At Farm Sanctuary, Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate turkeys. In fact, each year, we honor them by serving a holiday feast at our New York and California sanctuaries…for our rescued turkey residents to enjoy! 

Sadly, for most turkeys, this holiday is nothing to be thankful for. This year, 46 million of these sentient birds will be slaughtered for Thanksgiving alone, despite the many vegan options available for our festive meals.

Put kindness at the center of your holiday with these turkey-free Thanksgiving recipes shared with you by Gail Patak, Farm Sanctuary’s talented new chef:

Leave turkeys out of it! You won’t be missing any of the flavors you love with this hearty and delicious Wellington.

Makes 6 Servings

Here’s what you’ll need for each component of the dish:

Turk’y Patties

6 individual vegan chickun patties, plain and unbreaded
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp Poultry Seasoning
1 tsp Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Melted vegan butter to seal puff pastry

Oyster Mushroom Stuffing

12 cups cubed sourdough bread
3 lbs oyster mushrooms (woody stems removed), chopped large
4 cups vegan butter
4 cups vegetable broth, storebought
Whole sleeve of celery (bottom removed), chopped medium, including all leaves
2 medium-sweet yellow onions, chopped medium
6 Tbsp poultry seasoning (McCormick works best)
2 Tbsp ground pepper
2 Tbsp Himalayan pink Sea salt

Mushroom Duxelles

4 Tbsp vegan butter
½ cup finely chopped shallot
4 tsp minced fresh garlic
2 lbs assorted mushrooms, finely chopped* (such as shiitake, white button, and cremini)
¼ tsp sea salt (Himalayan pink sea salt is preferred)
3 tsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp fresh finely chopped thyme, (remove hard stems)
2 Tbsp of cooking sherry or dry white wine

Thawed puff pastry, store-bought
Recommended: Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Sheets (kosher and vegan)

Your Wellington will be layered in the following order:

1. Thawed puff pastry, cut into 6-inch squares
2. Two (2) Tbsp of Oyster Mushroom Stuffing
3. Five (5) slices prepared turk’y
4. One (1) Tbsp Mushroom Duxelles

Turk’y pattie prep:
Set oven to 390 degrees

Place all patties on a frozen baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, seasoning, salt, and pepper, distributed equally.

Place in the oven and let cook for 20 minutes, turning halfway through. 

Oyster Mushroom Stuffing:

Prepare bread: Place medium-sized cubes on a baking sheet. Allow to slowly dry and crisp in the oven at 275-300 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and put into a large mixing bowl.

Broth and Vegetable Mix: On stovetop, bring broth, 3 cups of butter, celery (including leaves), chopped onions, 3 Tbsp of poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to a boil and let simmer for approximately 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 

Oyster Mushrooms: On stovetop over medium heat in a non-stick pan, sautée mushrooms in remaining 1 cup of butter with the 3 Tbsp of poultry seasoning. Let lightly brown for approximately 5 minutes, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 

Add the broth and vegetable mix with the sautéed oyster mushrooms to the cubed bread. Mix until completely incorporated. The stuffing can chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Mushroom Duxelles: (Mushroom Pate)
*When cleaning mushrooms, use a slightly damp cloth and wipe. Do not place in water. It breaks down the mushrooms.

Place all ingredients except for the wine in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat for approximately 2 minutes. Turn temperature to low, add wine and let reduce for about 10 minutes until most of the moisture is cooked off. Remove from heat and let cool.

Once cooled, place all of the mushroom mixture in a food processor and pulse to a chunky paste. Set aside 2 cups of Mushroom Duxelles if you’re making the gravy below.

Turk’y Wellington final assembly & baking:

Can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and kept in refrigerator until ready to reheat and serve.

Once all ingredients are prepared, layer them onto each sheet of puff pastry. Begin with 2 Tbsp of Oyster Mushroom Stuffing, then add 5 slices of prepared turk’y, then finish it off with 1 Tbsp of Mushroom Duxelles. Wrap each sheet of puff pastry into a purse and seal it with melted vegan butter. Then, top with a little melted vegan butter and place in the oven at 425 degrees. Bake for about 15-20 minutes for partial bake preparation or 30 minutes to serve immediately.

To reheat and serve: Place in an oven-safe dish and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees.

Side dishes are the stars of the Thanksgiving table, right? Complete your feast with these creamy mashed potatoes. 

Makes 10 servings

NOTE: Yukon Golds will produce the creamiest, buttery-textured mash potatoes. The potatoes should be scrubbed, then kept whole with the peels attached. The peels provide a protection to help keep water from breaking down the potatoes — and providing the best flavor. When mashing the potatoes, always add the butter first to blend in well and create a barrier for the cooked potatoes. Always mash potatoes while hot. 

Ingredients:
5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
Pinch of sea salt (for cooking water)
1 ½ cups vegan butter at room temp
1 cup vegan Parmesan
1 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp Himalayan sea salt
2 cups full-fat oat milk

Instructions:
In a large pot, place unpeeled whole potatoes (do not cut) and fill to just above the potatoes with water. Add a pinch of sea salt and bring the potatoes to a full boil, then reduce to medium-high heat and cook until soft. A fork should be able to push through very easily; the softer the  potatoes, the creamier the mash. 

Remove cooked potatoes from heat and strain. Transfer into a large mixing bowl, add the butter and begin mashing, (you can use a hand or standing mixer). Once the butter is completely incorporated, add the remaining ingredients until well blended. 

Serve warm alongside your favorite vegan Thanksgiving dishes. 

Tip: Leftovers can be saved and used to create pan seared potato cakes.

Variations: Add some other favorite ingredients such as

• 4 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 1⁄2 cup chopped parsley or chives
• 1 cup vegan sour cream (for creaminess and a nice tangy flavor)
• mashed parsnips (1 pound for every 5 pounds of potatoes).

To top it all off, smother your mashed potatoes and Wellington with this tasty gravy for added flavor.

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup full-fat oat milk
6 Tbsp vegan butter, at room temperature
⅛ cup liquid aminos
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp ground black pepper
2 cups Mushroom Duxelles (see recipe above, under Turk’y Wellington)
4 Tbsp poultry seasoning (McCormick works well)
½ cup nutritional yeast
6 Tbsp cornstarch

Instructions:

Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend on medium-high speed until creamy and fully incorporated. This can be done in batches if needed.

Put mixture into a large stockpot or nonstick pan, and let simmer for 15 minutes.