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Wondering what vegetarians can eat on Thanksgiving? An epic Thanksgiving dinner doesn't always have to be about the bird. There are so many delicious plant-based mains that you can serve (hello stuffed butternut squash!), not to mention classic side dishes which are mostly vegetarian, warm and cozy soups, and fresh fall salads. So if you are wondering "what vegetarian recipes to make for Thanksgiving", you are in the right place. We are sharing over 40 of our most popular and best vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes including a lot of vegan and gluten-free options to satisfy all dietary needs.
Best Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes
Stuffed Butternut Squash with Wild Rice
Healthy, hearty and wholesome butternut squash with wild rice and mushrooms is an easy cozy vegetarian dinner or side dish for fall. It's the best vegetarian fall dinner idea!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
It's no surprise that our easy roasted butternut squash soup is the most pinned soup recipe on Pinterest. This soup captures the taste of the holidays in one spoon. Rosemary, sage and thyme, need I say more? Serve with with a side of homemade bread for major dipping.
Vegetarian Cornbread Stuffing
Easy vegetarian cornbread stuffing is the perfect make-ahead side dish to serve this Thanksgiving. So flavourful, moist and soft, yet crispy golden on top.
Easy Make-Ahead Cranberry Sauce
Take the stress out of the holidays and prepare easy make-ahead cranberry sauce days before Thanksgiving dinner in 15 minutes with just 3 ingredients.
Green Bean Casserole
Green bean casserole is a classic holiday side dish packed with fresh green beans in a delicious creamy mushroom sauce, and topped with crispy fried onions.
Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Easy honey balsamic Brussels sprouts are a sweet savory side dish that's roasted until tender and caramelized, and coated in a delicious flavourful glaze.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Butternut squash lasagna is a delicious, warm and cozy vegetarian lasagna to make this fall when the your family is craving major comfort food this fall.
Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
Mascarpone mashed potatoes are creamy, smooth, and comforting. Classic mashed potatoes are given a twist resulting in a super silky and rich mash.
Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
Maple Roasted Acorn Squash is savory and sweet, with its flavor intensified when tossed and roasted in a homemade maple glaze with a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Oven Roasted Vegetables
Oven Roasted Vegetables are a delicious flavorful side dish that goes well with almost any dinner main. Customize it with whatever veggies you have on hand.
Mushroom Gravy
Vegetarian mushroom gravy is creamy, savory and thick, easy to make, loaded with flavor, and pairs well with everything! Make it vegan and dairy-free too.
Rosemary Cornbread
Sweet and savoury, buttery rosemary cornbread is soft and moist with golden crispy edges, flavourful and delicious, and so easy to make this holiday season.
Green Beans Almondine
Green Beans Almondine is buttery, garlicky, and nutty. This classic French side dish is quick and easy to make, and loaded with flavor and texture.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Butternut squash mac and cheese is a flavorful and delicious fall twist on a classic, with a rich and creamy sauce that is secretly loaded with veggies.
Fall Harvest Salad with Butternut Squash and Apple
Fall harvest salad with roasted butternut squash and apple is the only salad recipe you need this fall or winter. It's healthy, wholesome, and nourishing.
Easy Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Quick and easy pumpkin dinner rolls are soft and fluffy, flaky and butter, and perfect to serve alongside a warm and cozy fall meal or Thanksgiving dinner.
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts are a quick and easy side dish made with just 5 ingredients and ready to serve in only 15 minutes. They're vegan and keto too.
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
These crispy smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish. They’re easy to make, crispy on the outside, tender and fluffy on the inside, and so flavorful.
Sautéed Garlic Green Beans
Buttery sautéed garlic green beans is a simple side dish that is quick, easy and delicious. Make these vibrant, crispy and tender green beans in 10 minutes.
Mashed Cauliflower
Mashed Cauliflower is a fluffy and buttery side dish and a low carb, keto-friendly alternative to mashed potatoes. Plus, it’s easier and quicker too!
One Pan Roasted Harvest Vegetables
One pan roasted harvest vegetables with butternut squash, brussels sprouts and baby potatoes is the best fall side dish. So easy to prep in just minutes.
Roasted Butternut and Cauliflower Soup
Creamy roasted butternut squash and cauliflower soup has all the fall soup feels and is vegan and gluten-free. Plus, it's super easy to make in a sheet pan and then puree. Serve it with some quick and easy green onion dinner rolls or skillet dinner rolls.
Curried Chickpea Stuffed Acorn Squash
Wholesome, hearty, curried chickpea stuffed acorn squash with curry flavours is the perfect vegan and gluten-free fall comfort food for your holiday dinner.
Baked Mac and Cheese
Classic baked mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food — creamy, cheesy, and cozy, topped with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. It's quick and easy too.
Creamed Spinach
Creamed spinach is a rich, creamy, and delicious side dish to make this fall. Easy to make ahead and reheats well — perfect for Thanksgiving holiday dinner.
Pumpkin Focaccia Bread with Fresh Herbs
Delicious, easy pumpkin focaccia bread with fresh herbs is soft, fluffy, and springy, yet so crispy on the outside. Just 15 minutes of actual prep required.
Creamy Potatoes au Gratin
Rich and creamy potatoes au gratin is the ultimate comfort food made with sliced potatoes, cheese, and milk. It's the perfect side dish for the holidays.
Honey Roasted Carrots
Honey roasted carrots are a sweet, savoury, and salty side dish that pairs well with almost any entree. With these flavours, everyone will want seconds.
Sweet Potato Soup
One pot sweet potato soup is super silky, creamy and vegan, and packed with fall flavours. Make this quick and easy fall and winter soup in 30 minutes. Serve with some rosemary cornbread or pumpkin dinner rolls on the side.
Butternut Squash Salad
Butternut squash salad is a light meal that's loaded with fall flavors — roasted butternut squash, baby kale, walnuts, dried cranberries, and feta.
Creamed Corn
Homemade Creamed Corn is creamy, delicious, and simple. It’s quick and easy to make at home and so much better than store-bought canned creamed corn.
Creamy Brussels Sprouts Bake
Delicious, garlicky, cheesy and creamy brussels sprouts bake is the ultimate comfort food side dish. So flavourful and the best way to eat brussels sprouts.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
Sweet potato casserole with pecans packed with tender sweet potatoes and a buttery crunchy pecan topping is the best fall side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.
Butternut Squash Curry with Chickpeas
Butternut squash curry with chickpeas is a rich hearty one pot meal that will satisfy your fall comfort food cravings. Great for weeknight family dinners.
Carrot Pumpkin Soup
Carrot Pumpkin Soup is wholesome, nutritious, and delicious. It’s quick and easy comfort food that’s perfect to feed the family on lazy weeknights.
Warm Lentil Salad with Butternut Squash
This warm lentil salad with butternut squash and shiitake mushrooms is the most comforting salad. Add it to your holiday dinner this fall.
Roasted Garlic Parmesan Baby Potatoes.
Quick and easy roasted garlic Parmesan baby potatoes are crispy on the edges and tender inside. They are delicious, flavourful and bakes in just 30 minutes.
Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Vegan Stuffed Peppers are stuffed with pan-fried mushrooms, tender rice, and veggies, making them flavorful and filling. Easy to make in under an hour!
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Instant pot butternut squash soup is the perfect fall dish to cook in your pressure cooker — warm, cozy, comforting, and creamy. Make in 15 minutes.
Thanksgiving Dinner Tips
- Plan your menu ahead of time. You can prepare some of these vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes in advance. Some can be frozen and reheated from frozen, others can be made and stored in anairtight containerfor a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Check individual recipe for full make ahead instructions.
- Prep your ingredients as much as possible. Once you have decided on the dishes that you will be serving, prepare as much as you can in advance. Whether that is chopping vegetables, marinating meat, or throwing together a salad. You can store all the prepared ingredients inairtight containersin the refrigerator.
- Set the table the night before. Take out the fancy holiday dinnerware, flatware, glasses, placemats, and napkins and set the table the night before. It's one less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
- 30 Best Thanksgiving Appetizers
- 50 Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- 20 Thanksgiving Soup Recipes
- 15 Thanksgiving Salad Recipes
- 15 Thanksgiving Bread Recipes
- 25 Best Thanksgiving Desserts
Did You Make Any of These Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes?
Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of these vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes at home. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
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40 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes
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- Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Over 40 popular best vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes including delicious plant-based main dishes, classic side dishes, warm and cozy soups, and fall salads. One of my favorite recipes is this Wild Rice Stuffed Butternut Squash.
Ingredients
- 1 mediumbutternut squash
- 1 teaspoonfresh thyme,finely chopped
- ½ tablespoonolive oil
- ½ cupBasmati white rice,uncooked
- ½ cupwild rice,uncooked
- 1 tablespoonvegetable oil,divided
- ½ cuponions,finely chopped(approximately one onion)
- ½ cupmushrooms,chopped
- ¼ cup frozengreen peas
- ½ teaspoonvegetable stock powder
- ½ teaspoonsalt, or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoonground black pepper
- ½ cupwater(or enough to cover rice by one inch - see recipe instructions)
- ½ cupshredded cheddar cheeseor mozzarella cheese(optional)
- 1 tablespoonfreshparsley,finely chopped(for garnish)
Instructions
Roast the Butternut Squash:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. Place butternut squash, cut side up, onto a baking sheet. Brush on some oil and sprinkle chopped thyme on top.
- Bake for 45 mins, or until soft. Insert a fork to check doneness. If it's fork tender, it's ready.
Prepare the Rice:
- Place the rice in a large bowl and rinse 3 to 4 times with cold running water to wash off extra starch from the rice. Drain it well and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil sizzles and shimmers. Add onions and mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions are soft.
- Add rice and stir well to combine. Add peas, vegetable stock powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add approximately one cup of water (water level should be one inch above the mixture) and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Check occasionally to see if the liquid is absorbed.
- Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 10 to 15 minutes. The rice is still cooking by the residual heat. Gently fluff the rice. Note that this rice mixture is supposed to be a little mushy.
Assemble the Stuffed Butternut Squash:
- Once the squash is fork tender, let it cool down to room temperature, or cool enough to handle. Scoop out the pulp, leaving the butternut squash shell at ½-inch thick.
- Add the pulp to the rice, and stir well to combine. Transfer the rice mixture evenly amongst the two shells.
- Sprinkle cheese on top (optional). If adding cheese, place the stuffed squash back into the oven and broil on high for 3 minutes, or until the cheese melts and turn golden brown on top. Keep a close eye on the broiler as things can burn quickly.
- Let the stuffed butternut squash cool for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top.
Notes
Plan your menu ahead of time. You can prepare some of these vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes in advance. Some can be frozen and reheated from frozen, others can be made and stored in anairtight containerfor a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Check individual recipe for full make ahead instructions.
Prep your ingredients as much as possible. Once you have decided on the dishes that you will be serving, prepare as much as you can in advance. Whether that is chopping vegetables, marinating meat, or throwing together a salad. You can store all the prepared ingredients inairtight containersin the refrigerator.
Set the table the night before. Take out the fancy holiday dinnerware, flatware, glasses, placemats, and napkins and set the table the night before. It's one less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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