These Can also be Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
It’s the winter holiday kick-off, and I am sharing my infamous nut loaf for my Vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish! these delicious vegan holiday recipes! This time of year can be when those of us who eat a plant-based diet sometimes feel left out with all the meats, cheese, and other animal products at the center. After years of having a vegan family member in my house, I became inspired to get creative with new family recipes that everyone, including carnivores, will love. I hope that you will enjoy them as much as we do!
Here are some of our favorite plant-based Thanksgiving menus including delicious vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish recipes and holiday recipe sides!
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu Ideas
Here is a collection of delicious vegetarian recipes featuring a vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish!
Holiday Fruit Compote
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Onions & Walnuts
Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Potatoes
Caramelized Onion Gravy
Cranberry, Wild Rice, Cornbread and Sourdough Dressing
Denise’s Famous Holiday Nut Loaf (this can also be a vegan Thanksgiving loaf)
Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
These vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes can be vegan or can easily have cheese or eggs added. You choose your preference!
Holiday Fruit Compote
Fresh cranberries, pears, and a little bit of spice transform the ordinary cranberry side into something fresh and different!
Makes 6 servings.
2 cup cranberries
1 chopped pear, unpeeled
1 chopped apple, unpeeled
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup maple syrup
Add fruit, cider, and sugar to a small saucepan. Simmer until the fruit is soft. Refrigerate and let the flavor meld until serving.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Onions & Walnuts
Roasting these Brussels sprouts gives them a sweetness that everyone will love!
Makes 4 or 5 servings.
1 bag of fresh Brussels sprouts
1/2 medium onion sliced
1/2 cup nuts chopped
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss Brussels sprouts in olive oil and place them in a shallow pan. After 5 minutes, toss around and add the onions. Roast for about 10 more minutes, and then add the nuts. Heat for about 5 more minutes until the nuts are toasted and the vegetables are caramelized.
Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Potatoes
Rosemary provides a delicious flavor to potatoes but you can also substitute thyme for it. You can make mashed potatoes vegan by using plant milk, Earth Balance margarine, and vegetable broth. If you are sensitive to garlic, try garlic oil and look for an onion and garlic-free broth.
6-8 servings
2-3 garlic
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
3 pounds potatoes
1/3 Earth Balance margarine
1/2 cup plant-based milk
Salt and pepper to taste
In a small pan, roast garlic until translucent and soft. (I roast mine when I roast the Brussels sprouts). In a large stock pot, add four inches of water. Heat to boiling. Peel and chop potatoes. Cook until potatoes are soft. Drain almost all of the water. Mash potatoes until soft at the same time as the peeled garlic. Add Smart Balance, salt, pepper, and milk. Mash it all up until smooth. Mix in the fresh, chopped garlic at the very end.
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Gravy
Who said that you have to bake a turkey and use its fats and juice to make a yummy, creamy gravy is mistaken, for everyone sensitive to fructans, this caramelized onion gravy is not for you. However, check out my post on a Thanksgiving with low fodmap recipes!
Caramelized Onion Gravy
Brewer’s yeast is a great source of vitamin B12 and provides a nutty, savory flavor to this gravy but it is optional.
4-6 servings
1 medium onion chopped onion
1/3 cup Earth Balance margarine
2 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
4 cups vegetable stock
(a drop of soy sauce to make browner if desired)
1/2 tablespoon Brewer’s yeast if desired
Salt and pepper to taste
In an iron skillet over medium heat, melt the margarine and saute the onions until they begin to caramelize. Turn your own low add the flour and make a roux. Let flour slightly brown and add seasonings. Turn up to medium heat and with a whisk slowly add enough broth til the gravy begins to lightly bubble and is at the desired thickness.
Cranberry, Wild Rice, Cornbread and Sourdough Dressing
Whether you call it dressing or stuffing, this lightened vegetarian Thanksgiving stuffing is light and fluffy! My original recipe called for 2 beaten eggs and to make it vegan use a binder of 1 tablespoon ground flax seed and 2 1/2 teaspoon water per egg or use Namaste Egg Replacer
Makes 8 servings of dressing
1/2 pan of an 8 by 8 pan of cornbread (I made just half a recipe in a 6-inch skillet & I use the recipe from my Farm Fresh Nutrition Cookbook.
2 cups bread cubes from some sourdough bread
1 cup cooked wild rice
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 stalk celery chopped
1/2-1 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1teaspoon fresh snipped sage
2 tablespoons ground flax
5 teaspoons water (or vegetable broth)
1-1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/3-1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the inside of a casserole dish with olive oil. In a large bowl, crumble cornbread, add cubed bread crumbs, cooked wild rice, onions, celery, seasonings and cranberries.
Mix well and ground flax, water/vegetable broth, melted Earth Balance, and enough vegetable broth for desired moistness. Add the dressing to the casserole pan add the lid to the top (or add foil if you do not have and bake for about 35 minutes. You can take the lid off the last 5 minutes if you would like the dressing a little bit crisp.
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Main Dish
For years, I was on the search for the most delicious Thanksgiving main dish vegetarian foods. When I couldn’t find one, I created my famous holiday nut loaf (at least in my family anyway).
Holiday Nut Loaf
My original recipe called for eggs but check out the vegan variations above that can be done to make this delicious nut loaf vegan. I have worked on this recipe for years to perfect it and it is a well-loved holiday recipe at my house! If you have been looking for the perfect vegetarian Thanksgiving protein dish, you may have found it!
Here is how all these recipes look together! What a pretty, tasty plate!
Vegan Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
So many dessert recipes for the holiday feature eggs and dairy, these recipe ideas can be made entirely plant-based!
In addition to my vegan dessert recipes, you may also enjoy this vegan pumpkin pie recipe.
More Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes
If you are looking for more vegan holiday recipes, here are a few more tasty ideas that I created for some low-fodmap Thanksgiving menus!
https://vineripenutrition.com/delicious-low-fodmap-thanksgiving-menu-ideas
Here are some additional vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes.
Tips to make Vegan Holiday Recipes a little healthier!
If you want a few ways to make your plant-based Thanksgiving even more tasty and nutritious, I have put together my top eleven ways!
1. Make half your plate fruit and vegetables. The simpler the sides and main dish, the healthier that they are!
2. Purchase as much fresh and local food as possible!
3. I use Earth Balance instead of butter in my recipes, it’s vegan and has a good flavor.
4. If you go out to eat, load up on vegetables, fruit, and plant proteins. And be mindful of food portions.
5. Eat less salt by using more herbs, spices, vinegar, and citrus juice. the fresher and more natural the ingredients, the more flavorful.
6. If you go out to dinner at a family member’s or a friend’s house, ask what you can bring and double up on a couple of covered dishes!
7. Take a long walk before or after dinner.
8. Try eating smaller portions at regular mealtimes throughout the day so you fuel your body throughout the day so you won’t be as likely to overeat for your celebration meal.
9. Savor and eat mindfully! Enjoy every bite!
10. Remember that the celebration is more about gratitude and those who you love than what you eat.
11. Everything can be eaten within reason, it’s not the food, it’s the portions.
Enjoy This VegetarianThanksgiving Main Dish & Vegan Holiday Recipes
Have a wonderful celebration with this vegetarian Thanksgiving menu ideas which can also become vegan holiday recipes! We have so much to be grateful for and one of the things that I am thankful for is my good health. Taking care of myself and my family is important even when I am celebrating! Here are some good tips to help you with your daily gratitude practice!
If you are looking for additional vegetarian recipes, look at these!
What you eat can help you stay healthier and it can be delicious! As a registered dietitian nutritionist in Asheville, I love to provide support to help you eat healthy over the holiday season. You can learn more about our Fresh Approach to Health Programs here Online nutritionist – Vine Ripe Nutrition. I hope that you enjoy our plant-based Thanksgiving traditional recipes!
