Sweet root vegetables shine in this delicious parsnip and carrot kugel. Crispy edges and a soft, almost cakey interior. A delicious vegan side dish.
Kugel is a very traditional Ashkenazi Jewish food, with the two classic variants being potato, and lokshen (noodle). In essence, kugel is a starchy baked pudding – what Americans might call a casserole – usually, but not always, bound together with eggs.
Potato kugel is typically savoury but lokshen kugel is more usually sweet. It often contains dried fruit and/or spices, and is sometimes held together with a sweet creamy custard. Of course that doesn’t mean it won’t be served alongside a savoury main course!
I have fond memories of eating my Mum’s lokshen kugel – studded with dried fruit and filled with a layer of stewed apple – alongside cauliflower in tomato sauce. The kugel-tomato sauce combination was surprisingly delicious!!
Vegetable kugels
As well as the classic potato and noodle kugels, it is possible to make kugel from almost any vegetable. Spinach or broccoli kugel for instance, are both popular choices.
These light vegetable kugels are quite similar to crustless quiche in many ways, but with a higher vegetable content. However I like my kugel to be a bit more intense, so more often than not I stick to root vegetables which give a denser and more cakey texture to the finished dish.
Vegan parsnip and carrot kugel
This parsnip and carrot kugel is a variation on a vegan carrot and/or sweet potato kugel recipe which an old flatmate in Jerusalem gave to me, back in the mists of time. It is free from eggs and dairy, so is completely vegan. However it still rises beautifully and creates a delicious, crispy and flavoursome kugel.
Incidentally, the ‘crispy bits’ around the edge are definitely the best part. Aim for a corner piece, or at the very least an edge. Serve the middle pieces to your least favourite people!
Make it fat free
Although this vegan parsnip and carrot kugel has a pretty healthy list of ingredients, it is possible to reduce the fat content if you need to stick to a low fat diet. You can replace some or all of the oil with an equivalent volume (150ml or ⅔ cup) of smooth unsweetened apple puree (apple sauce) instead. This will still produce a moist and delicious kugel.
Ingredients in vegan parsnip and carrot kugel
To make this delicious kugel you will need the following ingredients:
- Parsnips and carrots – of course! You can use all carrots, or a mixture of carrots and sweet potatoes, but I don’t recommend making an entirely parsnip kugel.
- Plain flour – also called all-purpose flour
- Bicarbonate of soda and baking powder – for a light and delicious kugel
- Cinnamon and ginger – to spice things up!
- Vegetable oil – I use sunflower oil but any neutral vegetable oil is fine
- Maple syrup – to keep things sweet! If you prefer a less sweet kugel, add less maple syrup or skip it altogether.
- Water – or use apple or grape juice for an even sweeter kugel.
- Lemon juice or white vinegar – to activate the baking soda.
Light as air!
Although it contains no eggs, this vegan kugel is still light in texture thanks to the raising agents that are used in the recipe. However it is essential to add the lemon juice or vinegar, as this will activate the bicarbonate of soda to produce the raising effect. You won’t taste any sourness in the finished kugel as the acid is all used up in the reaction.
The proof of the pudding kugel
My daughter Kipper was initially reluctant to try the parsnip and carrot kugel, distracted as she was by the roast potatoes which are some of her favourite things in the world! However, I persuaded to her to try a bite and she was definitely won over.
This kugel is naturally sweet from the carrots and I think she was pretty chuffed to eat ‘cake’ with her main course. Who wouldn’t be?!
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This made a medium sized kugel. It would serve 6-8 comfortably as a side dish.
📖 Recipe
Parsnip and carrot kugel (vegan)
Ingredients
- 450-500 g parsnips (5-6 medium parsnips)
- 450-500 g carrots (5-6 medium carrots)
- 250 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 150 ml vegetable oil
- 65 ml maple syrup
- 65 ml water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease a 21-23cm (8-9 inch) round baking dish (or square/rectangular dish of equivalent size) with a little oil.
- Peel the carrots and parsnips and grate coarsely. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon & ginger. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and stir well to combine into a thick batter.
- Add the grated vegetables and mix well to coat – you may need to get your hands into the bowl to do this!
- Tip the mixture into the greased baking dish and bake at 170°C (340°F) for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until brown on top and cooked through (test with a toothpick – it will come out clean when the kugel is fully cooked). Cut the kugel into squares or slices to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
More delicious kugels
More delicious kugels include
- tasty leek and potato kugel
- delicious blueberry and sweet cheese lokshen kugel
- fabulously crispy mini potato kugels
- my Mum’s famous lokshen kugel with apple
- yummy Yerushalmi kugel – easy recipe with no boiling sugar!
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