Life
If you're hosting Thanksgiving dinner and have a vegan or two on the guest list, finding recipes can be a bit stressful especially if you're looking for dishes that will please all your guests. You might even think it's impossible, but it's actually not. There are many amazing vegan Thanksgiving recipes to choose from that putting together a delicious plant-based, dairy-free menu is probably easier than you think.
I've been with my vegan husband for almost a decade now, so I've learned a thing or two about vegan dining (despite my own personal preference for all things cheesy). Perhaps the biggest takeaway from my experience is that many non-vegans seem to get pretty nervous about trying things they're told are meat and dairy-free. Our solution, when cooking for guests, has been to just keep that little detail to ourselves until they've given the dish a try. My husband and I then love to reveal our secret after they've raved about the dish. The other thing I've learned is that you don't need to shop in speciality stores or spend a whole lot of money to cook a substantial, satisfying meal. Pretty much everything you need to whip up a delicious vegan Thanksgiving is probably available at the grocery store you're already shopping at.
Here are 11 recipes that will make going vegan a little easier this Thanksgiving.
1Tofurky
Vegans aren't touching the turkey, but they can still carve up a tofurky roast with this recipe from Full of Plants. While store-bought faux-turkey is available, this recipe teaches you how to make it from scratch.
2Mashed Potatoes
You can get fluffy, creamy vegan mashed potatoes without tons of butter and milk. Use vegetable stock in Wonky Wonderful's recipe to add tons of flavor.
3Gravy
Mashed potatoes and gravy go together perfect, but since the gravy usually comes from the turkey drippings, vegans can't partake. Brand New Vegan's recipe for gravy solves that problem with vegetable stock and tons of yummy spices.
4Stuffing
Traditional stuffing often includes sausage, but this version of vegan stuffing from Delish Knowledge uses a tofu-based substitute.
5Cornbread Casserole
No butter or cheese needed in this vegan cornbread casserole, obviously — The Pretty Bee's recipe calls for non-dairy versions of both.
6Stuffed Butternut Squash
Vegan sides are relatively easy to find, but options for a main entree can take a little bit of searching. This recipe for stuffed roast butternut squash from It Doesn't Take Like Chicken certainly fits the bill.
7Vegetable Wellington
This amazing looking vegetable Wellington from Ordinary Vegan is another great option for an entree. It's filled with eggplant, lentils, mushroom, chestnuts, and more.
8Maple Glazed Carrots
These maple glazed carrots from Kalyn's Kitchen is the type of dish that you can serve up to vegans and non-vegans alike, with no one being the wiser.
9Green Bean Casserole
Many a green bean casserole recipe on Pinterest calls for creamy Campbell's soup in the ingredients list, but The Edgy Veg keeps it dairy-free.
10Brussels Sprouts
Don't forget to eat your greens this Thanksgiving. A Beautiful Plate put together this color brussels sprouts dish featuring butternut squash and dried cranberries.
11Mashed Cauliflower
Thanksgiving side dishes tend to be quite heavy on the carbs, especially those heaping bowls of mashed potatoes. This roasted garlic cauliflower mash recipe from Skinny Fitalicious is a great alternative.
12Dinner Rolls
Some store-bought dinner rolls are actually vegan, but nothing beats homemade. These whole wheat vegan dinner rolls from Simple Sumptuous Cooking can be served up with vegan butter, and leftovers can be spread with jam for a yummy breakfast the next day.
