Vegan Thanksgiving dishes everyone will love

16 Recipes

Smashed Sweet Potatoes With Torched Meringue.

If you don’t tell them, they’ll never know it’s vegan.

By Julie Giuffrida

Nov. 23, 2020

If you try to pass off this show-stopping platter of Slow-Roasted Winter Vegetables as roast turkey, your guests are gonna know. But since many now bake and serve dressing separately instead of cooking it inside their turkeys, I defy your guests to discern, unprompted, that this Country Stuffing With Lots of Celery is completely plant-based. Same goes for the Creamy Leek Mashed Potatoes and the Double Mushroom Gravy, especially when served together.

They might wonder whether the Smothered Green Beans With Creamed Mushrooms and Fried Onions aren’t a little lighter than last year’s casserole, but they will never flat-out guess that the dish is vegan. And the Smashed Sweet Potatoes With Torched Meringue? Please! The real thing, with all that butter, brown sugar and marshmallows, never tasted so intoxicating.

Whatever your reasons for wanting some plant-based dishes on your table — or a completely plant-based meal — these dishes will have everyone talking about how wonderful they are. The only folks who might wonder whether they are really vegan will be the vegans themselves, because these downright delicious dishes mimic the nonvegan stuff so well.

Recipe: Sweet potato and chickpea dip

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Dip

1 hour 25 minutes

Serves 10 to 12

LOS ANGELES, CA- March 11, 2020: Picadillo Empanadas on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Vegan Picadillo Empanadas

1 hour

Makes about 12

Grilled cauliflower recipe by Genevieve Ko.

Grilled Cauliflower Wedges

30 minutes

Serves 2 to 4

Brussels sprouts are left whole and glazed with a yakitori-style sauce. Prop styling by Nidia Cueva.

Tsukune-Style Brussels Sprouts

1 hour

Serves 4 to 6

A final drizzle of olive oil adds even more richness.

Creamy Leek Mashed Potatoes

45 minutes

Makes about 8 cups

Big chunks of mushrooms make this vegan Thanksgiving gravy extra satisfying.

Double Mushroom Gravy

1 hour

Makes about 4 cups

Purple cauliflower looks especially dramatic.

Slow-Roasted Winter Vegetables

2 hours

Serves 12

Stuffing baked in a pan gives you a crunchy top.

Country Stuffing with Lots of Celery

1 hour

Serves 12

You can double the recipe and use two skillets for a bigger batch.

Pan-Seared Brussels Sprouts With Chile-Maple Glaze

20 minutes

Serves 8 to 12

Sauteed collard greens.

Sauteed Collard Greens

20 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

Serve straight from the skillet or unmold before cutting into wedges.

Cast-Iron Cornbread

45 minutes

Serves 12

A kitchen torch browns the top nicely.

Smashed Sweet Potatoes With Torched Meringue

1 hour

Serves 12

Top with the fried onions right before serving to keep them crunchy.

Smothered Green Beans with Creamed Mushrooms and Fried Onions

30 minutes

Serves 12

This is even more delicious than regular pecan pie.

Bourbon Pecan Pie With No-Roll Crust

2 hours, largely unattended

Serves 12

Vegan key lime pie.

Gracias Madre’s Key lime pie

45 minutes

Serves 8 to 12

Caramelized fig cake with lemon anglaise

Caramelized fig cake with lemon anglaise

1 hour 15 minutes

Serves 8

Julie Giuffrida

Julie Giuffrida is Test Kitchen coordinator for the Los Angeles Times.

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