Whether you’re looking for a satisfying meatless alternative to turkey or you want a variety of vegetable-forward side dishes, these vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes are ideal for holiday gatherings. Start your meal with crispy fritters or a creamy dip. For the main course, serve presentation-worthy stuffed pumpkin, carrot steaks, or a multicolored gratin. And don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten the stuffing. These are Food & Wine’s finest Thanksgiving recipes for vegetarians and vegetable lovers alike.
Apple-Shallot-Potato Gratin
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
This gorgeous gratin features so many autumnal ingredients: tart apples, sweet shallots, and woodsy herbs. A butter-cream sauce bakes into the beautiful potato-filled layers for an elegant plant-forward Thanksgiving side.
Shaved Beet and Carrot Salad with Citrus-Scallion Dressing
This seasonal salad is simply beautiful. Colors of purple, orange, red, and green dance off each other in carrot ribbons, shaved beets, baby arugula leaves, and citrus rounds.
Creamy Swiss Chard Gratin with Crispy Gnocchi
This hearty vegetarian entree will be a home run with all the holiday guests. Tender gnocchi nuggets bake with nutty Gruyère and salty Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses alongside vibrant Swiss chard and a rich béchamel.
Green Bean Casserole with Almost-Burnt Almonds
In the moments before toasted almonds turn to burnt in the oven, they hit an incredible level of intense nutty flavor with awesome crunch. Those near-burnt almonds are featured in this casserole with tender-crisp green beans, a smooth sauce, and a crunchy topping.
Rainbow Vegetable Gratin
Multiple layers of multicolored vegetables create this striking gratin from Justin Chapple. A Parmigiano-Reggiano topping adds caramelized, nutty flavors.
Carrot Steaks with Roasted Garlic Hollandaise
In this recipe, 2018 F&W Best New Chef Kate Williams showcases the deliciously earthy sweetness of roasted carrots. Here, large horse carrots are cooked until browned and tender, then served with a from-scratch hollandaise.
Garlic-and-Herb Mashed Potatoes
Garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese fills in for cream cheese or butter in these creamy, speckled mashed potatoes from Justin Chapple.
Fennel and Apple Salad with Hazelnuts
This salad from recipe developer Ann Taylor Pittman shows that tender greens need not be reserved just for spring. Granny Smith apples and toasty hazelnuts bring crisp and warm autumn flavors to sweet fennel and lettuce.
Raclette-Gruyère Mac and Cheese with Pickled Shallots
This cheesy mac casserole from Josh Miller takes inspiration from the Swiss älplermagronen — Alpine farmers’ macaroni. Robust flavors and creamy textures abound from Gruyère and raclette cheeses. Quick-picked shallots cut through the indulgence with a sharp, bright flair.
Rustic Bread Stuffing with Swiss Chard and Chestnuts
Dried mushrooms and meaty chestnuts add umami flavor and hearty chew to this meatless stuffing. Fresh sage and celery tie together the classic Thanksgiving stuffing flavors.
Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli with Cranberry Agrodolce
A quick trip in a hot oven yields crisped, charred broccoli and brussels sprouts. A sweet-tart agrodolce featuring cranberries, chiles, and shallots creates a fruity dressing for the greens.
French Onion Stuffed Butternut Squash
Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Stuff sweet, nutty butternut squash with caramelized onions, Gruyère cheese, and toasted croutons. The components can be made ahead to assemble and bake day of.
Vegetarian Meatballs
Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman
Marianne Williams’ plant-forward meatballs get texture from quinoa and black beans, color and flavor from deeply roasted vegetables, and an umami richness from nutritional yeast.
Roasted Butternut Squash Parmesan
Raquel Pelzel’s variation of eggplant Parmesan features roasted butternut squash layered with marinara and cheeses. A cheesy breadcrumb topping adds a delightful, crispy finish.
Mushroom and Cabbage Wellington
Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling
In this vegetarian version of Beef Wellington, mushrooms take center stage alongside garlicky, buttery cabbage within puff pastry that’s baked until golden brown.
Potato–and–Celery Root Biscuits
Chadwick Boyd’s holiday biscuits feature a filling of mashed potatoes and celery root in the dough. The square biscuits, sprinkled with thyme and flaky salt, will make a striking addition to your Thanksgiving spread.
Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Sourdough Dressing
Umami-rich wild mushrooms bring the meatiness to this dressing, while fresh thyme and rosemary bring familiar Thanksgiving flavors. A crisped sourdough edge gives way to a chewy, softened interior of savory seasonal ingredients.
Baked Shells with Gremolata Breadcrumbs
This is your recipe for the ultimate mac ‘n’ cheese with a gooey center and a crispy top. Fontina cheese brings the soft, melty goodness while cheddar brings the tang and the caramelized crust. A gremolata of panko, parsley, lemon, and garlic cuts through the richness of the creamy pasta.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Onions with Mushroom Lardons
Colors of purples, oranges, and greens dot this pretty vegetable dish from Justin Chapple. Oyster mushroom lardons stand in for the bacon usually cooked with brussels sprouts.
Kabocha Squash Fritters with Yuzu-Garlic Dipping Sauce
Steamed fresh kabocha squash makes for a sweeter, more custardy filling than pumpkin in these cheesy squash fritters.
Braised Greens with Crispy Garlic and Miso Butter
In this recipe from Justin Chapple, greens are braised in an umami-rich miso butter broth. Beautifully browned slices of garlic add a crisp and golden bite.
Citrus, Beet, and Arugula Salad with Halloumi Croutons
Multicolored beets and citrus fruits taste of earthy, bright flavors, while a honey-mustard dressing brings sharpness and halloumi croutons add grounding savory notes.
Savory Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Sesame Seeds
Justin Chapple gives brown sugar-kissed sweet potatoes a savory contrast with amino acids, butter, and salt.
Mushroom Parmesan
Chances are, few at your holiday table will have enjoyed anything like this mushroom Parmesan before. Panko-coated hen-of-the-woods mushrooms sub in for the typical eggplant in this cheesy, tomato-y casserole.
Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Hand Pies
Encompassing two beloved Thanksgiving sides — brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes — these cheesy hand pies are personal prizes for your dinner guests.
Curried Pumpkin and Buss Up Shut (Paratha Roti)
2017 F&W Best New Chef Nina Compton brings us this beautiful, spice-laden dish featuring tender pumpkin with habanero chiles, softened callaloo leaves, and a complex coconut sauce.
Carla Hall’s Buttermilk Biscuits
Chef Carla Hall makes these buttermilk biscuits with a blend of cold butter and vegetable shortening — and utilizes the process of lamination in her dough — for the ultimate flaky, tender, buttery biscuits.
Caramelized Five-Onion Dip
A platter of toasts, raw vegetables, roasted vegetables, and chips accompany this sweet, creamy dip featuring five types of alliums.
Whole Baked Pumpkin Soup
Whole pumpkins become soft, tender, and sweet from baking. Pureed into a velvety consistency, the pumpkin is complemented with sharp white wine and round, golden, buttery flavors.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Chorizo-Spiced Kale
Chef Damian Sansonetti highlights dense, earthy winter squash by pairing roasted butternut squash with chorizo-spiced kale. Note that there is no actual chorizo in this dish, just the wonderful spices you’ll often find in chorizo.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Curry Leaves
Chile flakes and curry leaves bring a robust, warm aroma to roasted butternut squash in this recipe from cook and author Nik Sharma.
Greens-and-Cheese-Stuffed Cinderella Pumpkin
In this stuffed pumpkin recipe from recipe developer Anna Theoktisto, a blend of nutty, earthy Gruyère and feta meets sweet fennel and cooked greens for a showstopping vegetarian entree.
Lemon-Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce
In this no-cook cranberry sauce, sugar softens the sharpness of the fresh berries while ginger adds that tingly holiday flavor.
Crushed Potatoes with Spiced Olive Oil
Plentiful extra-virgin olive oil is seasoned with toasted spices, and then gently folded into crushed Yukon Gold potatoes. The fruitiness of the oil and the warmth of the spices are all you need for flavor in these fragrant, earthy potatoes.
Red Cabbage Salad with Baked Cherries, Apples, and Almond Dukkah
This fall salad bursts with cherry flavors coming from roasted fresh cherries, cherry vinegar, and dried cherries. Oh-so-thinly sliced red cabbage and apples bring sweet and slightly bitter crunch.
Note: Some of these recipes include cheeses that are often made with animal rennet. If you prefer not to use that type of cheese, you can omit it if applicable or swap in a vegetarian-friendly substitute.