It’s true, you can celebrate your holiday without all the expected trimmings – even turkey. It doesn’t matter if you want to add a vegetarian dish to your traditional turkey dinner or to break away from turkey this year, I have a few ideas for you to try.
| VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING |
THE MAIN COURSE
The turkey is just one part of your meal, so you don’t have to re-vamp how you think about the entire meal. You’ll want to check out the tips on cooking vegetarian below to make sure your veggie guest can eat your normal side dishes, or if you’ll need to make a few adjustments.
When looking for a main course replacement, you can do the easiest thing and buy a Tofurky or a Field Roast. People seem to love or hate it. I like it, but it’s a little expensive. But you always pay more for convenience.
Gnocchi in Pumpkin Sauce
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Cranberry Pecan Rice
Single Serving Size Veggie Pot Pies
Caramelized Tofu with Brussels Sprouts
Maple Grilled Tempeh with Quinoa
Quinoa and Red Lentil Cutlets
Vegan “Turkey” with Cranberry Sauce
Acorn Squash and Wild Rice Casserole
VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING TIPS
If you’re cooking for a vegetarian for the first time, there are a few things you need to know. Feel free to ask your guest any questions you may have about what they can and can’t eat.
A vegetarian does not eat fish or poultry, in addition to avoiding red meat. This includes any of the stocks that you might be planning on putting in a soup or stuffing. You can easily buy vegetable stock or bouillon these days, so add that to your grocery list to play it safe.
One thing that most people don’t think of as being animal based is gelatin. It is made from bones and hide of cows, pigs, or fish, so vegetarians do not eat gelatin. There are vegetarian substitutes like agar agar that are seaweed based. Check out Bryanna’s site for more info on how to use it.
If you have a vegan guest, they don’t eat anything a vegetarian wouldn’t – plus they leave out all dairy, eggs, and honey. Vegan’s don’t eat anything that comes from an animal. Just get some unsweetened soy or almond milk to use instead of dairy in your favorite recipes. Here is a great source for information on what to use instead of eggs.
VEGETARIAN DRESSINGS & GRAVIES
Stuffing is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving. Here are a few stuffing recipes to try if your normal one is loaded with non-vegetarian items. Non-meat gravies are simple to make and leftovers are great to pour over biscuits for breakfast the next day!
Walnut, Fig and Cranberry Cornbread Dressing
Wild Rice Dressing with Drunken Raisins – midway on page
Stuffing with Apples, Cranberries and Roasted Pecans
Vegan Sausage Stuffing with Mushroom gravy
Mushroom Gravy
Cashew Gravy
White Wine, Carrot and Rosemary Gravy
VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES
If your family side dish recipes are full of meat, try some new healthier alternatives. Who knows, you may just come up with a new favorites.
Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli Crunch
Maple Cranberry Sauce with Walnuts
Sweet Potatoes