Sharina Desai

Growing up a vegetarian, I found it very difficult to find vegetarian-friendly meals over the holidays. My family never stuck to the traditional turkey during Thanksgiving or a whole roasted ham during Christmas. We were always finding substitutes to make up for our meatless dinners. Here are a few meals that my family and I have made over the past few years.

1. Potato Pierogis

Pierogis are one of my favorite dishes. Freshly steamed pierogis cooked with vibrant bell peppers, mushrooms, and spinach, seasoned with black pepper and parmesan cheese will be enough to get your mouth watering.

2. Butternut Squash Soup

This creamy soup made of squash, rosemary, thyme, ginger, celery, carrots, and tomatoes is a great meal for Thanksgiving. This soup makes you feel warm inside, giving you a sense of home. Butternut squash soup can be best paired with a salad, roasted vegetables, or my personal favorite, bruschetta.

3. Stuffed Bell Peppers

These flavorful peppers filled with wild rice and mozzarella cheese, covered in warm red sauce, are a great substitute from the usual ground beef or turkey stuffing. You could also try stuffing them with a mix of quinoa, black beans, corn, cheese, and cilantro.

4. Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza

This thick pizza with a crispy crust is filled with warm stringy cheese and can be topped off with your choice of toppings. All you really need is your dough, cheese, toppings, sauce, and a huge greased-up cast iron pan. This pizza will have you grabbing for seconds, thirds, and fourths.

5. Lasagna Soup

Lasagna soup made on a cold winter night is a great way to bring everyone together and enjoy the tasty soup. The herbs, cannellini beans, lasagna noodles, and grated parmesan cheese in the soup will quickly make it one of your favorite go-to wintertime comfort foods. The soup is a great pair with freshly baked rosemary focaccia bread.

6. Mexican Pasta

A dish bursting with flavor, the pasta is cooked with black beans, corn, cilantro, salsa, onions, cheese, and taco seasoning covered in a rich creamy tomato sauce. Mexican pasta goes well with crunchy tortilla chips and a nice bowl of guacamole. This dish is perfect for busy nights because it is quick and easy.