7 Epic Vegan Thanksgiving Centerpieces, Fake Roasts Not Included
Being on a plant-based or vegan diet can be rough during the Thanksgiving season. While faux turkey roasts are seemingly more numerous than turkeys themselves these days, not a lot of them are really impressive enough to be bragging about as the main for your holiday meal. However, you can still have epic vegan Thanksgiving centerpieces by sticking with plant-based products and utilizing them to their full potential. Here’s a few recipes that are worthy to grace a Thanksgiving table, with no Tofurky or similar products in sight.
Veggieducken
Thanksgiving’s most epic meal just got a plant-based makeover. Instead of stuffing increasingly larger birds inside of each other, this “Veggieducken” puts sweet potatoes inside of a layer of leeks inside of a whole banana squash, with layers of stuffing acting as the glue to this crafty veggie construction.
Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Hasselback refers to the miniscule slits that make the sweet spuds look like an oblong accordion. It also adds a crispy texture and caramelized flavors to each individual slice, which perfectly pairs with the sweet and spicy notes of the accompanying Szechuan Sauce in this recipe.
Mushroom and Walnut Holiday Loaf
Meatloaf is almost always better homemade, and vegan versions are no exception to that rule. The key components of this veggie loaf are mushrooms and walnuts, which match the savory and earthy flavors of an actual meatloaf pretty well. Peep the Instagram video above for the full recipe on this vegan American classic.
Sweet Potato Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
There’s no question that you’ll be getting your protein from this main dish. A lentil and hearty vegetable base gets topped with fluffy sweet potatoes for a holiday and plant-based spin on a time-honored British centerpiece. For extra levels of umami, the Minimalist Baker has an optional layer of balsamic portobello mushrooms that elevate this dish to a whole new level.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Turmeric-Tahini Sauce
This particular dish is actually sold at a New York restaurant, but can easily be replicated at home. Simply roast a whole cauliflower until it’s caramelized to your liking, and match it up with a simple but drizzle-worthy turmeric and tahini glaze. That sauce is what really sets this whole dish off.
Quinoa-Stuffed Butternut Squash
You honestly can’t have a list of vegan Thanksgiving centerpieces without incorporating quinoa into at least one of them. The ever-popular grain gets baked into festive butternut squash boats that allow each person to have their own, massive portion. You may even slip into a Thanksgiving food coma if you take down a whole vessel by yourself.
Thanksgiving Pizza
America’s love of pizza knows no bounds, and innovation in the vegan pizza world has been a testament to that. This particular pie has a cauliflower crust and pistachio pesto at the base that’s topped with a bountiful harvest of fall veggies. It may seem strange to have pizza for Thanksgiving, but at least you’ll be more festive than the guy who burned his turkey and ordered Domino’s at the last minute.
