5 Alternative Christmas Vegetable Ideas [Updated!] | Tenderstem® (2024)

What are the Traditional Christmas Vegetables?

First of all, there’s always going to be a bit of a debate about what traditional Christmas day vegetables are. For some, cauliflower might always make its way onto the plate. For others, that idea might be heresy. But in general there are a few vegetables that we always associate with Christmas lunch.

So what are they? And what alternative options do you have?

Here’s a list of some of the traditional Christmas vegetables that make it onto most dinner tables for Christmas lunch. And if you’re feeling a little bit adventurous, we’ve added an alternative recipe you could try instead.

1. Brussels Sprouts

Perhaps top of everyone’s list when asked what the traditional vegetables we eat at Christmas are is Brussels sprouts. Cooked well, they can complement your main dish perfectly, especially if you serve them up with some crispy lardons. Cooked badly, they can end up over boiled, mushy and left untouched on everyone’s plates.

Alternative for Brussels Sprouts:

2. Roasted Root Vegetables

Not far behind Brussels sprouts are roasted parsnips and carrots when you think of traditional Christmas vegetables. Roasted root vegetables can be delicious but perhaps always suffer from being shovelled onto your plate alongside roast potatoes, which are of course one of the highlights of Christmas day dinner.

Alternative for Roasted Root Vegetables:

3. Carrot and Swede Mash

Instead of roasting their root vegetables, some people go down the route of mashing them for Christmas dinner. Carrot and swede mash is the traditional version most people go for.

Alternative for Carrot and Swede Mash:

4. Braised Red Cabbage

Braised red cabbage infused with all the flavours of Christmas is another traditional favourite. Usually cooked down for several hours, you can prepare this dish well ahead of time and simply reheat on the day.

Alternative for Braised Red Cabbage:

5. Boiled Mixed Vegetables

Lastly, there’s often a range of boiled vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and peas to finish off the Christmas vegetables.

Alternative for boiled mixed vegetables:

If you like to let your vegetables do the talking, boiled Tenderstem® broccoli can be cooked up quickly and served at the last minute. Or, you can cook Tenderstem® broccoli in a variety of ways, so whether you like your vegetables oven roasted, steamed or cooked on a griddle, Tenderstem® broccoli tastes great however you cook it. Because it’s Christmas, you could even go for some extra special Tenderstem^® Purple.

Even More Special Christmas Vegetable Recipes

We’ve got a few more special Christmas vegetable recipes you can mix up a traditional Christmas dinner with. And you can even download our Christmas e-book for a really handy guide to cooking Christmas dinner, including recipe ideas and timings. According to packaging suppliers Springpack, we spend over £446,000 every minute on presents at Christmas, it's now time to spend a bit more time on them veggies!