How to Have the Perfect Vegan Thanksgiving

the plate by arvindgrover (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Having a vegan Thanksgiving may not seem like something easy, but don’t get yourself down! From turkey alternatives to healthy sides, here are tons of options that will allow you and your family to eat well and be happy this holiday. This post will teach you how to cook delicious Thanksgiving meals that are fun and easy to make.

A Vegan Thanksgiving Turkey

Deep Fried Tofurkys by jasonlam (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Deep Fried Tofurkys by jasonlam (CC BY-SA 2.0)

If you’ve ever watched Everybody Loves Raymond, you would know the Marie Romano’s idea for a tofu turkey doesn’t exactly work out as planned. Fear not! If cooked with love, your tofu turkey can be the talk of the town. There are several ways that you can cook them, and you can get them preformed or make them yourself. If you are feeling particularly crafty, you can use this recipe to make a roast tofu treat completely from scratch. Not only is this recipe vegan, but it can also be made to be completely gluten-free! If you are looking for something a bit more time-friendly, you can get a Tofurky. Tofurkys are completely vegan and approved by the Vegan Society. You can find amazing recipes for your vegan Thanksgiving Tofurky here and here.

Sides for Your Vegan Thanksgiving

Cranberry Sauce by Veganbaking.net (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Cranberry Sauce by Veganbaking.net (CC BY-SA 2.0)

But man cannot live on vegan turkey alone. Thankfully, there are a ton of amazing side dishes that you can cook up to perfectly pair with the main dish and make your vegan Thanksgiving a smash hit. Instead of going with boring old green bean casserole and mashed potatoes, try making sun-dried tomato and butternut squash bisque. This recipe uses coconut milk instead of real milk, and is the perfect soup to heat you up on a cold Thanksgiving afternoon. And if you’re bored of the same old boring cranberry sauce, spice up your dinner table with some jalapeño-orange cranberry sauce. This sauce is the perfect blend between spicy and sweet, and will add some zest to that Tofurky of yours.

Thanksgiving Vegan Desserts

91/365: Mazurek by Magic Madzik (CC BY 2.0)
91/365: Mazurek by Magic Madzik (CC BY 2.0)

And, of course, no vegan Thanksgiving is complete without something sweet. Put an interesting twist into that chocolate treat by adding some avocado to the mix! This avocado chocolate fudge tart with pretzel crust and caramel cream uses non-dairy milk and involves no baking whatsoever. If chocolate isn’t your thing, then try out this sweet potato casserole with pecan topping. With this recipe you can use almond milk. Use applesauce as a way to make it a low-fat version and be healthy to boot!

Do you have any more ideas to make your vegan Thanksgiving a night to remember? Let me know in the comments section!