Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes

This is the week each year I get asked for vegetarian Thanksgiving recipe ideas, so I thought I’d update my list of favorite recipes and ideas from the archives. I’ve also added a few recipes I’ve come across on other sites that looked exciting. I hope those of you preparing, and celebrating Thanksgiving this week have a wonderful time with friends, and loved ones. Also, here’s a dedicated selection of vegan Thanksgiving recipes (and suggestions). xx, -h

Thanksgiving Sides & Salads

Roasted Vegetable Orzo – So good! This is roasted delicata squash and kale tossed w/ orzo pasta & salted yogurt dressing.

Mashed Potatoes – This is the way to do them. Buttery peaks and cloud-like drizzled with a saffron garlic butter, and topped with a toasted almond, coriander, sesame sprinkle. Simple, but with enough of a twist to make them special.

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts – These are the best. A quick and easy brussels sprouts recipe that will convert the biggest skeptics. Vibrant green, tender brussels sprouts that become deeply golden and crusty where they touch the pan, dusted with cheese. There’s also an oregano version linked down below.

Heirloom Apple Salad– A favorite Autumn salad. You’re looking at heirloom apples, shaved celery, and toasted nuts of your choosing. The dressing is crème fraîche spiked with rosemary, garlic and champagne vinegar. The mix of textures and flavors is magic. 

Roasted Delicata Squash Salad – So tasty! Pretty, scalloped-edged cross-cuts of the delicata squash, a few small potatoes, chopped kale, radishes, Marcona almonds – and a bold miso harissa dressing.

Oregano Brussels Sprouts – Pan-fried and then finished with a drizzle or oregano deliciousness, and toasted almond slices.

Pomelo Green Beans – A one-pan green bean side with a walnut-garlic dressing and highlighted with pomelo segments. Transform it into an easy main with the addition of some seared tofu or a poached egg.

Vibrant Tasty Green Beans – Or, this one, another favorite green bean recipe – dill, green beans, leeks, salt and olive oil. That’s it – five ingredients, one skillet – tasty green beans.

Lentils with Wine-Glazed Vegetables – These simple, wine-glazed lentils, from Deborah Madison, are a long-time favorite. Perfect addition to a Thanksgiving spread.

Raw Tuscan Salad – A red chile spiked, shredded raw kale salad tossed in a vibrant, lemony-pecorino dressing.

Quinoa Skillet Bread – If you’re ready to switch it up a bit, this is a completely over-the-top alternative to your favorite corn bread recipe. Or, better put – a rustic, minimally structured, custard-topped, crusty-edged, herb-scented corn-quinoa skillet bread.

Spiced Spinach with Walnuts – The jist: a hot pan filled with all manner of things that work well with spinach – toasted walnuts, shredded mint, lemon, a host of spices, and a good amount of leeks that are cooked until silky tender.

Miso Sesame Winter Squash – Inspired by a Bryant Terry recipe – roasted winter squash (and tofu) with a miso, maple, sesame, citrus sauce.

Thanksgiving Mains

A collection of sides and salads with something like the following ravioli salad is how I like to put a plate together on Thanksgiving. I don’t ever try to “replace” the turkey. 

Hazelnut & Chard Ravioli Salad – I made this a couple years back, and it makes a great vegetarian main dish. Plump raviolis tossed with toasted hazelnuts, sautéed ribbons of chard, and caramelized onions are at the heart of this ravioli salad recipe. It’s finished off with a dusting of cheese, snipped chives, and lemon zest. You can prepare most of the components ahead of time.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Apples – Another favorite way to cook brussels sprouts. Shredded brussels sprout ribbons, apples, garlic, pine nuts, and tofu in a skillet with a hint of maple syrup.

A Little Something Sweet

A list of vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes isn’t complete with a bit of sweet! A Favorite Pie – You could do apple-huckleberry, straight berries, pear-cranberry, etc. 

And these? They look delicious as well.

Jenni Kayne + Daphne Oz + Thanksgiving (The Chalkboard Mag)

Kale & Brussels Sprout Soba Noodles (Deborah Madison via Sprouted Kitchen)

Coconut Creamed Spinach (Love & Lemons)

Green Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk & Warm Spices (Orangette)

Shaved Cauliflower Salad (Happy Yolks)

Continue reading Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/2oxT1EA

Chickpea & Rice Soup with Garlic Chile Oil

Let this be your cozy bowl of goodness for the season. You’re looking at a chunky rice soup, studded with lots of chickpeas, flecked with kale, and drizzled with a vibrant garlic-chile oil. It has peanuts, and a dusting of turmeric. I made it for lunch, and decided at the last minute to pop off a few shots so I could share the recipe here. The whole thing is deeply satisfying and perfect as the weather cools off.

Rice Soup: The Ratios

You can play around with the type of rice (or rices) you use here. Because I was craving something light and extra-creamy for today’s soup, I went with 100% Arborio rice. Often, I like to take more of a whole grain approach, and have a go-to ratio. I like 2 parts brown rice to 1 part white rice. So, for example, 1 cup brown jasmine rice, and 1/2 cup white jasmine rice. I use that ratio in this favorite Turmeric Congee and this Life-Changing Green Rice Porridge. So, yeah! Play around.

Chunky, Peanuty Garlic Chile Oil

It’s the magic. This powerful, fragrant chile oil is good on just about anything, and (yes!) you can absolutely make it ahead of time. You’ll likely have extra, so here are a few ideas. It is good drizzled on this Cauliflower Soup, this Asparagus Soup, and as an alternate finishing scenario for this Split Pea Soup. It’s a nice finishing oil on open faced sandwiches, like this lentil version.

Seasonal Variations

I loaded up on the chopped kale in this version. It’s an easy way to work a good amount of greens into a meal. That said, you can absolutely play around with whatever is in season. Late summer? Oven roasted cherry tomatoes would be beautiful on top, and explosively flavorful. Or, put a dent in summer squash by topping the soup with this Simple Sautéed Zucchini. Early autumn? Roasted delicata squash is always a favorite.

Continue reading Chickpea & Rice Soup with Garlic Chile Oil on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/2nJtxUM

Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup

I propose we kick off the year with one of my very favorite soup recipes from last. I eat lentil soup multiple times a week, and come back to this lentil soup often for a few reasons. It’s hearty yet healthy – which in my mind translates to a soup that is filling, tasty, adaptable, and also delivers plenty of good stuff to my body. It’s also super tasty.

One and Done

I love a good one bowl meal. And this fits the bill. It gives me energy without weighing me down, and delivers layer after layer of flavor. The tang of the tomatoes plays off the earthiness of the lentils, and the fragrant bolt of saffron yogurt is the closer – brightening each bowl. Delicious.

Nutritional Punch

A few notes on why I like this soup nutritionally. In addition to a nice amount of vegetable based protein in this soup (from the lentils), the recipe also incorporates a touch of dairy, vitamin-rich greens and tomatoes, and good fats. If I have a ripe avocado on hand I’ll slice 1/4 of it into a small dice and sprinkle that across the top as well. The avocados have been so sad around here lately that I mostly skip them. With a bit of whole grain toast (or croutons) that have been rubbed with garlic, the whole thing comes together. Or serve over some good brown rice. 

Lentil Soup Variations

Please feel free to think of this soup in broad strokes. There are dozens of ways I make subtle changes to this recipe depending on what I have on hand. I’ve included a list of variations at the base of the recipe itself. A bunch of you have cooked this and left great comments with ideas you’ve tried as well.

Your Tweaks

AFG said, “I made a pot of this lentil soup last night and it is delicious! I added copious amounts of fresh ground black pepper and some crushed red chili flakes, and also allowed it to barely simmer for an hour on the stove top bringing all the flavors together. It was outstanding and a big hit with my dining companions!”

Clover seconds the choice to opt for fire-roasted tomatoes. “Yum! Made it for dinner last night. I second the motion on using the fire-roasted tomatoes. Instead of saffron, I tried the smoked paprika and the whole fire-roasted/smoky thing worked great.”

R.A. Porter suggests, “swapping out some of the water with a nice dark beer and making a sumac yogurt.”

There are a number of other lentil soups hiding in the archives. I love this Coconut Red Lentil Soup with next-level devotion, it’s just a quite a bit more decadent than this version, so I rotate between them. This Green Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter is another long-time favorite. Or, check out this list with a mix of options – Nine Great Lentil Soups to Choose From.

Continue reading Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/2mF3CfQ

Deviled Eggs

This is a recipe for beautiful deviled eggs, but before we get to it, I’ll ask that you let me tell you about the last couple of days first. I know the eggs are distracting, I mean, look at them! If I could give you one right through the screen, I would.

These deviled eggs were part of a Saturday night dinner spread – leftover from Friday’s lunch. They made the trip north with me, to visit friends in Bolinas. We had a tasty dinner of mostly leftovers and the eggs were a hit! Let’s talk about what makes them great. The main thing is they’re classic-inspired, simple to make, and updated at the same time.

Above is my leftover box packed for Bolinas – soup, eggs, Josey Baker Bread, various toppings and condiments.

How to Make Deviled Eggs

The concept is straight-forward, but there are a couple of pitfalls to avoid. The main thing, boil your eggs properly. This is so you don’t ended up with dreaded grey yolks. An ice bath after boiling is your friend here. Cool, peel, halve, make a beautiful filling from the yolks, and you’re on the home stretch.

The Best Filling

It’s all about getting the flavor and texture right here, and I use a little trick. The filling is mixed, mashed, and fluffed into a light herb-flecked dollop. Toasted almonds add the crunch, chive flowers bring the pretty. They’re not technically deviled, as there is no paprika or mustard in this version, but you can always tweak the filling to your liking with a few pinches of either.

Tasty Variations!

A number of you have made these over the years, and have noted variations and suggestions that I wanted to highlight.

Allyson:  “I just made these for Easter. Coincidently, it was the first time I’ve ever made, or actually eaten, deviled eggs. They were fantastic. I used pistachios instead of almonds, and couldn’t find chervil or dill seed, but they were so much better than I had imagined. My fiance, who loves deviled eggs, declared them the best he’s ever eaten.”

Berndy said, “I make my deviled eggs with pickled eggs for a more interesting taste.” Love this idea, and think they’d be great using these pickled turmeric eggs!

Continue reading Deviled Eggs on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/2M3LZj3

Heirloom Tomato Salad

I’ve thrown together a lot of tomato salads in my life. And certainly not all need to be highlighted here…That said, I made one over the weekend that is a bit offbeat, in a good way -a seasonal salad worth sharing. I think the magic happened when I decided to roast half of the tomatoes. The salad became a mix of beautiful heirlooms in shades of greens, reds, yellows, and orange, tossed with their roasted, caramelized counterparts. The roasted tomatoes brought depth to the salad – well worth the bit of extra time and effort.

Building on the tomatoes

Beyond the tomato base (use your best & make sure they’re ripe), I found myself pulling from ingredients around the kitchen. Capers, quickly pan-fried, added a mustardy pop. Crunch came from toasted almonds, and creamy fresh mozzarella delivered just the right amount of decadence. Fresh herbs added a bright finishing accent.

Tomato Salad Variations

Don’t let my version influence you too much. Play around! You can take the basic premise (a tomato salad made with a mix of ripe and roasted in-season tomatoes) in unlimited different directions. Try different nuts, herbs, and vinaigrettes. A version using this pesto is A+. Experiment with different tomato varietals and shapes. 

It’s easy to prep nearly everything ahead of time here, and I have to tell you, this salad served on slabs of garlic-rubbed bread? Or partnered with oven-baked falafel tucked into warm pita bread? Best lunch I had all week.

 

Continue reading Heirloom Tomato Salad on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/2ZKn6ma

Quick Pickled Zucchini

Because we’re still trying to put a dent in the zucchini supply, today’s recipe? Quick pickled zucchini. It’s great to have on hand, and allows you to flare out all sorts of things. We always take a jar camping, and a tangle is always great on a cheese plate or veg platter. They’re really good on cheese-slathered crostini or thin garlic bread, see the photo down below! This is the time of year to keep a steady supply at the ready, and bonus points for making extra for friends. 

More Ideas

Quick pickled zucchini is A+ on these veggie burgers, on certain tacos, and as part of simple green summer salads. I also like them in place of relish on veggie dogs. If you come up with other ideas for them, let me know.

The recipe

The only thing that takes much time here is draining some of the liquid from the zucchini, if you plan ahead a bit, the rest of the process only takes a couple minutes. One thing to be mindful of is how thick your slicing is. It’s the sort of detail that changes the preparation quite dramatically. You can see in the photos how thick I like my zucchini to be, but its a variable to play around with. Thicker slices will have more structure.

Variations

As far as flavor and seasoning go, this recipe delivers a bit of spicy bite from the mustard seeds and red chile, coupled with a hint of sweet, but not much. If you like a super-sweet pickle, double the sugar, and go from there. Same goes for the spiciness. Use this recipe as a jumping off point!

Continue reading Quick Pickled Zucchini on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/33QdVit

Classic Berry Swirl Ice Cream

If you love a classic berry swirl ice cream, this is your recipe. Intense, bright strawberry or raspberry sorbet threaded with the creamiest waves of vanilla. This version is made with cream, but I’ve also posted a non-dairy version here. It is my absolute favorite flavor, and yes, you can absolutely use frozen (thawed) berries!

The Recipe

The berry sorbet component couldn’t be easier to make. You use a blender to puree whole fruit with some sugar, strain, and you’re in business. The vanilla swirl is a bit more intensive. You need to make a classic vanilla custard, and then churn from there. I like to make the swirl components up to a few days ahead of time, when I have a few minutes, and then churn a couple hours before serving. It’s great for days after, but is full-stop magic enjoyed just shortly after churning.

Continue reading Classic Berry Swirl Ice Cream on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/2KECreN