Vegan Thanksgiving RecipesDisparing over finding vegan Thanksgiving recipes? Never fear... Having a vegan Thanksgiving is not only possible, it's also pretty simple.
Many of the typical Thanksgiving dishes can easily be veganized by simply using a non-animal product. Mashed potatoes, for instance, are easy. You just need some nondairy milk and butter, and you're all set. You can look for rolls made without dairy products, and cook your own cranberries to avoid gelatin.
Most stuffings are already vegan, so as long as you don't stuff them into any body cavities, you can use them as is. Other vegan Thanksgiving recipes take a little more consideration. You probably need to locate recipes for a green bean casserole, and any pies you want to make. And, for the big guy, the turkey... Some people might really miss the big show stopper turkey on their first attempt at vegan thanksgiving recipes, and others have no problem with it. One of the best substitutes for the least adventurous cooks is the Tofurkey. It has a great meaty texture and meat-eaters tell me it's just like the real thing. You can also make an amazing seitan dish with the same flavors as turkey. Either way, you should never feel that being compassionate and skipping meat means that you have to sacrifice. You can have the same atmosphere and eat amazing food without having to kill a turkey. Here are my favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipes: Side Dishes: The sides usually make up the big dinner, and without them, the big entree wouldn't seem as big. These are my favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipes for side dishes.
A standard at Thanksgiving is the sweet potato; sometimes baked, sometimes turned into a casserole, and sometimes mashed. I love this vegan Thanksgiving recipe for its ease in fitting in with any celebration. You can adjust the spices to fit your tastes, and no one will be the wiser about its small amount of non-dairy butter.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes This is one of the easiest vegan Thanksgiving recipes to change over from the "non-vegan" days. You really can make mashed potatoes any way you like, and all you need is a non-dairy milk and a non-dairy butter.
These are easy and delicious dinner rolls that are great at the big meal, and even better stuffed with some seitan turkey and gravy the next day!
You can't have Thanksgiving without the standard green bean casserole. You could go for a really easy version by simply substituting a good quality non-dairy creamy soup instead of the typical cream of mushroom soup. This recipe takes it one step further by making its own sauce. It is really simple and delicious.
Basic Brown Gravy This is a basic brown gravy that you can flavor any way you want. It's a delicious vegan Thanksgiving recipe when you add in herbs, spices, and even mushrooms. Ingredients: 2 c. vegetable stock Directions: Bring the stock and soy sauce to a boil over high heat in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and wisk in the cornstarch mixture. Stir until the gravy thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper (and any other herbs). Makes about 2 cups.
The Main Event: What would Thanksgiving be without the big stomach stuffer? A nice Tofurkey roast is yummy, but if you can master a homemade dish, you are going to be the life of the party. This is my favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipe for your entree. Seitan Roast with Chestnut and Cranberry Stuffing Happy Thanksgiving memories should always be filled with thoughts of this delicious, fragrant seitan roast. I adore the crunchiness of the nuts with the soft sweet-tart cranberries. You can use a store-bought plain seitan, or get adventurous and make your own. This vegan Thanksgiving recipe is from Vegan Planet, a massive collection of great recipes by Robin Robertson. The first time I made it, I used cashews instead of chestnuts and it was still delicious. It will serve 8 people. Ingredients: 1 lb. raw seitan (use Vegan Dad's recipe)
Directions: Marinate the seitan and soy sauce in a ziplock bag for at least one hour, turning it several times. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium sized pan. Add the onions and celery and cook, covered, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, sage, and brandy and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside. Put the bread in a large bowl with the chestnuts, cranberries, parsley, water, salt, and pepper. Stir in the onion mixture and mix well. Adjust seasonings and water, if necessary. Roll the seitan to about 1/4" thick. Spread the stuffing mixture over the top, and then roll up like a cinnamon bun. Put the seam side down in a baking pan and bake until the top is firm and golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature, and then cut into 1/2" slabs and serve with gravy. Serves 6-8.
Vegan Dad's Seitan Turkey Roast
Vegan Dad has numerous incredible seitan recipes, and this vegan Thanksgiving recipe for turkey roast is an excellent one. It's much cheaper than buying a Tofurkey, and it's so easy to make. Also, you can double or triple the recipe for a large group, just remember to make sure you can fit the roast in your steamer. Ingredients: 1 1/2 c. vital wheat gluten Directions: Set up a steamer and begin boiling the water. Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients, and then add them to the dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon into a wet dough. If it seems too wet, add a bit more gluten flour. It should be soft and pliable, but still hold together. If not adding stuffing in the middle, skip the next three steps: Transfer dough to counter top or board. With your hands, flatten into a rectangle, about 1/2" thick. The width will depend on how wide your steamer is, so check now to see if it will fit. Put stuffing in a line in the center of the dough. Compress the stuffing in your hands so the center of the roast will be firm. Gently but firmly roll the seitan with the stuffing in the middle (i.e. make sure there is a cavity in the middle with the stuffing in it--don't roll it like a jelly roll). Seal the ends and seam as best you can. After stuffing, or instead of stuffing: Transfer the roll to a piece of extra wide, extra strength aluminum foil, and tightly roll up like a Tootsie Roll. Steam for 30 mins, turning over after 15 mins. While steaming, preheat oven to 350°F. Then, place roast in a loaf pan and bake for 25 mins. Let roast stand for 15 mins before unwrapping and slicing with a very sharp knife. Serves 4.
Desserts: My mom is famous for making so many desserts at a party that each guest could have one to themselves. Yes, that's right, a 1:1 ratio. These are classic vegan Thanksgiving recipes, and so delicious that no one will know you left out the milk and butter!
Incredible Pumpkin Bread or Muffins This pumpkin bread is outstanding. It's dense, but fluffy, and the flavor is to-die-for. It works wonderfully in a loaf, but would also be fun for smaller snacks in muffin shapes.
Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
This delicious recipe comes from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. It's not fat-free, but Susan posted it because it is just that good. This vegan Thanksgiving recipe is flawless, but if you want it to have more of a pumpkiny taste for Thanksgiving, add another 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree.
Ingredients: 8 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1 pre-made 8-inch graham cracker crust Directions: Preheat the oven to 350F. Put the first set of ingredients (toffuti through vanilla) in a food processor and puree until completely smooth. It should be silky smooth--not chalky or lumpy. Remove a cup of this mixture from the processor and spread it in the bottom of the crust. Add the next set of ingredients (pumpkin through nutmeg) to the ingredients remaining in the food processor and process until well blended. Smooth it carefully over the white layer in the crust, heaping it slightly in the middle. Bake until the center is almost set, about 45-55 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours. Serves 8. Per serving (not including the crust): 218 Calories (kcal); 7g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 179mg Sodium. Simply Delicious Apple Pie This vegan Thanksgiving recipe is from The Joy of Vegan Baking, one of my favorites. It is so easy, even though there are a lot of ingredients. I love a lattice crust, but you can also do a full crust across the top with a few holes for steam. Ingredients: 2 Flaky Vegan Pie Crusts
Directions: Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, flour, and lemon juice in a large bowl and let stand for 10-15 minutes until the apples have softened. Roll the crust a few inches wider than a 9" pie pan. Roll the top layer and keep it in the fridge until ready. Pour the apple mixture into the crust and dot the top with the pieces of butter. Brush the overhanging crust with water and put the top layer of crust on top. Pinch the edges together and crimp with a fork or your fingers. Make slits on top of the crust to allow for ventilation. Sprinkle the crust with cinnamon and sugar and bake for 30 minutes. Then, put a cookie sheet underneath the pie to catch any spills and lower the temperature to 350°F. Bake until fruit feels tender when poked with a knife, about 30-45 minutes. Here's the tricky part... you have to let the pie cool for 3-4 hours so it can set. It really will be tastier like this. If you like warm apple pie, stick it in the oven for 15 minutes right before serving. It can stay on the counter for a few days once it's cut.
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