Getty ImagesThis year, skip the turkey and fill your table with vegetarian fare.
Are you ready to reimagine Thanksgiving without the turkey?
Every fall, the Well blog goes vegetarian for Thanksgiving, taking the meaty bird off the table to make room for a spectacular array of vegetarian soups, sides, main courses, salads and desserts. While a turkey-free Thanksgiving might sound like heresy to traditionalists, we’ve discovered that focusing on the bounty of the fall harvest, rather than the bird, can alter your eating habits and inspire your cooking year round.
Each day for the next three weeks, the Well blog will feature a new vegetarian or vegan option for your holiday table. All of this year’s recipes will be updated daily in our interactive recipe collection. Even if you’re not a vegetarian, you’ll discover mouthwatering new dishes created by an all-star lineup of chefs, cookbook authors and television food personalities. So get ready to save a turkey and savor the flavors of your most creative Thanksgiving ever.
To kick off Well’s Third Annual Vegetarian Thanksgiving, we teamed up with the popular vegan chef Nava Atlas, whose new book, “Vegan Holiday Kitchen: More than 200 Delicious, Festive Recipes for Special Occasions,” hits bookstore shelves today.
Ms. Atlas offers a starter of coconut butternut squash soup; a side dish of black rice, corn and cranberries; a colorful kale salad; and a hearty vegetable couscous suitable for serving as a main course.
Susan VoisinCoconut Butternut Squash SoupVegan Holiday Kitchen’s
Coconut Butternut Squash Soup
Once you’ve got the squash baked, this soup comes together quickly. The mellow flavors of squash, kale and red onions synergize delectably and look gorgeous together as well.
1 large butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil or other vegetable oil
1 large yellow or sweet white onion, chopped
1 medium apple, any variety, peeled and diced
2 cups prepared vegetable broth, or 2 cups water with 1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder
2 teaspoons grated fresh or jarred ginger, or more, to taste
Pinch of ground nutmeg or allspice
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Garnish
2 medium red onions, quartered and thinly sliced
1 good-size bunch kale (about 10 to 12 ounces)
1. To bake the squash, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut in half and place halves, cut side up, in a foil-lined shallow baking dish and cover tightly with more foil. Bake for 30 to 50 minutes, until you can easily pierce the flesh with a knife. Scoop out and set aside.
2. Heat about half the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the apple, squash, broth and spices. Bring to a steady simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Transfer the solids to a food processor with a slotted spoon, in batches if need be, and process until smoothly puréed, then transfer back to the soup pot. Or better yet, simply insert an immersion blender into the pot and process until smoothly puréed.
5. Stir in the coconut milk and return the soup to a gentle simmer. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until well heated through. Season with salt and pepper. If time allows, let the soup stand off the heat for an hour or two, then heat through as needed before serving.
6. Just before serving, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet. Add the red onions and sauté over low heat until golden and soft.
7. Meanwhile, strip the kale leaves off the stems and cut into thin shreds. Stir together with the onions in the skillet, adding just enough water to moisten the surface. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the kale is bright green and just tender, about 5 minutes.
8. To serve, ladle soup into each bowl, then place a small mound of kale and onion mixture in the center.
Yield: 8 servings.
Susan VoisinBlack Rice, Corn and CranberriesVegan Holiday Kitchen’s
Black Rice, Corn and Cranberries
The first time I came up with this recipe, I thought I’d better cut the recipe in half so my family of four wouldn’t be eating it for the rest of the week. What a mistake — we tore through it in no time. While it’s a festive eyeful, it’s too good to save for only special occasions, and too simple not to make for everyday meals.
1 cup black rice or wild rice
3 tablespoons olive oil or other vegetable oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 4 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
2 cups thawed frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice, or to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves, to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds for topping
1. If using black rice, combine in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes. If you’d like a more tender grain, add 1/2 cup additional water and cook until absorbed. If using wild rice, combine with 3 cups of water and cook as directed above.
2. Just before the rice is done, heat half the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and sauté over low heat until golden. Add the scallions and corn kernels and sauté just until warmed through.
3. Transfer the cooked rice to the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high, then add the lime juice, cilantro, cumin, oregano, thyme, cranberries and remaining oil. Gently stir the mixture, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. To serve, transfer to an attractive serving platter and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the top.
Yield: 8 servings.
Massaged Kale Salad With Cranberries and CashewsVegan Holiday Kitchen’s
Massaged Kale Salad With Cranberries and Cashews
There are so many ways to vary this salad: You can toss in some slivered baby carrots, add diced pears or apples, substitute another kind of nut, or add a bit of thinly shredded red cabbage for extra color or sliced celery or bok choy for extra crunch. Even in its simple form, as presented here, it’s luscious and festive.
1 good-size bunch kale, washed and dried
Olive oil or other vegetable oil, as needed
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crushed toasted cashews, or pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
1. Strip the kale leaves off the stems. Cut into ribbons and place in a large bowl.
2. With a little olive oil rubbed into your palms, massage the kale for a minute or so, until it becomes bright green and softens a bit.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and serve at room temperature.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Vegan Holiday Kitchen’s
Seven-Vegetable Couscous
Susan VoisinSeven-Vegetable Couscous.Seven-vegetable couscous is a well-known offering at Sephardic Jewish New Year celebrations, but since it’s a bountiful, colorful tribute to the harvest, it makes a great meat-free main dish for Thanksgiving as well. Despite the long ingredient list, it’s as easy as can be to make.
1 1/2 cups couscous, uncooked
1 tablespoon vegan margarine
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup finely shredded white cabbage
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced
1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 15- to 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups diced ripe tomatoes
2 teaspoons grated fresh or jarred ginger, or more, to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Dried hot red pepper flakes, to taste, optional
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup golden raisins (for garnish)
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley (for garnish)
Sliced or slivered toasted almonds (for garnish)
1. Combine the couscous and 3 cups boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Cover and let stand until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then stir in the margarine, turmeric and salt. Cover and set aside.
2. For the vegetable stew, heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Stir in cabbage and sauté until it and the onion are lightly golden.
3. Add the remaining stew ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes. Add water as needed to produce a moist, but not soupy, consistency. The vegetables should be just tender, but still firm.
4. To serve, arrange the couscous on the outer edge of a large serving platter and make a well in the center. Pour the vegetable mixture in the center, then sprinkle with the garnishes, topping with sliced or slivered toasted almonds. Let each guest place a mound of couscous on his or her dinner plate and top it with the vegetable mixture.
Yield: 8 servings.
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