Every year, as Thanksgiving looms, the texts from increasingly panicked hosts begin to roll in:<\/p>\n
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- How do I make a pumpkin pie without dairy?<\/em><\/li>\n
- My sister-in-law is gluten-free, but demands stuffing.<\/em><\/li>\n
- What do I make instead of turkey for a table of vegans?!<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
First of all, take a deep breath\u2014it\u2019s just one meal. There will be three more tomorrow! As you take another big inhale, know that I\u2019m here to help you find delicious vegan turkey substitutes that will appeal to both meat-eaters and anyone on a plant-based diet. Right now, I\u2019ll assist with finding a turkey alternative for the vegans. Or vegetarians. Or the ones that you ate burgers<\/a> with last month but now are strictly pescatarian thank-you-very-much. Basically, if you\u2019re feeding Thanksgiving dinner to people who don\u2019t eat turkey<\/a>, and want to prepare them something that is meat-free (besides the salad and dessert) that are already on the table, we\u2019ve got you covered. From whole-roasted cauliflower and lentil shepherd’s pie to vegan lasagna and zucchini enchiladas, no one will leave your Thanksgiving table hungry<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
And before you start on me about how some of these dishes aren\u2019t rooted in traditional Thanksgiving flavors (my Aunt Deb certainly wouldn\u2019t make mapo tofu<\/a> on Turkey Day), I urge you to rethink what \u201ctraditional\u201d even means. Thanksgiving is an American holiday (actually, there\u2019s one in Canada too<\/a>), but does every American family sit down to attack a 20-pound bird with a side of marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes on the big day? Nope.<\/p>\n
For many, the day is actually quite a painful one, steeped in remembrance of colonialism and fear. As a cook, I tend to think of Thanksgiving as a day I can spend preparing a meal, a thing I love, for people I love. Nothing more. And guess what? I don\u2019t have to make a turkey\u2014and neither do you.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Relatives may cluck disapprovingly behind their water glasses, but once you set the table with any number of these vegan main dishes<\/a>, no one will miss the tryptophan at this year\u2019s meatless Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n
- My sister-in-law is gluten-free, but demands stuffing.<\/em><\/li>\n