What Do Vegans Eat for Thanksgiving?

My vegan Thanksgiving plate. Before I went back for seconds on everything.

What do vegans eat for Thanksgiving?

This is a question I often get around this time of year from people who know I eat a vegan diet. To tell you the truth, I don't always have a good answer. For me Thanksgiving is kind of a tough holiday since I don't eat meat, dairy, or sugar. I could just make something from my usual vegan fare and call it good, but it seems like I should be making something special, something Thanksgiving-y, something that requires more planning and time in the kitchen than on other days.

A Vegan Thanksgiving Menu

So this was my menu today:

1. An herbed vegan loaf from Ricki Heller's book Living Candida Free (the recipe is called "Sunday Roast" in her book. All the recipes in the book are vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free, so even if you aren't dealing with Candida, I highly recommend the book for those looking to meet those dietary restrictions.) It turned out more orange than it probably should have because I put in too much sweet potato, but it was still yummy. It's mostly sauteed veggies and herbs with quinoa and chickpea flours to form a soft bread-like loaf reminiscent of a really delicious stuffing/"meat" loaf.

2. Mashed potatoes (Organic Instant from Sprouts) with vegan Brown Gravy, another recipe from Living Candida Free

3. Roasted asparagus with olive oil, lemon juice, and tarragon

4. Butternut squash and fresh sage sauteed in olive oil

5. Vegan Sweet Potato Pie from PopSugar (made with my go-to baking sweetener, plant-based Lakanto instead of real brown sugar so it would be sugar free) with Coconut Cashew Whipped Cream (recipe in Living Candida Free)

The vegan loaf, the gravy and the sweet potato pie were moderately labor-intensive (especially all in one meal,) but with instant mashed potatoes and pre-cut butternut squash from Costco, the meal went together within a few hours (some of that passive baking time for the loaf and the pie) and it turned out absolutely delicious to my palate.

So, if you're a vegan looking for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner ideas, or you're just curious what vegans eat, here's my answer, at least this year.