This festive menu includes spicy marinated mushrooms, tofu-stuffed squash, miso pesto roasted vegetables, and a unique cranberry ice dessert. Try it as a non-traditional approach to serving a holiday meal or any other time you want to dazzle your friends or family with a plant powered meal. The free pdf includes the recipes, shopping list, costs, steps and timing to prep and cook, equipment and serving details.
The origin of this meal plan
Sometimes creating vegan versions of traditional holiday foods can leave one underwhelmed. Or, when you want to simply make a special meal, it’s hard to find vegan recipes that stand out. Lean into the plant powered nature of a vegan meal and embrace new recipes. Cook a delicious and festive vegan meal that is inspired and different. The plan includes everything you need to pull it off with ease. Ready to change it up?
What you’ll love about this festive meal!
🍽️ It’s Vegan! If you’re pumped to eat more vegetables, a great way to start is by eating a meal that focuses on a variety of vegetables (seven different veggies and even five fruits are featured [in small amounts] in this meal!). The tofu recipe is delicious as well, and is a special way to serve tofu for a festive meal.
🍽️ Organization: I’ve spent the time organizing the shopping list, including on-hand pantry items, with quantities, costs, and substitutions all in one easy to use grocery list, saving you hours. I’ve also spent the time creating the work flow for prepping and cooking all the recipes in a coordinated manner, down to the minute, so you can make a special meal with ease and confidence.
🍽️ Flavor: sometimes holiday meals can be comforting but a bit bland. Here I’ve included lots of flavors, from miso herb pesto, to spicy sesame mushrooms, to flavorful tofu and shiitake stuffed squash and topping it off with a unique (family recipe!) cranberry ice.
🍽️ Serves 4: often holiday recipes feed a crowd and are huge! To minimize waste, and fit what I think is a more common trend of smaller gatherings, this meal plan serves 4. Feel free to double for 8 if you are entertaining a crowd (or triple it for twelve). The timing to prepare will increase, of course.
🍽️ Timing: this meal comes together in 2 hours (your active prep time is 40min) with about an hour spent prepping three components ahead of time (+40min pre-baking squash).
🍽️ Cost: the meal plan only costs $4.99. All four recipes are already available on my site, if you do not wish to purchase the plan. For $4.99 you can save yourself hours of time organizing ingredients, shopping and figuring out how to bring it all together at once, not to mention the creative energy required to come up with the original recipes that work well together to create something new and festive for your friends or family.
🍽️ Quick shop option: in each recipe card there is a link to purchase the ingredients from Instacart, if you like. Super convenient, super quick (I do earn a small affiliate fee if you use the link to shop in the recipe card)
The recipes for this menu
Traditional holiday meals can be comforting because we know what to expect, but sometimes, a non-traditional meal can enliven a holiday meal with family or friends. This meal plan does just that. It’s powered by flavor and lots of veggies- but without too many ingredients, and with a prep that’s not only a breeze, but with details I’ve laid out for you to a T!
- Appetizer Salad: Spicy Sesame Marinated Beech Mushrooms
- Main: Tofu-Stuffed Squash with Onions and Shiitake Mushrooms
- Side: Miso Pesto Roasted Vegetables (optional to serve over jasmine rice)
- Dessert: Cranberry Ice (a special family recipe- easier than sorbet, with options to enhance flavors with warming spices).
What’s included in the meal plan
If you are ambitious, you can simply access the four recipes above and make them together for a great meal, or get my meal plan pdf to save yourself from stressing over how to organize the meal prep to bring it all together and to save hours organizing the ingredients for all four recipes. My meal plan includes:
- One alphabetical grocery list organized by department, for all four recipes that includes quantities and substitutions all in one place.
- Meal cost by ingredients, based on how much you’ll likely have to buy as well as how much you’ll actually use.
- Pantry essentials and their quantities so you know if you have enough on hand of the everyday items like spices and condiments.
- Meal prep details, down to the minute with step by step instructions of what to make when in order to have all four recipes ready to serve at once (3.5 hours total, with 1.5 hours active time).
- Make ahead prep details for 3 components (vinaigrette, yogurt topping, cookies) that can be prepared 1-3 days ahead of time.
- The equipment and serving dishes you will need to make and serve this meal!
The cost of this meal
- Based on shopping at a basic grocery store, the cost of this meal that serves four is $60 ($15 per person). You can see how your costs compare in the pdf.
- I used Instacart and Wholefoods prices before the fees were added in. You may likely get the ingredients for less (or more if you shop at a smaller bodega in the city or farmer’s market).
- The pantry staples cost the least, and you don’t use that much of each of those ingredients.
- The most expensive ingredients for this meal tend to be the mushrooms, squash and cherry tomatoes. Tofu is very affordable!
- Remember that I offer substitutions for many of the ingredients in case you want to choose a less expensive option.
Don’t forget to grab the free PDF!
Take the stress out of your holiday gathering and infuse it with joy by making these delightful vegan recipes ~ fit for a foodie!
