10+ African Vegan Holiday Recipes

These 10+ African-inspired vegan recipes will be a perfect addition to your holiday plate. All of these recipes are incredibly flavourful and draw from the unique flavours and spices from across the African continent. This blog post includes a holiday roast and many side dishes using different grains, protein options and a festive drink to wash it all down. Each recipe includes information on the unique ingredients used and a little history of each recipe.

Vegan Holiday Roast with Teff Stuffing

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Looking for a centrepiece to your holiday dinner? Make sure to check out this holiday roast with an East African Twist. Teff is such an underrated grain, it is nutty and packed with flavour and nutrients. even if you do not make the roast, you must try the stuffing.

Jollof Rice

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There is no West African Christmas complete without Jollof Rice. Jollof rice is basically rice cooked in a really flavourful and concentrated spicy tomato sauce. It is usually made with a meat-based stock, but this recipe is 100% vegan. It uses a combination of spices and flavours that taste just like any jollof rice without the meat.

Jollof Fonio

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Fonio is an up-and-coming, gluten free and healthier alternative for rice. It is an ancient grain that has been grown in West Africa for centuries. Just like jollof rice, the jollof fonio consists of cooking fonio in a rich tomato sauce. It also cooks in less than 15 minutes

Brown Rice Jollof

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As if you did not already need more Jollof Rice recipes, you can also check out this brown rice Jollof if you are looking for a slightly more healthy alternative. This Jollof is just as flavourful and definitely packs a punch. it is the perfect side dish at the Holiday Table.

Mushroom Pilaf Fonio

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This is an East Africa meets West Africa dish. It is a play on Ghanaian Oil rice where rice is cooking with lots of onions with spices used in East African cooking. The recipe can be whipped up really quickly if you are looking to cook your holiday dinner on a time constraint.

Lentil Quinoa Pilaf

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This recipe is an ode to Pilau, which is a common spicy rice dish popular in East Africa. This recipe substitutes quinoa for rice and includes lentils for added plant based protein. The quinoa is cooked in a delicious broth full of fragrant spices like cardamom and star anise.

Spiced Rice with Cumin and Star Anise

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This recipe is also a play on Ghanaian Oil Rice (also known as agwa mu), but with extra flavour. For this recipe, rice is cooked with sautéed onions and spices that turns basic white rice to an amazing side dish.

Ghanaian Fried Rice

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Like Jollof Rice, there is no Ghanaian party without fried rice. They go together like ying and yang. This really easy recipe uses leftover vegetables and rice to make an amazing and flavourful rice dish.

Ghanaian Salad

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The vegetable option of choice at many Ghanaian holiday meals is the Ghana Salad. This is a really simple salad made with fresh vegetables and layered with British baked beans. It’s very very easy to whip up and a perfect way to add more greens to your holiday meal.

Suya Tofu Bites

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Africa does not just have carbs to offer but also amazing protein flavours. Suya is a popular street food consisting of barbecued meat seasoned with a spicy peanut dry rub. This suya spice recipe is almond based and is used to flavour tofu. It is perfect for appetizers, cheese boards and even as a side for your holiday dinner.

Spicy Vegan Meatballs

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These suya meatballs are perfect ways to use up leftover suya spice. This spicy vegan meatballs is flavoured with the suya spice from the recipe above. It is nutty, spicy, flavourful and will be perfect for appetizers, cheese boards or as a side for your holiday dinner. These meatballs will have your guest fooled that they are eating real meat.

Mishkaki Tofu

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This East African-inspired dish made with a variety of spices found in East African food and tangy tamarind is an amazing side dish that can add more protein options to your holiday table.

Oven Baked Tofu

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If you are looking for an easy protein side for your holiday dinner, this oven baked tofu is perfect. It is seasoned with ginger, pepper and onion, which are used to flavour meat in many West African dishes.

Kelewele

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This is an exciting Ghanaian side dish you can add to your holiday rotation. Kelewele consists of ripe plantain seasoned with onion, ginger and different spices. It is also a hit with children. Kelewele works really well as an appetizer, side dish or even dessert ,served with roasted peanuts

Sobolo: Spicy Hibiscus Drink

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Finally, to wash it all down, how about a spicy hibiscus drink? Sobolo is a party favourite across West Africa and the Caribbean. This hibiscus punch is sweetened with pineapples, sugar and spiced with whatever spices you have on hand. To elevate the drink, you can add rum to make it a cocktail. Additionally, sobolo is good for you because of all the antioxidants in the hibiscus.