There's no reason a vegetarian Thanksgiving can't ultimately be a tastier Thanksgiving; one in which your precious stomach real estate is wholly devoted to the real stars of the show. Here's the side-heavy, cheesy, creamy, rich, but totally turkey-and-all-other-meats-free Thanksgiving of our dreams.
Featuring:
Squash Lasagna
Roasted Broccoli and Buttermilk Soup
Ultra-Crispy New Potatoes with Garlic, Herbs, and Lemon
Squash Lasagna
This casserole unites three iconic fall flavors—roasted squash, sage, and apple—and layers them with a Gruyère white sauce and pasta. It’s every bit as rich and soothing as you want lasagna to be.
Roasted Broccoli and Buttermilk Soup
A creamy broccoli soup with no cream? Yep. Blending buttermilk with a purée of roasted broccoli yields a full-bodied soup with a little bit of acidic tang, while spiced pepitas add crunch.
Ultra-Crispy New Potatoes With Garlic, Herbs, and Lemon
To get your potatoes nicely crisp and browned, par-boil them first in water with vinegar, and use lots of oil when roasting. The lemon, herbs, and garlic are just there to make them extra delicious.
Roasted Cauliflower With Pine Nut, Raisin, and Caper Vinaigrette
The deep, caramelized sweetness of roasted cauliflower, enough of a treat on its own, gets even better when topped with an elaborate vinaigrette featuring warm toasted pine nuts and salty capers.
Easy Roasted Mushrooms
To bring out the flavor of mushrooms, nothing beats roasting. This recipe speeds up the process by draining off the liquid mid-roast, resulting in intensely savory mushrooms with a meaty texture.
Chickpea and Carrot Salad
Chickpeas do an admirable job of soaking up flavor from dill and grated carrot in this fresh, healthy salad. Do yourself a Thanksgiving favor and make this ahead of time—it’s even better the next day.
Extra Smooth Pumpkin Pie
The secret to this pie filling’s unbelievable texture is the addition of cream cheese, which, happily, also helps keep the crust from getting soggy and adds a little pleasant tang.
