The Veganette's Guide to Preparing a Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving can be a difficult time for vegans. The brimmed table is not always the most welcoming place for those with dietary restrictions and sometimes you even end up sitting next to a ham all night. Quelle horreur! Before you launch into a lengthy defense of veganism with all your aunts and uncles, consider showing up with a few of these dishes to share. In your effort to fill your plate with more than buns, you may even convince a naysayer that vegetables can be interesting and that pie crust can be flaky and delicious without using a pound of butter. From the archives of the veganette!

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Soup and Salad

If you are doing a really fancy thanksgiving with courses, soup and salad are in order. This butternut squash soup is festive and delicious (add a cup of coconut milk to make it creamier)- butternut squash recipe. I love serving up this light fennel salad. It's the perfect compliment to a heavy gravy and mashed potato plate and the bright pomegranate seeds are so special. fennel salad recipe.

Main Stage

I like to include the classics like green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and stuffing- many of which have been converted into vegan-friendly recipes by our friends at PPK. Some links are attached here; "sausage" stuffing, green bean casserole, mushroom gravy, and chickpea cutlets. 

Roasted veggies are always a big hit. Consider roasting root vegetables like rutabaga, beets, carrots, and turnips. This is a favorite recipe of mine that pops out of the oven all year round- roasted brussels sprouts with apples.

Get creative with family favorites. We whipped up this sweet potato casserole with toasted coconut and vegan marshmallows- a converted recipe from GK's family. There might be a whole tub of earth balance in there but everyone loved it!

Desserts- Finishing Well

Take a moment to really shine. Omnivores will be floored by the deliciousness of vegan treats like PPK's pumpkin pie brownie or a warm dutch apple pie. 

Here's a link to a pie post from 2010- pie time. I use this oil pie crust recipe for everything from quiches to pies to tarts and it is always a big hit. It's no-roll, no-chill magic that will make your baking easy as pie. 

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If you are working on veganizing a family favorite and are having some difficulty, feel free to send me an email at nrgtheveganette(at)gmail.com. I may be able to point you in the right direction or help as you finagle your way through your grandmother's cryptic handwriting. 

Yours till the last slice of pie is gone!

NRG