Let me hear ya say Ho!
You know I am, it’s really something I think about all year long. I’m not even having a Thanksgiving dinner this year and I’m still thinking about what I’d make.
I’ve been fantasizing about it since way before Halloween, picturing this fantastic party with tons of awesome people who like (and can) eat tons of delicious food. The turkey, the gravy, the mashed potatoes, the cranberry sauce, some lovely other little side dishes, the stuffing, the stuffing.
But I’ll have to wait another year for that Thanksgiving. This year it will me, The Professor (who can’t eat anything remotely Thanksgivingy) and my ‘lil one (who won’t eat anything remotely Thanksgivingy).
To compensate, I’ve decided to make all the things I love over the course of this month, so I can share them with you. So what if I’m the only one who will eat them, I’m going to make that sacrifice for my dear readers and the good standing of this blog. I’m dedicated.
I’m starting off with one of my favorite, only-make-it-once-a-year-at-Thanksgiving foods…stuffing. “We always called it dressing,” I’m hearing my 89-year-old grandmother say. She always made the dressing..er.. stuffing in our family and on the phone last night she told me she was to bring it to my Aunt’s house again this year. So she asks me, “How do I make the dressing again?”
So I tell her, it’s really very simple Grams. First you start by sautéing some sweet pearl onions, celery, and garlic.
Then chop up some parsley and sage.
Then toss it all in a bowl with some day-old bread and chicken broth and bake it. I didn’t mention anything about the roasted pumpkin seeds salvaged from my Jack-O’lantern, she would’ve just scoffed at that.
This version is dairy-free, but if you are feeling indulgent you can substitute a stick of butter for the olive oil and sprinkle another few tablespoons of cubed butter over the top of the stuffing before baking.

Pearl Onion and Pumpkin Seed Stuffing
A delicious, flavor-packed (not to mention easy) vegan stuffing recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 (1-pound) loaf crusty bread, cut into 1-inch dice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 10 ounces pearl onions, peeled and quartered
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 quart vegetable stock or low-sodium broth
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh sage
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Spread bread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and let dry overnight.
- Heat oven to 375°F and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are just starting to brown. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile combine bread, sage, parsley, and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Remove onion mixture from the heat and pour over bread mixture. Stir to combine, add more salt and pepper as needed, and transfer to prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes more or until toasted and brown on top.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 128Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 298mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g
Yum. I don’t even like Thanksgiving food, but this sounds absolutely delicious. I can smell it already! I might have to make a mini version and throw a poached egg on top for dinner tomorrow. Thank you!
Oooo, that sounds excellent Ali. Let me know how it turns out!