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A good host is prepared for all of his or her guests. So if you’re hosting Thanksgiving, this year, you should be ready to have dishes your vegan friends and family can enjoy. From vegan collard greens to vegan cocktails, we’ve got you covered on tips for satisfying the vegans this holiday.
Gone are the days of the typical Thanksgiving spread that was limited to classic dishes like turkey and macaroni and cheese. If you’re vegan, the food-loving holiday looks quite different from you – but still tastes great.
Dominique Side — artist, serial entrepreneur, and vegan fashion/lifestyle influencer — has built a boutique vegan grocery store, founded the new “Nikki Green” luxury vegan clothing line, and is co-owner of the Vgn Bae Music Group, featuring an eco-friendly studio located in Houston, Texas. The vegan influencer is giving us her ultimate tips for the Thanksgiving table this year.
- What to do and bring if you are vegan and how to prepare for Thanksgiving Day
Dominique says, “It can be a challenging time to be a vegan around Thanksgiving but it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some delicious foods. For me, it depends on where I’m going for the holiday but I’ve been vegan for 6 years now and some of my friends and family have really embraced this change in my lifestyle. If there won’t be any dishes you’ll be able to eat, I’d suggest eating something before going so you’re not starving but still I’d usually bring something I know I’m going to want to eat. And if you can make enough that others can try it and surprise them that it’s vegan and still yummy, maybe you’ll make them rethink it too.”
- How to handle hosting a vegan at your table and making them feel welcome
“I’d say try to be open-minded. Let them bring a vegan dish and give it a shot. There are lots of reasons to go vegan and people all do it for different reasons. For me, it’s a personal conviction, I call it a compassion mindset. So, I have compassion for other beings, compassion for the planet, and compassion for myself. That encompasses all the reasons why anyone would decide to become vegan, animals, the environment, and for their health.”
Vegan Collard Greens
- Favorite dishes for Thanksgiving and plant-based alternatives to try this year
Dominique told Hello Beautiful, “So my favorite thing and my go-to that people have enjoyed since my transition to veganism is still my cornbread dressing. It was their favorite thing before I was vegan, back then I made it with seafood. Transitioning that dish definitely took some work because of how I made it but it’s definitely still the household favorite for the holidays from me. This time of year every year people message me for the recipe.
Another dish people really enjoy, being from the south, is my vegan collard greens. Family and friends will try it and just can’t believe it’s vegan. Most people, especially in the south, cook greens with smoked meats but you can use a little liquid smoke instead to give it that flavor. You can also use fake bacon bits. They’re soy-based and actually vegan. They’re dehydrated and when they soak up that juice, honey, it’s amazing.”
- Advice and tips for anyone thinking of making the transition to a vegan lifestyle
Dominique said, “My advice is to take it one step at a time. Usually, my first tip is to try and cut out dairy. Whenever someone asks me about transitioning to being vegan I tell them to try and eliminate dairy from their diet. If you can do that, you can do anything because dairy is sneaky! It is in everything.”
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