It would be nice but it's not realistic. :) I think I've only been invited to one Thanksgiving where they made a veggie version of stuffing for me. I thought it was very sweet. It's my choice to eat like I do so I don't expect people to go out of their way to accomodate my choices. You get used to not being able to indulge.

Since most people use broth in a lot of traditional Thanksgiving dishes, and I feel awkward asking how they make it, I usually just eat rolls and then dessert lol. Sometimes I bring my own food.

I agree! I suggested to my dear Mother that she make the stuffing veg. for my niece and her guest, but she said she would be making her usual recipe.....ahem....

I am fixing an acorn squash recipe with couscous stuffing for them. Could I mix the couscous recipe (includes dried fruit and garbanzo beans) half and half with some herb stuffing mix? And I have vegetable broth on hand too!

Please someone tell me if I should do this?
Teresa

When we were vegatarians we use to make nut loaf as the main course and vegatarian stuffing. Just used apple juice (if I added chopped apples and walnuts) or water instead of broth. With poultry seasoning and sauted onions and celery added, I never noticed any difference.
Clare

I know one long time vegan. He quietly brings his own food to every gathering at which we been together. He brings enough to share if someone else would like a serving. I have not seen him eat anything else on the table. He may but I've never noticed that he does. His wife is an omnivore. They are an interesting pairing in every way. She is an Episcopalian priest, he is a Jewish atheist. They have been married many years.

I would happily cook for a vegetarian or vegan. I simply don't know any to invite to eat my food! I would enjoy stretching my culinary skills.

Most Thanksgiving dishes can easily be made vegetarian by doing some little things, like swapping out veggie broth for chicken broth or leaving the bacon out. Assuming the dishes are otherwise meat-free, of course. When I was planning Thanksgiving, I modified everything to be vegetarian except the turkey and gravy. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, homemade green bean casserole, butternut squash puree, sweet potatoes, wild rice and corn casserole. Most were already vegetarian but some minor tweaking made everything else veggie-friendly as well. Chef's privledge. :)

Teresa, I think you should go for it! That's very nice of you. I'm sure they will appreciate it.

I generally use vegetable broth when making stuffing and make quite a few dishes that are vegan, even though no one I cook for is vegan - they just happen to be some of my favorite dishes. I have a more difficult time with those who will not eat garlic (like my brother in Texas). I always forget, and it ends up in everything from the stuffing to the gravy, potatoes, and salad dressing. He does have a different blood type from the rest of us (Rh negative), and so maybe he is part vampire or something. Last time I cooked, I made two types of gravy - one for each end of the table. His wife borrowed my mother's silver gravy boat and destroyed it the first time she used it, and so I am not very happy with her. She broke the handle off and dented the boat severely. I'll be seeing them again at Christmas, and I will not be cooking, as far as I know. Maybe a dessert.

Lars

Pulickman, he doesn't like garlic? He sounds a million times harder to cook for than a vegetarian! I put garlic in almost everything. Chi, with over 7 million vegetarians in America, I don't think it's too much to ask to cook one completely vegetarian dish. I think that if you go to the trouble of cooking a vegetarian dish then you should explain to the vegetarian that there is absolutely no meat products, including broth in it. Vegetarians do become skeptical, as there are so many definitions of "vegetarian" (although the original meant simply no dead animal products.) Theresa, that sounds delicious! Publick, someone who doesn't eat garlic sounds a million times more difficult to cook for than a vegetarian! Barnmom, go for it! You don't have to be vegetarian to eat dishes with no meat in them. Skip the fake meat- most vegetarians won't even touch that stuff, let alone meat eaters. Aptosca, I love apple stuffing! This thread has my mouth watering, I'm off to make some right now!

Lars, I'm in the no garlic camp, too. It didn't used to be a problem but most recently I find I suffer badly if I have garlic. For days. Don't ask.

So he may like it fine and simply be unable to eat it.

I actually know several people who are allergic to garlic. They really appreciated it when we one friend over for pizza night, and we were sure to exclude garlic from everything.

I cook a lot for vegetarian friends and it is no biggie. I don't use boxed vegetable broths since I don't like them - but I do use 'chicken' flavored vegetarian powdered soup base.

What brand of soup base do you use, Jessy? I agree with the boxed veggie broths. Every single one I've tried has tasted overwhelmingly of carrots and it's way too sweet.

I like the Better than Boullion fake chicken and beef flavors. Nice and flavorful and not sweet. The veggie base is pretty good too.

chi - I use my local health food store's bulk bin powder. At least I figure little fingers haven't been too busy in there, LOL. I refill a container of Telma or Osem brand version of the stuff, which I must state is chock full of MSG and salt. Ah well compromises.

Every time I use celery for something (stuffing, for example) I seem to have quite a bit left over. I've taken to making my own broths with it, which is really quite simple. I throw in whatever vegetables I have, even parts of veg (broccoli or cauliflower stems, etc) then I add a Paula Dean amount of butter and season with salt and pepper. The longer it simmers, the better. It freezes well and I don't have to feel guilty about letting food go to waste.

Lars, I've said it before...I love your posts.

Di

I have three vegetarian friends & have cooked for them many times. I have a good apple & pecan stuffing I make at Thanksgiving (along with my mother's sausage stuffing), & last year bought vegetarian mushroom gravy from Whole Foods. I do a lot of what chi83 mentions, using vegetable broth, leaving meat out of dishes, etc. Remember to use separate cooking utentils for stirring! It's a matter of getting used to it, though I'm not sure I would have an easy time cooking vegan.

Lars, how the heck dis she wreck the gravy boat? Throw it at someone and miss?