Celebrate Burns Night with vegetarian haggis

I wonder if Robert Burns knew that his poem, written in 1786, would go on to inspire such a strong culinary tradition. Address to a Haggis was the first of Burn’s poems to be published in a newspaper, an indication of his growing success at the time

According to the National Trust for Scotland, Burns wrote the poem to celebrate the strength of the ‘ordinary’ working Scotsman (a haggis-fed rustic) over those with more ‘continental’ tastes.

We celebrate Burns Night on 25th January. The tradition of Burns Suppers started in 1801 on the fifth anniversary of his death. A group of Burn’s friends got together to celebrate his life by eating haggis and reciting Address to a Haggis.

Nowadays, Burns Suppers take place in more than 150 countries around the world. This includes the countries where many Scots migrated in the 19th Century: the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Here in Scotland, Burns Night is a welcome celebration that breaks the long dark nights of January. Many of us across the nation get together to enjoy a warming plate of haggis, neeps and tatties and toast the Scottish Bard.

In recent decades, haggis has moved with the times. In 1984, one of the first vegetarian haggis recipes was created. Recently, the haggis maker Macsween stated that vegetarian haggis is outselling the traditional offal version in some UK supermarkets. In many, it is is selling in equal quantities. This shows the growing popularity of the vegetarian alternative.

As part of Greener Kirkcaldy’s work to reduce food insecurity we want to ensure nourishing, tasty food with a low environmental impact is available to everyone. Moving towards a plant-based diet is one way we can reduce our carbon footprint in the current climate crisis.

There are also many health benefits to eating more plant-based foods. For these reasons, we encourage everyone to try a plant-based haggis, whether it’s one you have bought or made.

Make your own plant-based haggis

If you would like to try making your own plant-based haggis, here’s a recipe. Although there are a few steps involved, it is most definitely not as complicated as it may seem. Plant-based haggis contains many healthy, nourishing ingredients including a large proportion of oats. Overall, it’s a low GI (glycaemic index) food that contains slow burning fuel for your body.

This recipe will serve four people.

Ingredients:

60g yellow split peas (soaked in water overnight)
60g pearl barley
60g dairy-free butter
2 carrots, peeled and diced very finely
100g chestnut mushrooms, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
100g porridge oats
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground allspice
500ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp treacle
1 tbsp yeast extract
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Start by bringing two large saucepans of lightly salted water the boil. Add the soaked split peas to one pan and the pearly barley to the other. Cook both for about 40 minutes until soft. Drain and leave to cool separately.
2. Pre heat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas mark 5.
3. Melt half the butter in a frying pan and fry off the carrot, mushroom and onion until soft.
4. Add in the oats, split peas, remaining butter, coriander, black pepper and allspice and fry until fragrant.
5. Add the stock, treacle, yeast extract and some salt cook. Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes until everything has thickened.
6. Stir in the pearl barley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Line a rectangular loaf tin with baking paper. Add the haggis mixture to the tin, packing it in tightly, cover with kitchen foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes.
8. Leave to cool for about 5-10 minutes before cutting into slices and serving alongside mashed potato and mashed swede. You’ll find yourself thinking “Weel are ye wordy of a grace, as lang’s my arm” when you’re finished making this!

Kat Riach, Sessional Worker (Community Food), Greener Kirkcaldy

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This blog was written as part of Eating Better’s ‘Season to taste’ campaign. This is a joyful holiday campaign focused on delicious food, culture and heritage. Eating Better is a movement for change of sixty organisations working to accelerate the transition from producing and eating too much meat and dairy to a fairer, healthier and more sustainable food system that is better for animal welfare and for nature.