What’s a great vegan holiday main dish?
For as many years as I’ve been vegan (and that’s over 25 now), this question comes up during the holidays.
And, it seems to be a real source of stress when planning a holiday menu.
So, let’s remove that source of stress, yes?

Because the holidays – as fun as they are – do not need the added stress.
And, the food should be part of your fun, not your troubles!
So, let’s talk about your vegan holiday main dish. I have shared plant-based holiday mains in other posts, including my . Any of the recipes in will make for a delicious and festive vegan main course during the holidays (or anytime).
And, with the release of Dreena’s Kind Kitchen (I can now say my “award-winning cookbook“!), you have a full chapter of whole foods vegan holiday recipes.

Today, I’m highlighting one of those recipes from the book, my Holiday Dinner Torte!
This dinner torte, to me, really looks like a holiday main dish. It looks quite festive and also yields a sizeable dish. Pair with Golden Gravy and some other sides from my holiday chapter, and you’ll have quite a beautiful vegan holiday menu.
And, to round out your vegan holiday menu, have a look at this post for ideas. And, remember I have a full holiday recipes chapter in Dreena’s Kind Kitchen.
Finally, watch this video for more tips on cooking for the holidays…
Enjoy the recipe, and share your feedback in the comments. x Dreena
Holiday Dinner Torte
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups diced apple not large chunks
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine or water
- 11/2 cups diced onion
- 2 large cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (see note)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt for saute
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cans 15-ounce chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3 1/2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce, plus 1-2 tablespoons for topping
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves optional
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1/2 tsp rounded salt (for puree)
- 21/2 cups cooked brown rice
- 3/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds + 2 tbsp for topping, see note
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 -3 tablespoons dried cranberries or sliced fresh cranberries, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Prepare a 9" springform pan with a swipe of oil (optional).
- In a small bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Pour in the wine and add the onion, garlic, poultry seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and a few grinds of pepper.
- Cook for 9–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and is turning golden.
- If the mixture is sticking while cooking, add a few teaspoons of water. Use a teaspoon of water to deglaze the skillet after cooking.
- With a silicone spatula, scrape the contents of the skillet into a food processor.
- Add the chickpeas, 3 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire, tahini, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt to the food processor.
- Puree until fairly smooth, then add the brown rice, pumpkin seeds, and oats and pulse to mix.
- Scrape down the food processor and process again, just until the mixture reaches a fairly uniform consistency, but it’s fine to keep some texture. Don’t overprocess or the rice will become sticky.
- Scrape the bowl again if needed.
- Remove the blade from the food processor.
- Add the apple and mix with a spatula.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan.
- Use a spatula to smooth out the mixture, lightly pressing down as you spread mixture evenly.
- Add the additional vegan Worcestershire to the top and spread over the surface.
- Sprinkle on the additional pumpkin seeds and the optional cranberries.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until slightly firm and the top is lightly browned.
- Remove and let sit for 5–10 minutes.
- Remove the outer ring from the springform pan and slice the torte to serve.
Notes
include sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, nutmeg, black pepper, and/or
celery seed. If you don’t have poultry seasoning, try a mix of 1 1/2 teaspoon
dried marjoram or oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried
rosemary or sage, and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Food Processor Note: Use a large capacity food processor, mine is 16 cups. Pumpkin Seed Note: Toasting the pumpkin seeds will add greater depth of flavor to this torte. To toast, place seeds on a baking sheet lined with parchment (I use my toaster oven). Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes, moving the seeds around a few times through cooking, until seeds are golden. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Serving Suggestion: Serve with Cran-Apple Compote from Dreena’s Kind Kitchen, and Golden Gravy.
Patricia Pascale says
Really wanted to love this as it’s been on my radar for awhile now. Unlike everyone else I just didn’t love it. I felt it lacked flavor. The next evening I added more gravy on top but it just didn’t wow me. Presentation was beautiful though! Sadly, I tossed remainder away as I was the only one eating eat.