What to do when gluten is literally off the table at Thanksgiving? This may sound like an odious restriction at a holiday built on carbs, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ve rounded up a bushel of gluten-free recipes that won’t leave you feeling like you’ve sacrificed taste or satiation.
An important thing to keep in mind when planning a gluten-free menu is that not all grains are off-limits. Wheat is troublesome, but cornmeal, buckwheat, and rice play a role in these recipes. Nuts, and legumes such as chickpeas and lentils are your friends, and potatoes are absolutely available to you. Turkey and green beans can stay on the table, and even good old cranberry sauce is still invited to the party. In short, a lot of holiday staples can stay in the picture, so your holiday can stay relatively traditional, if you want it to.
We’ve also got some ideas to consider if you’re ready to think outside of the Stouffer’s stuffing box. Squash is a nearly mandatory inclusion in a Thanksgiving dinner, and while the vegetable, of course, has no gluten, why not switch it up a little? Our coconut/cashew/squash curry is a little something different that still touches the same pleasure centers in the brain as the more usual suspects. Ditto lentils with caramelized onions, which have the same hearty chew and umami-rich flavor of many holiday dishes but don’t feel like the same-old, same old. And for dessert? Stay with the fruit theme that’s traditional at Thanksgiving. You won’t miss piecrust when you can have kumquat over meringue, or gingered fruit over sweet yogurt.
Arugula Pear Salad
Turnips shaved thin are an unexpected sweet addition to this salad from San Francisco Chef Ryan Pollnow of Aatxe restaurant.
Recipe: Arugula Pear Salad
Kale and Apple Salad with Walnut Dressing
Kale is perfect with apples and walnuts. This salad is a surefire hit at a potluck Thanksgiving.
Chicory Salad with Persimmons, Pomegranates, and Walnuts
Fuyu persimmons and pomegranates add autumn color and a sweet-tart punch to bitter chicories (frisée and radicchio).
Recipe: Chicory Salad with Persimmons, Pomegranates, and Walnuts
Cabbage, Cashew, and Fennel Salad
Cookbook author Andrea Nguyen and her family serve this crunchy Vietnamese-flavored slaw the day after Thanksgiving with leftovers. But we think it’s worthy of a spot on the holiday menu.
Warm Buckwheat Salad with Roasted Shallots, Apples, and Frisee
Earthy buckwheat serves as the base in this tasty whole grain salad, which would make a delicious side or filling main dish at the holiday meal.
Recipe: Warm Buckwheat Salad with Roasted Shallots, Apples, and Frisee
Grilled Butterflied Turkey
For juicy, crisp-skinned, evenly cooked turkey, you can do no better than a butterflied (spatchcocked) bird.
Recipe: Grilled Butterflied Turkey
Pure and Simple Cranberry Sauce
Nothing on your Thanksgiving menu is easier than cranberry sauce, whether you keep it classic or spice it up.
Recipe: Pure and Simple Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes with Herbed Greek Yogurt
These bright green potatoes add a bolt of color to the Thanksgiving table. Although luxuriously creamy, they have a nice tang to balance the richness.
Roasted Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Roasted cauliflower adds a nutty flavor and tender-chewy texture to creamy mashed potatoes.
Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips with Crisp Root Vegetable Strips
Save potato and parsnip peels for a wispy, crisp topping. The salty strips pair well with the sweetness of parsnips.
Recipe: Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips with Crisp Root Vegetable Strips
Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Goat Cheese
This is a decadent yet savory way to serve sweet potatoes. If you’re expecting vegetarians, make a couple of potatoes without the bacon. One potato can be enough for at least four people, depending on its size.
Recipe: Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Goat Cheese
Green Beans with Chanterelles and Cipollini
Chanterelle mushrooms and cipollini onions are worth the splurge, but you can substitute halved cremini mushrooms and frozen pearl onions and the results will still be very tasty.
Roasted Broccolini With Almond Parsley Pesto
Broccolini is glorious roasted, and even more delicious with this hearty, unusual pesto. You can sub in roasted regular broccoli if you’d like.
Broccoli Romanesco with Green Herb Sauce
Whorled broccoli romanesco is an exotic treat, yet it’s very easy to prepare–just steam until tender. If you can’t find small heads, just break a full-grown head into florets (cauliflower works too). This recipe is adapted from one in Vegetable Literacy (Ten Speed Press, 2013), by Deborah Madison.
Roasted Delicata Squash with Honey, Pomegranate Seeds, and Pepitas
The skin of delicata squash is tender when roasted and very flavorful, so try it along with the flesh.
Recipe: Roasted Delicata Squash with Honey, Pomegranate Seeds, and Pepitas
Roasted Cauliflower and Shallots with Chard and Dukkah
Dukkah, olive oil mixed with toasted spices and nuts, elevates roasted veggies to a standout side dish.
Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower and Shallots with Chard and Dukkah
Cashew, Coconut, and Squash Curry
Fall ingredients and untraditional-for-Thanksgiving flavors unite in this knockout curry served over (gluten-free) rice.
Spiced Red Lentils with Caramelized Onions and Spinach
Though the Indian seasonings are a departure from traditional Thanksgiving flavors, the bright vegetables in this vegan main dish are right in keeping with the holiday’s harvest theme. You can easily double it to serve a bigger group.
Recipe: Spiced Red Lentils with Caramelized Onions and Spinach
Corn Flour and Orange Blossom Chiffon Cake
“If cornbread were transformed into a sweet, moist, fluffy golden cake, this would be it,” says master baker Alice Medrich. She tops it here with whipped cream and crème fraîche, and curls of candied orange zest, but she likes it plain too.
Hazelnut Meringues with Kumquat Conserva
From Jenn Louis, chef at Portland’s Lincoln and Sunshine Tavern restaurants, these nut meringues topped with marmalade-like conserva and crème fraîche are irresistible (the dessert’s Italian name, brutti ma buoni, means “ugly but good”). For crisp meringues, bake them on a dry day.
Gingered Fruit with Honey Yogurt
When you need a dessert in a hurry, try this healthy one—it comes together in 15 minutes. Go ahead and experiment with different fruit too. For example, kiwi and banana pair well with ginger.
Recipe: Gingered Fruit with Honey Yogurt
Spiced Orange and Date Salad
Freshly squeezed orange juice with a little cinnamon dresses this simple salad.
Recipe: Spiced Orange and Date Salad
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