A Low Cost Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe - Gazpacho Salad

One of the down sides to a vegan lifestyle is the cost of many of the ingredients to cook nutritious and well rounded meals. Many of the ingredients are hard to locate and expensive as well as being unfamiliar to many people. If you are vegan and looking for some inexpensive alternative dishes or if you are serving a vegetarian or vegan friend or relative over the Thanksgiving holiday, you may need to search far and wide to find a recipe that has ease of preparation as well as inexpensive ingredients. My mother in law is a vegetarian and my sister in law is a vegan. I like to be able to serve them nutritious and delicious meals while still being within my own comfort zone. The cost of special ingredients makes many dishes out of my price range and the lack of availability of many ingredients in my area makes some dishes impossible to make.

The following recipe is one that is a favorite of all of my family. The ingredients themselves are easily purchased anywhere and the ease of preparation is wonderful. We serve this dish on Thanksgiving as a cool and light alternative for any vegetarian or vegan friends or relatives who come to visit. It always disappears fast and is eaten by everyone because of how delicious it is! The chopped tomatoes can be replaced by canned, organic diced tomatoes for a slightly cheaper price and pre minced garlic is available in bulk at many stores for a fair price. While extra virgin olive oil is preferred, any vegetable oil would be acceptable. The other ingredients are fairly inexpensive and usually available year round.

This salad has all of the taste of a gazpacho soup but in a salad instead! Serve this alongside traditional Thanksgiving dishes or as an alternative to a non vegan dish.

Gazpacho Salad

3 cups chopped tomatoes

1 cup of chopped, peeled cucumbers

1 cup of chopped green peppers

¼ cup of chopped green onions

¼ cup of chopped red onions

2 tablespoons of fresh Basil, minced

2 ½ tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar or Sherry Vinegar

1 teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

2 cloves of garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the first five ingredients and set them aside in the refrigerator to keep cold.

Whisk together the rest of the ingredients until emulsified.

Toss the salad gently with the dressing and return it to the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving. Toss gently again to mix the ingredients before serving.