Autumn is the most beautiful time of the year, with brilliant colors of nature, falling leaves, and a misty cool breeze. The first pumpkin spice latte, cozy weather and the onset of the holiday season, marks the fall season. The harvest season is full of delicious autumnal produce like butternut squash, pumpkins, sweet potato, etc. Thanksgiving is also celebrated during this season. It involves hosting a celebratory dinner with family and loved ones.
Let’s look at some inspirational scrumptious recipes beyond the roast turkey especially for vegans or vegetarians.
• Roasted butternut squash soup:
Slice one medium butternut squash and roast it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes in a baking tray with some cloves of garlic, kosher salt, crushed pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Once roasted, add the mix into a food processor with 200 ml of coconut milk, 1 tsp of sweet paprika and blitz it till it gets a creamy consistency. Pour it in the pan and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Pour in a soup bowl and top it with a few pieces of roasted squash. This is the perfect entrée for a Thanksgiving dinner with bold flavors of the fall.
• Pumpkin spice risotto with crispy sage:
Sauté a few garlic cloves in olive oil. Create a healthy version of this classic Italian dish with brown rice. Add almond milk, nutritional yeast, and vegan parmesan. Keep stirring till it gets saucy. Add 1 cup of pumpkin puree.
Use Daawat basmati rice to make this delicious risotto. Cover and cook the rice for 15-20 minutes. In a separate pan, fry a few sage leaves in olive oil. Serve the risotto in bowl and top with crispy sage.
• Lentil loaf with cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes:
In a food processor, pulse together cooked lentils, steamed mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, ½ cup oat flour, 1 flax egg, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper to create a chunky consistency dough. Sprinkle some brown sugar to caramelize the top. Line a loaf baking tray with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Your meatloaf is ready.
Use a potato ricer to get perfectly done mashed potatoes. Add roasted garlic, olive oil, salt, crushed pepper, few sprigs of rosemary leaves and a splash of almond milk and mix well.
For the cranberry sauce, add 250 gm of fresh cranberries in a pan with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Smash the berries once they get into a compote-like consistency.
Slice the lentil loaf and serve warm with a dollop of mashed potatoes and a drizzle of cranberry sauce.
• Pumpkin pie:
Give a sweet ending to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with this decadent pumpkin pie recipe. For the crust, mix 1 ¼ cup of gluten-free flour mix with frozen coconut oil, and a splash of ice-water. Put the dough in the pie tray and chill it for 2 hours. For the filling, blend together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin spice mix, melted coconut oil, 1 tsp of cinnamon. Pour in the filling in the crust and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Remove from the pie tin once it’s cooled. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Make this Thanksgiving special with these easy vegetarian recipes. For beverages, you can prepare cinnamon chai tea latte, ginger mulled mojito. Your non-vegetarian guests will also be pleased with this delicious spread of entrees, main course, and dessert.
