November 23 is National Eat a Cranberry Day
Thanksgiving and Christmas meals tend to be pretty meat-heavy affairs. From roast turkey and glazed hams to sausage stuffing and bacon-wrapped everything, it's not usually the best time to be vegan. Luckily, vegan cuisine has come a long way over the past few years and there are more and more delicious ways to enjoy a meatless holiday season.
Click through this gallery for some inspiration for your vegan holiday menu! You'll find festive party appetizers, comforting Christmas dinners, and heartwarming winter desserts.
What better way to start off the holiday season than with some hearty pancakes packed with festive flavors? You can use pumpkin puree in the mix or just go with your favorite vegan pancake recipe and add in spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
Serve vegan ricotta and sliced figs on bites of rustic bread for the perfect party snack. Vegan ricotta can be made with five ingredients and a blender: blanched slivered almonds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt.
Party food for vegans is easy considering there are endless dips that are already vegan! Basics like hummus and guacamole always go down well, but you can also go for something more adventurous like a black bean dip blended with roasted butternut squash and chipotle.
When it comes to starters for a special holiday meal, you can't go wrong with a warming bowl of seasonal soup. Vegetables like butternut squash, pumpkin, or any root vegetables can be elevated with a few fresh herbs and spices.
For something a little more avant-garde, try this avocado tartare. Diced avocado is mixed with capers, parsley, and shallots for a unique flavor and texture. Serve with toasted bread or crackers.
Pastry only has two basic ingredients (butter and flour), so it's very easy to make it vegan! Just switch out the butter for vegan butter or oil. This red onion tarte tatin is a showstopper on any dinner table.
Citrus fruits are at their best during the winter, so why not make use of them with this seasonal citrus salad? Slice up oranges and grapefruits to top your choice of greens and finish with a ginger and miso dressing.
This casserole side dish is the epitome of fall! Sweet potato is mixed with vegan butter, non-dairy milk, flour, and pumpkin spice to become creamy and flavorful. Top with pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup before baking.
A vegan meatloaf, or nut roast, is similar to a veggie burger. You can add in whatever ingredients you prefer and completely change the texture and flavor! Legumes like beans and lentils along with nuts like walnuts or pecans are great for binding the loaf and giving it that meaty texture. It's the perfect plant-based centerpiece to replace the turkey or ham.
A stuffed butternut squash looks impressive and ticks all the right boxes this time of year. For a festive filling, use grains like rice or quinoa, dried cranberries, chestnut mushrooms, and plenty of herbs.
Beef Wellington is a classic dish comprising of roast fillet of beef covered in pate and other fancy things, then wrapped in pastry and baked to perfection. A mushroom Wellington follows much the same idea, without any of the animal ingredients! The rich flavor of the mushrooms is the perfect alternative to red meat.
Cauliflower is the latest vegetable that's being used as a substitute for a meat centerpiece. Slow-roast an entire head of cauliflower in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic, and you'll understand why!
A creamy vegetable pot pie is a good idea any day of the year.
Shepherd's pie has to be one of the most comforting winter dishes ever created. You can swap out the meat for hearty substitutes like lentils, mushrooms, and butternut squash. For the best result, use them all! You can achieve a rich flavor without meat by using red wine and a good quality stock. A dash of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or balsamic vinegar doesn't hurt either.
Whether you're eating meat or not, gravy is an essential element to any Thanksgiving or Christmas feast! Mushrooms have a deep flavor, which makes a great replacement for meat stock. Add onions and fresh herbs like thyme and sage for an even richer gravy.
There are many ways to create a delicious vegan stuffing. Use bread as the base along with vegan butter and add flavorful ingredients like onion and sage. Celery makes a nice addition for a more varied texture.
Mashed potatoes can easily be made creamy by adding in plenty of vegan butter. For a little extra flavor, add in garlic, olive oil, and a little bit of fresh rosemary.
Brussel sprouts are one of those traditional items on the plate that most people aren't too excited about. Spice them up this year by roasting them in a glaze of honey and balsamic vinegar.
Roasted butternut squash and crunchy pecans glazed in maple syrup make the perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
Mac and cheese is a traditional holiday side dish in some households. It's also a dish that most vegans probably miss, but it's easy to make a plant-based mac and cheese that'll hit the spot! The creamy sauce is made by soaking and blending cashews, and the funky cheese flavor comes from a mix of nutritional yeast, mustard, and sauerkraut.
A similar cheesy base can be used to make a comforting cauliflower casserole. Finish with breadcrumbs and vegan cheese if you can get it!
The egg white used to make pavlova can easily be replaced with aquafaba, the viscous liquid you get from a can or jar of cooked chickpeas. This makes for a stunning dessert when topped with winter berries like cranberries. It's also possible to make a vegan version of whipped cream using coconut cream.
Apple crumble has to be one of the easiest desserts to make! Maximize the wintery goodness by adding in plenty of cinnamon and brown sugar.
It's that time of the year! The main ingredients are pumpkin puree mixed with full-fat coconut cream, sugar, and pumpkin pie spices.
Sticky toffee pudding is a classic British dessert. It's a warm, moist sponge cake made using dates and brown sugar and served with a sticky toffee sauce. The only non-vegan ingredients in the traditional recipe can easily be subbed for vegan butter and non-dairy milk.
The same meringue mix used in pavlova can also be used to make this fun treat! Pipe the meringue mix into little snowmen and decorate once they're baked and hardened.
The mince pie is an old-school Christmas treat that's almost vegan already. Vegan pastry is filled with a richly spiced mixture of cooked and dried fruit.
For a festive twist on the classic upside-down cake, try this winter-spiced pear upside-down cake. Vegan butter, brown sugar, and winter spices are used to caramelize the pears. The rest is just a simple vegan vanilla cake.
If you've got some cans of pumpkin left in the pantry, try making some spiced pumpkin blondies. Oil can be used instead of butter, and the result is just as moist and satisfying.
Sources: (Delish) (The First Mess) (Stacey Homemaker)
See also: Easy one-pot plant-based meals
Heavenly holiday recipes for vegans
The holiday season isn't all about turkey!
FOOD Holidays
Thanksgiving and Christmas meals tend to be pretty meat-heavy affairs. From roast turkey and glazed hams to sausage stuffing and bacon-wrapped everything, it's not usually the best time to be vegan. Luckily, vegan cuisine has come a long way over the past few years and there are more and more delicious ways to enjoy a meatless holiday season.
Click through this gallery for some inspiration for your vegan holiday menu! You'll find festive party appetizers, comforting Christmas dinners, and heartwarming winter desserts.