Is it your turn to host the family Thanksgiving dinner this year? We’ve gathered five healthy vegan entrees which anybody can prepare for Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes people assume that vegans only eat Tofurky on Thanksgiving.
We’re here to challenge that and give you some homemade alternatives using healthy and less processed ingredients to get you thinking beyond Tofurky. You can be sure that everybody at your table – even the diehard omnivores! — will find these entrees both satisfying and delicious.
Roasted Squash with Shallots, Grapes, and Sage
This recipe is from Martha Stewart, the queen of planning holiday dinners which everybody will love. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and uses produce like fresh sage, acorn squash, and grapes which are at the peak of their season. This recipe is a fresh take on classic Thanksgiving holiday fall flavours and the wheat-berries will keep your guests’ appetites satisfied.
Mushroom and Leek Risotto (Vegan + GF)
This risotto dish is vegan and gluten free, and guaranteed to please every guest on your list. It is rich and creamy and packed with flavour from the crimini mushrooms, leeks, and vegetable broth. Bonus points if you make your own and keep your freezer stocked with fresh stock all the time! It works well as a savoury and satisfying main dish for your Thanksgiving meal.
Portobello Pumpkin Ravioli With Sage and Walnut Pesto
This showstopping Thanksgiving entree recipe would be a delicious main course for your holiday meal. Although it seems to be very complicated and involved, there are only a few ingredients, and the recipe does not require an expensive pasta maker. Although it suggests using a “ravioli stamp” do not worry if you don’t have one. You can use a biscuit butter or a drinking glass and use the prongs of a fork along the edges to seal the pasta. For kitchen gadgets, my philosophy is that less is more.
Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls with Cranberry-Pear Sauce
Oh She Glows is well known in the vegan community as being a stellar resource for trustworthy and delicious vegan recipes. These lentil mushroom walnut balls are a great example of a healthy and plant based entree which everybody at dinner will love. It uses many of the same flavours as traditional stuffing, but is packed with nuts and lentils which are great sources of protein, turning the humble stuffing into a delicious entree. Best of all, they are perfectly pear-ed (too corny?) with a cranberry and pear sauce. The recipe for the sauce can be found on the same page.
Vegan Lentil Loaf
This recipe from Yummy Mummy Kitchen is brings to mind classic meatloaf dinners, except this vegan version is way more healthy and kind! It is simple to make and will please all family members, even picky children. It is protein and fibre rich, and special enough that it will make a very satisfying dish to serve as your main course for Thanksgiving. This is also a great option for families because it is just so economical. Lentils are very affordable sources of protein.
Did you like these recipes?
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For more great vegan recipes for any occasion, check out the New York Times bestselling cookbook Forks Over Knives. Thousands of people have cut out meat, dairy, and oils and seen amazing results. If you’re among them—or you’d like to be—you need this cookbook.
