Vegetarian Winter Recipes

BY OUR HEAD CHEFS

Healthy winter recipes

In the cold season, we crave warming dishes that nourish both body and mind. The variety of winter recipes makes it possible to create meals that not only delight the palate but also convey comfort and well-being. When temperatures drop, a light yet nutrient-rich cuisine is ideal. Warming spices and seasonal vegetables heat us from within, strengthen the immune system, and offer moments of relaxation and coziness.

Lamb’s lettuce with vegan bacon vinaigrette

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 280 g lamb’s lettuce
• 35 ml olive oil
• 15 ml light vinegar (e.g., white wine vinegar)
• 15 g sautéed onion
• 20 g potato
• 5 g vegan “bacon” (from smoked, dried mushrooms)
• 95 ml water
• Pinch of salt

Preparation

Wash the lamb’s lettuce thoroughly and trim it carefully. Finely chop the onions and the potato; sauté the onions in a little oil until translucent. Add the vegan bacon made from smoked, dried mushrooms, the potato pieces, and the water to the pot. Cook until the potatoes are soft, adding a little more water if needed. Once cooled, blend the mixture until smooth and creamy to make the vinaigrette. Toss the vinaigrette evenly with the lamb’s lettuce and plate. For an extra touch, garnish with fresh cress and toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

Baked butternut with chestnut filling, pickled butternut/red kuri, sour whey, and sea buckthorn

Ingredients for 4 servings

Roasted squash with chestnut filling

• 5 rondini squash or small butternut squashes
• 20 ml frying oil
• Barbecue seasoning, turmeric, salt
• 400 g cooked chestnuts
• 50 g onions
• 18 ml dark vinegar
• 18 ml lupin seasoning (or soy sauce)
• Pepper
• Water for reducing
• 120 g sheep’s fresh cheese (cream cheese)

Preparation

Halve the squashes across the thicker end and carefully scoop out the seed cavity. Rub the cut surfaces with frying oil, barbecue seasoning, turmeric, and a little salt, then bake at 160 °C for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, roughly chop the cooked chestnuts and finely dice the onions. Sauté both in a little oil, then deglaze with dark vinegar and lupin seasoning (or soy sauce).

Reduce the liquid with a little water until the acidity dissipates. Then stir the sheep’s fresh cheese into the warm chestnut mixture. Spoon this aromatic filling into the pre-baked squash halves and return them to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to finish baking.

Pickled squash with onions

• 225 g squash (e.g., Hokkaido/red kuri), shaved into thin slices with a vegetable peeler
• 60 g red onions, cut into fine strips
• 125 ml light vinegar
• 450 ml water
• 50 g sugar
• 3 allspice berries
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• Salt

Preparation

Add the squash slices and finely sliced red onions to a pot along with the vinegar, water, sugar, and spices, then bring to a gentle boil for about one minute. Let everything infuse at room temperature, then refrigerate to chill and allow the flavors to develop.

Sea buckthorn broth

• 225 ml sour whey
• 10 ml light vinegar
• 60 g pure sea buckthorn juice (mother juice)
• Zest of 1 lime
• Salt
• 25 ml pumpkin seed oil (for drizzling)

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients except the pumpkin seed oil until you have a smooth broth. Gently pour it over the finished dish when plating. Finally, drizzle the pumpkin seed oil decoratively over the broth.

Cardamom–cinnamon ice cream with pickled plums and buckwheat crumble

Ingredients for 5 servings

• 250 ml almond milk
• 28 g sugar
• 2 g agar-agar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds (not ground)
• 20 ml almond oil
• 50 g buckwheat flour
• Pinch of salt
• Vanilla (e.g., ground vanilla or vanilla bean seeds)
• 100 g plums
• 100 ml plum juice or apple juice
• 2 g locust bean gum (carob bean gum)

Preparation

For the ice cream, bring the almond milk to a boil while stirring, together with the sugar (20 g) and the agar-agar. Turn off the heat, then add the cardamom seeds and the cinnamon stick. Let the spices infuse in the warm liquid for about ten minutes. Once the mixture has cooled, add the almond oil (8 ml) and blend thoroughly until a smooth emulsion forms. Churn the mixture in an ice-cream maker. Alternatively, pour it into a shallow dish and freeze, stirring regularly to prevent ice crystals.

For the crumble, finely mill the buckwheat (or use ready-milled flour). Knead it with almond oil (12 ml), sugar (8 g), a pinch of salt, and a little vanilla to form a dough. Spread the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake at 165 °C for about 15 minutes, until the crumble is golden brown and crisp. Let it cool, then break into coarse pieces.

Pit and quarter the plums, then bring them to a boil in a small pot with the plum or apple juice until soft. Strain them, thicken the resulting syrup lightly with locust bean gum, pour the thickened syrup back over the plums, and let everything cool.