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You won't miss the meat this holiday season with this tasty veggie stuffing

As a vegetarian for the last decade, I used to feel like I missed out on a lot of holiday staples, one of them being classic stuffing. That is until I perfected a solid stuffing even when omitting the meat. It is completely possible to get the moisture level just right, and all it takes is a little broth and veggie gravy love.

My goal for any dish I'm cooking is to include the best local, in season, organic and pesticide-free ingredients, not only for the environmental benefits and nutrition but also for the taste. The bonus? This recipe can be either vegetarian or vegan. 

 

THE BROTH

Even though you can use store-bought broth, I love using whatever I have left from my garden, jar stash or local markets to make my own. In order to not have a long cooking day, make the broth a day or two before you’re planning on making stuffing. You may have your own recipe, but if not, I really love this festive one. Start with less broth and keep some extra on hand to add throughout the baking process. It’s always better to let your bread absorb the liquid rather than have a bread-y soup.

 

THE BREAD

Again, you can use any store-bought breadcrumbs or croutons, but I am such a fan of sourdough or rye breads. They leave me feeling comfortably full and nourished, which is the key when having this much bread at once. You can also make your own sourdough bread if you’re feeling ambitious. For the bread, cut one regular-sized loaf into cubes and place on a single layer baking sheet. Bake at 300 F until the bread is dried but not burned (about 25 to 30 minutes).



THE "MEAT"

Some may opt for a tempeh, tofu or happily grown meat, but I personally love a mix of mushrooms, walnuts and almonds (8 oz mushrooms, 1/4 cup of crushed walnuts, 1/4 cup of crushed almonds). I chop them up finely and throw all of them into a skillet with:

  • 3 tbsp avocado oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped or minced
  • 1 tsp of ginger powder, or fresh ginger for extra kick
  • ½ tsp maple syrup or agave
  • 1 tsp dried basil, or 2 to 3 fresh leaves
  • 1 tsp dried sage, or 5 fresh leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Cranberries to taste
  • Grass-fed butter, splash of cream/oat milk to make it into a mushroom gravy, optional

     

THE STUFFING

Let’s get your dose of veggies in there. I’m a firm believer in putting in whatever you like to eat, but since we’re going with festive flavours like ginger and cranberries, here's what complements those flavours well.

  • 1 large red onion
  • 4 celery stalks
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 dash clove
  • 1½ tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 to 3 cups vegetable stock, save 1 cup to add in while baking
  • 1 tbsp butter or Earth Balance
  • 1 to 2 tsp salt if you use unsalted butter or Earth Balance
  • ½ tsp pepper

While your bread is crisping, add the veggies into a saucepan and cook until they are tender but not too browned, for about 10 to 15 minutes. You can toss some fresh herbs here if you’d like.

 

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

  1. Increase oven temperature to 350 F.
  2. Add bread, mushroom mix, veggies and 2 cups of the veggie broth into a bowl and mix well. Let it sit for a few minutes to absorb all of the moisture (you can cover with a cloth) before placing the mixture into the dish. First, cover the dish with butter of choice, place the mixture inside and cover with foil.
  3. Bake for 40 minutes.
  4. Remove foil and add in more stock if needed. Keep foil removed, increase temperature to 425 F and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
  5. Remove from oven and drizzle with any syrup, extra cinnamon, cranberries, or fresh herbs when serving.