Serve an inclusive Thanksgiving dinner with these vegan dishes: Jasmine Mangalaseril

Very soon we'll be welcoming people into our homes and sharing dishes at celebratory tables. There'll be go-to dishes, spins on old favourites, and maybe an attempt at global flavours.

With more people avoiding wheat, dairy and meat, we want to be good hosts, but making multiple, separate, special meals for one dinner isn't always an option. A better solution is to design one meal for all your guests.

"Having meals that are more conducive to everyone, instead of pointing people out as 'you're different' and othering them, can make sure that everyone feels included," said chef Stephanie Soulis, owner of Cambridge's Little Mushroom Catering and Dining Lounge.

Some substitutions are easy:

• Cornstarch or potato starch instead of flour for a gluten-free way to thicken gravies.
• Plant-based butters to glaze vegetables.
• Egg substitutes in cakes for dairy-free and vegan desserts.

Sometimes, we need to make a tweak or two:

• Vegetable stock-moistened dressing instead of stuffing.
• Herb-roasted potatoes instead of mashed potatoes.
• Mushroom gravy made with vegetable stock instead of a meat-based gravy.

Smart scheduling

Some dishes, like mashed potatoes, are tastier when made day of.

Other vegetable sides, like root vegetables (like beets and carrots) and brassicas (like cauliflower and brussels sprouts) can be partially cooked a day or so in advance and finished the day of your dinner.

Chef Thompson Tran, owner of Wooden Boat Food Company, said doing that will help flavours develop.

"If you cook ahead things meld and they taste even better. And it becomes more home harmonious if you do it a day advance," he said.

Sprightly salads

With local farmers' fields filled with autumnal bounty, Soulis suggested an heirloom carrot and squash salad, lightly tossed in garlic oil, based on one she had in Montreal.

"It was the most beautiful dish …You had some purple and some yellow and some orange and squash [in] beautiful ribbony curls," said Soulis. "Wow! The colours. And the flavours had that earthy kind of deliciousness that's very indicative of fall flavours."

Slaws are popular, but instead of a creamy dressing, Tran recommended using a traditional Vietnamese lime, sugar, and vinegar dressing.

"It's so vibrant. It cuts through everything," explained Tran. "Let's face it. Gravy and mashed potatoes are heavy. This non-mayonnaise slaw is fantastic. It's fully citrus. And if you want to make it a little bit more interesting, you put a little bit of green papaya."

Satisfying veggie sides

Since we eat with our eyes first, roast brussels sprouts-sweet potato hash is a great way to bring colour, taste, and texture to the table.

"It's got that nice colour with greens and oranges mixed together," said Soulis. "You can use red onions in there and then you get a little purple splash."

If you're looking at expanding your veggie-forward repertoire, Tran suggests tapping culinary traditions that have a long and well-developed history.

"Think about the centuries of expertise in vegetarianism. I do borrow from Indian cuisine and Malaysian because of those curries, and they have these amazing, spiced dishes," said Tran.

One of his regular side dishes is spaghetti squash in coconut milk with a touch of chilli crisp. It brings together sweet, salty, and buzzing flavours.

"I have never ever seen anyone not love that dish," he said.

Veggie sides or vegan mains

If you're hosting vegans at a meaty meal, include something with a plant-based protein.

Little Mushroom's roasted acorn squash, filled with lentils, apples and cranberries, and flavoured with thyme satisfies meat-eaters and vegans alike.

"Honestly, it's so filling that it's a meal in and of itself. But if you if you offer that alongside potatoes and other vegetables, it's a full and complete meal," explained Soulis.

Tran suggested a meatless meatloaf with tempeh, seitan, and tofu. Flavour it as you wish, but if you want Vietnamese flavours, Tran suggested lemongrass, ginger, onions, and fried garlic and baste it with okonomiyaki (it's like a Japanese barbeque sauce).

"That's an amazing vegan version of a meatloaf. That's going to be hard for anybody to resist," said Tran.