Being vegan or vegetarian over the holidays poses more challenges than normal. Every dish has some sort of animal product and made by a family member, so it could be insulting or isolating to not partake. This is my second vegan Thanksgiving and seventh meatless one, so here are my best cruelty-free substitutes for classic dishes. Bring any of these dishes to your family’s Thanksgiving and see if anyone knows they are actually vegan.
The most iconic dish on Thanksgiving is of course, the turkey. There are several store-bought and homemade substitutes to enjoy this without actually killing anything. If you’re a chef, try making turkey seitan. Trader Joe’s makes a turkey-less roast with stuffing and gravy and it’s only 9.99!
Of course, if want a vegan take on the Turducken, you might want to watch the video of a sweet and sassy granny making Tofucken.
My personal favorite dish has always been green bean casserole. Minimalist Baker makes a simple vegan version that looks so good. Check it out here. Just look at those crunchy onions.
Dessert is probably one of the most tempting non-vegan dishes, so here’s a pumpkin pie recipe from Food Network that everyone can enjoy. Top with Soy Whip from Trader Joe’s and dig in.
Some easy substitutes include using Earth Balance vegan butter and Non-Dairy milk for mashed potatoes. Honestly just put Earth Balance on everything. Most store bought dinner rolls are vegan, so just check labels.
Most of all, enjoy your time with family. I, like many other college students, don’t get to see them that often. Don’t stress about preparing for the holidays, just bring a cruelty-free dish or two that everyone can try. They might be surprised that you don’t have to harm animals to have a delicious traditional Thanksgiving meal.
HAPPY TOFURKY DAY EVERYONE!