How to Choose a Turkey Substitute for Your Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner

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Choose a Turkey Substitute for Your Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner

Vegans and vegetarians used to be limited to eating side dishes at Thanksgiving dinner, but now it's possible to make an entire healthful vegan Thanksgiving meal that is satisfying to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. This article explores the options for a vegan turkey substitute at Thanksgiving dinner.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Tofurky Roast is the most common vegan turkey substitute for Thanksgiving. It comes ready made and frozen, so it's the most convenient option. For tofurky and vegan Thanksgiving side dish recipes, see the link in the Resources section to the Vegetarian Resource Group's recipes.
Step 2

Want to make your own tofu-based dish? Making your own tofu turkey will save you money and allow you to explore different flavors. There are some good tofu turkey recipes on About.com. Try using sprouted tofu, which tastes just like regular tofu but has more available nutrients and is easier to digest. Sprouting is similar to fermentation in improving the digestibility of foods.
Step 3

If you are considering looking beyond tofu turkey this Thanksgiving, consider tempeh. Tempeh has a hearty flavor and texture and is very low in fat and high in protein. It is made from soybeans, but the soybeans are fermented and partially broken down, making it much easier to digest than tofu and other non-fermented soy products. The easiest way to make large quantities of tempeh is to marinate it and bake it. See the Resources section for a recipe for marinated baked tempeh. You can also buy tempeh already seasoned and steam or fry it. Tempeh goes well with mushroom gravy or miso-mustard sauce. For gourmet Thanksgiving tempeh dishes, see the links in the Resources section to the recipes for Blue Corn Crusted Tempeh with Shiitake Mushroom Gravy and Cranberry-Braised Tempeh.
Step 4

Try a chickpea loaf or chickpea cutlets. Chickpeas fit right in at Thanksgiving, because they contain tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid also present in turkey that has a sedative effect because it helps your brain produce more serotonin. See the Resources section for a link to a chickpea loaf recipe.
Step 5

Make a nut roast. A nut roast is a vegetarian classic from long before Tofurky and unTurky came around. It is usually made of cashews, bread crumbs, onions, celery, herbs and spices.
Step 6

Portobello mushrooms also make a great main dish. Look for the largest portobellos you can find, then cut them into large slices, marinate and broil them. They have a hearty flavor without being too heavy. They are light compared to bean and grain based foods, and help balance the many starchy dishes that are usually served at Thanksgiving dinner. For a mushroom main dish, it is probably best to avoid a lot of light, sweet ingredients like citrus juice, balsamic vinegar, and cilantro. Thanksgiving mushrooms are a cool weather dish and should have a hearty, savory flavor, not a light and sweet one. Use a tamari soy sauce marinade with a dash of rice wine or cooking sherry for just a hint of sweetness, and add some sage.
Marinated and broiled, portobello mushrooms can stand alone as a dish. But you could also serve them with mushroom gravy, or get your protein and tryptophan with chickpea gravy. See the Resources section for links to vegan gravy recipes.
Step 7

If you are considering seitan as a turkey alternative, keep in mind that it can be difficult to digest even for those without gluten intolerance. If you know that you and your guests can handle it, there are some high quality seitan products available at natural foods stores. You can also make your own from wheat flour. It's very labor-intensive, but it results in a less dense seitan. When you make it yourself, you can shape it any way you want and marinate it, stuff it and bake it. It absorbs flavors well and has a nice substantial texture.
Step 8

If you're feeling adventurous, experiment with a jackfruit dish. Jackfruit is a common ingredient in Indian and middle eastern dishes, and is gaining popularity in the U.S. as a meat substitute.
Step 9

Beware of any meat substitutes made of textured vegetable protein, which is a low-quality soy food, a by-product of making soy oil. It is probably best avoided.

Comments

loveyourmomma said

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on 11/19/2008 Thanks for the guide to a non-animal Thanksgiving! My hubby is a chef who might have to cook a vegan Thanksgiving this year for a high-profile client -- not an easy feat for a meatatarian professional chef...I'm sending him this info!!!