Thanksgiving Vegan Dishes
We have had vegetarians at our Thanksgiving table my entire life. My sister and her daughters are vegetarian and now vegan, and my mother became a vegetarian later in life. Believe me, there are plenty of people at the table who want to enjoy the turkey and all of those trimmings, but there are a significant number of folks who are all about the vegetarian or vegan sides. And there is no way anyone leaves a Workman family Thanksgiving anything less than full and happy, so we bring it.
Vegan Recipes for Thanksgiving
Below is a hefty collection of vegan options for the Thanksgiving meal, with some of the recipes being adaptable. You can also click here to see the full scope of vegan recipes on this website, and there are loads of cookbooks and websites with a very robust selection of vegan options. The following are fairly traditional recipes with Thanksgiving-flavors, but you can and should feel free to experiment outside of the classic Thanksgiving styled offerings.
Some of the things we do: make a separate stuffing with vegetable broth and butter substitute. Lean heavily into mushroom dishes, which are very satisfying. Make sure to have vegan mashed potatoes (very important). Create a dazzler of a salad with roasted vegetables, seeds, dried fruit, etc. Roast vegetables with olive oil only.
Also, bring the same approach to substitutions to the holidays as you do to everyday vegan cooking. Think about substituting in vegan cheeses, vegan butter or olive oil, vegan dairy products, and so on. We have done a tofurkey in the past, though now we concentrate on the side dishes, and make them as robust as possible. This year maybe I’ll use a vegan chorizo in one of the stuffings. Hoping your Thanksgiving is rich and lovely, no matter what you choose to put on the table!
32 Thanksgiving Vegan Recipes
An easy herby sauce brings some simply cooked asparagus to a whole other level.
(As good as Chipotle's!) A perfect side or companion to Mexican and Southwestern dishes as well as Asian dishes and lots of other simple meals.
A hearty cold weather soup for mushroom lovers. Rich and satisfying (and also vegan)!
Two ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time gets you to a layered, interesting Brussels sprouts side, perfect for any cold weather meal or holiday.
A simple cauliflower side, enlivened with the pop of lightly spicy mustard seeds.
A perfect salad for autumn, bursting with color and texture.
This quick (15-minutes!) and easy side dish is a colorful companion to all kinds of entrees.
This classic Sicilian eggplant salad, made with vinegar, some sweetness, olives, capers, and tomatoes is amazing heaped on bruschetta or just served as a hearty side.
Crispy sautéed potatoes are a perfect side to just about anything, morning, noon or night.
Homemade croutons are easy to make and head and shoulders above packaged croutons.
Sauteed broccolini is the world’s simplest vegetable dish, and pairs perfectly with all kind of dishes. A go-to weeknight side.
Just a few vegetables turn quickly cooked couscous into a beautiful salad that rounds out any meal perfectly.
Storing, cooking, using millet…here's everything you need to know about this delicate grain!
Turn a ho-hum side of broccoli into a dish that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Broccoli rabe is very popular in Italian cooking. It's pleasantly bitter deep broccoli-ish flavor is a great companion to all sorts of main dishes.
A crunchy salad studded with chickpeas is tossed with a creamy, lemony savory dressing with a tiny kick of heat.
A bowl of this (ridiculously inexpensive and satisfying) soup on a cold night is the best kind of comfort food around.
This substantial and satisfying vegetarian dish can serve as a main course, or a side.
Baby squash are tender and adorable and make the perfect simple side to any late summer/early fall meal.
These roasted carrots have a tangy dressing and are a gorgeous and colorful side side to all sorts of meals from holiday feasts to weeknight dinners. Serve warm or room temp!
Roasted potatoes go with just about anything, and couldn't be easier to make.
This is a super-simple gorgeous salad recipe that features fresh pears and dried apricots – perfect for a fall or holiday meal.
Cipollini in Agrodolce, a wonderful sweet and sour preparation for these charming little onions.
This easy lentil salad with a balsamic-lemon dressing is bursting with color, flavor, and textures.
An easy-elegant Brussels sprouts side.
A colorful, versatile, nutritious and delicious side dish for any night of the week.
A pretty and simple side dish to have in your back pocket, that goes with almost anything.
Chimichurri sauce turns roasted cauliflower into something special.
I ate half of these before my family got home so I pretended they were an appetizer.
Cooking chard in a pan is the best way to prepare these beautiful greens.
A very nice thing to happen to a bowl of quinoa.
Pretty, inexpensive, satisfying, colorful, and portable – we all need a perfect carrot salad recipe in our repertoire!