So of course, there were no turkeys at our Thanksgiving–though before I was born my dad did get a live turkey to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast before bringing her to a sanctuary to live out her life. Instead of the typical dairy and meat laden holiday table, my family developed a tradition incorporating the staples of the Native American diet into our meal. The Iroquois grew three main crops, known as the “three sisters,” that harmoniously grow together and provide a balanced diet. These crops are beans, corn, and squash. This tradition resonated with my family as we lived in Illinois which was Iroquois land and we are three sisters ourselves. Every year we make a point to include beans, corn, and squash in some form in our meal. While I haven’t yet published all my family’s Thanksgiving dishes onto the blog, I do have a great collection that include some of these ingredients into the meal!
The Three Sisters:
For the squash we typically make our family favorite Butternut Squash Almond Bisque, some years we make my Vegan Sweet Potato Rolls with canned pumpkin for double the squash! For the corn, we often make a salad with corn, radishes, and parsley dressed in a zippy mustard vinaigrette. Last year we made a southwestern corn pudding. I love incorporating beans into seitan for a Thanksgiving centerpiece! It makes a hearty main dish to serve and impress both ourselves and guests.
Other Dishes to Include:
Is it even Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes and gravy? I didn’t think so! ? I certainly have a lot more vegan Thanksgiving recipes to make for my blog, and hope to add to this list! Think, green bean casserole, roasted brussels sprouts, gravy, apple pie, pumpkin pie.. the list goes on and on! I hope you find this vegan Thanksgiving round up helpful in planning your plant based holiday feast! If you have any questions or recipe requests, please drop them in the comments below!
