It’s time for some holiday fun and festivities, and what matters most over the holidays is spending time with those we love. It doesn’t matter how large or small your holiday gatherings are when we come together for love, laughs, and the incredible food! When hosting holiday parties, we tend to go all out and prepare a table loaded with delicious and mouth-watering foods. And you can’t go wrong with these easy to prepare, delectable vegan holiday dishes that are sure to impress your guests (yes, even the picky eaters!) with rich flavors and nutrients your body needs while being cruelty-free! They’re tasty, hearty, and will become more than just a meal - but a family tradition.
Buon Natale e Buone Feste!!!
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APPETIZER - Cucumber Bites with Sun Dried Tomato Spread
The perfect make ahead, one bite appetizer for holiday entertaining! Quick and easy to make, gluten free, oil free, and vegan!
Ingredients:
Instructions:
- Make the Sun Dried Tomato Spread. This can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to several days.
- When ready to serve, cut the cucumber into slices. Using a 1/4 tsp measuring spoon like a melon baller, take out the seeds of each slice. Don’t scoop all the way through, you want the bottom of the slice to be intact so your filing will sit inside.
- Fill each cucumber “cup” with the sun dried tomato spread (you can use a spoon or place the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe the filling in.
- Garnish with hemp hearts, tiny basil leaves or both (optional)
Nutrition: Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 4.1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.7mg
SALAD - Vegan Christmas Salad
This festive vegan Christmas salad is the perfect side dish to serve with your holiday meal! Loaded with arugula, nutty wild rice, roasted pecans, juicy pomegranate arils, green onions, tart dried cherries, and tangy garlic dijon dressing; this hearty gluten-free salad is a major crowd pleaser!
Ingredients:
SaladGarlic Dijon Dressing
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh garlic minced
- ½ tsp salt (add more to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- First, cook the wild rice. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Salt the water and add the wild rice. Reduce the heat to a low simmer (medium-high), and let the rice cook for 40-45 minutes. Most of the grains will pop open and taste chewy and tender. Drain any excess water and let it cool for 20-30 minutes.
- While the rice is cooling, prep all the salad ingredients. Roughly chop the arugula and pecans, slice the green onions, and remove the arils from the pomegranate.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Combine the cooled wild rice, arugula, pomegranate arils, green onions, pecans, and dried cherries in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix it well to combine all of the ingredients. You can eat it immediately or put it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes before serving.
MAIN - Creamy Spinach Artichoke Vegan Lasagna
An incredibly creamy vegan lasagna features layers of savory spinach artichoke dip, flavorful organic tomato sauce, roasted garlic mushrooms, and perfectly cooked (gluten-free) no-boil lasagna noodles. This easy to make family-friendly recipe is soon to be a holiday favorite!
Ingredients:
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice the mushrooms and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Sprinkle 1 tsp of garlic powder over the mushrooms, toss to coat each mushroom, and then roast the mushrooms for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- While the mushrooms are roasting, make the spinach artichoke dip.
- In a large 9x13 casserole dish, add 1 cup of tomato sauce and spread it around to coat the bottom evenly. Reserve 1 cup of sauce for the top layer of the lasagna.
- Arrange 3-4 lasagna (depending on how wide they are) noodles on top of the sauce. If there are any gaps on the side, it's ok to break a few noodles to fill in the gaps.
- Next, add a layer of spinach artichoke dip and a layer of roasted mushrooms. Repeat these 4 layers until you run out of ingredients. Top the lasagna with the remaining 1 cup of tomato sauce that you reserved earlier. If you want, you can sprinkle vegan shredded cheese or a few spoonfuls of spinach dip on top, but it's not necessary.
- Increase the oven heat to 375 degrees. Cover the lasagna with parchment paper or foil and then bake it for 45 minutes. Remove the covering during the last 5 minutes to make sure the cheese shreds melt completely.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it set up and cool for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with dried parsley.
Nutrition: Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 530IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 3mg
DESSERT - Chocolate Peanut Butter Hummus
This double-dipping worthy dessert hummus is a wholesome treat that tastes decadent and indulgent, it is the perfect holiday dessert that's free of refined sugar, gluten, and dairy. Serve with fresh fruits and vegan graham crackers.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
- Add the drained chickpeas, 3 tbsp peanut butter, ⅓ cup cacao powder, ⅓ cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp coconut milk, and ¼ tsp sea salt to a high powered blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If it's too thick, add a little bit more liquid to the hummus.
- Scoop the hummus into a bowl and garnish it with a drizzle (2 tbsp) of peanut butter and a few chocolate chips (optional). Serve the hummus with strawberries, pretzels, or crackers.
- Store leftover hummus in an airtight container in the fridge.