First, a Thanksgiving history lesson: The reason Americans celebrate Thanksgiving is thanks to writer and magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale, who successfully lobbied president Abraham Lincoln to proclaim it a national holiday. The proclamation did not mention turkey … and neither does Thanksgiving dinner in my home! And now, onto the food ….
Last Thanksgiving, I cooked dinner for 22 graduate students. The meal was 100% plant-based. Some, but not all, of the guests were vegan. Yes, it was a ton of work. Yet, delving into my favorite recipe websites for new ideas, revisiting my own site to discover readers’ favorites, shopping for ingredients and cooking the meal (over two days), is work I love to do.
The payoff was enormous: Watching 22 grateful young people, sitting crammed together at mis-matched tables, eating off of mis-matched plates with mis-matched utensils (who has service for 22?), enjoying a home-cooked, plant-based Thanksgiving meal, made my heart sing.
Everyone who’s invited to my home for a meal knows it will be plant-based. While I have very few 100% plant-based friends (4, to be exact), I have many vegan-curious friends — because if someone isn’t at least curious, why else would they come to dinner? (Full disclosure: My husband has an impressive wine cellar, so I admit that may be a factor).
4 Tips for Feeding Vegan-Curious Eaters at Thanksgiving
Are you vegan-curious? Probably. Because while the number of people who eat only plant-based foods has been stuck at 1% approximately forever, a recent survey found that 52% of Americans consider themselves “vegan-curious.” Thanksgiving is the perfect time to feed your friends’, your family members’ and your own curiosity.
Here are a few tips for hosting Thanksgiving meals that increasingly include people with diverse tastes at the table:
- Do NOT make a dish with tofu, tempeh, or fake meat. Use only familiar ingredients.
- Choose dishes that elevate seasonal foods (e.g, butternut squash; carrots; corn bread) that are associated with Thanksgiving.
- Do not announce, when someone compliments a dish, “Ha! Ha! I tricked you! It’s vegan!” A simple, “thank you” will suffice. Quietly point out the plant-based dishes to vegan guests. Do the same for anyone you know is gluten-free or allergic to nuts.
- If possible (especially if you are cooking for a crowd), set up the meal as a buffet. Label each dish with the main ingredients. This allows everyone to sample what they want without having to announce what they do or do not eat.
Main Dish Ideas for Vegan-Curious Eaters
Creamy Lentil-Stuffed Butternut Squash: Scoop the rich, umami-infused lentil mixture into a halved butternut squash, then drizzle with a creamy tahini sauce, and watch as each guest takes that first bite, closes their eyes, and smiles with delight.
Meatloaf: Your Uncle Joe from Houston and blue-haired cousin Kaitlyn from Berkeley may not agree on politics, but they will both give two thumbs up to this meatloaf. Lentils and walnuts add an earthy, chewy texture, fennel seeds, and thyme scream “holiday meal!” Flaxseed meal replaces the eggs to moisten and hold it all together. If flaxseed is a new ingredient for you –you can find it in just about any supermarket, either in the baking section or in what I call the “hippie section,” with all the Bob’s Red Mill products.
Chili Cornbread Casserole: I’m a sucker for moist cornbread with a slight crunch on top, and this one does the trick. Last year I made plant-based cornbread for the first time, and learned a useful hack — adding a tad of apple cider vinegar to plant milk makes it curdle, and mimics the taste of buttermilk.
Pumpkin-Stuffed Ricotta Shells: This is by far the most luscious new holiday recipe I’ve come across this year. There will just be my husband and me at Thanksgiving (we’ve had an exhausting Fall), and I’m making this. Which means we won’t have to share with others!
Sides for the Vegan-Curious
Green Bean Casserole with Cauliflower: When I was a kid, I loved crispy fried onions from a can. I hadn’t thought about them in decades, until I stumbled upon this Thanksgiving-worthy side. Mushrooms, tahini, garlic, and wine add a rich, musty, grown-up flavor to what is way too often a bland, obligatory dish of veggies.
Miso-Ginger Glazed Carrots: If you don’t know “miso” yet — go find it, typically in the Asian food section. Be sure to get “light” or “white” for this recipe. (Darker miso will overpower the carrots). I promise at least one person will ask, “what’s the secret ingredient in the carrots?” Tell them. But only if they ask nicely.
Crispy Smashed Potatoes: Boil, smash, then bake potatoes until they’re crispy. Drizzle with a 5-minute chimichurri sauce of parsley, garlic and oregano. Watch out mashed potatoes, there’s a new kid in town!
Focaccia: Simple. Simple. Simple. Flour, yeast and olive oil. You can dress up the loaf with rosemary, cherry tomatoes, olives, whatever you love. Oh, and lots of sea salt. I’m salivating.
Desserts for the Vegan-Curious
Lemon-Pistachio Loaf: A moist lemon cake topped with a lemony, powdered sugar glaze? More please.
Chocolate Mousse: No one can get enough of this mousse. I refer to it as the “gateway” food to plant-based eating. It violates my #1 Tip (see above). But no one will know, so go ahead and give it a try.
Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles: After eating a big meal, some people just want a little cookie. This is for them. Light, airy, and packed with flavor.
Looking for More Ideas? Check out my Favorite Plant-Based Thanksgiving Recipe Websites
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