Happy Vegetarian Thanksgiving! That might sound like an oxymoron, considering the holiday’s nickname: Turkey Day. “How,” meat eaters might ask, “can you possibly have a proper Thanksgiving without turkey?” As a practicing vegetarian for 20 years, let me just say we do just fine, thank you!
Side dishes, like stuffing and mashed potatoes and such are easy: you just leave out the meat and use vegetable-based broths to make ‘em. As for the main course…well, that’s a bit more tricky, which is why in this addition to Curbly’s Ultimate Thanksgiving guide, we’re going to concentrate on vegetarian options for main course dishes, including home-made mock-turkey recipes and recipes for that vegetarian standby, Tofurky, as well as vegetarian gravy recipes.
Oh, and be sure to check out all of our Ultimate Thanksgiving posts. Nothing will help make you menu and decor planning easier.
Main Dish Options:
- Chow’s Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Stuffing
- Acorn Squash with Mixed Rice Pilaf, pictured above
- Get Serious with Serious Eats’ Acorn Squash Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce
- Quinoa Pie with Butternut Squash, from Martha
- Winter Greens Lasagne
- Vegetable Pot Pies
- Vegetarian Shepherds Pie
- Portebello Pot Pie
- Root Vegetable and Mushroom Pie with Rosemary Biscuit Topping, from Epicurious
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Risotto
- Butternut Squash Risotto v2.0
- Vegan Nut Roast a la PeTA (with stuffing)
- Savory Stuffed Pumpkin
- Fall Vegetable and Orzo Casserole
Tofurky and Tofu-Turkey Recipes:
- Roast Tofurky baked with Caramelized Onion and Cherry Relish
- Tofurky Maple-Pecan Roast
- Deep Fired Tofurky
- Aunt Jean’s Crock Pot Tofurky with Cranberry Onion
- Thanksgiving No-Turkey Turkey
- the kitchn’s Thanksgiving Tofu Loaf, pictured above
- Tofu Turkey with Stuffing
- Tofu Turkey
- Tofu Turkey I
- Tofu Turkey II
- Homemade ‘Tofurkery’ with Brown Rice Stuffing
Gravy (no giblets, please) Recipes:
- Savory Vegetarian Gravy
- Vegetarian Gravy for Thanksgiving, pictured above
- Vegetarian Gravy for Thanksgiving, part 2
- Vegetarian Gravy
- Vegetarian Gravy, part 2
- Martha’s Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy
- Easy Vegetarian Gravy
- Portabella Vegetarian Gravy, from Epicurious
- Vegan Holiday Gravies, including Red Whine and Shallot Gravy, Apple Cider Gravy and Roasted Garlic Gravy
So, as you can see my fellow vegetarians and lovers of vegetarians, you have no excuse NOT to enjoy no-Turkey Turkey Day meal. And for those of you meat-a-saurs out there, don’t forget to check out Ultimate Thanksgiving: Turkey Recipe Round-Up, as well as ALL of Curbly.com’s Ultimate Thanksgiving posts.