34 Vegetarian Recipes To Make This Thanksgiving

If you are planning a Thanksgiving menu and you need some inspiration then you have come to the right place. We have put together a list of 35 of the best vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes to help you create the perfect menu.

There are appetizers, side dishes, main dishes and desserts. You can choose from soups, salads, casseroles, bakes and much more. Keep reading to start planning your Thanksgiving dishes.

1.Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto 

Whether you serve this as a main dish or as a side, it is a wonderful thanksgiving dish. The roasted butternut squash has a sweet yet savory flavor that is reminiscent of Fall.

Vegetable stock, garlic and onions help to intensify the savory flavor. Red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and white wine give the sauce a rich taste, with grated parmesan cheese for creaminess.

To make this recipe vegan, use vegan butter and cheese.

2.Kale Salad With Pickled Cranberries And Crispy Quinoa

You might not associate salad with Thanksgiving food, but this one is special. The cranberries are pickled in orange bitters,  cider vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and allspice for an autumnal flavor.

The kale is packed full of nutrients and so is the quinoa whole grain which introduces a lovely, crunchy texture to the salad. It also includes apples, dijon mustard, lime juice and honey.

3. Stuffed Butternut Squash With Wild Rice 

This recipe is very aesthetically pleasing, and feels like a special treat for a holiday celebration. The roasted butternut squash is perfectly tender, and stuffed with creamy wild rice then topped with comforting cheese.

It’s a gluten free recipe as well as being suitable for vegetarians. Wild rice is a whole grain that is packed with essential nutrients and fiber, helping you to feel nourished and satisfied.

4. Thanksgiving Mac And Cheese 

Mac and cheese is a family favorite that always goes down well at Thanksgiving. This recipe is super creamy and indulgent, with evaporated milk, whole milk, full fat cream cheese, and lots of cheddar.

The sauce is flavored with paprika, onion powder and garlic powder along with salt and pepper. You can also top it with bread crumbs if you want to create a crunchy topping.

5. Chickpea Turkey 

If you want to serve a vegetarian meal with the texture of meat and a high protein content then you should try this chickpea turkey. You can make it in advance so there is less to prepare when your guests arrive.

The recipe shows you how to make your own seitan with chickpeas, oil, nutritional yeast and seasoning. You can serve this chickpea turkey as the centerpiece for a Vegetarian roast dinner, or as an alternative for your non-meating guests alongside the turkey.

6. Roasted Carrots With Farro, Chickpeas And Herbed Creme Fraiche  

If you try to use a combination of different varieties and colors of carrots then this vegetable side dish will look incredibly appetizing and eye catching on the table.

The green pumpkin seeds are flavored with cumin and chili to add depth of flavor and warmth. The herbed creme fraiche is uplifting and refreshing. This is a more unusual way to enjoy carrots at Thanksgiving, but once you try it you will want to make this recipe again and again.

7. Bourbon Yams 

Yams are often part of a Thanksgiving dinner, and this recipe laces them with bourbon for an extra kick. The bourbon is joined by brown sugar and cinnamon to create a warm and sweet dish topped with buttery pecans.

If you love sweet potatoes and you are looking for a new recipe then you should definitely give this a try. Just remember not to feed it to the children- this is an adults only dish!

8. Vegetarian Cornbread Stuffing  

Stuffing doesn’t have to be served with meat – it can be enjoyed on its own or alongside other delicious Thanksgiving dishes. This stuffing is made of toasted sweet cornbread, savory celery, tart dried cranberries, and earthy thyme.

Vegetable stock ties all of the flavors together and brings out the savory notes. It also looks delicious, with little jewels of cranberry and flashes of green celery.

9. Apple Pie 

Apple pie is a classic dessert to serve at Thanksgiving. It’s sweet and warm with a lightly spiced sauce and a buttery, flaky pastry. You can serve it with cream, ice cream, vanilla custard or caramel sauce.

You cannot beat the smell of fresh apple pie wafting through the kitchen as you pull it out of the oven – it’s a homely smell that will make your guests feel instantly relaxed.

10. Roasted Butternut Squash Soup 

This recipe is ideal to serve as an appetizer for your thanksgiving dinner. Serve it with crusty bread to dip into the soup and mop up the delicious flavors.

The soup is simple yet creamy and so delicious – your guests will love it whether they are vegetarian or not. You can blitz the soup to create a perfectly smooth consistency, or leave some of the butternut squash in chunks to create some texture – it depends on your personal preference.

11. Broccoli, Cheddar And Quinoa Gratin 

This cheesy, creamy dish is packed full of flavor. The broccoli is fresh, the breadcrumbs are garlicky, the quinoa is earthy, and the creamy cheesy sauce tastes decadent.

All of the ingredients come together to make a recipe with a great texture that would work as a side dish or as a vegetarian main dish.

12. Classic Corn Pudding 

This corn pudding will taste just like the one that your Nana used to make. It’s a classic Southern casserole that is often enjoyed at potluck dinners, but also at Thanksgiving.

The eggs make the sauce nice and rich along with the whole milk and melted butter. You can make this recipe as a tasty side dish to accompany your main.

13. Easy Cranberry Sauce  

3 ingredients and 15 minutes is all you need to make this easy cranberry sauce. It can be made ahead of time to give you less to do on the day.

All you need is cranberries, orange juice, granulated sugar and an optional pinch of cinnamon. You can serve this cranberry sauce with all sorts of different Thanksgiving recipes.

14. Scalloped Potatoes 

Scalloped potatoes are a very popular side dish to enjoy with turkey, but you can also eat them with vegetarian side dishes and main dishes.

The potatoes are thinly sliced and layered with onions, cheese, and a creamy sauce made with butter and milk. You can add extra ingredients if you want to, like leeks, cream cheese, or grated cheese on top.

15. Vegetable Lasagna 

If you want to find a hearty vegetarian meal then this lasagna could be perfect for you. It is also a great way to introduce an Italian element to your Thanksgiving dinner.

The filling is made with rich tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and soft carrots along with onions and baby spinach. The white sauce is rich and creamy and the cheesy topping melts and bubbles as the lasagna cooks.

16. Lima Bean And Corn Succotash

This Southern style dish takes only 35 minutes to make and is a great source of protein and fiber.

The flavors are simple – the corn and beans are seasoned with salt and pepper and mixed with cream and butter for an indulgent, savory and wholesome dish.

17. Green Bean Casserole 

This green bean casserole is comforting and nourishing and deserves a spot on your thanksgiving table. The tender green beans are tossed in a rich and creamy mushroom sauce, then topped with crispy fried onions.

The parmesan cheese adds a mature, tangy flavor and the cayenne pepper with Italian flavor creates a deep and complex taste.

18. Whipped Sweet Potatoes 

Whipped sweet potatoes can be eaten as a savory side dish or a sweet one. The sweet potatoes are blended in a food processor (or with a stick blender) to create a perfectly smooth consistency that is light and airy.

They are mixed with butter, cream, vanilla and nutmeg, along with as much or as little salt and pepper as you like.

19. Mushroom Risotto With Brown Rice And Fresh Oregano 

People often use dried oregano in recipes, but fresh oregano not so much. In this recipe, the aromatic fresh oregano really helps to bring out the earthy flavor of the mushrooms to create a perfect balance.

The brown rice is more savory and earthy than white rice, with a slightly chewy texture. This is the perfect recipe to enjoy at Thanksgiving or during Fall.

20. Roasted Pear Salad With Sweet Potato And Radicchio 

If you want to impress your vegetarian guests then this recipe is the one to use. It’s hearty, with a variety of textures and flavors. The colors and shapes of the food look very appetizing and quite unusual.

Your guests will be intrigued and enticed when you serve them this wholesome and nourishing salad, and once they take a bite their taste buds will be blown away.

21. Honey Balsamic Brussel Sprouts 

Brussel sprouts often get a bad reputation, but that tends to be because they haven’t been cooked properly. You can make brussel sprouts into an exciting and flavorsome side dish with just a few simple ingredients.

These brussel sprouts are roasted until they are the perfect level of tenderness with a crispy outside, and glazed with honey and balsamic for the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.

22. Apple Cranberry Coleslaw

This is a thanksgiving twist on the classic coleslaw, with some adjustments to make the most of the flavors that are perfect for the holiday and the fall season.

To your usual bag of coleslaw mix, you add crisp apples, dried cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and tangy green onions. The flavors and textures combine to create an interesting and delicious coleslaw. The dressing is made with low fat mayo, plain yogurt, honey and ginger.

23. Stuffed Acorn Squash  

This is not just a tasty recipe, it’s a work of art. The stuffed acorn squash looks so delicious and appetizing, with its unique shape and contrasting colors.

The seeds are scooped out before roasting, and you use them in the filling along with quinoa, chickpeas, dried cranberries, green onion, garlic, feta or goats cheese and fresh lemon juice.

24. Composed Waldorf Salad  

Have you ever started tucking into a salad and realized there was one ingredient in there that you didn’t like? Well this idea for a composed salad gets rid of that problem.

The ingredients are separated out and arranged in sections so that your guests can help themselves to the bits that they enjoy and leave the rest.

25. Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes  

Everyone loves creamy mashed potatoes with their Thanksgiving dinner, and this recipe does it the best! Mascarpone, and Italian cream cheese, is added to the potatoes to give it a creamy, cheesy flavor and indulgent, silky texture.

To make sure that your mashed potatoes are as creamy as possible, make sure you use Yukon Gold Potatoes.

26. Texas Roadhouse Rolls  

No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a basket of soft, warm, buttery rolls. This recipe shows you how to make the perfect dinner rolls to serve with your Thanksgiving feast. They taste just like the rolls brought out at a restaurant.

27. Baked Ziti With Roasted Vegetables 

This recipe is similar to a vegetable lasagne, but half of the pasta has been replaced with more vegetables to make it a lighter and more nutritious dish.

There is still plenty of bubbly, melty mozzarella cheese which makes this bake so irresistible. Red bell peppers with yellow onion, and cauliflower which takes on a wonderful golden crisp as it bakes.

28. Cast Iron Hasselback Potatoes  

Hasselback potatoes are simple but extremely delicious and satisfying if you get them right.

You need to slice the potato enough to open it up so the flavors can trickle in, but not so much that the slices separate and the potato splits. Cooking them in a cast iron pan helps to ensure that they are perfectly crispy.

29. Mushroom Gravy  

You don’t have to use meat to create wonderfully rich gravy to enjoy with your Thanksgiving dinner. This recipe uses sauteed mushrooms, vegetable broth, garlic, butter, salt pepper and soy sauce to make a thick, savory gravy with a deep flavor.

30. Cauliflower Puree  

If you are looking for a low carb alternative to mashed potatoes, then mashing cauliflower into a puree works very well. It is smooth, fluffy, and even looks a lot like mashed potatoes.

The buttermilk and butter make it nice and creamy, while the garlic adds a punchy, aromatic taste. You could also add in some grated cheese or cream cheese if you wanted.

31. Kale Colcannon 

Colcannon is an Irish dish of mashed potatoes mixed with crispy bacon and greens. This version is vegetarian and is mixed with fresh, iron-rich kale. It is really easy to make and is a nice change from plain mashed potato.

Cream cheese and sour cream create a tangy, cheesy flavor and a silky texture. The garlic and sliced green onion adds a punchy fragrance that works really well with the kale.

32. Roasted Squash With Goats Cheese And Cranberries  

The medallions of roasted squash are topped with creamy, tangy goat cheese and tart cranberries to create a mouthful of perfectly balanced flavors.

They look really appealing on the plate due to the shapes and colors. They would make a fantastic appetizer or a wonderful addition to a buffet table.

33. Rosemary Cornbread 

 Cornbread is a holiday classic that goes well with all sorts of Thanksgiving dishes. This recipe adds earthy, aromatic rosemary to contrast the sweetness of the corn and complement the herbs used in other dishes.

It makes the cornbread a little more interesting and flavorsome.

34. ‘Cheesy’ Vegan Cauliflower Casserole 

This is the ultimate comforting casserole dish. The cauliflower is soft, the sauce is ‘cheesy’ despite being suitable for vegans, and it has a lovely crunchy topping. Even meat eaters and dairy lovers will enjoy this recipe and find it super satisfying.

Can I Use Vegetarian Recipes for Turkey Wings?

Looking to switch up your turkey game? Surprise your guests with party-friendly turkey wing recipes that cater to vegetarians. These innovative dishes put a tasty twist on turkey wings, using plant-based ingredients to create a delicious and meat-free alternative.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary 

Hosting the perfect Thanksgiving dinner is important, and this list of recipes will help you do that. Whether you are hosting an entirely vegetarian Thanksgiving, or you need some inspiration for vegetarian side dishes, this list has got you covered.

There is something for everyone with a variety of creamy casseroles, salads, main dishes, appetizers and sides.