Easy Plant-Based Recipes For Your Thanksgiving Dinner Party

Eating plant-based this holiday season doesn’t need to be another stressful thing on your plate. Cooking vegan…plant-based…for your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner can be simple, delicious and elegant with flavorful recipes that perfectly complement your menu. 

It’s no secret that eating plant-based is a great way to improve not only your health, but also the environment. Top nutritionists have long touted the benefits of cutting back on meat, dairy and animal products. 

Whether vegetarian or not, everyone will love the dishes found in the recently released free, plant-based Thanksgiving eCookbook from Rouxbe, the world’s leading online culinary school. Rouxbe’s team of world-class chef educators and former culinary school executives are dedicated to teaching culinary technique to students around the world–completely online. 

Try these delectable plant-based Thanksgiving recipes this year, and let us know how you and your guests enjoyed it!

“CRAB” CAKES WITH HEARTS OF PALM

SERVES: 4 to 6

Rouxbe/Adobe Stock

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed (save liquid)
• 2 14-ounce cans hearts of palm, drained
• 4 tbsp reserved garbanzo bean liquid
• 2 ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• ½ cup green onion, sliced
• 2 tsp kelp granules
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 ½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 cup breadcrumbs

METHOD

• Lightly pulse the garbanzo beans and hearts of palm (look for a crab-like consistency–do not pulse until it is a hummus) in a food processor or mash the ingredients with a fork.
• In a large bowl, whisk the reserved garbanzo bean liquid until you see a light foam. Add the vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and all the dry seasonings to the bean liquid and whisk to combine.
• Add the breadcrumbs, green onion, hearts of palm and garbanzo bean mixture to the liquid and mix by hand until combined.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Form the mixture into approximately 3-inch patties and place on a sheet pan (we usually do it on a dry sheet pan, but you can also spray with a light coat of oil if you desire a crispier edge). Leave at least 1 inch between the patties to make sure they are heated evenly.
• Heat for 20 minutes, then take them out and flip each one. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.
• Serve on greens with your choice of sauce.

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STUFFING-ED SWEET POTATOES

Serves: 8

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INGREDIENTS

​​• 4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and patted dry (about 3 lbs.)
​​• 1½ cups chopped fresh cremini mushrooms (4 ounces)
​​• ½ cup chopped onion
​​• 2 stalks celery, sliced (½ cup)
​​• 2 cloves garlic, minced
​​• 2 15-ounce. cans no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained
​​• 2 cups ½-inch whole wheat bread cubes, dried (see tip in intro)
​​• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
​​• 1½ tsp poultry seasoning
​​• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
​​• ¼ to ⅓ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
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METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Pierce sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Place in a 3-quart. rectangular baking dish, and bake about 45 minutes or until just tender when pierced with a knife. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Meanwhile, for stuffing, in a large nonstick skillet cook mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic over medium 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 tbsp. at a time, as needed to prevent sticking.
• In a food processor combine mushroom mixture and chickpeas; pulse until chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Add bread cubes, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with broth, tossing just until moistened.
• Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a sharp knife, score around potato flesh, leaving a ¼-inch shell and being careful not to cut through skin. Score in a crisscross to make ½-inch cubes.
• Gently scoop cubes out with a spoon. If necessary, cut any large pieces in half to make smaller cubes. Add cubes to the stuffing mixture in bowl; gently fold to combine.
• Arrange potato skin shells in the baking dish and spoon stuffing into shells.
• Bake, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until browned and heated through.

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VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE WITH CANDIED WALNUTS

Serves: 8 – 10

Rouxbe/Adobe Stock

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INGREDIENTS

Crust:
• Tender Olive Oil Pastry Crust, fitted into a 9-inch pie pan and refrigerated.

Topping:
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup, grade A or dark amber
• 2 tsp molasses, barley malt, or date syrup or coconut nectar
• 1 ½ cups raw pecan halves
• 2 tsp dark whole cane sugar or coconut sugar

Filling:
• 1 12.5-ounce box of firm silken tofu
• 2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 (15-ounce) can organic pumpkin purée
• ¼ cup dark whole cane sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup, grade A or dark amber, divided
• 1 tsp arrowroot
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

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METHOD

• Position a rack in the lowest section of the oven and another rack in the middle, and preheat to 375 degrees.
• To make the filling, strain the water out of the box of tofu. Add the tofu and pumpkin to a food processor and process until creamy.
• Clean the sides of the processor bowl with a spatula, and add the sugar, spices, salt, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and the vanilla. Process a minute until thoroughly mixed.
• Combine the arrowroot and remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup in a small bowl. Stir with a fork until the arrowroot is dissolved. Add to the pumpkin mixture and process for about a minute.
• Bake the pie: Remove the pie dough (fitted into the pan) from the refrigerator and place the pie pan on a sheet pan. • Pour the filling into the crust. Bake on the lower rack for 20 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Move the pie to the upper rack and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling looks darker and has a sheen. The filling will have cracked and the center will jiggle when the pie is moved. A knife inserted into a crack near the center will come out almost clean and feel hot.The filling will firm as the pie cools.
• Cool the pie to room temperature on a footed wire rack. Cover with parchment paper and refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours.
• Candied walnut topping: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix the maple syrup and molasses in a medium bowl. Add the pecans and toss until well coated. Spread the pecans on the prepared sheet in an even layer and bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the dark whole cane or coconut sugar.
• Bake 4 minutes and stir.
• Bake 3 or 4 minutes longer, until the sugar is melted and bubbling.
• Set the baking sheet on a rack and allow the nuts to cool to room temperature.
• Store the nuts until they are needed for the pie, in a tightly covered container, at room temperature.