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Christmas Dinner Vegetables
No Christmas Dinner is complete without an array of veg.ย Here are the most popular vegetables for a traditional Christmas Dinner in the UK…
What vegetables do you have at Christmas dinner?
Us brits usually have every type of veg possible on our Christmas Lunch, from carrots and parsnips to bacon-tossed sprouts, there is no expense spared when it comes to this once-yearly feast.
The best part is that all those leftover veggies can be used to make a delicious Bubble and Squeak for Boxing Day.
1 – Carrots
A staple on any Christmas Dinner, there are so many varieties to choose from and they can be simply sliced or battoned then boiled or roasted whole in olive oil and rosemary to make them extra special.
Tip: You can purchase ready-cut carrot batons and slices in most major supermarkets, which is a great time saver.
2 – Sprouts
These little beauts thrive in the winter, which is why they have become a firm favourite at Christmas when they are in season and delicious.
Tip: Lightly boil, then fry with Bacon lardons, Onion and Garlic for an extra special festive dish.
3 – Broccoli
No roast dinner (Christmas or Not) is complete without broccoli. It’s delicious simply boiled with a pinch of salt.
Tip: Tenderstem Broccoli is easier on the eye if you like to go ‘extra’.
4 – Parsnips
Parsnips are an absolute must for any traditional Christmas lunch but simply boiling them should be illegal. They should be roasted in honey for a gorgeous, sweet taste.
Tip: Frozen parsnips are actually quite nice and are a great time saver.
5 – Potato
Mashed, Boiled or Roasted no Christmas dinner is complete without a spud! Roast Potatoes are the potato of choice in over 80% of UK households – and rightly so.
Tip: Use a good quality potato like a Maris piper and Sprinkle Garlic Salt and Beef Oxo over them before roasting for THE perfect roastie.
6 – Sweet Potato
Sweet potato is an acquired taste and popular with the health conscious.ย That being said, at Christmas the most popular ways to eat Sweet potato are roasted or mashed (with plenty of butter)
Tip: Rosemary compliments sweet potato beautifully
7 – Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of the most popular vegetables in the UK. At Christmas is it delicious boiled, Roasted or baked with cheese sauce.
Tip: Cathedral City have a new range at Iceland that includes Cauli Cheese and it’s delicious. Try It
8 – Green Beans
Green Beans are tasty enough to serve boiled, but like anything, these can also be jazzed up.ย Crisp french beans are very tasty when fried in garlic and some people even add bacon lardons.
Tip: Tesco supermarket sells ready-sliced fresh green beans to save time for those who prefer them.ย Try Them
9 – Cabbage
Red or Green, cabbage is delicious. There are so many varieties to choose from with red cabbage and Kale being the top picks on most Christmas tables.
Tip: Toss some Cranberry sauce in with your red cabbage for maximum festive flavour.
10 – Swede
Swede is so underrated! It’s absolutely delicious mashed with lashings of white pepper, although some people prefer it mashed with butter.
Tip: Asda sells ready-diced swede with is an absolute must for saving time as swede is notoriously difficult to peel and chop. Try it
11- Onions
Roasted onions are SO good on a roast dinner. My favourites are shallots or Echalion onions for their amazing sweet taste. Sprinkle on a liberal amount of garlic salt and roast in olive oil – You won’t be disappointed.
Tip: Echalion onions are much larger than shallots, which means less prep time.
12 – Asparagus
Asparagus is more of a ‘starter’ vegetable for me, but if roasted in garlic and olive oil and well seasoned, they can actually be very tasty on a Christmas Dinner.
Tip: Make sure to keep a slight crunch to your asparagus by plunging them in iced water to stop the heat from overcooking them.
13 – Leek
Leeks are a really nice addition to any roast, particularly creamed leeks. There are plenty of delicious recipes online to try out, but boiled leeks are a big, boring bo-no.
Tip: Baby leeks are much sweeter and caramelise nicely when roasted.
14 – Peas
Peas are usually eaten widely throughout the year with meals, so aren’t so widely used on a traditional Christmas dinner. But nonetheless, they deserve their place on the list.
Tip: Mix in a little fresh mint and a knob of butter to make them extra special for your festive feast.
15 – Sweetcorn
In my humble opinion, sweetcorn doesn’t belong on a roast dinner! But it can bring some colour to the table.
Tip: To make corn more interesting, try a creamed corn recipe.
Check Out these Christmas Dinner Side Dishes
So that’s all the vegetables we can think of to accompany your Christmas Lunch, if you know of any others you think should be added to this list, please let us know in the comments below…
