Vegan Thanksgiving 2016: Purple Carrot Thanksgiving-Inspired Meal Kit Recipes

Purple Carrot is the only exclusively plant-based meal kit delivery service that makes it easy for people to create delicious, plant-based meals at home. Purple Carrot sends all the fresh, pre-measured ingredients for seasonal recipes developed and tested by a team of chefs to consumers who subscribe to the service.

Following are some of the best Thanksgiving-inspired meal kit recipes from Purple Carrot to enjoy 2016 Thanksgiving the vegan way.

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts and Avocado Vinaigrette

Brussels sprouts are a Thanksgiving classic—roasted, sautéed, or shredded, we think they’re absolutely delicious. They’re also one of the more nutritious options on the holiday table, as a good source of protein, iron, and potassium.

We chose to complement them here with toasted cranberries and nuts for a nice, sweet-and-smoky flavor. The healthy fats in avocado make for a creamy, oil-free dressing that’s the finishing touch.

Ingredients

3/4 cup quinoa
1 avocado
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
10 oz Brussels sprouts
1 clementine
2 tbsp hazelnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil*
Salt and pepper*

*Not included

Summary

Prep time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Heart-healthy
Lowers cholesterol
High-protein
Fall/Winter
Easy

Nutrition

Calories: 575
Fat: 25 g
Carbohydrates: 75 g
Protein: 19 g

Instructions

#1. Place a small saucepan over high heat. Add 1 3/4 cups water and the quinoa, and season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook until the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

#2. Halve the avocado, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh from the skin. Discard pit and skin. Reserve one half for garnish, and add the other half to a blender. To the blender, also add the sherry vinegar, and 3/4 cup water. Blend until smooth, about a minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

#3. Rinse and dry the produce. Trim the stems from the Brussels sprouts. Discard stems, and thinly slice the sprouts. Peel the clementine, separate the segments, and cut each segment in half. Thinly slice the remaining avocado half. Set everything aside.

#4. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil. Roughly chop the hazelnuts, just enough to break them up a little bit. Put them in the pan, and toast them just until they begin to get fragrant and turn a golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

#5. When the nuts are toasted, add the shredded Brussels sprouts, cranberries, and hemp seeds to the same pan. Cook until the Brussels sprouts are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

#6. In dinner bowls, portion out the quinoa, and top with the Brussels sprouts. Pour the avocado dressing on top, and garnish with the diced clementines and avocado. Enjoy!

Lo Mein with Soy-Glazed Mushrooms and Bok Choy

The Mid-Autumn Festival is traditionally celebrated in Asia a little earlier in the year, but we wanted to pay homage to the way other cultures around the world come together to celebrate the harvest season with friends and family.

Earthy, autumnal shiitake and enoki mushrooms are the stars here, but all of the key ingredients are regarded as symbols of prosperity and longevity, so eat up!

Ingredients

Garlic
Fresh ginger
4 oz enoki mushrooms
4 oz shiitake mushrooms
4 oz bok choy
1 scallion
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp soy sauce
6 oz lo mein noodles
3 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp vegetable oil*
Salt*

*Not included

Summary

Prep time: 35 minutes
Servings: 2
Heart-healthy
Lowers cholesterol
Low-carb
Low-fat
Fall/Winter
Easy

Nutrition

Calories: 380
Fat: 13 g
Carbohydrates: 56 g
Protein: 11 g

Instructions

#1. Fill a medium saucepan with water and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil over high heat for the noodles later. Peel and mince the ginger. Mince the garlic. Trim the ends off of the enoki mushrooms. Separate the caps of the shiitake mushrooms from their stems. Discard stems and trimmings. Wipe the shiitake caps clean with a damp paper towel, and roughly chop them.

#2. Rinse the bok choy and scallion. Thinly slice the scallion and set aside. Roughly chop the bok choy. Place a large skillet over high heat with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add all of the mushrooms, and cook until they begin to brown in places, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

#3. While the mushrooms cook, start the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 3/4 cup water and the soy sauce. Stir with a whisk and set aside.

#4. Add the lo mein noodles to the pot of boiling water, slowly stirring them all in as they soften. Bring the pot back to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium. Cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain into a colander, and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1 tsp of sesame oil to prevent sticking.

#5. Add the bok choy and all but 1 tbsp of scallions to the pan with the mushrooms. Add the rice wine vinegar and cook about 1 minute, and then add the soy sauce mixture to the pan. Toss everything together to evenly coat. Cook until the sauce thickens and bok choy is bright green, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

#6. Portion the lo mein noodles onto a plate. Top with the sautéed mushrooms and bok choy. Garnish with the remaining 1 tbsp scallions. Drizzle the rest of the sesame oil on top to taste. Enjoy!

Cashew Korma with Cauliflower Rice

This dish is a Purple Carrot classic and one of our absolute favorites. We wanted to share it with you at this time of year as our way of saying “thanks”—for cooking along with us, for sharing your feedback, and for being a continual source of inspiration to all of us on the team!

We’re grateful for you, and we hope you feel extra-warmed as you enjoy this unique, richly flavored Indian stew, served over light and healthy cauliflower rice.

Ingredients

4 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes
12 oz cauliflower
1 onion
Garlic
Fresh ginger
1 red bell pepper
4 tbsp coconut powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup peas
1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil*
Salt and pepper*

*Not included

Summary

Prep time: 35 minutes
Servings: 2
Heart-healthy
Lowers cholesterol
Low-carb
Fall/Winter

Nutrition

Calories: 530
Fat: 38 g
Carbohydrates: 49 g
Protein: 13 g

Instructions

#1. Scrub and peel the potatoes. Cut them into ½-inch cubes. Fill a large pot with water, and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, and then drain the potatoes.

#2. Rinse and trim the cauliflower. Roughly chop into florets, and put in a food processor. Working in batches, pulse the cauliflower — checking periodically — until it becomes an even, rice-sized consistency. Don’t try to do it all at once or pulse too long, or you’ll turn the cauliflower into a paste.

#3. Put 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

#4. Meanwhile, peel and dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Peel and mince the ginger. Rinse, trim, and chop the bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces.

#5. In the same skillet, put 1 tbsp oil, and return to medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until slightly softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the curry powder, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, and chile flakes, and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the garlic, ginger, bell pepper, and cashews, and cook until beginning to soften, stirring frequently, about a minute.

#6. Add the potatoes, reserved cooking water, coconut milk, and peas to the skillet. Rinse and halve the lemon. Add the juice of one half to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the cauliflower rice in bowls, and top with the cashew korma. Enjoy!

Purple Carrot is the only exclusively plant-based meal kit delivery service that makes it easy for people to create delicious, plant-based meals at home. Purple Carrot sends all the fresh, pre-measured ingredients for seasonal recipes developed and tested by a team of chefs to consumers who subscribe to the service. Our mission-based company helps customers recognize how food, health, and our environment are so closely connected.