Who else is getting so excited that Thanksgiving is one week from today?! Ah I can’t believe it! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it’s all about being together with family/friends, reflecting on our blessings, and enjoying some yummy food! I got several messages from readers looking for easy recipes to make, so I thought I would put together this post with 4 Easy Vegetarian Thanksgiving Sides. I’m not yet at the hosting stage of Thanksgiving {maybe next year!} but I always try to contribute by bringing a dish. Most of the time, it’s a veggie dish or an appetizer. I got you covered on both fronts! I hope this post is helpful for you as you’re doing your last minute planning and preparations.
4 Easy Vegetarian Thanksgiving Side Recipes
- 3 pounds of carrots with their tops scrubbed and tops reserved
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 tsp coriander
- Kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup Italian parsley chopped
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the carrots with ¼ cup of the olive oil and season with coriander, salt and pepper. Spread on 1 or 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once, until the carrots are tender and browned in spots. Transfer to a platter.
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While carrots are cooking, roughly chop ½ cup of the reserved carrot tops and put in a small bowl with chopped parsley, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon on top of carrots and serve warm with toasted sunflower seeds.
- One 8 ounce round of Brie cheese, Camembert would work too!
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
- Sprig of rosemary
- ¼ cup chopped almonds
- 2 pears, cut into thin wedges
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the cheese in a small baking dish. Pour maple syrup on top and sprinkle with salt and garnish with rosemary. Bake for about 7 minutes, until the cheese is very soft.
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Sprinkle with almonds on top. Toss the pears with the lemon juice and serve alongside with cheese.
- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds small red or new potatoes
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
- 3 cloves of garlic minced {could alternatively use garlic powder}
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
- 1 large avocado halved and pitted
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or more to taste
- 1/4 cup soy-free Vegenaise or vegan mayo of choice
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
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Add un-peeled potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Turn the heat to high. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes until you can poke them easily with a fork. Drain in a colander and cool for about 5 to 10 minutes.
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Place the potatoes on a large, lightly greased baking sheet. Don’t worry about parchment paper because the oiled baking sheet will give you crispier potatoes…yum! With the bottom of a mug, gently smash each potato until each one is mostly flattened. If they break apart, don’t worry about it, but try to have them still hold their shape if possible.
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Drizzle each potato with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Finally, sprinkle minced garlic {or garlic powder} on top.
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Roast the potatoes in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes until crispy, golden and browned on the bottom. In my opinion, the crispier and more golden the better!
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Meanwhile, prepare the Avocado Garlic Aioli:
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Add ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed.
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Remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately with avocado aioli, on top or on the side!
Baking time might vary based off size of potatoes. Try to choose potatoes that are roughly the same size and keep an eye on them while cooking, just in case.
- 1 ½ pounds French string beans, both ends removed or trimmed
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves slices
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup pine nuts
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Toast pine nuts for 2-3 minutes in a dry skillet pan, until golden, and set aside. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. It can happen quickly!
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Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 2 minutes. Drain immediately and immerse in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, drain and set aside.
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When ready to cook, heat the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the green beans and garlic and cook, stirring and tossing constantly until the beans are heated through and the garlic is softened and aromatic. Sprinkle with salt and remove to a serving dish. Top with roasted pine nuts and serve.
If your pan doesn’t seem large enough to hold all the green beans, split it up into two batches. Just make sure you divide the butter olive oil, and garlic between them.
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Tell me, are you making anything for Thanksgiving? Do you have a good go-to you always make, whether it’s an appetizer, side or dessert? I’d love to know and I’m sure other readers would too! Tis the season after all! Leave a comment below with the recipe/link if you have the time!
Have a great day everyone! I hope you love these vegetarian Thanksgiving sides as much as I do. You can check out some of my other favorite recipes here! Have you made this vegetarian chili or these pumpkin spice waffles yet?!
xox
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photos by Vanessa Lentine
