Just because you are a vegetarian doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving meal! I have been a vegetarian for over 8 years now, ever since 5th grade. No one else in my immediate family is a vegetarian so meals are always a struggle but my grandparents are vegetarian so whenever we have them over for Thanksgiving, we experiment with tons of vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes. Here are some recipes that stood out as the best to make for your Thanksgiving feast!
Green-Bean Casserole (Side)
This is a favorite at my family’s Thanksgiving dinner. It is a delicious veggie side for both vegetarians and carnivores alike! It consists of buttery green beans and tons of delicious spices. It is also important to put extra dried onions on top! There are much simpler recipes for green-bean casseroles, but here is a delicious one to try from Food Network.
Veggie Pot Pie (Entrée)
This recipe is a perfect main dish for the few vegetarians you have coming to your dinner. It is made in individual pots so vegetarians can have their own main dish while everyone else is chowing down on turkey. It’s made with potatoes, yams, celery and mushrooms thrown into a sauce. The crust can either be homemade or a simple dough bought from the store if you need to save time. Here is a recipe from Food Network.
Maple Butternut Squash (Entrée or Side)
This recipe caught my eye because it sounds both delicious and mimics a carved turkey! While all your friends and family are eating carved turkey, vegetarians can pass around slices of this delicious, sweet butternut squash with amazing fall spices. This can be the perfect main dish or side dish, depending on how much you make. Here’s a recipe from Seasons and Suppers.
Honey- Glazed Crispy Tofu (Entrée or Side)
This sounds like an amazing mix of tastes for Thanksgiving. It also has tofu in it which is the perfect protein for vegetarians. Tofu and Brussel sprouts both taste amazing when cooked right. This honey-glazed recipe could add a really nice change of tastes to the classic Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s a recipe from Cookie and Kate.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Cinnamon Squash (Side)
This is a colorful plate to add to your dinner whether you’re a vegetarian or not. We all love the sweet taste of butternut squash and berries. This dish is a beautiful, wonderful sweet taste to incorporate in your dinner and best of all… it’s really easy to make! This is the perfect dish to make for your vegetarian friends if you have tons of other dishes to make. Get the recipe from Julia’s Album.
Baked Tofu (Entrée)
An obvious substitute for vegetarians, instead of turkey is tofu! Tofu is an important staple for all vegetarians. This is a super easy entrée to make alongside all your other Thanksgiving dishes. Tofu can be baked in many different ways. I would even suggest baking this tofu and putting vegetarian gravy over it to make it resemble your normal Thanksgiving entrée. For a different taste, one of my all-time favorite ways to cook tofu is in a spicy peanut sauce. Here is a basic baked tofu recipe to try from Woman in Real Life.
Mustard-Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower (Entrée or Side)
This looks like another really simple recipe that, depending on how much you make, could either be an entrée for vegetarians or a delicious side. Cauliflower is really easy to roast in the oven and tastes delicious with garlic, mustard and parmesan seasoning. I especially like this because I am a huge fan of the savory dishes during Thanksgiving dinner. Try this Food Network recipe.
Spinach balls (Appetizer)
I had to share this recipe because it is an all-time favorite in my family. These are a great appetizer to have for people while the turkey is still cooking, but fair warning – they will be gone really fast. They are a delicious mix of garlicy spinach and bread crumbs. Although this is not the healthiest choice, you are allowed to eat whatever you want on Thanksgiving. Get the recipe on Food.com.
Garlic and Pumpkin Soup (Appetizer)
This soup will be a delicious and warm appetizer for everyone at the table. The recipe calls for chicken broth, but you can easily substitute it with vegetable broth to make it a vegetarian dish. It is also super simple and quick to make, taking a lot of the stress out of cooking. This sounds like an amazing mix of sweet and savory, perfect to have right before the big Thanksgiving meal. Get the recipe from Recipe Chart.
Other Thanksgiving Classics!
Besides all of the fancy dishes I just listed, don’t forget to make all of the classic Thanksgiving sides without meat in it! My personal favorite is stuffing. But you can also make mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, corn bread, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, corn, and cranberry sauce! There are endless options for vegetarians to have a huge, delicious and happy Thanksgiving dinner!