The Thanksgiving table is usually surrounded with family, friends — and love.
This year’s holiday will be especially grand, since the COVID-19 pandemic canceled most holiday get-togethers in 2020. This joyous celebration provides an opportunity to begin a new tradition of incorporating compassion for all beings into food-centered gatherings.
Traditionally, of course, a roasted turkey is the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving meal, and many of the side dishes and desserts are loaded with products that are derived from animals — flesh, cream, cheese, eggs and fat. How about this year creating a lovely, delicious, healthful meal that excludes animal suffering, pain and exploitation?
This can be achieved by choosing to use plant-exclusive ingredients in our meals. With the plethora of vegan products available in the supermarkets today, a familiar Thanksgiving meal can be created simply by substituting vegan products for those from animals.
A traditional holiday meal, of course, also includes dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. All these can be enjoyed while observing a plant-exclusive diet.
In the broader vegan community, there are generally two camps: those who want a turkey taste-alike product for their Thanksgiving meal, and those who find any food mimicking an animal product to be offensive. Following are several substitution options as well as recipes to consider.
Main course: For a non-meat-but-turkey-like experience, options are Trader Joe’s Turkey-less Stuffed Roast, Gardein Holiday Roast, Field Roast’s Hazelnut Cranberry or Celebration Roast, and a Tofurky Roast with Wild Rice Stuffing. For a non-turkey-like entree, consider preparing the recipes for a veggie loaf or stuffed winter squash.
Dressing: Cut dried bread into cubes and add onions, celery, fresh herbs (like sage, thyme, rosemary), salt and pepper. Add vegetable or no-chicken broth and melted plant butter.
Mashed Potatoes: Scrub the potatoes thoroughly (Yukon Gold potatoes provide a rich flavor), leaving on the skins. Cut into small pieces, cover with water (just to the top of the potatoes), add garlic cloves, if desired, cook until tender, and drain. Mash the potatoes with plant butter and salt; then add unsweetened plant milk to reach the desired consistency.
Gravy: Prepare with vegetable or “no-chicken” broth instead of meat drippings, thicken with flour or cornstarch, and add favorite herbs, salt and pepper.
Sweet Potatoes: A fresh, baked sweet potato is a nutrition powerhouse by itself, but if you wish to have a candied sweet potato dish (which is more actually a dessert), use plant butter, maple syrup and vegan marshmallows. (Many white sugar products are bleached by using animal bone char, and standard marshmallows contain gelatin, which is made from animal connective tissue and bones.)
Green Bean Casserole: This dish traditionally is made with canned cream of mushroom soup, which contains animal products. Making vegan mushroom sauce is easy, and its flavor is far superior to any canned product.
Cranberries: Jellied cranberry sauces contain gelatin. Instead, opt for whole cranberry sauce. (Check the ingredient list for contents.)
Pumpkin Pie: This dessert contains eggs, dairy-based milk, and is usually topped with whipped cream. Simply use JUST Egg® (or tofu) to replace poultry eggs and substitute plant cream. Top with vegan whipped topping (TruWhip®-Vegan) or a non-dairy frozen dessert (such as Trader Joe’s vanilla “ice cream”).
Disavowing the consumption of animal products does not mean eating “nuts, twigs and cardboard.” As you will see from the recipes below, you can have the best of all worlds — savor a delicious ThanksVegan meal, support optimal health, respect all beings, and decrease your impact on the environment.
Recipes by Carolyn Howe
Howe has gained the reputation of being a “vegan cook extraordinaire.” Here are recipes for two main course and three side dishes that are sure to become favorites.
Thanksgiving Loaf
This is my “go-to” entree for Thanksgiving. It is made with healthful ingredients and has a pleasant texture. It is especially tasty served with mushroom gravy.
Yield: Approximately 12 servings
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook the sweet potato by piercing it, wrapping in a paper towel, and microwaving until softened. Set aside.
3. Put the carrot, onion, celery and garlic into a food processor; pulse to rice-size pieces.
4. Add cooking oil (or water) to a pan; sauté vegetables until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
5. Place the tofu in the processor; add the next nine ingredients and the sweet potato. Blend until smooth. Transfer to the bowl.
6. Pulse the walnuts and oatmeal in the processor to a course texture. Add the white beans; pulse to blend. Transfer to the bowl. Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the vegetable mixture and form it into a rectangle approximately 2½“ high. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake for another 20 minutes until the loaf is cooked in the center.
8. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Alternative topping: Combine ketchup and brown sugar; brush on top for the last 15 minutes of baking time.
Stuffed Butternut Squash
Yield: 4-8 servings
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking dish with non-stick spray (or line with unbleached parchment paper).
2. Cut the squash crosswise above the round end, then cut both sections in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds from the round ends. Using a melon baller, scoop out some squash from the neck to create a cavity; reserve for use in the stuffing. Slice a small sliver off the bottom of each squash piece to provide stability during baking.
3. Arrange the four squash pieces in the prepared pan, cut side up. Brush with plant butter, if desired. Transfer pan to the oven.
4. For the dressing, place the reserved squash in a food processor and pulse until chopped (not pureed). Transfer 1 C to a large bowl. Individually process the apple, spinach and nuts to a similar size and transfer to the bowl. Add remaining ingredients; combine thoroughly.
5. Remove the partially baked squash from the oven. Spoon the mixture evenly into each hollowed center. (Any remaining stuffing can be baked in a separate dish.) Cover squash loosely with foil; bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the squash is very soft. For a crisp topping, remove the foil for the last 15 minutes.
6. Serve each portion as an entree or cut in half for a side dish.
Stuffing
Yield: Approximately 12 servings
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sauté the onion in oil (or water) until browned. Add celery and garlic (and mushrooms, if using); sauté until cooked through.
3. Combine the ground flaxseeds with 2½ Tbsp. warm water; allow to stand for 5 minutes.
4. Heat the broth in microwave; stir in the almond butter and mix until blended.
5. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl; add the poultry seasoning, sautéed vegetables and flaxseeds; stir to combine. Gradually add the vegetable broth until the desired consistency is achieved.
6. Transfer to an oiled casserole dish. Bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove the covering; bake 10-15 minutes until firm and the top is browned. Serve with mushroom gravy.
Mushroom Gravy
This gravy can be made ahead, stored in the refrigerator, and reheated. Mushrooms add a great umami flavor. You can leave them out, if desired, or hide them by blenderizing the gravy. It is delicious on mashed potatoes, dressing and the veggie loaf.
Yield: 6 C
¼-⅓ C canola oil (or vegetable broth)
1½ C finely chopped yellow onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-4 C portobello mushrooms, finely chopped (optional)
½ C all-purpose flour
4 C water + 2 tsp. of “Better Than Bouillon® – No Chicken” base (or vegetable broth)
2-3 Tbsp. soy sauce (regular or low-sodium)
¼ C red wine
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. sage or poultry seasoning
¼ C nutritional yeast
1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook until translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms (if using); cook and stir until tender (approximately 8 minutes).
2. Sprinkle on the flour; combine, continue cooking until golden brown (approximately 3 minutes).
3. Slowly whisk in the broth until a smooth sauce forms. Simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients; continue to cook on low heat. Taste; adjust seasonings.
4. This gravy can be served as is or blended until partially or completely smooth.
Green Bean Casserole
This recipe is a must for our family’s holidays, and we like it better than the traditional one.
Yield: 8-10 servings (½ C)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Brown the flour in the canola oil. Combine the broth and soy sauce; pour into the pan, whisking constantly. Cook until thickened.
3. Combine the nutritional yeast with the garlic and onion powders; sprinkle on the gravy. Cook and stir until bubbly.
4. In a large bowl, combine the green beans and sauce. Stir in some French-fried onions at this time, if desired.
5. Transfer to a baking dish. Cover and bake for approximately 30 minutes until bubbly. Top with additional French-fried onions; bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
For questions or comments regarding the Vegan Community of Eastern Iowa, visit the website, Facebook or MeetUp.
This year, make it a ThanksVegan holiday. Here are some recipes to get you started – Iowa City Press Citizen
