Raising my daughter vegan, I’ve had to learn and make many modifications to classic recipes I grew up loving. My mother always made the most wonderful tasting meals for my sister and I daily, and on Thanksgiving but we had even more amazing food to enjoy. There were no dietary restrictions but she did use certain ingredients in moderation. During my mom’s battle with cancer, and following her passing, I began changing my diet and decided to set the tone for my daughter’s as well. Many of the dishes and I had come to love required elimination or modification. Below I’m sharing some Vegan Thanksgiving recipes that can serve as alternatives for your holiday feast.
Vegan dressing or Vegan Stuffing
For this, instead of adding meat, and to make it protein rich I like to include lentils. I sautée red onion and garlic with a small amount of water (no oils) then add about 2 cups of lentils and about 3 cups of water . I season lentils with roasted garlic seasoning or whatever I have in the pantry (garlic powder, natures seasoning,etc) and let simmer until lentils are tender and add a good bit of the water is cooked out ( not all but most)
Separately I prepare vegan cornbread (vegetarian jiffy box ) or use thawed Ezekiel bread. For the cornbread, I use almond milk instead of cow’s milk and add a “flax egg” ( one tbsp ground flax seeds and 3 1/2 tbsp of water ) and follow the instructions on the box. Once cornbread is done I add it to a dry mixture of breadcrumbs, celery, red onion, and dry seasonings (sage is a must have) another flax egg, about 1\/3 cup of almond milk and add the lentils and their cooking water. Afterwards, I mix until I achieve a mushy consistency, a good balance between the dry and wet ingredients. I bake on 350º for about 30 min.
Collard Greens
For my Vegan Thanksgiving to be complete, I definitely need collard greens in the mix. I start with organic collard greens, and wash them well. Afterwards, I roll them on a cutting board and roughly chop. Next, I prepare to start steaming my greens by seasoning my cooking water or vegetable stock with garlic and onions, and MCCormick’s Roasted Garlic seasoning. For each bunch of collards I add about 2 tsp of brown sugar and a drizzle of honey. After it’s all come to a boil and become fragrant, I add greens put the cover on, and let them cook until the become tender, (1 1/2, 2 hours)
Sweet Potato Soufflé
I peel 8-10 organic sweet potatoes, and boil them until they are tender. I drain off their cooking water, then mash with a fork. I add around 1/2 a cup of almond milk, one flax egg, about 1/4 cup of brown sugar and a 1/4 cup of white (or alternative sugar), 1/4 cup of orange juice, about 1 tbsp of nutmeg, 2 tsp of cinnamon, mix and pour into a baking dish and bake uncovered for about 30 min, then I add marshmallows (try Dandies, or Trader Joe’s brand vegan marshmallows) and brown them in oven just before serving.
Vegan No Soy, Grain Meat
I love to use the Fieldroast brand’s roast. I slice it thin and simply sautee in a pan with water, garlic, onion, a sprinkling of brown sugar, and about 2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce (you can find a vegan brand in store or online). It comes ready-to-eat but I enjoy the added flavors. This makes a great substitute for ham and turkey.
Black Beans
For Thanksgiving, I like to prepare an additional protein source like beans, or chickpeas (garbanzo beans). For the black beans I pre soak them overnight, sautée garlic and red onion and seasonings in a pot with a small covering of water, then add water to boil beans (covered). I sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, roasted garlic seasoning, and let boil med-high for about 20 minutes then simmer on low (covered) for 30 min-hour until they are tender and flavorful.
Red Potatoes
Instead of cheesy macaroni, for a Vegan Thanksgiving , you can always substitute with potatoes or make a vegan mac and cheese, which I haven’t attempted to make yet. I start with organic, petite red potatoes, wash them, cut them into medium sized chunks, and put them in a pot to boil (uncovered) until tender, with about 2 and 1/12 cups of water for every 4-5 small potatoes (cut up). I honestly only use my roasted garlic seasoning on the potatoes while they’re boiling and the come out flavorful and perfect every time. This is a great substitute to mashed potatoes with butter/turkey gravy, etc.
Cranberry Sauce
To tell you this absolute truth, I prefer it straight out of the can…no judgement aiight? My favorite, classic Ocean Spray version happens to also be vegan as well! It does contains sugars and corn syrups, so if you prefer, you can certain make your own.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and if you use or take any inspiration from these recipes, let me know! I’d love to hear how it turned out!
Your feedback is greatly appreciated.