Every year, turkey tends to take center stage at the Thanksgiving table, but it's important to serve a selection of plant-based options as well. Our best vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes boast a little something for everyone, and they incorporate ingredients like winter squash, grains, and all kinds of seasonal vegetables.Some are traditional and others are quite modern, but each is more delicious than the next. So embrace the spirit of the holiday and add a few of these options to your menu this year.
How to Accommodate Your Vegan and Vegetarian Friends on Thanksgiving
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Red Onions Stuffed with Parsley Breadcrumbs
Instead of packing your stuffing inside of a turkey, consider adding it to the hollowed out cavities of tender roasted red onions. They slice like butter and the moist stuffing is flavored very simply with fresh lemon and parsley.
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Butternut-Squash Roast with Pistachio Yogurt and Grain Relish
Seasonal butternut squash doesn't always get the love it deserves during the holidays. This squash is roasted to perfection, served over a bed of creamy pistachio yogurt, and topped with a warm marinated farro and pomegranate mixture.
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Green-Bean Casserole with Chestnuts and Buttered Breadcrumbs
Seasonal chestnuts are an elegant addition to this Thanksgiving must-have. A mix of meaty mushrooms makes what the traditional side dish worthy of a larger space at the table. It's perfectly rich and creamy and gets a bright finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
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Honeynut Squash, Leek, and Brie Gratin
For the ultimate comfort food, make this delectable gratin. The meatless dish is filled with hearty honeynut squash and lasagna noodles that make it a perfect side for the holiday.
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Acorn Squash with Mixed-Grain Stuffing
If there was a vegetarian main course designed specifically for Thanksgiving, this would be it. The hues of ruby red pomegranate seeds, chopped parsley, slivered almonds, and bright orange squash resemble the colors of the falling autumn leaves.
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Cauliflower, Red Onion, and Chestnut Tart
This stunning tart—with its crimped edges and textured vegetable filling—is just the thing for vegetarians on Thanksgiving. It feels special and indulgent, the way a main course should on feast day, with plenty of might from vegetables and nuts to satisfy.
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Mushroom-Eggplant Lasagna
Who doesn't love lasagna? For vegetarians, this silky layered pasta dish is the ultimate main course for a special meal. Bonus: You can assemble the entire lasagna up to a day in advance, then bake just before the holiday dinner.
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Vegetarian Collard Greens
Here's a way to achieve the flavor of Southern-style collard greens without meat. Simply simmer the greens in water with a Parmesan rind. The cheese adds a depth of flavor and saltiness to this dark green vegetable that everyone will enjoy.
Wild mushrooms and nutty Gruyère cheese create a creamy filling with plenty of rich flavors in this vegetarian tart. Tahini is the secret ingredient —it adds richness to the classic tart dough.
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Broccoli-and-Potato Samosa Pie
This crowd-friendly take on the popular Indian samosa is baked not fried. The smashed-potato filling of our vegetarian slab pie is studded with bits of snappy broccoli, plus taste-bud-tinging coriander, cumin, and mustard seeds.
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Creamed-Spinach Gratin
This is a classic, crowd-pleasing steakhouse side that's vegetarian-friendly. Transform easy creamed spinach into an even more delicious casserole by topping the mixture with a golden brown panko breadcrumbs and bake until bubbling.
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Barley Risotto with Mushrooms and Dill
With its creamy consistency and rich flavor, risotto is one of the ultimate comfort foods. Here, we've added fresh dill for brightness and a variety of meaty mushrooms for texture and umami.
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Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Indulge in this mouthwatering, meat-free version of the traditional British comfort food. French green lentils and sliced cremini mushrooms create a hearty filling that warms the soul.
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Roasted Squash with Shallots, Grapes, and Sage
Here's a Thanksgiving main that truly tastes as good as it looks. The filling inside these roasted acorn squash is simple yet inspired. A blend of black and red grapes, shallot, fresh sage leaves, and cooked whole grains (we used barley) are mixed together to fill this favorite fall vegetable.
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Vegan Stuffing with Mushrooms and Leeks
Vegan or not, everyone at the table will love this flavorful stuffing. Crusty sourdough bread is a much more exciting choice than country white; leeks add a mild onion flavor and become silky when baked.
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24 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes That Will Delight Everyone at Your Table
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Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce
Thick slices of golden roasted cauliflower make a spectacular vegetarian entrée when paired with smoky romesco sauce, which is made with red bell peppers, almonds, garlic, tomato paste, and Spanish smoked paprika.
The best vegan turkey roast is finally here. This seitan tofu roast tastes just like turkey, with crispy skin and all! This vegan turkey makes the perfect centerpiece for a delicious holiday meal. It's surprisingly easy to make, and most of it can be made ahead of time, so it's a great stress-free option.
Nut roast is a popular vegetarian alternative to a turkey dinner. It is a savory dish made primarily from a mixture of ground nuts, breadcrumbs, and various vegetables, herbs, and spices.
So go ahead and shake things up this Thanksgiving with one of these flavorful alternatives to cooking up a whole bird this year, like mushroom, Gruyère, & spinach-stuffed pork tenderloin, vegan mushroom pot pie, or a juicy prime rib.
Previous reviews have indicated that vegetarians and vegans may risk vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc and calcium deficiency as these micronutrients can mostly be found in animal foods or have a lower bioavailability in plant foods [8,9,10,11,12,13,14].
A pollotarian diet focuses on whole, plant-based foods with the inclusion of poultry in moderation. As it's rich in high-fiber, plant-based foods and reduces red meat and pork intake, it may benefit heart health, aid weight loss, and protect against type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.
Unless they are vegan (meaning they don't eat dairy products, eggs, or any other products which are derived from animals), some vegetarians do eat eggs and belong to a group known as lacto-ovo-vegetarians which according to the Vegetarian Society is the most common type of meatless diet.
What is alternative turkey and ham made out of? Brands like Tofurky, Field Roast, Gardein, Beyond Meat, Lightlife, and more use plant-based ingredients in the products you can buy for any vegetarian/vegan guests.
So go ahead and shake things up this Thanksgiving with one of these flavorful alternatives to cooking up a whole bird this year, like mushroom, Gruyère, & spinach-stuffed pork tenderloin, vegan mushroom pot pie, or a juicy prime rib.
For smaller crowds, swap the turkey with chicken, Cornish game hens, or stuff and roast individual quails for each guest, which is very elegant for a plated meal. Our roast chicken with sourdough stuffing, pomegranate roast chicken, and cranberry stuffed cornish game hen bring a festive Thanksgiving vibe to the table.
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