5 Vegan And Gluten Free Thanksgiving Dishes That Will Make You Forget About Turkey

In addition to spending time with family and watching football, Thanksgiving revolves around food. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and gravy are essential dishes sure to be found on tables across the country on November 23. However, Thanksgiving can be difficult to enjoy when you follow a diet with specific needs.

Whether you are vegan and do not eat turkey, or gluten free and cannot help yourself to a heaping scoop of stuffing, taking part in a traditional Thanksgiving feast can be quite difficult when you are the only one not looking forward to the typical dishes served on this holiday. 

Throughout the years of cooking for vegan and gluten free family members, I have created recipes that mimic the flavors in Thanksgiving dishes and are appealing to those with such dietary restrictions. My recipes cover different courses served on the holiday and are composed of classic fall flavors. The recipes are festive, and most importantly, allow those who are vegan and gluten-free to feel as though their meal is representative of a Thanksgiving-day feast. 

As you prepare and serve the dishes listed below, be sure to make enough to feed everyone invited to your Thanksgiving celebration; the recipes may be tailored to vegan and gluten free diets but will be devoured by all.

Appetizer

Carrot Soup

• Prep Time:25 mins
• Cook Time:35 mins
• Total Time:1 hr
• Servings:4
• Easy

Ingredients

• 2 pounds carrots
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• salt
• pepper
• ground ginger
• 2 tbsp coconut cream

• Step 1

  Chop carrots into 1/2 inch rounds.

  

• Step 2

  Add carrots and olive oil to a large skillet. Cook on high for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so.

  

• Step 3

  Pour vegetable stock into the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir, and cover the skillet. Let the carrots simmer on medium heat for about 25 minutes or until they are soft and tender. When the carrots are soft, turn off the heat and add a dash of salt, pepper, and ginger to the skillet. Stir together. Then, allow the carrots and broth to cool for 10 minutes.

  

• Step 4

  Next, pour the carrots and broth into a blender with coconut cream. Blend until creamy.

  

• Step 5

  Pour the soup back into skillet if you need to rewarm it or simply ladle into bowls and serve. Enjoy with nutty, whole grain gluten free crackers on the side!

  

Salad

Kale, Carrot, and Sunflower Seed Salad

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:10 mins
• Total Time:20 mins
• Servings:10
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 bushel kale
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup shaved carrots

• Step 1

  Rinse and chop the kale leaves. Then, add kale to a bowl and massage with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Let the kale soak in the bowl for about 5 minutes.

  

• Step 2

  Place sunflower seeds on a baking sheet lined with olive oil and parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and cook in the oven at 350°F until the sunflower seeds are just slightly roasted.

  

• Step 3

  When the sunflower seeds are finished roasting, remove from the oven and add to the bowl with the kale. Add the shaved carrots to the bowl as well and toss all of the ingredients together. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

  

Side Dish

Sweet Potato Wedges with Yogurt Herb Dip

• Prep Time:20 mins
• Cook Time:45 mins
• Total Time:1 hr 5 mins
• Servings:4
• Easy

Ingredients

• 2-6 sweet potatoes or yams
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• a dash salt
• a dash pepper
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 tsp chopped or ground garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 tsp lemon juice

• Step 1

  Slice the sweet potatoes into wedges.

  

• Step 2

  Place the sweet potato wedges on a pan covered in tin foil. Drizzle olive oil on top of the sweet potato wedges and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then put the pan in the oven at 350°F for about 45 minutes.

  

• Step 3

  While the wedges are cooking, make the herb yogurt dip. Place the Greek yogurt, chopped garlic, chopped chives, salt, pepper, dill, and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix. You can also use a food processor or blender to combine the ingredients.

  

• Step 4

  When the wedges are finished cooking, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes.

  

• Step 5

  Place the sweet potato wedges on a plate with a small cup of the herb yogurt dip and serve.

  

Main Dish

Cinnamon-infused Rice with Cranberries and Almonds

• Prep Time:20 mins
• Cook Time:30 mins
• Total Time:50 mins
• Servings:4
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked arborio rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/3 slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• rosemary
• thyme
• salt
• pepper

• Step 1

  Add uncooked rice to a skillet with 1 cup vegetable broth and 2 tbsp olive oil. Stir.

  

• Step 2

  Gradually add the other 1 cup vegetable broth. Place two cinnamon sticks in the skillet as well. Continue cooking and stirring until the liquid is completely absorbed by the rice and the rice is tender.

  

• Step 3

  Add the almonds, cranberries, spices, and last cup of broth to the skillet. Cook until the liquid is completely absorbed.

  

• Step 4

  When the rice is finished cooking, turn off the heat, cover the skillet, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Heat before serving.

  

Berry Crumble

• Prep Time:15 mins
• Cook Time:45 mins
• Total Time:1 hr
• Servings:6
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1/2 cups gluten free flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted vegan butter softened and at room temperature
• 3 cups mixed berries
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
• vanilla extract
• lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

• Step 1

  About an hour before you are ready to bake, take the vegan butter sticks out of the refrigerator/freezer so they can warm to room temperature.

  

• Step 2

  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  

• Step 3

  Place the warmed vegan butter sticks in a bowl. Add the gluten free flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon to the bowl and mix.

  

• Step 4

  With your hands, work the butter into the other ingredients. Continue until the mixture forms into large clumps. Place the mixture in the refrigerator while you prepare the berries.

  

• Step 5

  In a large bowl, add all of the berries, a splash of vanilla extract and lemon juice, 2 tbsp cornstarch, and 1/4 cup coconut sugar. Toss until the berries and fully coated.

  

• Step 6

  Pour berries into a greased glass dish that is 8.5 inches in diameter (or you can use 2 or 3 smaller glass dishes). Top with the refrigerated crumble mixture.

  

• Step 7

  Place the dish in the oven. Bake until the crumble topping is brown and toasty and the berries bubble. When finished cooking, take out of the oven and allow the crumble to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

  

Making these new recipes for your Thanksgiving spread will not only provide guests with vegan and gluten free options but will add an element of surprise to their meal as well. People expect to indulge in apple pie and sweet potatoes with marshmallows, but who would guess that a unique rice dish would make an appearance? It's out with the old and in with the new for Thanksgiving dinner, and this year we are thankful for delicious vegan and gluten free dishes.