Easy Vegan, Vegetarian Recipes For Thanksgiving 2015: 4 Healthy Meatless Options For The Whole Family

For those who don't eat anything that gobbles, Thanksgiving can be a struggle. When the main event at the table tends to be the ceremonial carving of the bird, vegetarians and vegans can feel a tad left out. Luckily, there are plenty of recipes out there to make sure everyone gets their fill of healthy holiday grub. Below are some great recipes to satisfy the 3.2 percent of Americans who would prefer to pardon the turkey rather than eat it.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Here’s what you do: Dial your oven up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim the sprouts and throw them in a resealable plastic bag with olive oil, salt and black pepper. Next, shake the bag up to coat the Brussels sprouts. Put the veggies onto a baking pan, throw it into the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes and shake it every 5 to 7 minutes to even out the browning. If the sides start burning, adjust the temperature accordingly. You’ll know things are done when the sprouts are dark brown/almost black. Taste, adjust the seasoning from there and serve them immediately.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetarian Gravy: It’s easy to forget that this part of the meal is often not vegetarian. Stock from a variety of animal sources is often used to make the gravy that is then slathered on most things indiscriminately on turkey – or Tofurkey – day. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 8 cups vegetable stock or 7 cups stock and a cup of dry white wine
• 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
• ½ cup of butter or, for vegans, olive oil
• 1 minced shallot
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon marmite, a yeast extract
• Salt and pepper

Here’s what you do: Pour the stock into a medium pot along with the mushrooms, bring it to a boil with high heat and then remove it from heat and let the mushrooms soak in the warmth for 30 minutes. Then, pour the stock and ‘shrooms into a bowl and wipe out the pot.

Next, add the butter or oil to the pot and melt it over medium to high heat, then add the shallots and cook them for a minute or two while whisking. Then, throw in the flour and cook it while whisking. Once the flour is lightly golden, which should take about two minutes, add the stock and mushrooms and continue whisking. Add the soy sauce and marmite and some pepper if you want.

Finally, bring the stock to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered until the gravy has been reduced. Season according to your desires afterward, remove the mushrooms and serve.

Vegetarian Stuffing: This is another one of those things non-vegetarians and vegans might not think of. Often, stuffing is cooked inside of the turkey. That’s a no-go for veggie folks. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 large loaf whole grain bread, cubed and dried overnight
• ¾ cup uncooked green lentils
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
• ½ cup of diced white onions
• ¾ cup celery, also diced
• 3 to 3 ½ cups vegetable broth, plus a little more for cooking the lentis
• 1 flax egg made of flaxseed meal and two and a half tablespoons of water (if just going the vegetarian route, use a normal egg)
• ¾ teaspoons dried sage

Here’s what you’ll need to do: After drying your bread overnight, you’ll need to begin cooking your lentils by thoroughly washing them in cold water and then adding them to 1 ½ cups of vegetarian broth or water, then heating to a low boil on medium-high heat and then simmering for 20 to 30 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 pan. If you’re using the flax egg, make that now. From there you’ll want to sauté your onion and celery in olive oil and season that with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent.

Put the bread in a bowl, add most of the broth and then all of the other ingredients and then mix it to the consistency of a meatloaf – if it’s too dry, just add more broth. Add more bread for the opposite problem.

Finally, transfer to the pan, cover with foil and cook it for 45 minutes. Remove the foil after that time and continue to bake, raising the heat to 400 degrees for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is browned and crisp.

Let cool a little bit and it’s ready to serve.

Vegan Mashed Potatoes

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Six to eight medium gold potatoes
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Five to six cloves of roasted garlic
• Three to four melted or softened tablespoons vegan butter (like EarthBalance)
• ¼ cup fresh chives, chopped

Here’s what you’ll need to do: Add the potatoes to a pot of water and bring it to a light boil on medium-high heat, then add the salt and cook, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until very tender. Next, drain the water and let the potatoes sit in the hot pot for another minute and then transfer to a large bowl. After that, mash the potatoes until fluffy, and then add butter, garlic, salt and pepper and stir. Taste for preference

Finally, add the chives on the top to make it look pretty.

Happy Thanksgiving!