Thanksgiving menu for vegetarian guest

[Anonymous]

Former vegetarian who thinks that typical Thanksgiving meal has plenty of non-meat (and non-seafood!) dishes with plenty of protein.

It’s not like a backyard grill where most vegetarians would want (and probably bring their own) veggie burger since the corn on the cob and watermelon wouldn’t make a filling meal.

[Anonymous]

Thanksgiving is one of the easier days to be vegetarian because there are so many dishes that you really don’t go hungry. That being said, OP you seem to lack some very basic knowledge and understanding, so I can see where your SIL must get frustrated.

General tip is to not add meat gratuitously to every side - eg, don’t throw bacon/ham into the green beans and don’t cook the rice in chicken broth. It is fine if some dishes contain meat as long as there is a good selection that don’t.

[Anonymous]

I don’t need a main if I can eat most of the sides, but there’s often chicken broth in the stuffing or bacon on the Brussels sprouts etc, and I’m not going to tell anyone how to cook their food. I’ll ask in advance and bring something if I need to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you make a special entree like fish for the single vegetarian in the family or assume they will get by eating other items. My sister in law is furious we don’t provide another entree for her. I have so many dishes and appetizers I can’t imagine anyone would go hungry. And for what it’s worth I make some nice appetizers such as smoked salmon and shrimp cocktail plus lobster bisque … I feel like my sister in law just wants to comp plain and feel special. I suggested she bring an entree this year and my husband told me now she’s doubly offended.

Fish isn't a vegetarian. Yes, I do as I'm a vegetarian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t need a main if I can eat most of the sides, but there’s often chicken broth in the stuffing or bacon on the Brussels sprouts etc, and I’m not going to tell anyone how to cook their food. I’ll ask in advance and bring something if I need to.

Seriously? You can’t ignore the minuscule amount of animal origin in the broth and just eat around the bacon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you make a special entree like fish for the single vegetarian in the family or assume they will get by eating other items. My sister in law is furious we don’t provide another entree for her. I have so many dishes and appetizers I can’t imagine anyone would go hungry. And for what it’s worth I make some nice appetizers such as smoked salmon and shrimp cocktail plus lobster bisque … I feel like my sister in law just wants to comp plain and feel special. I suggested she bring an entree this year and my husband told me now she’s doubly offended.

So, you can make three different kinds of seafood appetizers, but not one vegetarian?

To answer your question, yes I make a protein vegetarian option if a vegetarian is coming- I usually make enough if others want some too. Plus, I talk to them beforehand to see what kind of dish they prefer.

Why would you make a fish dish for a vegetarian?

Because they’re actually pescatarian

that's different from vegetarian.

[Anonymous]

Out of my plate on Thanksgiving usually has: Turkey, stuffing, onions, cranberries, sweet potatoes, corn. There are PLENTY of things to eat at Thanksgiving besides the meat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t need a main if I can eat most of the sides, but there’s often chicken broth in the stuffing or bacon on the Brussels sprouts etc, and I’m not going to tell anyone how to cook their food. I’ll ask in advance and bring something if I need to.

Seriously? You can’t ignore the minuscule amount of animal origin in the broth and just eat around the bacon?

Is this op or are there multiple people who don’t know what a vegetarian is

[Anonymous]

My brother and SIL are pescatarian, and yes, I make both fried and baked fish for them (but there's plenty for other people too). I also cook a separate batch of green beans for them without any bacon. I'm happy to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Out of my plate on Thanksgiving usually has: Turkey, stuffing, onions, cranberries, sweet potatoes, corn. There are PLENTY of things to eat at Thanksgiving besides the meat.

+1. Plus Brussel sprouts, green beans, butternut squash, mashed potatoes with gravy on the side and any sort of bread/dinner roll. These are all common Thanksgiving dishes that are vegetarian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t need a main if I can eat most of the sides, but there’s often chicken broth in the stuffing or bacon on the Brussels sprouts etc, and I’m not going to tell anyone how to cook their food. I’ll ask in advance and bring something if I need to.

Seriously? You can’t ignore the minuscule amount of animal origin in the broth and just eat around the bacon?

A different PP here. Things cooked with bacon smell like bacon and sometimes taste like bacon. If you do not eat pork, that taste and smell can be pretty distressing on your own plate. If I taste something made with chicken broth, I can get a few bites down but then I start thinking about the live chickens, how chickens are raised and slaughtered, etc., and I can’t eat any more of it. If it doesn’t taste strongly of chicken, I can eat it but feel unhappy and unsettled knowing what was in it. As a host, I don’t want my guests to have that feeling.

Could YOU eat something you find repulsive? Maybe monkey brains or fish eyeballs? Some can, some can’t. In this day and age, it’s not hard to make vegetarian food. Truly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t need a main if I can eat most of the sides, but there’s often chicken broth in the stuffing or bacon on the Brussels sprouts etc, and I’m not going to tell anyone how to cook their food. I’ll ask in advance and bring something if I need to.

Seriously? You can’t ignore the minuscule amount of animal origin in the broth and just eat around the bacon?

what kind of quesiton is this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t need a main if I can eat most of the sides, but there’s often chicken broth in the stuffing or bacon on the Brussels sprouts etc, and I’m not going to tell anyone how to cook their food. I’ll ask in advance and bring something if I need to.

Seriously? You can’t ignore the minuscule amount of animal origin in the broth and just eat around the bacon?

A different PP here. Things cooked with bacon smell like bacon and sometimes taste like bacon. If you do not eat pork, that taste and smell can be pretty distressing on your own plate. If I taste something made with chicken broth, I can get a few bites down but then I start thinking about the live chickens, how chickens are raised and slaughtered, etc., and I can’t eat any more of it. If it doesn’t taste strongly of chicken, I can eat it but feel unhappy and unsettled knowing what was in it. As a host, I don’t want my guests to have that feeling.

Could YOU eat something you find repulsive? Maybe monkey brains or fish eyeballs? Some can, some can’t. In this day and age, it’s not hard to make vegetarian food. Truly.

Why would you take a few bites of something with chicken broth if you are a vegetarian? I ask and if they cannot clearly tell me I don't eat it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Out of my plate on Thanksgiving usually has: Turkey, stuffing, onions, cranberries, sweet potatoes, corn. There are PLENTY of things to eat at Thanksgiving besides the meat.

Not really. Stuffing is usually not vegetarian. What's on the corn and sweet potatoes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Out of my plate on Thanksgiving usually has: Turkey, stuffing, onions, cranberries, sweet potatoes, corn. There are PLENTY of things to eat at Thanksgiving besides the meat.

+1. Plus Brussel sprouts, green beans, butternut squash, mashed potatoes with gravy on the side and any sort of bread/dinner roll. These are all common Thanksgiving dishes that are vegetarian.

Gravy is not vegetarian, and it depends on what is in the potatoes and veggies.