • Roll up and seal edges with milk.
  • Flatten the backs of the rolls gently with the back of a knife then cut into 5 or 6 pieces.
  • Brush each roll with eggwash and place on the baking trays.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cool on a wire rack.
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Another batch to freeze.

Any scraps of leftover puff pastry can be twisted into shapes and dusted with parmesan then baked until golden.

This recipe is adapted from veggiemama’s version. I have added dried mixed herbs for that old-fashioned sausage roll taste. As I tend to have ricotta on hand, I use this. Mixing by hand is preferable when using ricotta. Other recipes ‘out there’ use fetta or cottage cheese. I have avoided the addition of lentils, as much as I love them, as meat eaters tend to detect them a mile off. And no grated carrots!

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On a roll.

34 thoughts on “The Vegetarian’s Sausage Roll”

    1. I think he/she will love them but not if truely vegan. I hoovered quite a few when they emerged from the oven. They do contain eggs and ricotta though so if the child is vegan, you may need to look for a carrot/lentil version and avoid pastry containing buitter, and no egg wash and no milk to seal.

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      1. Children shouldn’t be vegans; it’s not good for them when they are growing up. Their bodies need protein from animal produce. If they are vegetarians that’s OK because eggs, milk & fish are included.

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        1. Vegetarians don’t strictly eat fish at all.In India,eggs are always listed in the meat menu.Vegans can source good forms of protein from beans and pulses,and nuts used as butters,rice and almond milk and through food combining . It takes dedication to get it right.
          I prefer to call myself a pescatarian, given my love of fish, the animals of the sea.

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          1. I know beans & soy milk have protein but most doctors will frown on putting a child on a vegan diet – not good for their development. It’s OK when they are adult, a different story. Fish is so good for kids too along with eggs.

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  4. Don’t worry Chris, Andrew will make the meaty classics from Margaret Fulton, running with fat and who knows what from the sausage mince.
    I have some veggo ones for Sophie on the day- they will be labelled veggo- the carnivores will be directed elsewhere. Hands off meat eaters! I think the veggo camp has grown and we have a couple of extra family recruits.

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    1. We have 30 coming to the ‘event’ ( see- I didn’t use the c word). Last count there were 6 veggos- but then all the carnivores head straight to the vegetarian food first. Sometimes Rachael and I have resorted to serving strategies at parties- always bring the veggo food out last when the meat eaters have filled their plates!
      I have a cute grandson who is 7 and announces that he is vegetarian- oh except for the salami, oh and maybe some bolognese. Hahha, kids crack me up.

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      1. Your family could be my family, so funny, all the meat eaters equally head for the vego food as well. (Despite still adoring the seafood and ham.) Your wee grandson is adorable. The year old in this house also recently announced that he was going to be vegetarian like Dad, except for bacon….kids are totally hilarious. 30 is even more than us though, nice one Mrs Italian.

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  14. I’m sceptical that commercial sausage rolls contain much meat at all, and what they do you wouldn’t want to eat… I’m one of the guilty non-vego party that eats the vego offerings… they always seem nicer than the ‘standard’ fare… and I do love a good sausage roll with a smear of tomato sauce.

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    1. My extended family go nuts over sausage rolls- the real ones made of fat and sawdust and, even as a veggo, I have been known to grab one or two and dunk them straight into a bowl of sauce. Now that the number of veggos in the larger group is growing, I now feel compelled to make these ones- and they are pretty good.

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  18. Pingback: In My Kitchen, January 2021 – ALMOST ITALIAN

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