Andrea Quarracino
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, bringing a cornucopia of traditional dishes to the holiday table. Here’s the good news: with an abundance of easy-to-find vegan fare, you can serve up a taste of nostalgia and remain committed to kindness, too.
With the arrival of Thanksgiving comes gatherings with loved ones, familiar pastimes, and the focal point of it all: food. Wondering how to tackle “turkey day” without the turkey? We’ve got you covered. With an increasing number of vegan options available on grocery shelves (or through online retailers), you can enjoy the taste of tradition this holiday season without compromising on compassion.
To help you hone your shopping list, we rounded up some plant-based ideas that’ll make kindness a key part of your Thanksgiving feast.
Vegan Thanksgiving Turkey
Trader Joe’s Breaded Turkey-less Stuffed Roast
This entirely plant-based savory entrée is seasoned with herbs and red pepper flakes, and it’s stuffed with cranberries, wild rice, celery, and onions. For the full experience, top it off with vegan gravy (included).
Gardein: Turk’y Roast
This faux-meat roast is filled with a flavorful kale, wild and brown rice, and cranberry stuffing, and it pairs with a homestyle vegan gravy.
Tofurky: Plant-Based Roast
Who better to trust with your Thanksgiving entrée than the company that invented plant-based turkey? Tofurky's plant-based roast provides a protein-packed blend of tofu and wheat, with a savory wild rice stuffing. Try it with the included savory gravy!
Vegan Thanksgiving Sides
Boursin Dairy-Free: garlic and herb spread
For a creamy pre-dinner snack, Boursin offers a cold-blended dairy-free spread with garlic, parsley, and chives in a coconut oil base. Try it with your favorite veggies or a plant-based cracker for a delicious alternative to cheese
Trader Joe’s Holiday Vegetable Hash
Skip the chopping with Trader Joe’s holiday vegetable hash, a fresh pre-seasoned blend of butternut squash, sweet potatoes, red onions, and celery with parsley, sage, and rosemary.
Whole Foods Market: Organic Multigrain Stuffing Mix
This multigrain stuffing mix can be prepared with your favorite veggie broth and cooked on the stovetop for a fluffy and flavorful side dish.
Immaculate Baking Crescent Rolls
Made with organic expeller-pressed canola and sunflower oils instead of dairy, these crescent rolls from Immaculate Baking make the perfect addition to your vegan Thanksgiving table.
Vegan Thanksgiving Desserts
Whole Foods Market: Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Take a bite out of fall with Whole Foods Market’s vegan pumpkin pie. Baked with coconut milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg, this classic dessert is also infused with plant-based kindness.
Sweet Laurel Real Baked Goods
Available to order online, Sweet Laurel offers a robust selection of vegan (and gluten-free) pies, cakes, and holiday desserts, including Thanksgiving classics like pecan or apple crumb pie.
Trader Joe’s: Sweet Rose Coconut Whipped Topping
If pie just isn’t pie without a little whipped cream, you’ll find a sweet substitute in Sweet Rose coconut whipped topping from Trader Joe’s.
Similarly, Reddi Wip created a non-dairy almond whipped topping that’s available in grocery chains like Target.
Nada Moo Limited Edition Pumpkin Pie frozen dessert
For a taste of tradition without the pie, Nada Moo’s creamy coconut milk pumpkin pie frozen dessert mixes flavorful pumpkin with pie crust crumbles.
Vegan Thanksgiving Meals
Whole Foods Market: Vegan Thanksgiving Feast
Skip the cooking altogether by ordering a full vegan feast from Whole Foods. While the selection varies based on your location, expect to see menu items like a cremini mushroom roast with vegan gravy, coconut sweet potato casserole, miso creamed greens, and cider-roasted brussels sprouts.
Purple Carrot: Celebrations Box
This 100% plant-based meal kit delivery company will send you all the ingreidents you need to prep a Thanksgiving meal to remember, complete with rustic ciabatta stuffing, cashew cheese stuffed sweet potatoes, and a pear cranberry crisp. The complete 3-course meal serves four people, for the price of $75.
Give Thanks for Turkeys
Together, choice by choice, we’re creating a more compassionate world for animals—including turkeys. This year, you can even make Turkey Day a celebration for turkeys by “adopting” one (symbolically) through Farm Sanctuary. Whether you choose to leave turkey off your holiday menu or support these curious, social birds through animal welfare initiatives, on behalf of the turkeys: we thank you.
Find more mouth-watering vegan recipes to complete your Thanksgiving.
And, join us in calling on an end to some of the worst forms of cruelty that turkeys face.
