Your best vegetarain Thanksgiving recipe, please

November 21, 2007 6:25 AM

Tried and true vegetarian side dish recipes for Thanksgiving please! We will be hosting omnivores, vegetarians, and all-but-beef-eaters for Thanksgiving. I'm looking for things that have the greatest potential for enjoyment by all. Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I don't have time to try out the recipe. Also, I don't want random vegetarian side dishes--it must be Thanksgiving/fall themed.

Here is what I have so far:
Start with beet soup served in acorn squash half bowls.
Turkey, of course, with stuffing that has pork in it, and separate vegetarian stuffing.
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
For dessert, we will have pumpkin cheesecake.
I would like to have 1-2 more vegetarian side dishes, one that is hearty that the vegetarian friends can enjoy as their main dish, but also one that is a green vegetable. Both should be something that others can enjoy as well.

I've looked at this and this, and have gotten some great ideas (pumpkin cheesecake), but am still looking!

The restrictions are that, of course, I want it to fit with the Thanksgiving/fall theme. Also, the oven is going to be occupied by the turkey, so it should be something that can be small tucked in next to the turkey, cooking at the same temp as the turkey. Otherwise, it should be something that can be made the day before, and be simple to heat up before being served.

Also, I don't want something that is heavy on the cheese, because we will be having cheesecake for dessert, and I just don't think it will go well with the other dishes that are already planned. But if you have something that will go with with the above, do share!

One more thing--vegetarian gravy?!? Recipes please!

posted by jujube to food & drink (43 comments total)

My wife and I are in the same boat. She's decided on making pumpkin ravioli as a main dish for the veggies, and I imagine it'll be a pretty good side dish for the rest of us.
posted by sanka at 6:27 AM on November 21, 2007

My standby is a kind of vegetarian wellington. Caramelised onions, chestnuts, roasted mushrooms and cranberries in more-or-less equal volume. Season, including lots of rosemary, roll it up in puff pastry and bake it.

Vegetarian gravy is made the same way as any other gravy, just replace the drippings and juices with vegetable stock and butter.
posted by methylsalicylate at 6:33 AM on November 21, 2007

I love green bean casserole, and this year, Good Eats did a DIY take on it. Replace the chicken broth with veggie broth, and there you go. For what it's worth, I'll be making this, and I plan on assembling it tonight and tossing it in the oven tomorrow to warm up. Easy.

I don't have any ideas for a main dish (I'm all about the sides anyway; you can take the turkey and stuff it for all I care, wokka wokka), but for vegetarian gravy, you could do worse than the mushroom gravy in the recipe above. Just skip the half-and-half and add a little extra broth to thin it out (and maybe a tablespoon of cognac).
posted by uncleozzy at 6:37 AM on November 21, 2007

Squash & Peppers:
- Peel & seed a large butternut squash, then chop into 1" chunks
- chop several red / yellow / orange peppers into 1" pieces (a mix of colours provides looks great in the fall)
- mix in a bowl with enough olive oil to coat everything well
- season with salt & pepper
- dump into a large rectangular baking dish
- finely chop as many garlic cloves as you think you and your guests will enjoy, then sprinkle over the top
- finely grate some parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top (it really is much better if you can get fresh cheese & grate it yourself, rather than using it from a large tub)

Bake for approx 30-45 minutes at about 350. Totally yummy.
posted by valleys at 6:40 AM on November 21, 2007

Honey-glazed Roasted Carrots And Parsnips
Bon Appetit | December 2005
Makes 8 servings.


2 pounds carrots (1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter), peeled, halved lengthwise
2 pounds parsnips (1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter), peeled, halved lengthwise
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Line 2 rimmed
baking sheets with foil. Divide carrots and parsnips between prepared sheets. Sprinkle generously with
salt and pepper, then drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over vegetables on each sheet; toss to coat.
Roast vegetables 10 minutes; stir. Roast vegetables 10 minutes longer, stir, and reverse sheets.
Continue roasting until vegetables are tender and slightly charred, about 15 minutes longer. (Can be
prepared 2 hours ahead. Tent with foil and let stand at room temperature. Rewarm uncovered in
350°F oven 10 minutes.)
Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in honey and vinegar. Drizzle honey glaze
over vegetables and serve.
posted by dancinglamb at 6:46 AM on November 21, 2007

Oops - does honey violate the vegetarian thing? Forgive me for I love me my meat :)
posted by dancinglamb at 6:47 AM on November 21, 2007

How about stuffing some winter squash with rice, onions and tempeh? My girlfriend and I do this pretty often. Brown the tempeh with some fennel and sage, brown the onions, boil the rice. Assemble all that in to a scraped out acorn squash and bake it for about 35 minutes or until the squash gets tender. Poking holes in the squash rind makes them a a lot more tender btw. Dress up the stuffing as you see fit.
posted by Phoenix42 at 6:52 AM on November 21, 2007

Most any kind of green veggie can be roast and served with your choice of sauce. Think about roast broccoli, Brussels sprouts, okra or asparagus for starters. You can use any type of sauce, and there are literally thousands of vegetarian sauce recipes out there, from garlicky-wasabi sauce to chickpea gravy to the traditional Asian combo of tamari and dark sesame oil.

Here's the recipe for a simple red bell pepper sauce that I love to use with roast asparagus: chop up a red bell pepper into strips, roast it for 35 minutes or so at 375 degrees. Toss it in a food processor with 1/4 cup olive oil, a few tablespoons of dill, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, a bit of chopped garlic and some salt and pepper. You can drizzle that over pretty much anything and it is delicious! (Here's another idea for asparagus)

If roast veggies aren't what you're looking for, consider steaming a variety of veggies (think cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, etc.) and putting them on the side with Thanksgiving type spices: rosemary, sage, thyme, etc. This of course won't make a main meal, but is a decent side dish and can be prepared incredibly easily.

There's also another route you could go: preparing something that is more of a main dish, and serving it as a side. I think that a squash would work well for this kind of thing: it's got that Thanksgiving feel, and is hearty enough to satisfy most vegetarians. Just check out how easy this squash recipe is.

Another idea for a side would be to prepare a pasta salad. You will be able to cook a ton of it in advance, and since it is a combination of vegetables and grains, it will be particularly satisfying. Here's an easy artichoke pasta salad that is just wonderful.

Don't forget options that involve the chili and soup pot. Though it won't truly be a side dish (it will be a soup!), if cooked correctly, a good cup of stew can turn into a hearty meal. There are a plethora of chili/stew/soup recipes online. If you'd like some of my personal favorites, e-mail is in the profile.

My other idea for your side dish is a more involved version of the humble baked potato: bake a bunch of potatoes in the skins, and when finished, scoop the meat of the tater out and blend it up with some standard basil pesto, maybe a 2:1 mix or even 1:1. Just whip them together in a bowl and restuff them back into the potato skins and bake a bit longer. Serve with some roast root vegetables on top or a drizzle of lemon juice and some sour cream.

I've got a lot more ideas but may have gone on too long already. Shoot me an e-mail if you'd like!
posted by dead_ at 7:03 AM on November 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

My friend makes this INCREDIBLE butternut squash lasagna for the veggie peeps on Thanksgiving. I've used this recipe and it turned out great. Really delicious, fall-themed, and hearty enough for a main dish for those not eating turkey.

I highly recommend it.
posted by misskaz at 7:07 AM on November 21, 2007

Wild rice with walnuts and craisins, mixed with a little balsamic vinegar.
posted by coevals at 7:07 AM on November 21, 2007

My partner and I have recently found this (not dessert) pie:

Roast some squash (winter, butternut, acorn, pumpkin, what-have-you) and a large potato or two. Scoop the cooked squash out of the shell, and cut up the potato. Saute a large sweet onion with a clove or so of garlic. Toss in some corn. Mix the whole lot together with some monterey jack (or skip the cheese). Season with salt/pepper. Thyme is also tasty. Marjoram would be good as well. Spread the mix into a pie shell, top with a helping of monterey jack (or don't), and bake at 350F until the cheese is gold and bubbly.

We've had no trouble reheating the pie.

I don't measure much in the kitchen anymore, so here is the recipe we base it on.

For a green, I'd recommend cooking some up some greens. I saute them with onion, garlic, and a little vinegar to get some steam going. I have found that tossing in a little liquid smoke (which is vegan) really adds back some of what is lost when skipping the ham/bacon.
posted by wg at 7:08 AM on November 21, 2007

I came in to suggest this recipe for honeyed carrots and parsnips, but it's pretty much exactly the same as dancinglamb's. It does use a skillet instead of the oven, though--good to have that option on such a busy kitchen day.

Also, asparagus sauteed with basil, sherry, and ginger is very delicious.
posted by zebra3 at 7:11 AM on November 21, 2007

Tofu Corn Casserole! It's easy to make and has enough protein in it to keep the vegetarians from going into a starch/carb coma and even meat eaters like it. I don't use an exact recipe, but here are the basic ingredients.

Brick of tofu, diced or crumbled into small pieces
big Bag of frozen corn
Box of acini de pepe or orzo pasta
vegetable boullion
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 eggs
1 onion
1 green pepper

Saute the onions, pepper, tofu and corn. Boil the pasta in broth & drain it, saving a half a cup or or so of the broth. Put all the ingredients in a big mixing bowl and stir it up, adding a little broth to flavor. Then put it in a caserole dish and bake it until it is solid. Add whatever spices you like. Dill is good and chili paste. You can also blend in sour cream or additional cheeses too make it richer.
posted by pluckysparrow at 7:20 AM on November 21, 2007

I got this recipe from a lacto/ovo friend -- it's something his mother used to serve at their Thanksgiving dinners. I usually use olive oil for sauteing the celery and the onions, and mushroom stock. Fresh cranberries do work best. I fyou use dried, cut them first.

Apple-Cranberry Stuffing

1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
1 1/2 cups yellow onion, diced
3 large green apples (Granny Smith are best)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup cranberries (dried may be used if fresh are not available)
16 oz. bag herbed stuffing mix (such as Pepperidge Farm or similar)
1 (14 oz.) cans vegetable or chicken broth

Melt butter in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Saute until onions just begin to turn translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Peel, core, and dice apples. In a large bowl combine onion mixture, apples, nutmeg, salt, pepper, sage, cloves, thyme, and cinnamon. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Mix in stuffing mix. Add broth and stir until stuffing bread is evenly moistened. Transfer stuffing mixture to a large Pyrex dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Stir. Serve immediately.
posted by jlkr at 7:48 AM on November 21, 2007

Harvest Pot Pies

Also seconding the wellington suggestion. Yum!
posted by necessitas at 7:48 AM on November 21, 2007

Cut and sautee portabello mushrooms in a little bit of sesame oil or nut oil.

Chop some shallots and garlic.

Cook some wild rice.

Soak some dried cranberries in warm water to soften them a bit.

Add wild rice, portabellos, shallots-n-garlic, cranberries, and some nuts of your choice (i like walnuts; cashews are good too). Add some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. It's delicious.
posted by entropone at 7:48 AM on November 21, 2007

I'm a vegetarian and usually just eat side dishes on tgiving (make sure your vegetarian friendly stuffing is made with veg. broth and not chicken broth, I hate when people go to the trouble of making me special stuffing and it has chicken broth in it).

I was looking at vegetarian times and these roasted vegetable cornucopias looked so good, I'm going to make them for tgiving!
posted by necessitas at 7:53 AM on November 21, 2007

A link would have helped
posted by necessitas at 7:54 AM on November 21, 2007

This recipe from Vegetarian Times was a huge hit a couple years ago in my family. Great presentation too.

Here's the gravy recipe, which inexplicably tastes exactly like turkey gravy and I think its vegan. I suggest not using flour for thickening unless you're really good at that. Corn starch works just as well and mixes better.

Note: This recipe (including the gravy) has several steps and is pretty time-consuming, so start early.
posted by elendil71 at 8:17 AM on November 21, 2007

Whoops, I should have previewed. What necessitas said.
posted by elendil71 at 8:19 AM on November 21, 2007

Second the green bean cassarole (or hotdish if you live where we live.) It's the only dish besides what you already have that says "it's Thanksgiving, eat until it hurts."
posted by advicepig at 8:19 AM on November 21, 2007

Thanks for this thread - just invited 2 more guests; one is vegetarian and the other has a restricted diet (diabetic & low cholesterol - no saturated fat, no sugar, and no wheat). They're excellent company, so it will be fun.
posted by theora55 at 8:37 AM on November 21, 2007

Two holiday favorites:

Maple-pecan-crusted sweet potato casserole

Bake or boil several sweet potatoes (or any winter squash) until soft and mashable. Mash with oil, butter or fat of choice and flavor with cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

Crush generous portion of pecans in a plastic baggie with a rolling pin or just your fingers. Mix with maple syrup (1:2 ratio, so 1/2 cup maple syrup to 1 cup pecans) and add cinnamon, salt and nutmeg to taste.

Put mashed sweet potatoes in a lightly oiled baking dish and spread maple syrup mixture over the top. Bake 20-30 minutes in a 325 degree oven or until maple syrup has "set."

Hot pear pomegranate salad

Wilt some greens (I love kale with this, but any variety will do) in a pan with a bit of water.

While they're wilting away, mix the juice of 1/2 lemon with a few tablespoons honey and a few tablespoons olive oil. Whisk until emulsified and add cumin and cinnamon to taste.

Mix dressing into warm greens and add sliced pears and pomegranate seeds. You could also use agave nectar to make this dish vegan. Yummy!
posted by mynameisluka at 9:08 AM on November 21, 2007

I'm a carnivore but have to take timeouts occasionally and just go veg/fruit/etc. I like this quick corn casserole for Sunday lunch or holidays, mainly because it is FAST:

2 large eggs
1/2 cup water
2 cans cream-style corn (or 1 can cream-style, the other can regular corn--I like to mix white corn and yellow corn)
1 c. cornbread mix (Jiffy or Martha White brand)
1 very very small onion, diced
Dash or two of salt
Healthy shake of pepper (you may want to reduce amt.)
1 stick butter, melted
Melt butter in casserole dish. Combine other ingredients and pour into casserole with melted butter. (Do not mix.) Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Or how about fixing a big ol' spaghetti squash with lots of butter? Yum!
posted by Smalltown Girl at 9:19 AM on November 21, 2007

Last year we made a vegetarian turducken.

First we took a Tofurkey, and hollowed it out. Filled it with mock duck from the Chinese store that had been marinated in spicy Hoisin sauce, then added some chopped veggie "Chik'n" patties that had been rubbed with lemon pepper. Veggie stuffing was used to bind the layers together.

We reassembled it, using the extra Tofurkey to fill in holes etc., then placed it in a saucepan with some lemon slices and a little bit of veggie stock, covered, and heated it over a low flame. It was surprisingly delicious!
posted by jtron at 9:52 AM on November 21, 2007 [2 favorites]

My husband and I are lacto-ovo, and we often have a mushroom quiche as our main dish at T-giving. Using wild mushrooms and asiago makes it fancier, but any old mushrooms will do. It's nice, too, because it can be served at room temperature.

One year, we did this chestnut, mushroom, and spinach torte with tomato-ginger coulis - it was amazing, if time-consuming.
posted by acridrabbit at 9:53 AM on November 21, 2007

Any mushroom or squash risotto will work well. Super hearty; can be vegan if you cook in olive oil rather than butter, and set aside the vegan potion just before the last step of adding cheese. Jessamyn has a good risotto recipe that requires less stirring, but I can't find it. I've mailed her to ask her to post it here.

For veg gravy, I use mushroom gravy. Can be made fresh or from a can. (The canned stuff is not bad).
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:00 AM on November 21, 2007

green beans and tomatoes. saute some onion and garlic until soft and sweet. toss in green beans and a can of diced tomatoes (not drained) and cook until the beans are the texture you like.
posted by thinkingwoman at 10:03 AM on November 21, 2007

I like to make a good spelt salad. Do you have a Trader Joe's nearby? They sell a spelt mix in a box that's amazing. Cook it and add cranberries and toasted pecans (following the box instructions) and it's hearty and tasty and easy and fall-y.
posted by Bella Sebastian at 10:12 AM on November 21, 2007

You are, of course, making mashed potatoes, right? In my family, our six to eight person dinner (all of us vegetarian) means about ten pounds of mashed potatoes.

I'll see if I can get the veggie nutloaf and broccoli quiche recipes too, as they're staples.

Caramelized carrots and pearl onions is another big thing.
posted by klangklangston at 10:18 AM on November 21, 2007

I always just make a spinach (or whatever dark greens you have) salad with dried cranberries and spicy candied pecans. For the pecans, just make a simple syrup and add a tiny bit of cayenne, chili powder (the not spicy chili powder), and salt. Cook them until the syrup will harden on the cooled nuts. Voila. I'm vegan, but if you and your guests are not, you can add some cheese, maybe blue cheese, to round out the salad. Serve it with a balsamic vinaigrette.
posted by beerbajay at 10:34 AM on November 21, 2007

This is a vegan recipe for "Green Bean and Mushroom Soup Casserole" that I love to make for Thanksgiving. Always a hit, and it doesn't taste vegan if you make the soup. I always cut the mushrooms really chunky which is much better than most prepackaged soups.

Ingredients:

* 3-4 cans of green beans or a couple of packages of frozen green beans (fresh is best, though it takes a bit longer to cut off the ends)
* 1 1/2 cup of French's French Fried Onions
* 1 can of vegan cream of mushrooom soup

Alternative to prepackaged soup:
o 1 lb of fresh mushrooms
o 3 cups soy or rice milk (I prefer original flavored Rice Dream)
o 1 or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
o garlic to taste (one or two cloves or a few dashes of powdered garlic)
o 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

This casserole is very similar to the traditional green bean casserole that my family makes every Thanksgiving.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you are making your own mushroom soup, combine soy milk (all but 1/2 cup), finely chopped mushrooms, black pepper and the garlic in a medium-sized pot. Cook until it's at a low boil. While the mix is heating, open the cans (or packages)
of green beans, drain, and pour into a casserole dish.

Using a fork, take the cornstarch and mix it into the 1/2 cup of the cold soy milk mix (until it dissolves) that you retained earlier. Pour about half of this into the boiling soy milk mix and stir. The idea is to thicken the mix. If it doesn't begin to thicken, you can
add some more cornstarch to your cold soymilk and repeat the process.

Add the soy milk/mushroom mix and half of the French's Onions to the green beans. Bake, uncovered for about 30 minutes. Top with the remaining French's Onions and bake for another 5 minutes. The onions should brown, but be sure that they don't burn.

Enjoy.

Serves: 7
posted by funkiwan at 10:52 AM on November 21, 2007

First of all, think of all the stuff you'd normally make, and think if any of it can be made vegetarian.

Definitely vegetarian gravy (either the link above or maybe a mushroom / nutritional yeast based one). Definitely stuffing.... I grew up with pretty standard stuffing (my family started making a vegetarian one that's not cooked in the turkey when I became vegetarian; we already used to cook some of it outside the turkey anyway) - but now I really like this cornbread / bourbon stuffing , only vegan and with some kale. Anyway, most stuffing is pretty easy to make vegetarian - just use veg stock where you'd normally use chicken stock, and don't cook it in the oven.

One of my favorites recently is this roasted cauliflower "recipe" my girlfriend found on egullet. I'm not sure if it's holiday themed enough for you, but I urge you to make it anyway, even if you don't like cauliflower. It's deceptively simple, and delicious.

Don't feel like you need to have a tofurky or something, but it would be nice to provide a stuffed vegetable, a vegetarian risotto (maybe with butternut squash and sage, or wild mushrooms), or something else that's not a "side dish". Something vegetable themed that everyone (not just vegetarians) can enjoy as a main course.
posted by PandaMcBoof at 11:09 AM on November 21, 2007

I'm the family vegetarian, so I bring sides for everyone. Here is what I'm bringing this year:

Curried Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
-Saute a large onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 Tbs cumin, dash of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp mustard powder, salt, pepper with 4 TBS olive oil in a large pot until onions have some color.
-Throw in chunks of 1 butternut squash (I buy precut chunks, so much easier), round carrot slices from 3 or 4 carrots, and small chunks of one green apple (no skin).
-Cook uncovered until all the veggies are falling apart.
-Then add 2 cups veggie stock, cook through for 10 min
-Now blend it smooth (stick blender, cuisinart, what have you)
-Back on the stove for more veg stock and 1 cup cream until thinned to your liking

Winter Vegetable Wilt
-Clean and de-stem one bunch swiss chard and one bunch kale, cut into 1/4 inch ribbons
-sautee onion, garlic, and cumin with some olive oil until soft
-add greens and one can of chickpeas (drained) and 1/4 cup white wine, salt and pepper
-stir to combine then cover and put on low heat until greens are dark and wilted

Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
-halve sprouts
-grease cookie sheet with olive oil
-place sprouts cut side down
-sprinkle tops with more oil and balsamic vinegar and salt
-roast at 450 degrees for about an hour until brown and crisp on outside, soft on inside

The apple in the soup is a secret (shhh don't tell anyone). This was my first year testing the winter greens out, and I have to make a whole new batch because my roommate and I ate it all last night. Remember that those greens need more salt than you think they will.
posted by rmless at 11:54 AM on November 21, 2007

This risotto recipe, with veggie stock instead of chicken is a great festiva holiday meal. Add toasted walnuts and it's perfect for Thanksgiving and a nice sunny yellow color.
posted by jessamyn at 12:12 PM on November 21, 2007

I'd just add one or two green things and you're golden. Maybe steamed green beans or asparagus, spritzed with lemon juice and a bit of butter.

Then make a spinach salad - spinach, pears, blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, almonds.

My favorite hearty vegetarian Thanksgiving meal is acorn squash stuffed with rice. Half and seed the squash, then cook face down in water for 45 minutes to an hour at 400 degrees, until soft. Cook up a risotto or with wild rice, and stuff it into the acorn squash hollows. This is really great because acorn squash and wild rice are both native to North America, so they are food that indigenous people were likely eating 400 years ago.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 12:23 PM on November 21, 2007

Hooray veggie T-giving!

And - eponysterical:
Oops - does honey violate the vegetarian thing? Forgive me for I love me my meat :)
posted by dancinglamb at 8:47 AM on November 21 [+] [!]
posted by tr33hggr at 12:43 PM on November 21, 2007

My dear mum sent me two recipies, one for a unique cranberry-pear-ginger chutney, and the other from the November Gourmet- a Pumpkin stew with seitan.
posted by wzcx at 12:49 PM on November 21, 2007

Green Bean Casserole, Candied Lime Sweet Potatoes or Ginger Roasted Winter Vegetables
posted by davar at 1:10 PM on November 21, 2007

Mmmmmmm Tofurky (with a soy-orange glaze) is my favorite part of Thanksgiving! I usually do a nice fall salad with dried cranberries, nuts, oranges, goat cheese, and a handful of greens and veggies -- plus the traditional side dishes ... A nice cream of pumpkin soup is good; I also do a whole wheat pasta with pumpkin sauce (basically rich white sauce with pumpkin), walnuts, and freshly grated Parmesan. For greens, you could do a nice creamed spinach or make zucchini or green beans with a browned nut butter (brown some nuts - pine nuts are my fave - then grind them up, mix with melted butter, and add to the zucchini/green beans with a little salt and pepper ...... mmmm!).
posted by roundrock at 1:57 PM on November 21, 2007

Cook brown rice in vegetable broth. Mix in cooked celery, parsley and cashews. More cooked green vegetables if you like. Everyone loves it.
posted by cda at 1:59 PM on November 21, 2007

Green Beans and Pearl Onions

12 small Pearl Onions, peeled
1 pound Green beans
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 Clove garlic, chopped

1. Put onions in a small amount of boiling salted water in a saucepan. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until onions are tender. Drain when finished.

2. Meanwhile, wash fresh green beans, break off ends and cut lengthwise into fine strips. Bring a small amount of water to boiling in saucepan, add 1/4 teaspoon salt and the prepared beans. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until the beans are tender. Drain when finished.

3. Heat oil and garlic in a skillet until garlic is slightly browned. Add green beans and onions, season with more salt and pepper to taste and cook 5 minutes until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

You can use frozen green beans and onions, but fresh is better. This obviously doesn't make a whole lot of food, but it's easily doubled.
posted by deborah at 10:13 PM on November 21, 2007

The Cook's Illustrated people have a recipe for green bean casserole that's delicious. Far better, I think, than the vegan or Food Network ones already mentioned here.

I made it for Thanksgiving this year (the Canadian version was some weeks back), and it was a huge hit.

Which was interesting, because nobody had ever heard of it. I had always thought of it as an American dish, but not THAT much of one. Nope. I had to go to three supermarkets to get the fried onion things.

Cook's Illustrated wants a login, but there's a 'free trial'...

"Pumpkin stew with seitan" would leave me gagging. This vegetarian is of the opinion that just 'sides' are fine; I'm with klangklangston, here. Mashed rutabaga goes nicely with all the mashed potato of a good Thanksgiving spread, too. If you fuss with too many fussy dishes, you ruin the pleasure of just digging into a few mountains of bland, warm starchy goodness.
posted by kmennie at 2:35 AM on November 22, 2007