Vegetarian sausages are a tasty meat free alternative to traditional sausages. They are packed with the flavours of dried apricots and nuts and are easy to make.

I like to know what I'm eating so with foods such as sausages I prefer to make my own. I have experimented with different combinations of ingredients and find these to be the best vegetarian sausages as as they are full of flavour, are easy to make and can be prepared in advance. They are made using wholesome ingredients and don't try to imitate meat. So if you are looking for a meat free alternative to traditional sausages these are definitely worth a try.
They are ideal for vegetarians, flexitarians or anyone who wants to increase the amount of plant based foods in their diet.
These veggie sausages are ideal for family meals or to serve as part of a Sunday roast. They are also perfect for special occasions such as Christmas dinner served alongside nut roast, vegetarian stuffing or hasselback carrots.
The quantities in this vegetarian sausage recipe are sufficient for around three servings (based on 3 sausages per serving) as part of a main course but the recipe can easily be adjusted to make either a larger or smaller amount.
Ingredients
- 140g dried apricots
- 1 medium sized red onion
- 80g chopped nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews or a mixture of nuts
- 70g fresh white breadcrumbs
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Half to 1 teaspoon mixed herbs such as a mixture of rosemary, basil, oregano, or herbes de Provence
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A dash of olive oil to cook the onion and the sausages
- 2 eggs

Equipment needed
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- A large bowl
- Grater or zester for the lemon
- Large spoon and/or fork to mix the ingredients
- A roasting tin to cook the sausages
- A skewer to check the sausages are cooked
- Plate or board for the prepared sausages
How to make vegetarian sausages
Start by chopping the dried apricots into small pieces. Next, finely chop the onion and cook gently in a little olive oil until soft.
Place the cooked onions, chopped apricots, chopped nuts, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, mixed herbs and salt and pepper (all the dry ingredients) in a large bowl and mix together.

Once the dry ingredients have been mixed, add the eggs and mix again until the ingredients form a single mass.

Take a spoonful of the mixture and form into a sausage shape using your hands. I recommend forming short chunky sausages so that they hold together while they are being cooked. If they are too long and thin they may fall apart.
Repeat with the rest of the mixture and place the prepared sausages on a plate or board and set aside for a minimum of half an hour before cooking.

Cook the sausages in a a dash of olive oil in a roasting tin at 200oC, 400oF, gas mark 6 until they are golden. This is likely to take around 20 to 30 minutes. Turn the sausages over several times during the cooking time so that they cook evenly. You can check they are cooked by piercing with a skewer, if the skewer comes out hot they are ready to serve.

How to serve
- Serve as part of a family meal alongside roast potatoes, sweet potato chips and your favourite vegetables.
- These meat free sausages can be used to make toad in the hole.
- They are also perfect for hot dogs topped with your favourite sauce.
Tips
- Form the mixture into chunky sausages. If they are too thin they may not hold together when they are cooked.
- The sausages can be served hot. You can also store the cooked sausages overnight in the fridge and serve the following day. They don't need to be reheated as they are equally delicious served cold.
- These vegetarian sausages can be prepared ahead of time. You can make them the day before they are needed and store them overnight in the fridge.

FAQs
These vegetarian sausages are made using dried apricots, chopped nuts, onion, fresh breadcrumbs, lemon zest, herbs and seasoning (the dry ingredients). The mixture is then bound together using eggs. This easy vegetarian sausage recipe does not use textured vegetable protein and these sausages do not try to resemble meat.
Yes, these veggie sausages can be frozen. Defrost the sausages at room temperature and then cook as above.
Other vegetarian recipes
Take a look at some other vegetarian dinner ideas suitable for meat free Monday or any other day of the week.
- Lentil nut roast (vegetarian nut roast)1 Hours 35 Minutes
- Vegetarian cottage pie1 Hours 45 Minutes
- Nut cutlets40 Minutes
- Spicy bean burgers (veggie burgers)35 Minutes


Vegetarian sausages
Equipment
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Kitchen scales
- Large bowl
- Lemon zester or grater
- 1 Teaspoon
- Large spoon and/or fork
- Roasting tin
- Skewer
- Plate
Ingredients
- 140 g dried apricots
- 1 onion
- 80 g chopped nuts
- 70 g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Chop the dried apricots into small pieces.
- Finely chop the onion and gently cook until soft.
- Place the cooked onions, chopped apricots, chopped nuts, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, mixed herbs and salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix together.
- Add the eggs and mix again to form a single mass.
- Take a spoonful of the mixture and form a short chunky sausage shape by hand. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- Leave the sausages to set for a minimum of half an hour before cooking.
- Cook the sausages in a dash of hot olive oil in a roasting tin at 200C, 400F, gas mark 6 until they are golden. They are likely to take around 20 to 30 minutes to cook. Check and turn over several times so that they cook evenly.
Notes
- Form the mixture into chunky sausages. If they are too thin they may not hold together when they are cooked.
- The sausages can be served hot. You can also store the cooked sausages overnight in the fridge and serve the following day. They don't need to be reheated as they are equally delicious served cold.
- These vegetarian sausages can be prepared ahead of time. You can make them the day before they are needed and store them overnight in the fridge.
Leslie
This is a delicious recipe. My family love these sausages. I make them as a patty as well for hamburgers
Judith
Hi Leslie, thank you for letting me know your family enjoyed these sausages. And that's a good idea to form the mixture into burgers too. 🙂