Make Everyone Feel Welcome with These Easy + Delicious Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes (2024)

from hearty mains to tempting desserts, these plant-based dishes are all animal-free!

By Taysha Murtaugh and Jennifer Aldrich
Make Everyone Feel Welcome with These Easy + Delicious Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes (1)

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Make everyone feel welcome around the table this November with an armful of vegan thanksgiving sides, desserts, and even a main dish that's tasty enough even omnivores'll be making room on their plates. These simple vegan recipes are packed with flavor and are either already vegan, or can be made that way with just a couple substitutions. Bookmark your favorites for the holiday and give 'em a whirl — you can thank us later. 😉

1

Acorn Squash Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette

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For a meal-worthy "salad" that will satisfy everyone, try this combo of roasted squash, chopped dates, crunchy almonds, and baby kale, all tossed in a rich tahini dressing.

Get the recipe for Acorn Squash Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette.

2

Butternut Squash Soup

Make Everyone Feel Welcome with These Easy + Delicious Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes (4)

One of our favorite parts of this yummy fall soup is the spiced popcorn croutons. Genius!

Get the recipe for Butternut Squash Soup.

3

Sweet-and-Sour Onions

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Pearl onions are a time-honored side dish at Thanksgiving tables, but often they're creamed. Our version skips the dairy for a glaze of sugar, thyme, and red wine vinegar. Delicious! Use your favorite nondairy butter or sauté the onions in oil to keep the recipe fully vegan.

Get the recipe for Sweet-and-Sour Onions.

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4

Smashed Acorn Squash and Garlicky Walnut Crostini

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This easy appetizer is a great way to welcome guests as you finish making the meal! You can skip the called-for blue cheese, but we recommend using a nondairy version, such as Follow Your Heart, to make 'em as tasty as possible.

Get the recipe for Smashed Acorn Squash and Garlicky Walnut Crostini.

5

Baked Onions with Fennel Breadcrumbs

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This simple but elegant side dish offers lots of fall flavor, and some unexpected allure to the Thanksgiving plate. Use your favorite nondairy butter, or a high-quality olive oil to keep it vegan.

Get the recipe for Baked Onions with Fennel Breadcrumbs.

6

Bourbon Yams

Make Everyone Feel Welcome with These Easy + Delicious Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes (8)

Slow cooked yams are incredibly sweet already, but mixed with a glug of good bourbon and topped with spiced walnuts, the dish becomes a true sensation. Use your favorite butter alternative to keep it vegan.

Get the recipe for Bourbon Yams.

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7

Kale Salad with Pickled Cranberries and Crispy Quinoa

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The bright pickled berries on a green bed make this impressive seasonal salad look almost like a wreath — but it's the taste that'll guarantee the bowl gets emptied. Use your favorite vegan hard cheese—we like Violife's Just Like Parmesan— in place of the mancheo, or just leave it out.

Get the recipe for Kale Salad with Pickled Cranberries and Crispy Quinoa.

8

Broccoli Steaks with Spiced Tomato Jam

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Looking for a main you can sink your teeth into—and tofurky is not your thing? These gorgeous "steaks" drizzled in tomato jam are it. Use your favorite nondairy parm — or a similar amount of nutritional yeast — to keep it animal-free.

Get the recipe for Broccoli Steaks with Spiced Tomato Jam.

9

Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Star Anise

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Cranberry sauce is a must-have come Thanksgiving. And thankfully it's easy to keep vegan! We love the combination of spices in this version, and the orange juice tempers the natural tartness.

Get the recipe for Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Star Anise.

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10

Roasted Mushrooms and Radicchio

This ultimate fall side dish boasts the rich flavor of mushrooms, a little bit bitter from fresh radicchio, and a sweet note from balsamic.

Get the recipe for Roasted Mushrooms and Radicchio.

11

Wild Rice-and-Cider-Cranberry Pilaf

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Use your favorite wild rice blend to make this apple cider-infused recipe. The additions of cinnamon, garlic, and scallions make every bite extra flavorful.

Get the recipe for Wild Rice-and-Cider-Cranberry Pilaf.

12

Roasted Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

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Looking for a new way to serve a Thanksgiving staple? These hasselback sweet potatoes are the way to do just that.

Get the recipe for Roasted Hasselback Sweet Potatoes.

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13

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cider Vinaigrette

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Apple cider and red onion add extra zippy flavor to this vegan recipe you can make all autumn long.

Get the recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash with Cider Vinaigrette.

14

Classic Cornbread Dressing

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Keep it country-style with cornbread dressing this year! Oil (or your favorite butter substitute) keeps it vegan.

Get the recipe for Classic Cornbread Dressing.

15

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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This dish is simple and classic, but the best part of this recipe has to be the 20-minute prep time. It doesn't get easier than that!

Get the recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

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16

Thanksgiving Chopped Salad

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This Thanksgiving salad will give guests a break from the heavier fare on the table. Dressed with a simple, tangy red wine vinaigrette and loaded it with crunchy Persian cucumbers, we top it all off with a smattering of local parsley, basil, and fennel.

Get the recipe for Thanksgiving Chopped Salad.

17

Marinated Mushroom-and-Charred Broccolini Salad

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This nutritious Thanksgiving side dish packs plenty of zest—sans any animal products.

Get the recipe for Marinated Mushroom-and-Charred Broccolini Salad.

18

Pepita (Pumpkin Seed) Guacamole

Make Everyone Feel Welcome with These Easy + Delicious Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes (20)

Trust us: Guac and chips make a great appetizer while guests are getting ready for the meal. Finish off this traditional avocado mixture with an additional sprinkle of toasted seeds, and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Get the recipe for Pepita (Pumpkin Seed) Guacamole.

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19

Savory Pumpkin Soup with Spice Shake

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Warm guests up with a comforting cup of soup that's creamy, yet contains not a drop of cream.

Get the recipe for Savory Pumpkin Soup with Spice Shake.

20

Vegan Thanksgiving Wraps

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Everyone at the dinner table will be reaching for one of these wraps. They're filled with cinnamon-roasted sweet potatoes, crispy baked chickpeas, and toasted pumpkin seeds all rolled in a garlic herb flatbread.

Get the recipe for Vegan Thanksgiving Wraps at Minimalist Baker.

Make Everyone Feel Welcome with These Easy + Delicious Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What do vegans eat on Thanksgiving instead of turkey? ›

Vegan Turkey Substitutes
  • Burmese Tofu (aka Chickpea Flour Tofu) ...
  • Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Turmeric-Tahini Sauce & Pistachios. ...
  • Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie With Parsnip & Potato Mash. ...
  • Vegetarian Mapo Tofu. ...
  • Sweet Potato & Chickpea Cakes. ...
  • Vegan Lasagna With Roasted Vegetables. ...
  • Zucchini Verde Enchiladas. ...
  • Nutty Veggie Burgers.

How do vegans do Thanksgiving? ›

Seasonal vegetables like squash, beets, and mushrooms are key to making vegan-friendly dishes that are festive for Thanksgiving. Add quinoa, nuts, and beans (like chickpeas or lentils) to create satisfying entrées that everyone at the table will want to try.

What is the most popular vegetarian alternative to turkey? ›

1. Vegan Stuffed Seitan Roast. This stuffed seitan is the perfect replacement for a stuffed turkey joint this Christmas. Not only does it look fantastic as a centrepiece, but it tastes brilliant with all the trimmings.

What is a vegan turkey called? ›

Tofurky is the brand name of an American vegan turkey replacement (also known as a meat analogue, or, more specifically, tofurkey) made from a blend of wheat protein and organic tofu.

Which is the best vegan turkey? ›

The best vegan turkey roasts you can buy
  • Tofurky. Tofurky Tofurky offers a plant-based roast perfect for Thanksgiving. ...
  • Field Roast. Field Roast The company makes a variety of vegan turkey products. ...
  • Gardein Turk'y Roast. Gardein Gardein's Holiday Roast comes with a cranberry wild rice stuffing. ...
  • Trader Joe's Vegan Roast.
Nov 11, 2022

What do meat eaters get that vegans don t? ›

Intake and status of vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium and bone turnover markers were generally lower in plant-based dietary patterns compared to meat-eaters. Vegans had the lowest vitamin B12, calcium and iodine intake, and also lower iodine status and lower bone mineral density.

Do vegans eat onions? ›

Yes. Garlic and onion are plants so they are vegan. There might be some vegans who might not eat onion and garlic, but this is most likely due to personal likes and dislikes. Additionally it also might be due to some religious beliefs and practices which we will discuss later in the article.

Why is turkey not as popular as chicken? ›

The price difference and availability influence why people choose chicken over turkey. Turkey is more seasonal and available in November and December, whereas chicken is available year-round in all grocery stores.

What is the least vegetarian country? ›

So based on our understanding of different regions' eating habits, here are the worst countries for vegetarians:
  • Mongolia. ...
  • Iceland. ...
  • Latvia. ...
  • Uruguay. ...
  • Portugal. ...
  • Philippines. ...
  • South Africa.
Jul 27, 2023

What is the least favorite dish for Thanksgiving? ›

"For the third year in a row, cranberry sauce takes first place as the most disliked traditional Thanksgiving food. Over 31% of respondents, 82 million American adults, do not want cranberry sauce for their Thanksgiving dinner.

How do you make Thanksgiving feel special? ›

Say a Toast. There's no better way to celebrate the togetherness that comes with Thanksgiving than with a toast. You can ask one person to take the lead or go around the table and have everyone share what they're thankful for.

What is a good alternative to turkey for Thanksgiving? ›

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. We're not sure how it happened, but Team Delish is all about a Thanksgiving lasagna.

What is a vegan substitute for turkey slices? ›

Ingredients for Vegan Turkey Slices

The key ingredients for homemade vegan deli meat are extra-firm tofu and vital wheat gluten. Both are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. Together, they produce a log of seitan that has a texture remarkably similar to store-bought deli slices.

Is there plant-based turkey? ›

Gardein's plant-based turkey substitute is nice and moist. Honestly, the stuffing in the center doesn't have much flavor, but the gravy it comes with helps a lot. If you don't want a bunch of leftovers, this is the best vegetarian turkey option for you.

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