• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

VegKitchen logo

  • Vegan Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Baking and Sweets
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta and Noodles
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches and Wraps
    • Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups, Stews, and Chilis
    • Snacks and Dips
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Canning and Preserving
    • Cheese-y Delights
    • Global Recipes
    • Raw Vegan
    • Slow-Cooker
  • Vegan Living
    • Vegan Substitutions Guide
    • Green Kitchen
    • Healthy Eating Tips
    • Food and Produce Guides
    • Vegan Food Hacks
    • Kid Friendly
    • Vegan Product Reviews
    • More Vegan Living
  • About
  • Shop Cookbooks
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Vegan Living
  • Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Freebie!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegan Living
    • Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Freebie!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Holidays and Entertaining » Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

    Vegan Thanksgiving Torte

    Published: Nov 25, 2019 · Updated: Mar 4, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    This Vegan Thanksgiving Torte combines all your favorite Thanksgiving varieties of classic textures and savory flavors which come from its combination of wild rice, mushrooms, nuts, and sage. This recipe makes a hearty main dish when served with a robust Mushroom Sauce (recipe below) and goes well with all the typical Thanksgiving side dishes like cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, chestnut stuffing, and veggie combinations.

    To ease the feast-day preparations, I usually make the torte the day before, store it in the fridge, and reheat it at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. One little hint, the torte preparation comes together more quickly if you cook the wild rice before beginning the torte or even the day before. This recipe is reprinted from Zel Allen's The Nut Gourmet.* Photo by Kimberly Jane Ward Burfoot.

    Vegan Thanksgiving Torte

    Serves: 6 to 8

    Ingredients

    Torte
    • ⅔ cups wild rice
    • ¾ tsp salt
    • ¾ lb red or white rose potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
    • ½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
    • ¼ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
    • 1 (14 oz) package vegan ground sausage
    • ¾ lb portobello mushrooms, chopped (about 4 large mushrooms)
    • 1 large onion, diced
    • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 tsp poultry seasoning
    • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
    • ½ tsp hickory liquid smoke
    • 1 ¼ tsp salt, or to taste
    • 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
    Mushroom Sauce
    • ½ lb sliced button mushrooms
    • ¼ cup soy sauce
    • ¼ cup dry red wine
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice
    • 3 tbsp cornstarch

    Instructions

    Torte
    1. Lightly oil a 9-inch springform pan, line the base with parchment paper (for easier cleanup), and set it aside. Combine 2 cups water, wild rice, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and steam for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Drain off excess liquid and set the rice aside.
    2. Combine the potato cubes and 1 cup water in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium, cover, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl, mash them, and set them aside.
    3. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toast the pecans and walnuts in a 10-inch skillet over high heat, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately transfer them to a dish to cool.
    4. Combine the vegan sausage, mushrooms, onion, ⅓ cup water, olive oil, poultry seasoning, and pepper in a large, deep skillet. Cook over high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is transparent, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or paddle to break up the sausage chunks. Drain and reserve any excess liquid. Add the salt and hickory liquid smoke to the sausage mixture and mix well.
    5. Add the mashed potatoes to the skillet along with the toasted nuts and cooked wild rice. Mix well to combine the ingredients thoroughly. Adjust seasonings if needed.
    6. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared springform pan, and attractively arrange the tomato slices over the top, covering most of the surface. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Allow the torte to stand for 15 to 20 minutes before removing from the pan.
    7. Cut into wedges to serve.
    Mushroom Sauce 
    1. Prepare it while the torte is baking.
    2. Combine the mushrooms, scant 2 cups water, soy sauce, red wine, and lemon juice in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down slightly and simmer for 5 minutes.
    3. Combine the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and stir with a spoon to make a runny paste. Add the paste to the bubbling sauce, a little at a time, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, until the sauce has thickened to the desired consistency.
    4. Pass around for guests to pour over their wedges of torte.

    Nutrition Information:
    Per serving (without sauce): 239.2 calories; 11.6g fat; 869.9mg sodium; 23.7g carbs; 6.8g fiber; 10.7g protein

    Mushroom sauce (in one serving, out of 8): 35.3 calories; 0g fat; 474mg sodium; 5g carbs; 0.8g fiber; 1.9g protein

    • Here are more recipes to help you enjoy a Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly Thanksgiving.
    • Find more ways to make Special Occasions and Entertaining easier and healthier.

    *This post contains affiliate links. If the product is purchased by linking through this review, VegKitchen receives a modest commission, which helps maintain our site and helps it to continue growing!

    More Holidays and Entertaining

    • holiday main dish vegan pot ie
      Vegan Pot Pie Casserole
    • vegan christmas cookies
      Vegan Christmas Cookies
    • vegan hummingbird cake
      Vegan Hummingbird Cake
    • creamy pineapple and coconut drink
      Vegan Pina Colada

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Haley says

      November 05, 2012 at 9:48 am

      This looks really yummy, but I am not a walnut fan. Which other nuts might be good substitutes?

    2. Nava says

      November 05, 2012 at 10:37 am

      Hello -- I think that just increasing the pecans would work well. You can also use blanched almonds. Hope that helps!

    3. peggy herrod says

      November 21, 2012 at 7:36 am

      in the ingredient list, how much soy sauce? it says 1/4 soy sauce for the mushroom sauce. tsp? cup?tbsp?

    4. Nava says

      November 21, 2012 at 8:27 am

      Peggy, that would be 1/4 cup. Thanks for pointing it out, it has been fixed in the recipe.

    5. Heather Jack says

      October 29, 2014 at 10:15 pm

      Do you know the nutritional value of this Torte? Thanks.

    6. Nava says

      October 29, 2014 at 10:35 pm

      Heather, we're working hard to get all of our recipes analyzed. Come back in a few days; this one is coming up!

    7. nancy says

      November 24, 2014 at 10:59 am

      what can I substitute for vegan sausage?

    8. Nava says

      November 24, 2014 at 11:15 am

      Nancy, I think the equivalent amount of crumbled tempeh would be good; you might want to season it a bit before adding. Another thought is to use about 2 cups cooked quinoa, though I'm not sure if that would change the texture of this too much.

    9. Caroline S says

      November 28, 2014 at 7:17 am

      I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving and was very disappointed in it. I have some of your cookbooks so felt confident it was a good recipe. However, it was dense, unappealing, and just not yummy.

    10. Nava says

      November 28, 2014 at 7:48 am

      Hi Caroline — I'm so sorry that you didn't like this recipe. It's not one of mine, it was contributed by Zel Allen. But the buck stops here. I'd love to hear from other readers as well as you, who have made it — do you think I should delete it from this site?

    11. Brianna says

      December 25, 2014 at 4:02 pm

      I made this last year for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit! Even the meat eaters had seconds. I definitely recommend it.

    12. Nava says

      December 26, 2014 at 12:48 pm

      Thanks for the vote of confidence, Brianna. This one has gotten mixed reviews!

    13. Sarah says

      November 19, 2017 at 9:49 pm

      This has been my T-Day meal for a number of my vegan years - it is wonderful. I have never, however, made the mushroom sauce nor added the tomatoes - I think neither is necessary.

    14. Nava says

      November 20, 2017 at 10:17 am

      So glad you've enjoyed this, Sarah — even without the embellishments!

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    nicole malik from vegkithen.com

    Hi, I'm Nicole! I'm the creator behind VegKitchen, and the author of the popular cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. Learn more about me here.

    More about me →

    vegan substitution chart

    Featured Recipes

    • recipes for a vegan Christmas dinner menu
      Best Vegan Christmas Recipes
    • vegan christmas cookies
      Vegan Christmas Cookies
    • vegan irish stew
      Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew
    • vegan breakfast casseroles
      10 Make-Ahead Vegan Breakfast Casseroles
    • Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
    • vegan jalapeno poppers
      Vegan Jalapeno Poppers

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Shop Cookbooks
    • Free Vegan Cheat Sheet
    • About Us
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Still hungry? Check out our delicious family of blogs.


    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Hook & Porter Media

    394 shares