Vegan Thanksgiving Stuffing

In: autumn, mains + sides, recipes, season, Thanksgiving

Delicious, herby Vegan Thanksgiving Stuffing!

Is it safe to say that it’s ~almost~ Thanksgiving? Are we allowed to start talking about The Holidays yet? And yes I’ve capitalized The Holidays because they are definitely a big enough thing to warrant that. Once Halloween is over, the floodgates are open. Although, my mom and I are known to play Christmas music wayyy ahead of the curve (think June). But we’ll just agree that Halloween is the ~*socially acceptable*~ time to start The Holiday Season, okay?!

So, Thanksgiving. An interesting holiday for vegans/vegetarians. By now my family has become accustomed to my dietary choices, and the holidays usually pass smoothly for me in that regard. But I know for a lot of people, holiday dinners can be a source of huge discomfort. There’s nothing like Old Auntie Mabel taking offense that you won’t eat her special turkey casserole. And then, of course, there’s that vegan stereotype that isn’t always unwarranted.

But between you and me, I find that the older generations have a harder time understanding why people wouldn’t want to eat meat or animal products. I’m not saying that every single person older than you is like that. But I know in my own family particularly, my Granny grew up in the Post-Depression era where “Waste Not, Want Not” ruled the day, and you ate whatever was put in front of you on the table. And I’m not saying that vegans are wasteful or ungrateful – on the contrary, veganism is the most green and most compassionate diet out there. But to my Granny, it just seems like I’m being picky with my food. I don’t agree with her, but I get where she’s coming from.

But I’m going to tell you something that I desperately wish someone had told me years and years ago – YOU control what goes in your body. If someone offers you something, and you decline it kindly and respectfully, there is no reason you should feel guilty. It took me so long to understand this because I have an inherent guilt complex, but ultimately YOU will be the one affected by what you put in your body, and not anyone else. If someone else takes offense to that, honestly it’s their problem, and you should not let it affect you and your happiness.

If you’ve already come to this realization, then I applaud you. For years I felt like a brat by refusing the food my aunt would make. My Granny would pinch my arm and tell me how skinny I was, and my aunt would make backhanded comments about how she spent sooooo long on this certain dish. “No thank you, I eat vegetarian,” I would say with a smile, trying to ignore the guilt trip.

PSA – you may have well-meaning but slightly crazy aunts and grannies and family members, but DO NOT let them guilt you about your dietary choices! Be strong! And if any of them give you flack, just smile and “No, thank you!”

This Thanksgiving, my mom and I are actually planning the menu together for the first time! I’ve been slowly winning her over to my plant-based creations, hehehe. I gave her The China Study as a gift recently, plus another vegan cookbook that I knew she’d love, and I think having these books as resources has helped her realize that veganism isn’t just this weirdo, fringe, tofu diet. You can actually eat ~*real food*~ as a vegan…. like this stuffing.

Now I know stuffing is traditionally supposed to be, um, stuffed into a turkey butt and then cooked (ew), but this version is healthy, cooked in a pot, and then stuffed into a pumpkin. Because stuffing has to be stuffed IN something, right? But maybe we can acheive that without… you know…stuffing it in…well, you get what I’m trying to say.

And this stuffing is so good on its own that it doesn’t really need anything else to buffer it. The base is millet, one of my favorite grains, but you can easily sub quinoa or even couscous. It’s cooked in vegetable stock to add salt and flavor, then mixed with a sauté of earthy mushrooms, garlic, and onions. Finally, fresh herbs are added, which round out the whole thing nicely. Adding in the roasted pumpkin seeds is optional but totally worth it. This stuffing is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!