The holiday season is a special time to gather and celebrate each other as we express our gratitude for all that enriches our lives. 

Entertaining guests over the holidays can feel intimidating, especially when you want to impress loved ones with compassionate plant-based dishes that may be new to them. Don’t worry; we’re here to help!

From a turkey-free Thanksgiving feast to vegan desserts that will satisfy every sweet tooth, we have your celebrations covered this year.

Kick it all off with this beautiful but simple charcuterie board. It’ll take just a few minutes to put together, but it’s sure to please!

By Farm Sanctuary Chef, Gail Patak

The following are suggested components for this delicious dish, and a few recipes can be found below! However, you can substitute any of these items with other vegan foods you love to really make this charcuterie board your own.

• Vegan cheese (TreeLine Blueberry Goat-Style Cashew Cheese, or Nuts for Cheese Black Garlic Wedge, recommended)
• Kalamata olives
• Herb crostini (see recipe below)
• Caramelized sweet & spicy pecans (see recipe below)
• Pickled green beans
• Concord grapes
• Red plum compote (see recipe below)
• Vegan sausage (Beyond Sausage recommended)
• Vegan pepperoni (Beyond Pepperoni recommended)
• Sliced apples (honeycrisp recommended)

Once you’ve plated all the elements of your gorgeous charcuterie board, display it along with fall-inspired decor, like colorful leaves or pumpkins.

Ingredients:
1 storebought baguette of choice (check for dairy, eggs, or animal-derived fat)
~½ cup extra virgin olive oil (putting the oil in a squeeze bottle will help limit to the amount you want)
2-3 Tbsp All-purpose seasoning (Frontier Co-Op, Braggs, or Simply Organic recommended)

Instructions:
Place in oven and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, checking often. The bread should have a dry (crouton-like) texture and the color should be light golden-brown.

Ingredients:
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp vegan butter
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
6 cups pecans
Pinch of cayenne
1 additional tsp of sea salt to finish

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then set aside to cool. Add remaining ingredients, except pecans, to saucepan.

Place pecans in a large mixing bowl and add butter-maple syrup mixture, then toss until all pecans are coated. 

Place coated pecans on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, checking every few minutes so the nuts do not burn. Remove from oven and, while still warm, sprinkle remaining sea salt to finish.

*Nuts may burn easily, so keep the oven temperature at 325 degrees and adjust cooking time if needed.

Ingredients:
12 ripe red plums (or combine 6 red & 6 black)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 Tbsp maple syrup or agave
¼ tsp salt
4 Tbsp lemon juice (juice from 1 whole lemon)
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (optional)

Instructions:
Slice and remove pits from plums, then chop into 1-inch cubes, leaving the skins on. Transfer to a medium-sized saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, stir, then lower heat to a simmer. Let cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Castelvetrano: Italy – green, mild & buttery
Kalamata: Greece – dark purple, rich & smoky
Cerignola: Italy – green, crisp & buttery
Nicoise: France – jet black, strong but not overpowering
Liguria: Italy – green and black, strong-flavored, petite
Mission: U.S. – black, mild and bright flavor, popular on grocery shelves
Manzanilla: Spain – green, crisp & nutty, popular stuffed with pimentos
Amfissa: Greece – green and black, mild & fruity

Traditions take time, but you can mark the start of kinder holidays right now, by choosing delicious vegan food for your holiday celebrations this year.

Browse more of Farm Sanctuary’s pro-tips with tried and true holiday recipes loved by our team and desserts to complete your festive feast.