How do I make a pumpkin pie without dairy? My sister-in-law is gluten-free, but demands stuffing. What do I make instead of turkey for a table of vegans?! First of all, take a deep breath-it's just one meal. There will be three more tomorrow! As you take another big inhale, know that I'm 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'll assist with finding a turkey alternative for the vegans. Or vegetarians. Or the ones that you ate burgers with last month but now are strictly pescatarian thank-you-very-much. Basically, if you're feeding Thanksgiving dinner to people who don't eat turkey, and want to prepare them something that is meat-free (besides the salad and dessert) that are already on the table, we've 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.
And before you start on me about how some of these dishes aren't rooted in traditional Thanksgiving flavors (my Aunt Deb certainly wouldn't make mapo tofu on Turkey Day), I urge you to rethink what "traditional" even means. Thanksgiving is an American holiday (actually, there's one in Canada too), 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. 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't have to make a turkey-and neither do you. Relatives may cluck disapprovingly behind their water glasses, but once you set the table with any number of these vegan main dishes, no one will miss the tryptophan at this yea.
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