Thanksgiving isnt exactly a vegan-friendly holiday at first glance. After all, what can you say about a major holiday that is also known far and wide as Turkey Day?

But there are great recipes around for those vegans who want to bring something to the table thats delicious, but also meatless.

These recipes are great for anyone who either (1) wants to bring food to a Thanksgiving dinner that wont interfere with their strict no meat policy or (2) knows at least one relative whos coming for Thanksgiving is a devoted vegan or vegetarian.

Hopefully, youll be less likely to worry about an embarrassing situation if you opt to use one of these great recipes.

If you dont want to shy away from putting up something hearty and filling, consider this gluten-free shepherds pie. The lentils take the place of meat, but still provide enough texture for a yummy final product.

Speaking of pies, who doesnt love a well-made pot pie? Serve up a vegetable version of this beloved classic.

Dont forget about side dishes! They may not be the main event, but they also are just as important in terms of variety and taste.

A failure to include at least one casserole is unheard of, and zucchinis are all the rage these days. Get it right with a black bean and zucchini tortilla casserole.

Meanwhile, anyone at the table who wants to avoid packing on the pounds this holiday season will be ever so grateful for these low-fat mashed potatoes.

Everyone is sure to jump at the chance for dessert with these winners.

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Thanksgiving Recipes For Vegans: Serve These Delicious (Meatless) Dishes

By Mickey ZeldesNovember 20, 2014 10:25 am

If youre like most Americans, youre probably starting to buy food and plan the menu for the big meal next week. The hard part is juggling everyones tastes and dietary restrictions. People are not shy anymore about stating what they cant and wont eat. There is certain to be at least one person at your table that is not eating gluten, carbs, salt, sugar, oil, dairy or animal products. What a challenge!

If you prepare a healthy vegan meal, you can meet most of those requirements and have the added benefits of being environmentally responsible and humane. Trust me, the turkeys will thank you. At the least, incorporate a few vegan dishes so that everyone can have a delicious meal.

Here are some suggestions and resources, although Googling vegan thanksgiving came up with 20,000,000 posts. Obviously, Im not the only person thinking about and writing about this topic.

Most traditional recipes can be made vegan with just a few adjustments. Substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock; Rice, almond or soymilk for dairy milk; vegetable margarine for butter, etc. Those are simple things that most people wouldnt even notice if you didnt point it out. When you think about it, most of the typical side dishes are vegetables anyway squash, green beans, mashed potatoes, and cranberries. So if you dont add any meat to them, you already have plenty of delicious food for all to enjoy.

There are several items on the market now that can be featured as a main dish, and there are just as many opinions on the appropriateness of having a turkey substitute. Tofurky has a seitan roll with stuffing, Gardein also has a stuffed turkey as well as a holiday roast, Quorn has a vegetarian (not vegan) turkey, Harvest Celebration has a field roast, and Vegetarian Plus has gone all out and has a whole turkey (looks like the real thing complete with drumsticks).

These are all options for those of you who dont want the work involved in creating your own centerpiece dish.

If you are willing to try your hand at a new recipe, there are many delicious ones to try. One of my favorite cookbooks is The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. Dont want to try a turkey substitute? How about just stuffing a squash with a wild rice recipe? Yum! Everything on this Huffington Post page looked delicious: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/22/vegan-thanksgiving-recipes_n_2077065.html.

It doesnt take much skill, just a little creativity to make a delicious cruelty-free meal.

For those of you who would rather be surrounded by like-minded vegetarians, there is a vegan potluck on Thanksgiving Day, 3 p.m. at Monroe Hall, 1400 W. College Ave. in Santa Rosa. Details can be obtained at http://www.meetup.com/northbay-vegan/events/215210392/. All are welcome to attend.

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Preparing vegan meal for Thanksgiving not that hard