3 VEGAN Thanksgiving Side Dishes

I can not express how excited I am that the Holiday Season has finally arrived! Time for pumpkin-spice cold brews, cozy nights by the fire, roasted marshmallows, and all things that are Autumn-inspired goodness. First things first... we must conquer scrumptious, yet health-conscious Thanksgiving recipes! With that being said, I can't wait for you to try out my new VEGAN Thanksgiving Side Dishes that will 'WOW!' your family & friends this year!

Healthy VEGAN Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes that are Mouth-Watering!!

There is a total of 3 mouth-watering recipes that will not only work as perfect Thanksgiving side dishes, but everyday dinner side dishes, too!!! The first is a Autumn-inspired Quinoa-stuffed Squash. The second is a (Vegan) Fluffy Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread. The third is a simple Maple-Roasted Carrots with a Chimichurri Sauce.

TIP: I recommend baking the cornbread first, then moving on to roasting the carrots and squash together.

Let's grab our aprons and begin cooking up deliciousness!

The dried cranberries are a must as they bring out slight sweet notes hidden in the acorn squash and add the perfect richness to the mild, nutty notes of the spaghetti squash. The spaghetti squash were by far my favorite, but I recommend doing a variety of both squashes when serving guests.

Autumn Quinoa-Stuffed Squash

• 4 Spaghetti Squash and/or Acorn Squash
• 1 Red Onion, (thinly sliced)
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Fennel Seeds
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Sage, (chopped)
• 1/3 cup Celery, (finely diced)
• 1 Honeycrisp Apple, (finely diced)
• 3-4 cups Quinoa, (cooked)
• 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Dried Cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Cut the squashes in half, drizzle the insides of each with extra virgin olive oil, and place open-side down on a pan lined with parchment paper. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until tender with a fork.
3. On medium high heat, warm up the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan. Add in the thinly sliced red onion, chopped celery, chopped honeycrisp apple, fennel seeds, chopped sage, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, cover with a lid and sauté for 10-20 minutes. Check frequently and stir occassionally.
4. Toss together the cooked quinoa, sautéed mix, and unsweetened dried cranberries. Evenly scoop the mixture into each of the roasted squash halves. Serve warm.

The extra virgin olive oil adds just the right amount of richness, while leaving a light texture to each cornbread slice. Super fluffy, almost cake-like, and completely dairy-free & of course, vegan!

(Vegan) Fluffy Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread

• 1 2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 cup Yellow Cornmeal
• 1/4 cup Granulated Cane Sugar
• 1 tbsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 2/3 cup Plant-Based Milk, (I used oat milk)
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup Maple Syrup ((optional))

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare by lightly greasing a cast-iron pan (11.5" diameter) with olive oil and lining with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and sea salt. Add in the plant-based milk, extra virgin olive oil, and maple syrup. Stir to incorporate all ingredients.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared cast-iron skillet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center.

Who would've thought that combining a savory herb sauce with sweetly-roasted carrots would be so darn delicious!!

Maple-Roasted Heirloom Carrots with Chimichurri

• 1 lb. Medium Young Carrots
• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Zest of an Orange
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

Chimichurri:

• 1 Shallot, (minced)
• 2 cups Fresh Parsley, (minced)
• 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro, (minced)
• 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, (minced or pressed)
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Scrub the carrots clean, then cut in half lengthwise.
3. Gently massage the maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, orange zest, and sea salt into the carrots on a pan lined with parchment paper.
4. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender and slightly caramelized.
5. In the meantime, blend all the chimichurri ingredients EXCEPT the extra virgin olive oil in a food processor until minced. Transfer to a serving dish and pour the extra virgi olive oil over the fresh mix.
6. Once the carrots are cooked, transfer to a serving dish. Then, scoop your desired amount of chimichurri on the roasted carrots. Serve warm.

I hope you all enjoy these scrumptious VEGAN Thanksgiving Side Dishes! Don't forget to tell your family and friends how much you appreciate them this holiday season. xxL