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Thread: Vegan haggis

  1. #1

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    Unhappy Vegan haggis

    I've realised that one of my favourite 'treat' meals is made by a chain of family butchers (Macsween's) so I'd rather not buy it anymore. It's so damn tasty though! Has anyone tried any other nice vegan haggises/haggisis (haggi? )?

  2. #2
    gertvegan's Avatar
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    Default Wise words from Jo Stepaniak

    When we purchase vegan products from companies that manufacturer items we would rather not support, we are using our money to vote for the vegan products. Manufacturers track consumer purchases, and if the items we use are getting lots of votes, companies will not only continue to produce them but will expand these lines. If we do not purchase them, companies will believe there is no market for them, and they will be dropped.

    Therefore the products we appreciate and value may be put on the shelves of major grocery stores where they will be accessible not only to us but to the average consumer and could possibly have a broad influence on the public’s buying habits and tastes.
    I understand how you feel Evilfluffbunny. I guess its each to their own. I tried the vegan haggis a while ago but wasn't overly impressed. Will have to try it again.

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    I'm kind of 50/50 about it. It's great that they make a vegan friendly alternative but I can't decide how to look at it - keep buying the product and prove to them that there is a market for veggie alternatives, or refuse to buy from them, which would mean not supporting a chain of butcher shops, but also not supporting their 'step in the right direction'. Also, have they only made the haggis so that they're getting money from both ends of the market (like Campbells Meat Ltd bringing out their version of a veggie burger)?

  4. #4
    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    i've seen that vegan haggis in a health food shop, and was thinking about buying it but now i'm not so sure. it's a difficult question about whether to support it or not - it seems down to the individual as to which companies should be supported for providing a vegan alternative, and which should still be avoided....
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

  5. #5
    Glen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Quote Evilfluffbunny
    I'm kind of 50/50 about it. It's great that they make a vegan friendly alternative but I can't decide how to look at it - keep buying the product and prove to them that there is a market for veggie alternatives, or refuse to buy from them, which would mean not supporting a chain of butcher shops, but also not supporting their 'step in the right direction'. Also, have they only made the haggis so that they're getting money from both ends of the market (like Campbells Meat Ltd bringing out their version of a veggie burger)?
    Of course they are only doing it for the money, but at the end of the day, if that means we get more variety then so be it! I think the companies already realise there is a rather decent market for vegan food, so therefore I feel that not buying it will show that they need to improve it.

  6. #6
    purrr..! DoveInGreyClothing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    I'm all for supporting new vegan lines if it makes veganism more accessible and thus finds new recruits to the vegan lifestyle.
    It is a monstrous thing to do, to slay a unicorn...you have slain something pure and defenceless and you will have but a half life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips.

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    grossage
    please could you stop the noise? i'm trying to get some rest from all the unborn chicken voices in my head.

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    grossage
    Is that a type of sausage?

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Oh vegan haggis!!! youve got me drooling now Ive never actually had any of the macsweens stuff but theres an amazing shop in edinburgh that makes it (the baked potato shop) and its the most amazing thing Ive ever tasted. I got hold of the recipe (there are quite a few online) and made it myself several times (apparently haggis is the name for the mixture inside rather than the 'sheeps stomach' thing, or so Ive been told). Do a search for vegan haggis and have a go, its absolutely gorgeous!!!

    xxFlame7

  10. #10

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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Sorry, I didn't realise there were more replies to this thread!

    I actually go to that baked potato shop quite often and our favourite thing to get is a baked potato stuffed with haggis & beans. I wasn't sure I'd like it the first time but it's lovely!

    Thanks for the tip - I'll look for recipes online. I'd never bothered doing it before as I thought it was a 'secret'.

  11. #11

    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Send us the recipes! Turn this into a Haggis thread!

    Oh, now I am hungry.

  12. #12
    Jo
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    Default Vegan haggis

    I served up a vegan haggis, tatties, neeps and gravy to 8 of my non veggie friends yesterday. They didn't even notice! I put out butter but hardly any bothered with it. I'm not sure how vegan all the whisky consumed was though, that's the sort of part of being vegan I find tricky.............
    I'm going to have a go on Google now and try and find out.

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Whiskey is fine Jo as are all other spirits unless they are red in which case they may contain cochineal as a colouring agent.

    I had some vegan haggis (shop bought not homemade) at christmas and it was quite nice but a little crumbly.

  14. #14
    oldsilverhead
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    In our house,shop bought haggis is a favourite(I believe the crumbly texture is intentional) but I intend to venture to have a go at this...

    Haggis from Scotland

    Ingredients (use vegan versions):
    • 2oz rolled oats
    • 2oz pinhead oatmeal
    • 2oz mixed chopped nuts
    • 2 oz non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
    • 1 large carrot
    • 4oz mushrooms
    • 1 large onion
    • small can kidney beans (drained)
    • 2 oz vegetarian suet
    • 1/2 teaspoon yeast extract
    • 1 tablespoon (or more!) whisky
    • 1 teaspoon (at least) freshly ground black pepper
    • juice 1/2 lemon (or 1 lime)
    • 3 teaspoons of dried mixed herbs
    Directions:


    1. Melt half the margarine in an ovenproof saucepan / casserole. Add oats, oatmeal and nuts and cook for 3 minutes. Put in bowl.
    2. Chop carrot, mushrooms onion and kidney beans finely (food processor very handy here!). Melt rest of margarine, add chopped veg, and cook for anoth 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, and the oat mixture. Cook for 5 minutes.
    3. Transfer to medium over for 40 minutes.
    Traditionally, serve with "bashet neeps" (mashed swede) and "mashet tatties" (mashed potatoes) and copious amounts of whisky. Also goes well with roast onions (put in the oven 10 minutes before the haggis). (The fat content can be reduced by halving (or removing) the suet. If this is done, check it isn't getting too dry, and add some veggie stock if neccessary.) Also traditionally served on Jan 25th (Robert Burns Birthday) with some suitably poor poetry!

    and this...

    Neeps

    4 large turnips
    50g margerine
    2 teaspoons caster sugar
    1 teaspoon salt
    Peel and quarter the turnips. Boil for 25 minutes or until soft. Drain and mash, adding the marg,sugar and salt.

    For the hopeless romantics amongst you lend your ear to this...
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/histor...red_rose.shtml

    oldsilverhead

  15. #15
    told me to Mr Flibble's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Quote Spiral
    Whiskey is fine Jo as are all other spirits unless they are red in which case they may contain cochineal as a colouring agent.
    That's some of the most irresponsible advice I've ever heard online!

    Not all spirits are vegan, not just the red ones. Appart from the ones which contain milk/cream (Baileys, Dooleys etc), animal ingrediants are also sometimes used in production just as they are in wine. Sherry production involves wine and most postuguese port is filtered with geletine. Also some brands use flavourings in their spirits and will not reveal their secret recipes. There's lists available online, such as this one which have spirits listed as vegetarian but not vegan and I've certainly seen animal ingrediants listed on bottles which contain ingrediants.
    "Mr Flibble - forum corruptor of innocents!!" - Hemlock

  16. #16
    cedartree cedarblue's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    waitrose sell a vegan/veggie haggis on the chilled shelves by the meat slices .....bought one yesterday in fact for a tea this week, i like them

  17. #17
    Jo
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Yes , I know that lots of wines, spirits and beers aren't vegan. The whisky I was drinking last night was Bowmore's so ok I believe. I found a different list with more brands on it.
    The haggis recipe I used was very similar to your's OSH. However, I couldn't locate any veggie suet so did without - just added a little extra whisky and water. Also decided to throw in a tin of green lentils which have only just appeared in the supermarkets here. Couldn't get pinhead oatmeal either so spent ages chopping up whole organic oats! It was quite therapeutic and very successful. I find that there is always a way of substituting and being inventive when I can't get ingredients.
    I have had a few different bought veggie haggises but the one last night beat them all. All the guests were very happy, they reckoned it was better than the meaty one. Oh, I also adjusted Burn's 'To a Haggis' so it was a veggie version which amused my guests!

  18. #18
    oldsilverhead
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Please share your veganised haggis poem Jo!


    oldsilverhead

  19. #19
    Jo
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Sorry, I've thrown it away! It was just the English version of the Burn's poem (found in Google). I substituted 'oat, bean and nut' instead of the meaty bits and popped in veggie in front of haggis where I could. I think that was all.

  20. #20

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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    i LOVE vegan haggis... yummie !

    bbb
    xxx

  21. #21

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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Quote Mr Flibble
    That's some of the most irresponsible advice I've ever heard online!
    From the Animal Free shopper:
    "The production of spirits does not usually involve the use of animal substances. However, some red drinks may contain cochineal/carmine as a colouring agent."

    That's the last time I consult that book!
    I was thinking of bog standard whiskey, gin, vodka etc, not things such as Bailey's which obviously contain milk products or sherry or port which are fortified wines.

  22. #22
    told me to Mr Flibble's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    i read that in the animal free shopper too, i figured it's where you got it from

    Thankfully yes, a lot of basic spirits are vegan, but not all. In the UK Co-op are good at labelling their spirits as vegan or non vegan, some of the stuff they do is fair trade too.
    "Mr Flibble - forum corruptor of innocents!!" - Hemlock

  23. #23
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    I think HALLS haggis is vegan, its vegetarian society approved and doesn't appear to contain any animal products. Silly thing is Morrissons put it in their meat section, how many veggies/vegans go down the meat aisle? anyway my mum is under instruction to buy 3-4 everytimes she see's them as they're a bit here today gone tomorrow?! but yes...they're bloody lovely

  24. #24
    told me to Mr Flibble's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    i don't remember the brand, but there's one which has been around for at least 1.5 years and I see it everynow and then. If you're desperate I can tell you somewhere within a 1 hour commute of guildford that sells them
    "Mr Flibble - forum corruptor of innocents!!" - Hemlock

  25. #25
    oldsilverhead
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Macsween of Edinburgh

    oldsilverhead

  26. #26
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    I once got a surprisingly nice tinned one in a health food shop in Scotland - I think that might have been MacSween's as well but I'm not sure.

  27. #27
    tabitha
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    Default Re: Favourite Vegan Food Products - UK

    Vegan Haggis!!!!?? No way!!!

  28. #28
    feral
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    Default Re: Favourite Vegan Food Products - UK

    Even the thought of vegan haggis makes me wanna barf!

  29. #29
    tabitha
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    Default Re: Favourite Vegan Food Products - UK

    What is real haggis anyway - is it blood or something? How do you recreate that in a "veganish" way LOL. Its like vegan lambs heart!! Shouldnt they spell it a different way like "SOS roll" instead of "Sausage Roll". Shouldnt it be "Higgis" or something??

  30. #30
    feral
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    Default Re: Favourite Vegan Food Products - UK

    As far as I know real haggis is a stuffed sheeps stomac *shudders*

  31. #31
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    Default Re: Favourite Vegan Food Products - UK

    Worse than that it is stomach stuffed with lungs
    "Danger" could be my middle name … but it's "John"

  32. #32
    feral
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    Default Re: Favourite Vegan Food Products - UK

    Well I didn't really want to go into too much detail on a vegan board Rob.

  33. #33

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    Default Re: Favourite Vegan Food Products - UK

    Hall's Vegetarian haggis contains carrot, onion, mushroom, turnip, oatmeal, red lentils, kidney beans, vegetable fat, salt, pepper and malt extract.
    The encasing for this particular type has no animal derivatives.

    Yes, a flesh-meat haggis is encased in sheep stomach lining.

    The original haggis was always made of minced lamb, oatmeal, barley, onion and salt. Later, it was spiced up with horseraddish or pepper (which ever was available at the time of its making)

    When lamb prices shot through the roof, all "Scottish Family" butchers replaced the lamb with pork. Lamb was still used but only on a specific request order. Hall's changed to pork only. The English and bigger food industries replaced the lamb with a mix of heart, liver, kidney and lung.

  34. #34
    feral
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    Default Re: Favourite Vegan Food Products - UK

    Ooohh TMI there Gal

  35. #35

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    Default Re: Favourite Vegan Food Products - UK

    We had haggis in David Bann's Vegetarian restaurant last time we went to Edinburgh
    http://www.davidbann.co.uk/
    See my local diary ... http://herbwormwood.blogspot.com/

  36. #36
    perfect RedWellies's Avatar
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    Default Re: Favourite Vegan Food Products - UK

    I love vegan haggis!
    "Do what you can with what you have where you are."
    - Theodore Roosevelt

  37. #37
    Cake Fairy Cherry's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    Me too

  38. #38
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    HOME MADE VEGAN HAGGIS -----VAGGIS---------------------------------- ONE CUP OF ADZUKI BEANS OR GREEN OR BROON LENTILS SOAKED AND COOKED-ONE TIN O KIDNEY BEANS CHOPPED UP-3 GRATED ANDFINELY CHOPPED AND COOKED CARROTS-250grammes MUSHROOMS FINELY CHOPPED AND FRIED IN 4table spoons ofVEG FAT OR MARGE - HANDFUL OF OATS------ - SPICES, tsp black pepper,tsp corriander seeds,5cloves,crush em all,1/2 tsp ginger,1/2 tsp chilli,1/4 nutmeg,1 stock cube,and either 1/2 cup of vegeburger mix/ sosmix/ fresh breadcrumbs....NOO MIX IT AW TAEGITHER IN A BOWL IF ITS STILL AW SQUISHIE ADD MARE OATS/BREADCRUMBS/VEGBURGER MIX.... WRAP A HANDFUL O THE STUFF IN CLINGFILM AN MAK` INTAE A BAW SHAPE YAE DINNAE NEED TAE DAE THIS , YE CAN MAK` IT INTAE BURGERS/ SOSAGE/ OR EVEN STUFF YER VEG WAE IT, COOK AT 220 Ce IN OVEN ON TRAY COVERAD IN TINFOIL FOR 20 MINITS,TAKE OF TINFOIL THEN COOK FOR FURTHER 10 MINITS TAE GET IT AW NICE AN CRISPY ...,YE CAN MUCK ABOOT WAE THIS RECIPE ADDING DIFFERENT PULSES,VEG,SPICES SERVE WAE MASHED TATTIES AN NEEPS

  39. #39
    Aradia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    I've made this vegan haggis a few times.... very tasty it was too.

    100g oats
    50g margarine
    Toast in a pan together until golden brown, stirring to prevent them burning.

    1 medium onion, chopped finely
    4 tbsp walnut oil
    Saute together.

    50g chopped mixed nuts
    200g tin kidney beans (drained)
    100g mushrooms, chopped finely
    1 large carrot, chopped finely
    3 tsp yeast extract
    2 tsp black pepper
    sprinkle cayenne pepper
    small sprigs thyme, parsley, sage (chopped finely)
    small scraping nutmeg
    juice from half a lime
    nip of whisky
    (make sure you taste from the bottle thoroughly to ensure quality!)
    Add and mix thoroughly for 5 minutes to ensure the flavours mingle. Season to taste. Bake for about 30 minutes in a medium / hot oven.




    Serve with neeps and tatties.

  40. #40
    75% Chickpea Cumin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    I've made vegan haggis a number of times for both vegan and non-vegan friends. The recipe is similar to the one given by Aradia, except I add veg suet to the Oats when browning. It's one of my favourite things now, and I think the 'victims' for my recipe liked it too. I think it goes very well with steamed cabbage and vegan gravy.
    mmmmm... hungry now.
    How good it is to be well-fed, healthy, and kind all at the same time. Henry J. Heimlich

  41. #41
    AnneCE's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    I just have to add my love of veggie haggis - I have got the McSween's product (hanging head in shame) but will try out the Baked Potato Shop version soon, seeing as I have never been there and everyone who has ever been to Edinburgh raves about it.

  42. #42
    ...... Lorrs's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan haggis

    mmm vegan haggis, will need to get some, tis Burns nicht on Friday

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