Easy Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving is all about reflecting on what we are grateful for, spending time with our loved ones, and of course – eating delicious food. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. We have travel to book, groceries to shop for, and gifts to plan. But the most important part of the holidays is taking the time to sit down with our families to reflect on what we are grateful for, carry out traditions, and create new memories. 

HipCityVeg founder and CEO Nicole Marquis values Thanksgiving as a time to connect with her Puerto Rican roots by creating plant-based alternatives to the traditional dishes she grew up enjoying at the dinner table. “Thanksgiving is a celebration of the harvest, our land, and our farms – that’s what’s on our minds this season,” she explains. “It’s a true celebration of our Earth’s bounty, and the easiest way to be kind on the planet is by eating plant-based food.”

Obviously the classic turkey doesn’t work for a vegan Thanksgiving, which is why we created a main dish for the holiday that both vegans and non-vegans alike will love. It’s seasonal, it’s delicious, and it looks gorgeous on the Thanksgiving table. And of course, we could never forget dessert! Kids will enjoy helping make and decorate our vegan mini pumpkin pie shakes. 

If you live in the Washington, DC area, tune into Fox5 on Thanksgiving Day to see Nicole Marquis demonstrate these signature plant-based holiday recipes on Cooking with Como!

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice, Mushrooms, Maple Sausage, and Cranberries

Serving size: 6

Ingredients

• 3 acorn squash
  • Find smaller to medium-sized squash so that each half can be a serving
  • Cut off the ends so they will be stable on plates
  • Cut through the middle of squash, separating top from bottom 
• 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. Olive oil
• ¼ tsp. Salt
• ½ yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 4 oz. cremini mushrooms, halved and sliced
• 1 cup wild rice blend
• 1 ¼ cup vegetable broth
• 3 oz. maple and apple plant-based breakfast sausage, chopped or use any vegan sausage
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• Small bunch of fresh Italian parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put 2 tsp olive oil in a small dish. Cut the squash and scoop out the seeds with a grapefruit spoon.
2. Using a pastry brush, brush the flesh of the squash with oil, sprinkle with salt, and put the cut side down on the baking sheet.
3. Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on size, until very tender when poked with a fork
4. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and celery for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the mushrooms and sauté for 5-10 minutes more until tender. Stir in ice until coated. Add the broth. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes until rice is tender. Reduce heat to keep it at a simmer. 
5. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, sauté the sausage and cranberries for 10-15 minutes until the sausage is browned and then set aside. When the rice is done, stir the sausage and cranberries into the rice mixture. 
6. Scoop the rice mixture into the squash halves, mounding a bit, and return to the oven for 10 minutes until heated through. 
7. Serve immediately, topped with the parsley, or reheat in the oven before serving. 

It’s time for dessert! Check out our recipes for plant-based Thanksgiving day desserts:

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Shake

Serving size: makes 2 mini shakes

Ingredients

• 5 oz. soy vanilla ice cream
• 3.5 oz. soy milk
• 1 oz. Pumpkin Pie filling (pure pumpkin with pumpkin pie spices)
• Vegan whipped cream for serving
• Ground cinnamon for serving
• Fall-colored sprinkles, for serving

Directions

1. Using a milkshake or regular blender, blend ingredients until just blended. Pour into small cups, and top with vegan whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon and orange sprinkles. 

Vegan Sweet Potato Pie

Serving size: 8

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups peeled and pureed cooked sweet potatoes (from 2-3 sweet potatoes)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup liquid vegan egg replacer
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) vegan butter, softened
• ¼ cup soy milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 frozen, unbaked vegan 9-inch pie shell (homemade or store-bought)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cooked sweet potatoes, sugar, egg replacer, butter, soy milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat until thoroughly blended and smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (about 1 hour). Cool before serving.
4. Optional: after 55 minutes, top with vegan mini marshmallow and return to the oven for 5 minutes. For golden brown marshmallows, put the pie under the broiler for 1 minute, watching carefully so they don’t burn.