A virtuously fabulous vegan Sunday lunch

Make the most of the season’s vegetables by turning them into the main attraction. By Angela Hartnett

I’ve been eating a lot of vegan dishes by default recently, tucking into root vegetables as the seasons change. Veganism is ontrend, but it’s brilliant that vegan dishes are no longer seen as a second-rate choice for meat-eaters to enjoy too.

These are a few of my favourites to make at home: I have to give credit for the roasted carrots, spiced with cardamom and star anise, to my husband, Neil Borthwick. We call them “forgotten carrots”, because you put them in the oven and forget about them.

He got the idea when he worked for Michel Bras, the chef, at his restaurant in France: famously, Bras served “vegetal cuisine” long before it was fashionable. We like to glaze them with sharp, acidic sherry vinegar: balsamic is too sweet. Buy the best, most-flavoursome carrots you can; there’s no point in using cardboard veg from a plastic bag. They don’t have to look perfect, but they’ve got to taste like carrots.

I use sunflower or groundnut oil for beetroot soup, because olive oil can be quite powerfully peppery – you don’t want it competing with the strong, earthy beetroot flavour, although a little acidity from Bramley apples and a dollop of crème fraîche works well.

My vegetable slaw is an alternative to a creamy mayonnaise coleslaw; opting for Asian-style sesame oil adds nuttiness, and raw vegetables have more crunch and texture. I find it lighter and tastier, and it just so happens to be vegan: make ahead, and give it a few hours or leave overnight to marinate.

Finally, filo brushed with oil is a versatile vegan alternative to butter pastry. For me, marjoram works especially well with celeriac in this tart: it’s a powerful herb, which adds a wonderful floral note.

Buy the best carrots you can – they don’t have to look perfect but they’ve got to taste like carrots