Easy Ways to Make Classic Thanksgiving Recipes Vegan
Thanksgiving has a reputation for endless pickling techniques, divisive side dishes, and contentious relatives. It’s no surprise that hosting can be stressful. If you don’t have the “Right Stuffing” , that is. This series is all about the Thanksgiving meal, and will help you create dishes that will show up on your table year after year, even if it doesn’t help you cope with the in-laws.
As I mentioned earlier , my Thanksgiving guest list is often full of vegans, vegetarians, dairy allergies, and lactose intolerances. I am none of these things. I love butter, I love cream and animal fats, but I also love a challenge, so I enthusiastically adjust my recipes to accommodate such dietary restrictions. Everything is going very well.
Just a few select ingredients—some store-bought and one homemade—make the transition to dairy-, egg-, and meat-free meals almost too easy. I was able to make my grandma’s vegan cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, and gravy with them, and I believe they can help you do the same if you want.
Better than chickpea broth and broth
I’ve been a fan of this entire line of savory soup bases for years, but their vegetarian and vegan offerings are on another level. The standard vegetable base is good, but the chicken-free base is great. It doesn’t taste like vegetables, it tastes like chicken broth, or at least what you think heavily seasoned chicken broth should taste like—salty, savory, and filling. If you want a flavor that’s not reminiscent of poultry, I recommend the sautéed onion base , which tastes like concentrated French onion soup.
You can use any flavoring to make gravy, dressing, stuffing, or anything else you would normally use turkey broth or chicken broth for. You can even add some roasted garlic base to your mashed potatoes to enhance the flavor. One teaspoon of base per 8 ounces of water will make 1 cup of flavorful, heavily seasoned broth, so adjust as needed to suit your needs. (And, unlike gallons of broth, small jars of base spread take up very little space in the refrigerator—a big plus this time of year.)
If you simply must use homemade broth, make it with chickpeas . Not only is the color a dead ringer for something meatier, but it has a consistency and flavor that’s a lot like your favorite chicken broth.
Best Vegan Egg Replacement
This mung bean-based liquid makes a pretty decent mash , but it’s also a fantastic binder: add 3 tablespoons of Just Egg for every whole egg called for in your recipe. I wouldn’t use Just Egg in picky baked goods, but I have used some of them to make cornbread and then cornbread dressing and haven’t noticed a single difference in taste or texture. Use it anywhere you need a little bit of bonding, including quick breads (with chemical leavening agents), casseroles, and (obviously) dressings and toppings.
Non-dairy fats
Somehow the oil got into everything, even the vegetables. Worry no more, fellow vegans. Thanks to the amazing butter substitutes you can find at the grocery store, you can easily ditch those sticks. Margarine is a great vegan option for braising, topping cornbread stuffing, and spreading on buns. (Ellie is a fan of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter . It’s vegan and it’s incredible stuff.)
Margarine is ideal for baking, so try using vegetable shortening for cakes and cookies. Spectrum Whole Vegetable Butter is excellent for making puff pastries. Try Earth Balance Vegan Butter Sticks for baking or any time you want to add a buttery flavor to your dishes.
Vegan mushroom cream from A.A. Newton
This swap isn’t as easy as the other two because you’ll have to do a little cooking, but trust me when I say it’s totally worth your time. Not only is this the best vegan cream of mushroom I’ve ever tried, it’s also the best cream of mushroom I’ve ever tried in my entire (medium length) life. A combination of crushed dried mushroom caps, deep-fried cremini, plenty of onion and dark beer makes a thick, almost too savory base, then thins it out a bit with Tofutti sour cream. I couldn’t stop stealing little spoonfuls of it.
The ultimate destination is obviously green bean casserole, but I wouldn’t want you to limit yourself there. Mash it into potatoes, toss with dressing (cup after cup!) or top it with even more vegan sour cream and serve as a dip with potato chips. It is so tasty that you can eat it with a spoon.