Vegan wartime champ is a side-dish inspired by Marguerite Paton's recipe that was popular during British World War 2.
The original recipe can be found in the book 'Victory Cookbook, Nostalgic Food and Facts From 1940-1954' by Marguerite Patten OBE.
This adapted recipe features the veggie trio of potatoes, turnip (swede), and white cabbage. Once cooked everything is mashed together with hot plant milk and an optional pat of vegan margarine. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with chopped parsley, for a tasty, budget-friendly side-dish.
My family love wartime champ simply served with baked beans and vegan sausages for their favourite mid-week quick meal.
Who was Marguerite Patton?
Marguerite Patten (1915-2015) was a British chef and writer, with over 170 cook books to her name.
During the Second World War Marguerite Patton worked for the British Ministry of Food.
Patton was famous for her BBC radio show The Kitchen Front where she would provide advice, ideas and recipes that helped people deal successfully with food shortages and rations.
Wartime champ was one of those recipes and was especially popular as potatoes were in abundance during the war and was promoted as a valuable source of nutrition.
The Origins of Champ
Champ is an Irish potato meal that originated in Northern Ireland, and is more commonly made with mashed potatoes and spring onions/scallions/green onions.
Another Irish dish called Colcannon, is similar to Champ but utilises kale or cabbage in place of the spring onions.
Traditionally, on Halloween or Samhain, superstitious Irish folk would leave out spoonful's of Champ below a Hawthorn bush, as an offering to appease the fairies.
Similar to the tradition of leaving cookies and milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Champ and colcannon have been Irish favourites for hundreds of years likely because the ingredients are widely available, tasty, and very budget-friendly.
In Scotland, there is a similar traditional dish called rumbledethumps.
Rumbledethumps features mashed potato, onion and cabbage/kale, with mashed swede often included. After the veggies are mashed grated cheese is sprinkled over and everything is baked until melted and golden.
Whereas in England they have bubble and squeak which is cooked potato and cabbage, often leftovers, fried until crispy and brown.
So really wartime champ is like a mash up of champ, colcannon and rumbledethumps.
Adapted Vegan Wartime Champ
Vegan Wartime Champ is ideal for using up those potatoes, turnip (or carrots), and cabbage that may have been lurking in the refrigerator for a few weeks. I can't be the only one guilty of that, surely!
Serve wartime champ as a side with some plant-based sausages, baked beans, more steamed veggies, and gravy. Or maybe a slice of nut-roast or a vegan pie. So tasty, satisfying and better still budget-friendly.
To create an adapted vegan version of Patton's wartime champ, I have subbed out dairy milk for plant milk and used a plant based margarine.
The original recipe used carrot instead of swede but I tried the recipe quite a few times and found it difficult to mash the carrot to a texture similar to swede. So I replaced the carrot with swede and it was more successful and tastier. Perhaps because I am Scottish I prefer the taste of turnip! However, if you prefer you can use carrot in place of the turnip.
Incidentally, in Scotland we tend to call what is actually a swede a turnip.
Or by the Scottish term a 'neep'. In the US what you need is a rutabaga. And in England a swede! Turnips are actually much smaller than swedes and can usually be bought as a little bunch similar to beetroot.
To get back to the recipe, Patton calls for all three veggies to be cooked together in one large pot with a lid, with just one cup of water simmering, for 15 minutes. This method actually worked and all the vegetables were soft enough to mash. Also I do think steaming is better than boiling as less nutrients are leaked into the water.
However, I prefer to boil the potatoes and turnip separately and save the cooking liquid as stock for soup or stew, or whatever I may need it for over the next few days.
Patton adds a small cup of hot milk to mash the veggies altogether. I simply added a few tablespoons of plant milk to each mash. I included the plant margarine at the mashing stage rather than adding a tablespoon of butter to each serving as Patton's recipe states.
Meanwhile the white cabbage is steamed before mixing through the mashed potatoes and neeps.
I also included nutritional yeast flakes for extra savoury flavour but this is optional, and instead a teaspoon or two of mustard can be added.
How To Prepare Vegan Wartime Champ
The recipe card below has the following cooking method including the alternative wartime cooking method so you can choose which one you prefer.
Cover with water, bring to boil, simmer for 15 minutes or until soft.
Drain the turnip cooking water.
Simmer until soft.
Drain.
Or simmer in a little water, with lid on pan, and steam until cooked.
Recipe Notes And FAQS
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Or frozen, well covered in food-safe wrap, for up to 4 months.
Leftovers can be placed in a baking dish, covered with a lid or a piece of kitchen foil, and placed in a hot oven to warm through, generally around 15-25 minutes.
If reheating from frozen, defrost completely before reheating.
*Mix through a few tablespoons of flour, enough to easily form the champ into little patties/little chunky burger shapes and cook until lightly golden on each side. Cook on a non-stick fry pan or skillet and add a tablespoon of oil if necessary.
I use a non-stick pancake/crepe maker which is just a large circular hot-plate and this device requires no oil to cook. Which means your patties have less calories and fat, so technically you can eat more!
A few chopped spring/green onions or chives mixed through the patties before cooking is very tasty. Add any seasonings you like. Any other leftover veggies can be mashed or chopped small and mixed through this type of patty.
Champ patties are great for next days lunch. Or once cooked freeze for up to 4 months.
*Another idea is to use the champ as a topping for a vegan shepherds or cottage pie, hotpots, or other casserole dish.
* Sprinkle grated/shredded vegan cheese over the champ and bake in a hot oven until melty and golden. Such a yummy side-dish or enjoy on its own for lunch.
Yes. However, check any of the ingredients that you add to the potatoes, turnip and cabbage, and ensure that everything is certified gluten-free.
A few ideas:
*Use sweet potato instead of white, or use a mix.
*Replace the turnip for carrot, celeriac, or cauliflower.
*Instead of plant milk use the veggies cooking water as the liquid to mash.
*Replace the nutritional yeast for one tablespoon of white miso paste/ or 1-2tsp of mustard.
*Instead of plant margarine use some home-made or shop bought hummus
A few ideas:
*vegan sausages
*veggie burger
*vegan steak made with tempeh/seitan/tofu or a steak made with a large mushroom or cauliflower slice
*vegan pot pie/pie and gravy
*traditional Irish stew (vegan)
*traditional British 'beef' stew (vegan)
*baked beans
*tinned spaghetti hoops
*corn-on-the-cob
*peas and sweetcorn
*roast veggies/steamed veggies
*parsley, vegan cheese sauce, or a white/béchamel sauce
The best potato varieties for making fluffy or creamy, tasty mash are:
* Maris Piper
* Arnold Barletts
* Yukon Gold
* Russets/ Idaho
* King Edwards
* use a packet of vegan instant mash
* or frozen mashed potatoes
* frozen pre-sliced cabbage can usually be purchased
* use frozen pre-chopped swede/turnip
* use leftover mashed turnip, potatoes, or cabbage.
* leftover cooked turnip, potatoes, and cabbage can be frozen for up to 4 months. So it can be a good idea to prepare extra, whenever you use these ingredients in a different dish, and freeze until required.
* prepare 2 batches of champ at the same time, freeze one batch and use the other. To reheat, defrost before placing in a hot oven until warmed through. Add some grated vegan cheese or pats of vegan butter to the top, if liked.
More Wartime Vegan Adapted Recipes:
Wartime Christmas Pudding (not just for Christmas! This pudding is tasty enough to enjoy all year round. Can be steamed or for a quicker dessert prepare in the microwave)
Wartime Eggless Chocolate Buns
📖 Recipe
Vegan Wartime Champ
Equipment
- large saucepans
- potato masher
Ingredients
- 550 grams potatoes chopped into even-sized small chunks
- 500 grams turnip (swede) chopped into even-sized small chunks
- 350 grams white cabbage sliced
- 4 tablespoon plant milk more if necessary. Optional step: heat the milk before
- 1 tablespoon plant-based margarine or vegan butter
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes optional, or add one teaspoon of mustard or one tablespoon of white miso paste
Optional:
- 10 gram fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cook your potatoes and swede in separate pots until soft. This can take anywhere between 12-15 minutes depending on how large your chunks are. I find that swede can take longer to become soft.
- Steam your cabbage in a steamer pot or in a fry/skillet pan, with a lid and a little water added to the pan. Steam for 10 minutes or until soft.
- Mash the drained potato with 2 tablespoon of hot plant milk, 2 tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes, and 1 tablespoon of plant margarine. Add extra milk to bring to the consistency you prefer. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mash the drained turnip with 2 tablespoon of hot plant milk, 1 tablespoon of plant margarine, and salt and pepper to taste. Add extra plant milk if liked.
- Combine the turnip and potato mash together, mix through the cooked cabbage.
- Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with chopped parsley.
Alternative Quick Wartime Cooking Method:
- Add the potatoes, turnip and cabbage to a large non-stick pot. Pour in a cup of water and pop a lid over.
- Bring to the boil and over a medium heat cook for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes the veggies should be soft. I have tried this method and it does work. Although if veggies are not soft and the liquid has run dry just add an extra ½ cup (125ml) of hot water and pop the lid on and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Once veggies soft pour in ¾ (180ml) of hot plant milk and mash well.
- Season with salt and pepper. A few tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes are a tasty addition or add a teaspoon of English mustard.
Notes
- Nutritional data is for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Leftovers will keep fresh for up to 3 days.
- Reheat leftovers by placing in a casserole/oven dish, pop on a lid or cover with kitchen foil. Heat in a hot oven for 20-25 minutes until piping hot throughout.
- Or add a few tablespoons of flour, enough to mix and form little patties. Cook on a non-stick pan, add a tablespoon of oil if necessary, and cook until each side is lightly golden. I cook leftover champ patties on my pancake/crepe maker and it does not require any oil. These patties are so tasty and can be seasoned with anything. Try adding some sliced spring/green onions or chopped chives to the champ before forming into patties.
Natalie says
What a lovely vegan dinner. I must put this on my list to try. Looks delicious and it's quite healthy. Yum!
Jacq says
Thanks! It's one of my kids ultimate favourites 🙂
Teodora Grujic says
This recipe warms the soul! Thank you!
Jacq says
It surely does. A bowl of champ and gravy will cheer just about anyone up!
Danielle Wolter says
I have never heard of this before but it sounds delicious! I love stumbling upon a new fun recipe. Can't wait to try it.
Jacq says
Thanks! Pop back and let me know how you get on with the champ 🙂
Michele says
Easy, delicious, and budget-friendly! The perfect combination. Highly Recommended!
Jacq says
Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed the vegan champ 🙂