Here’s an ample yet not overwhelming selection of vegan Thanksgiving main dishes, designed to please eaters of all persuasions.
The bounty of squashes, pumpkins, beans, corn, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, cranberries, nuts, greens, Brussels sprouts, and other veggies typical to this holiday’s theme give vegans and vegetarians the ability to enjoy a full-scale feast.
The beauty of Thanksgiving is that it’s so inclusive — anyone, from any culture or creed, can celebrate. It’s a holiday for everyone—a day for giving appreciation for the abundance that exists in our lives, and enjoying the bountiful foods of the season.
MORE VEGAN THANKSGIVING ROUNDUPS
25+ Vegan Thanksgiving Sides & Salads
15 + Delicious Vegan Stuffings
15+ Delectable Vegan Pumpkin Desserts
WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN THIS ROUNDUP
Casseroles & Skillets
Stuffed Vegetables
Holiday Roasts & Wellingtons
Many thanks go to the talented bloggers who gave permission to link to their sites and use their photos in this roundup, which we’ll get to just after these few tips on Thanksgiving etiquette for the vegans in the house.
Casseroles & Skillets
Chick’n or Chickpea Vegan Vegetable Pot Pie: Everyone loves the nostalgic classic vegetable pot pie, whether for everyday meals or as a crowd-pleasing vegan option as a Thanksgiving or Christmas main dish.
Chickpea Sheet Pan Pie: Cradled in a flaky, golden crust, chickpeas and green peas commingle with the classic French mirepoix of onion, carrots, celery, and savory spices.
Classic Vegan Meatloaf: Though there’s nothing that particularly says “Thanksgiving” about this classic vegan meatloaf, The Vegan Atlas’s most widely viewed recipe is popular year-round, whether for holidays or everyday meals. Lots of readers look for it around Thanksgiving, so here you go!
Roasted Seitan with Peppers & Portobello Mushrooms: This delectable preparation of roasted seitan, colorful bell peppers, and portobello mushrooms is simple enough to make for a weeknight meal and festive enough for any special occasion. A perfect choice if you want to make a less elaborate main dish, leaving you with more time and energy for your sides, stuffings, and desserts.
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Lentils & Mushrooms: With a richly flavored filling of lentils and mushrooms, this vegan shepherd’s pie is a deep dish of comfort. For years, this recipe has been a favorite of mine (and my readers) for Thanksgiving and other special occasions.
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie: This comforting, hearty vegan sweet potato shepherd’s pie is a perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas main dish, but you need not wait for a holiday to enjoy it.
Chili Bean Casserole with Cornmeal Crust: Easy enough for a casual weekend meal and festive enough to serve as a vegan Thanksgiving main dish, this chili bean casserole features layers of crusty cornmeal.
Fall Harvest Stew with Squash, Corn, & Beans: A robust vegan fall harvest stew, this recipe makes good use of the “three sisters” crops of Native American tradition — squash, corn, and beans.
Skillet Black Beans with Sweet Potatoes & Tortillas: Skillet black beans with sweet potatoes embellished with tortillas is a hearty vegan main dish for families that enjoy lively south-of-the-border flavors. If you’re looking for a seasonal main dish for Thanksgiving that’s relatively quick and crowd-pleasing, consider this one!
Warm Roasted Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts: For a colorful satiating plant-based main, try Irena Macri’s warm roasted quinoa salad with sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts with citrusy mustard dressing. It’s a cross between a one-sheet pan dinner, a bake, and a warm salad that you can make as a festive veggie Christmas, Thanksgiving or Sunday Roast meal.
Stuffed Vegetables
Roasted Acorn Squash with Quinoa Stuffing: Contributed by Kirsten Kaminski, this roasted acorn squash with quinoa stuffing is the perfect holiday or special occasion dish!
Butternut Squash with Whole Wheat, Wild Rice, & Onion Stuffing: Even those who have given up the bird welcome a Thanksgiving dish that’s been stuffed. This satisfying dish of butternut squash stuffed with whole-grain (or gluten-free) bread, wild rice, and onions makes a handsome centerpiece for the holiday meal.
Instant Pot Stuffed Squash: Instant Pot fans will appreciate this dish contributed by Recipes From a Pantry. This stuffed squash is full of classic fall flavors. Hearty and easy to make, it’s the perfect meal for everyday chilly autumn nights as well as for the holiday table.
Savory Twice-Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes: Twice baked sweet potatoes – a savory combination of caramelized onions, brown rice, cranberry, pecans, and bell peppers – all baked and finished with a balsamic maple glaze. Each sweet potato half (in this recipe that uses 4 medium sweet potatoes) is deliciously filling and could be enough if you’re serving a lot of other foods. But for a larger crowd, feel free to double the recipe.
Quick Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms: Laura Theodore’s stuffed portobello mushrooms, filled with whole-grain or gluten-free bread, pecans, and spinach, are easy enough to make for a weeknight meal yet special enough for a holiday meal. If you’re serving a crowd, you may want to double this recipe!
HOLIDAY ROASTS & WELLINGTONS
Vegan Nut Roast: Irena Macri offers this special vegan nut roast made with lots of vegetables, mushrooms, and a variety of nuts. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special occasion, this dish will wow your guests.
Roasted Vegetable Pie with Puff Pastry: From Occasionally Eggs, a roasted vegetable pie, made extra easy with (vegan) puff pastry is a great holiday main dish! With pumpkin, cauliflower, and parsnip, it’s a seasonal centerpiece.
Vegan Seitan Roast: A Virtual Vegan presents an easy to make, tender seitan roast that’s packed full of flavor and perfect for serving with all the trimmings!
Vegan Holiday Roast: Make your festive dinner complete with this step-by-step recipe for Vegan Holiday Roast. It’s filled with savory stuffing and finished with a mouth-watering glaze.
Easy Vegan Wellington (Step-by-Step Recipe): This vegan Wellington is savory and delicious and perfect for Thanksgiving! It is easy to make and filled with warming veggies.
Mashed Potato Stuffed Vegan Wellington: Kitchen Treaty ponders if this is the ultimate vegan Wellington? Possibly so! A flavorful chickpea-walnut loaf with a buttery mashed potato core, all wrapped up in flaky-golden puff pastry and baked to perfection. The perfect holiday table centerpiece!
Vegan Thanksgiving Wellington: Another tasty interpretation of vegan Wellington from This Wife Cooks, this one is loaded with savory quinoa, garbanzo beans, and veggies then wrapped and baked in puff pastry. It’s a holiday roast that’s a hit with vegans and meat-eaters alike!
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