A Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

I’ve been a vegetarian all my life, and for as long as I can remember people asked me incredulously, “What do you eat?!” Similarly common, since turkey is out, is the question, “What do you eat for Thanksgiving?” Here’s a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner menu, based on my family’s traditions, some things I added when I began taking my turn at hosting (which I get to do again this year, for the first time as a married woman in our own home! ), and some new recipes I’ll be trying next week. I always try to healthify things as much as possible, though holiday dinners are admittedly still an indulgence. I like to try to make our old favorites taste as indulgent as always without quite as much guilt! Follow the links for my recipes.

• Lentil Roast: Crunchy corn flakes and chopped walnuts make this a savory main dish with just a hint of garlic and sage.
• Vegetarian Stuffing: With just the right amount of crunch, this stuffing is flavored with garlic, celery and water chestnuts.
• Cranberry Sauce: A tangy compliment to both the lentil roast and vegetarian stuffing. Growing up we always had the jellied cranberry sauce from a can that held its shape, but I’ve taken to making my own and love it. I’m eager to try this recipe this year, with a cinnamon stick, allspice, orange zest and fresh-squeezed orange juice.
• Sweet Potatoes: In my Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes, with crushed pineapple and coconut, the sweetness intensifies when the potatoes are baked and re-baked. This year I’m going to try these Gingersnap Sweet Potatoes, with freshly grated ginger and crushed gingersnap cookies.
• Mashed Potatoes: An old favorite. I leave some of the skins on the potatoes, am generous with the garlic, and use soymilk instead of regular milk.
• Brown Gravy: I’ve only ever had (I think) and made this from a package, but I think I’ll try making this Vegetarian Brown Gravy from scratch this year.
• Bread: The last few years I’ve served a flax bread I get from the bakery at Bi-Lo, my local grocery store. It’s sort of a sourdough-type loaf with whole flaxseeds generously sprinkled throughout. My husband and I love this bread and lately eat it on pretty much every special occasion.
• Roasted Fist of Garlic: To die for, spread on crusty bread with a little goat cheese!
• Salad: I make either Kale Salad or my Favorite Salad.
• To drink, usually a local apple cider, either alone or mixed with Martinelli’s. This year I plan to make a batch of this spiced apple cider in the morning and let it steep in the crockpot all day, and we’ll dip out of it whenever we want to.

I know, just like in the rest of American households, it looks like we should be feeding an army! There’s dessert too…

Not so different than a non-vegetarian’s, and I confess, not really very healthy! My parents are coming to our house, and my mom likes to bring her signature pies even when I’m hosting, so this year we’ll be having:

• Pecan Pie: My mom will make this; she likes to say hers has a secret ingredient. I worked with someone in Oklahoma who had perfected a vegan recipe, but she also kept it a secret. One of these years I’ll get around to experimenting with a “healthier” recipe, ’cause I do love me some pecan pie. (I inherited the affinity from my dad.)
• Apple Pie: My mother will also make this one; she’s proud of her flaky, buttery crust! Her pies are always good. I don’t have her recipe, but I love this apple pie recipe I got from a friend, which has an almond-oat crust, fruit juice-and-honey-sweetened filling, and crumbly topping.
• Pumpkin Pie: I’m actually not a fan, but my husband wants a pumpkin pie, so I’ll be making one.  I don’t think I’ve made one before. I’ll be looking for a recipe or experimenting with “healthifying” the one on the pumpkin can! I’ve already bought a frozen whole wheat pie crust.
• Ice Cream: Since we received an ice cream maker for the wedding, I’m going to make some kind of homemade ice cream or sorbet. Likely we’ll have two batches, one vanilla and some something else. Pumpkin, maybe? I haven’t decided.

Because we get to host the holiday this year for the first time as a little family of two in our own new home, we’re making our own traditions. Which actually just means combining some of my favorites with some of my husband’s favorites from his family’s Thanksgiving dinner traditions. I haven’t gotten those recipes yet, so maybe I’ll post them after the fact.

Questions or comments? Contact me here.