By Morgan Cole
The holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without food. Thanksgiving is regularly called “turkey day” because some people think that the point of Thanksgiving is to eat turkey. I actually believe that the meaning of Thanksgiving is to be grateful for your loved ones… but I too love to eat.
I’m Vegan and I follow a plant-based diet, but this doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy delicious recipes on Thanksgiving. The following recipes are some of my favorites to make with my mom (who isn’t Vegan) on holidays. That’s how good these recipes are–you don’t even need to be Vegan to enjoy them. My mom and I make these dishes for our family of meat-eaters, and they can’t taste the difference. It includes a green bean casserole, stuffing, and mashed potatoes; the best part is they’re all 100% Vegan.
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients:
-4 cans cut green beans
-2 tbsp. vegan butter or olive oil (I use Earth Balance Soy Free Vegan Butter)
-2 cloves garlic minced
-1 small yellow onion diced
-2 cups finely chopped baby bella mushrooms
-2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
-2 cups unsweetened almond milk (I use the brand Blue Diamond)
-salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Saute garlic and onions in vegan butter, or olive oil can work as well, in a large pan over medium heat.
After five minutes, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper until mushrooms are lightly browned.
Add flour over the mixture and cook for one minute.
Slowly add almond milk, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes or until the mixture is a thick consistency.
Add the green beans and sauce into a casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
-1 bag of honey gold bite-size potatoes
-2 tbsp. vegan butter (Earth Balance Soy Free Vegan Butter)
-1 cup unsweetened almond milk (Blue Diamond)
-garlic salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add potatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes or until potatoes is soft.
Drain water from the pot and mash the potatoes.
Add the vegan butter, almond milk, and seasonings. Mix together until the potatoes are fluffy.
Enjoy! Yes, it’s that easy.
Vegan Stuffing
Ingredients:
-1 baguette of sourdough bread
-1 large yellow onion diced
-3 celery sticks diced
-3 cloves garlic minced
-2 cups vegetable broth
-any brand of vegan uncooked ground sausage (I use the Lightlife Gimme Lean Plant-Based Ground Sausage)
-2 stems sage finely chopped
-2 stems thyme finely chopped
-1 stem of rosemary finely chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut sourdough bread into 1-inch cubes and bake for 20 minutes (this can be done the day before).
Cook the vegan sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, break down the sausage into small pieces until it’s brown.
Add the garlic, onion, and celery into the skillet and cook for five minutes.
Pour two cups of vegetable broth into the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil.
In a bowl, combine the bread and skillet mixture with sage, thyme, and rosemary.
Put this mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Enjoy! Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a day of smoothies and salads for vegans. You can be a plant-based eater and still enjoy stuffing and mashed potatoes. You can even buy a tofurkey at a store near you or on Amazon. Or, if you’re just too lazy to make a Thanksgiving meal, order a pizza with vegan cheese and make a list of the things you’re thankful for this year. The holidays are a time to reflect and eat great food with family, turkey or not… Happy Thanksgiving!
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