For many people, the Thanksgiving they will be attending won’t have many vegan options—let alone a vegan entrée. Especially if you are new to veganism, saying “no thanks” to family or friends’ many crockpots, casseroles, and other dishes can seem like a daunting task. Nevertheless, Whole Foods has created an easy and delicious solution to this problem.
Whole Foods has changed the game in regard to Thanksgiving meal preparation and variety. Chef Jeremy Fox’s Vegan Meal guarantees to help any vegan navigate such a food-filled holiday.
Jeremy Fox’s Vegan Meal:
Nicknamed the “vegetable whisperer,” Chef Jeremy Fox, a James Beard nominee for excellence in culinary writing for his book On Vegetables: Modern Recipes for the Home Kitchen, collaborated with Whole Foods this Thanksgiving season to create an exciting, new vegan meal. All you have to do is place the order, which goes for $39.99, and pick up the box of items a day or two before Thanksgiving.
With minimal prep, the concept is a quick and simple way to incorporate a vegan Thanksgiving into any family gathering. According to Whole Foods, the meal is an incredible feast that happens to be vegan.
What the Meal Consists of:
For the Thanksgiving meal, Jeremy Fox has created 5 delicious items: Romanesco cauliflower roast with miso bagna cauda, cremini mushroom stuffing with kimchi, charred escarole with tomatoes and chickpeas, roasted acorn squash with maple and hazelnut dukkah, and frosted sweet potato blondies with spiced cashews. For the cauliflower, Fox managed to create an umami flavor from miso, a traditional Japanese condiment.
The hearty mushroom stuffing has a variety of textures and tastes—from hearty cubes of French bread to crunchy kimchi. His charred escarole is simmered and served with Castelvetrano olives, and the roasted acorn squash is fire roasted and has a balanced blend of sweet and spicy flavors.
The Verdict:
Overall, Jeremy Fox’s Thanksgiving meal was a delicious and hearty vegan Thanksgiving meal that left both meat eaters and non-meat eaters satisfied. The highlights of the meal were the sweet potato blondies and the cremini mushroom stuffing, yet all of the dishes were great. Many vegans will appreciate this menu for its creative and new take on Thanksgiving, for it strays away from items such as tofurkey.
All of the dishes were completely devoured, and many of my friends and family didn’t even know they were eating vegan food. This concept gets rid of the frustration or worry that many vegans feel when faced with a holiday centered on eating turkey. In addition, the dishes are all pretty nutritionally redeeming. From a main dish to sides and dessert, Jeremy Fox’s vegan meal for Thanksgiving is an interesting and great way to have an unconventional Thanksgiving dinner.