Vegetarian sausages (apricot and nut sausages)

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 200^oC, 400^oF, 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

1. Serve as part of a family meal alongside roast potatoes, sweet potato chips and your favourite vegetables.
2. These meat free sausages can be used to make toad in the hole.
3. They are also perfect for hot dogs topped with your favourite sauce.

Tips

1. Form the mixture into chunky sausages. If they are too thin they may not hold together when they are cooked.
2. 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.
3. 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

Other vegetarian recipes

Take a look at some other vegetarian dinner ideas suitable for meat free Monday or any other day of the week.

Other recipes with apricots

If you have some dried apricots left over why not try one of the following recipes?