How to Have a Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Guide Note How to Have a Vegetarian Thanksgiving offers tips, tricks and advice on how to prepare a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal.

Table of Contents

More Mahalo Health How Tos

Further Thanksgiving Help

You can do it! Cook, deep fry or smoke your own Thanksgiving turkey

More important than turkey? Learn how to make your own gravy

Read our guide on easy ways to make mashed potatoes

Bring your dinner to the next level with homemade cranberry sauce

Enjoy dessert even more with homemade pumpkin, sweet potato, and pecan pie

Introduction

  • No holiday is more focused on the dinner table than Thanksgiving. The turkey takes center stage at most holiday feasts, but that doesn't mean vegetarians can't participate in the the festivities. A few simple tweaks can make most traditional side dishes vegetarian-friendly, and there's more than one turkey alternative on the market for vegetarians who want to go the faux-bird route. Thanksgiving's not just for meat eaters anymore.

Step 1: Hosting a Vegetarian Guest

Go vegetarian this Thanksgiving. These turkeys will thank you. (Creative Commons photo by Alan L)
Go vegetarian this Thanksgiving. These turkeys will thank you. (Creative Commons photo by Alan L)
  • It's important to make your vegetarian guests feel included, but not singled out at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Here's how you can help vegetarians feel at home for the holidays:
  1. Ask about dietary restrictions. Your guest may be a vegetarian or a vegan (a vegetarian who does not eat eggs or dairy products in addition to meat). Some don't eat sugar. The best way to find out what your guest's specific preferences are is to ask.
  2. Bake a batch of stuffing outside the turkey. Most vegetarians won't eat anything that's been cooked inside the turkey or in the same pan as the turkey.
  3. Make a small portion of vegetarian gravy. At the very least, don't pour non-vegetarian gravy all over the otherwise vegetarian mashed potatoes.
  4. Use separate utensils and cookware for meat and vegetable dishes. While some vegetarians don't mind, it's best to avoid mixing your utensils if at all possible.
  5. Read ingredients on pre-packaged foods carefully. Some vegetarians will not eat gelatin, whey or sodium caseinate because they are derived from animal products. If you're not sure if your guest eats these products, just ask.
  6. Offer plenty of breads, fresh fruits and vegetables and non-gelatin desserts. Traditional side dishes like baked squash, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes are already vegetarian.
  7. Consider preparing Tofurkey or "imitation turkey" for your vegetarian guests. While it's certainly not expected, preparing an alternative entrée in addition to sides can be a nice thing to do. Be sure to ask your guest if it would be a welcome gesture first. Some vegetarians like to steer clear of food which imitates meat.
  8. Invite your guest to bring a dish. Letting your guest bring a dish that meets his or her dietary restrictions can take the stress out of the occasion for both of you.
  9. Don't view your guest as a hassle. People become vegetarians for a variety of religious, ethical and health-related reasons. Your guest didn't become a vegetarian just to throw monkey wrench in your Thanksgiving plans. Consider this an opportunity to learn a few healthy alternatives to traditional dishes.

Tips for Vegetarian Guests

  • Be a good vegetarian guest by following these simple rules:
  1. Volunteer your dietary restrictions. Let your host know what you can and can't eat. Helping your host accommodate your needs is a much better strategy than forcing him or her to read your mind.
  2. Bring an entrée. Offer to bring an entrée that meets your dietary needs. If your host doesn't want you to bring an entrée, don't.
  3. Don't judge your hosts. While you should politely refuse to eat any dishes that don't meet your dietary needs, refrain from making rude comments about those guests who choose to eat meat.

Step 2: Prepare Tofurkey

Thanksgiving is synonymous with turkey. (Creative Commons photo by Ellie)
Thanksgiving is synonymous with turkey. (Creative Commons photo by Ellie)
  • While plenty of traditional Thanksgiving side dishes are appropriate for vegetarians, the turkey is not. Turkey is arguably the most important part of the entire Thanksgiving ritual. Thanksgiving is colloquially referred to as "Turkey Day," and that's not a giant squash being paraded down Fifth Avenue care of Macy's. That's why the powers-that-be created Tofurkey, the tofu turkey.
  • While you can always follow the instructions of the Tofurkey box, there's more than one way to jazz up your fake bird. Try this Tofurkey recipe:

Ingredients

  • Optional Ingredients:
  • Assorted Vegetables Thinly-Sliced (Ex. Carrots, Onions)
  • 1 Thinly-Sliced Red or Green Apple
  • 1 Cup of Dried Berries (Any Type)
  • 1 Cup of Crushed Walnuts
  • 1 Cup of Fresh Orange Juice

Equipment

  • Tin Foil
  • Bread Pan
  • Knife
A Tofurkey Thanksgiving Dinner (Creative Commons photo by Julianne Gentile)
A Tofurkey Thanksgiving Dinner (Creative Commons photo by Julianne Gentile)

Tofurkey Cooking Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Loosely wrap the Tofurkey in foil, leaving the top open to insert the other ingredients.
  3. Place in bread pan.
  4. Dump all your other ingredients in the foil with the Tofurkey.
  5. Wrap the Tofurkey and the other ingredients tightly in the foil.
  6. Cook wrapped in the bread pan at 375 for 3 hours.
  7. Periodically baste the Tofurkey in the juices it's baking in, or simply flip the the entire wrapped bundle in the pan.
  8. Once cooking is complete, remove the Tofurkey from the oven.
  9. Preserve the liquid that did not get absorbed into the Tofurkey.
  10. Slice the Tofurkey.
  11. Garnish with the remaining ingredients.
  12. Drizzle the collected liquid over the Tofurkey.
  13. Serve.

Tofurkey Recipes

Alternative Vegetarian Entrées

  • Many vegetarians shun the genius of Tofurkey. Why imitate meat when there are any number of autumn vegetables which make excellent entrées? Try one of these vegetarian main courses:

Step 3: Make Vegetarian Stuffing

Stuffing right out of the oven. (Creative Commons photo by Feasting Made Easy)
Stuffing right out of the oven. (Creative Commons photo by Feasting Made Easy)
  • Cook a batch of stuffing outside of the bird for your vegetarian friends.

Ingredients

Equipment

Vegetarian Stuffing Cooking Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Fry onion and celery in oil until translucent but still crunchy. Approximately 5 minutes.
  3. Remove onion and celery from heat.
  4. Add bread crumbs.
  5. Pour broth and remaining ingredients over mixture.
  6. Stir mixture over a low heat until combined.
  7. Place stuffing in an 8-inch square pan.
  8. Lightly brush top with sesame oil and cover with foil.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-60 minutes depending on desired crispness.
  10. Serve.

Vegetarian Stuffing Recipes

Step 4: Make Vegan Gravy

Don't spill the gravy. (Creative Commons photo by Miss Karen)
Don't spill the gravy. (Creative Commons photo by Miss Karen)
  • Because gravy is typically made with meat drippings, vegetarians can't eat it. They can, however, enjoy this vegan delight.

Ingredients

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Spoon

Vegan Gravy Cooking Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a saucepan over low heat.
  2. Add garlic and onion. Cook until slightly tender and translucent. Approximately 5 minutes.
  3. Add flour, yeast, soy to make a paste. Be careful not to let it burn.
  4. Gradually add the water or broth, stirring constantly.
  5. Bring the gravy to a boil and allow to thicken. Continue stirring.
  6. Add pepper, mushrooms, red wine and balsamic vinegar.
    • If gravy is too thin, add a small amount of cornstarch that has been dissolved in water.
  7. Take off the heat.
  8. Serve or refrigerate.

Vegan Gravy Recipes

Step 5: Make Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Yummy Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Creative Commons photo by Feasting Made Easy)
Yummy Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Creative Commons photo by Feasting Made Easy)
  • Mashed potatoes are vegetarian, but not vegan. Replace the milk and butter typically used in the dish, and you'll have potatoes appropriate for the full spectrum of vegetarians eaters.

Ingredients

Equipment

  • Tin Foil
  • Saucepan
  • Potato Masher or Fork

Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes Cooking Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cut top off garlic, leaving a flat surface.
  3. Wrap garlic loosely in foil and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cool.
  4. Wait until the garlic is cool to the touch.
  5. Squeeze garlic out of skins.
  6. Boil potatoes until tender.
  7. Drain potatoes and mash well.
  8. Add garlic, margarine, soy milk, salt and pepper.
  9. Mix thoroughly.
  10. Serve.

Garlic Mashed Potato Recipes

Step 6: Make Additional Vegetarian Dishes

Pumpkin Pie is a vegetarian-friendly option. (Photo by David Di Biase)
Pumpkin Pie is a vegetarian-friendly option. (Photo by David Di Biase)
  • There is a complete list of online vegetarian and vegan recipe collections in the resources section of this page. Here, however, are a few additional recipes you can try for your vegetarian Thanksgiving celebration:

Conclusion

  • Whether you're cooking up some turkey or its tofu cousin, remember that Thanksgiving is about more than the food. It's a time to give thanks and appreciate the company of our loved ones - the herbivores and the omnivores. So, enjoy the eats, and don't forget to spread the love this Thanksgiving.

Resources for How to Have a Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Tofurkey Resources

Vegetarian and Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Cookbooks



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