Recipe

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

By Zoe Malin at High School

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

Zoe Malin

Step 1

Chop carrots into 1/2 inch rounds.

Zoe Malin

Step 2

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

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

Step 4

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

Zoe Malin

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!

Zoe Malin

Salad

Kale, Carrot, and Sunflower Seed Salad

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Servings: 10
Ingredients
  • 1 bushel kale
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup shaved carrots

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

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
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

Zoe Malin

Step 1

Slice the sweet potatoes into wedges.

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

Step 4

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

Zoe Malin

Step 5

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

Zoe Malin

Main Dish

Cinnamon-infused Rice with Cranberries and Almonds

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

Zoe Malin

Step 1

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

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

Step 3

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

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

Berry Crumble

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

Zoe Malin

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.

Caroline Ingalls

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

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.

Zoe Malin

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.