A complete vegetarian (and vegan!) Thanksgiving guide

Even if you're not a vegetarian, there are lots of great reasons to avoid turkey this year by celebrating with a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal! Or, if you are expecting vegetarian guests, you will want to make sure to have plenty of vegetarian sides and, of course, plenty of sweet potatoes and a homemade vegan apple pie.

If you're new to vegetarian cooking, or aren't sure what to prepare, this handy guide to easy vegetarian substitutes specifically for Thanksgiving will help you prepare a hearty meal suitable for vegetarians and vegans without too much trouble at all.

If you'll be preparing a vegetarian turkey roast this Thanksgiving, why not follow recent food trends and go all-out by preparing a deep-fried Tofurky? Remember though, just because it's vegetarian, that doesn't mean it's healthy! Sure, your deep-fried Tofurky will have less cholesterol than the meat version, but it sure won't have less fat if you deep-fry it!

Not into fake meats? Browse through dozens of vegetarian Thanksgiving entree ideas, including rice pilafs, stuffed squash recipes, pumpkin dishes and more fall centerpiece dish ideas.

No matter what you're preparing this holiday, you'll need a good vegetarian gravy as well as a traditional and festive recipe for vegetarian stuffing. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without stuffing and gravy! Stuffed acorn squash, baked with beans and maple syrup makes an impressive centerpiece for your vegetarian or vegan guests, yet is simple to prepare. There's plenty more vegetarian and vegan Thanksgiving dishes to choose from - a vegetarian or vegan Thanksgiving can be just as abundant and traditional as others!

Pictured: Homemade Tofu Turkey

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