Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up 2018
A round-up of my favourite vegan Thanksgiving recipes, perfect for getting some delicious plant-based dishes onto your table this holiday season!
THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays. I think having a day that involves giving thanks, and reminds us of the blessings in our life, is such a wonderful thing.
Living as an American in the UK, the Thanksgiving holiday – or rather the lack of it – can feel a bit strange. I’ll see my friends in the US have a couple of days off work and studies, travel home, and sit down to a Thanksgiving meal with their family and/or friends. It’s lovely to watch, but it always makes me a bit nostalgic for home and family.
Here in the UK, Thanksgiving can pass by without much notice. Of course that makes sense –the UK has no reason to celebrate Thanksgiving. But to me it still feels a bit off for life to carry on as normal over this holiday.
AN AMERICAN THANKSGIVING IN LONDON
Thankfully, I have developed some amazing Thanksgiving traditions here in the UK that have made all the difference! I’m grateful for friends (both American and not!) who are up for celebrating and marking the holiday with me.
Last year was a particularly impressive Thanksgiving. In fact, I celebrated twice and have plans to do the same this year! Thanksgiving always falls on the 4th Thursday of November. Last year I spent Thanksgiving at an American friend’s house for dinner. She kindly cooked up an amazing vegan Thanksgiving feast for us (despite her not even being vegan!). Then the Saturday after Thanksgiving I went over to my friend Becca’s house, with my other friend Rebecca (yes, we three Rebecca/kah’s hang out and it’s amazing), and we put together a Thanksgiving feast of epic proportions.
Between these events, I’ve compiled some tried and tested vegan Thanksgiving recipes that are plant-based, pretty simple to make, and taste absolutely amazing! I’ve compiled them all for you below – there’s sides, mains, and desserts, so all bases are covered. I hope they can add some plant-based goodness to your own Thanksgiving spread!
THANKSGIVING RECIPES
SIDES
Cheese Board:
Vegan cheese can have a bad reputation, but I think there are so many great options out there on the market today. If you’re not sold on buying vegan cheese though, you can also make your own, and Ellie’s recipes are absolutely incredible! Last Thanksgiving we put together a cheese board using her recipes, and honestly it blew my mind. Definitely check out the recipes, and if you’re in the UK you need to try Kinda Co. Cheese as well (you can check out Ellie’s online store here).
Salads:
- Roasted root & chickpea salad – this is full of autumnal flavours!
- Brussels Sprouts Salad (not the exact recipe we used, but the closest I could find!) – I had been skeptical of a salad using raw brussel sprouts. I just didn’t know if I could get behind that. Turns out raw brussel sprouts that have been processed are absolutely delicious! Especially when combined with cranberries and pecans.
Roast Potatoes and Veggies:
One of my favourite parts of the whole Thanksgiving spread is the roasted veggies. Bosh does the classics with style:
Cornbread:
Yes I’m cheekily throwing one of my own recipes onto the list. This cornbread is my most recreated recipe, and is one of my personal favourites! I think it goes so well on a Thanksgiving table and I’ll be baking up a batch to bring to my own Thanksgiving dinners.
Mashed Potatoes:
My friend Rebecca (from @thezestylime) made mashed potatoes for our spread, and they were dreamy! I’ll definitely be asking her for her recipe this Thanksgiving, but in the meantime check out this recipe by Sweet Simple Vegan:
Butternut Squash Soup:
Butternut is one of my favourite autumnal flavours, and this soup recipe uses such simple ingredients. You can replace the honey with maple syrup or another sweetener of your choice, or just leave it out.
MAINS
If you have never tried a nut roast, you need to change that ASAP! Full disclosure, I tried my first nut roast last Thanksgiving, so I completely understand being late to the party. But I’m now such a big fan! My friend Becca (@veritevegan) has an amazing nut roast recipe on her blog, which we used for our Thanksgiving spread last year. We’re having it again this year because it was so delicious!
Stuffed squash is also another classic main dish. My American friend Heather made this for me last year at Thanksgiving and it was also so delicious!
DESSERTS/PUDDINGS
Is it even Thanksgiving if you don’t have Pumpkin Pie?
Well, for the first 18 years of my life, it was for me. I just assumed I didn’t like pumpkin pie, and my family always went for apple pie instead. When I went off to university, I finally tried pumpkin pie, and could not believe I had gone my whole life without it! Last year I made my first vegan pumpkin pie, and truly could not even tell it was vegan and gluten-free.
I used the Minimalist Baker’s Pumpkin Pie recipe and was not only amazed by how simple it was to create a gluten-free pastry crust (if I can do it, then you definitely can), but also by the incredible flavours packed into this pie.
I also made some Pumpkin Bread Muffins (adapted from Deliciously Ella’s pumpkin bread recipe), which I shared with the Rebecca’s as a breakfast treat while we cooked up our Thanksgiving meal.
To pair with the pie, I know many tend to go with custard. Oatly does a great vegan custard which I can recommend. Personally, I love vegan ice cream. I think it compliments pumpkin pie perfectly. Here are some of my favourite brands:
- Halo Top
- Booja Booja
- Swedish Glace
- Frill – the Salted Caramel is my favourite!
What are some of your favourite Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes? I hope you can cook up a delicious feast this year, and am wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday spent with those you love!
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