Being a vegetarian can be a little bit awkward on a holiday often referred to as Turkey Day. Judging by all the “What do you eat on Thanksgiving?!” questions I get, a lot of people seem to think it’s impossible to celebrate the holiday without a plateful of turkey. (Really, it is possible!)
Last year, I had a lot of people visiting my blog in the days leading up to Thanksgiving in search of advice on how to cook for their vegetarian guests. So I thought I’d make myself useful and put together a post with some meatless main dish ideas for Thanksgiving. If you’re cooking for a vegetarian this Thanksgiving, here are some helpful tips:
Make Vegetarian-Friendly Sides
Most vegetarians are happy just eating sides on Thanksgiving. But make sure they’re vegetarian! Stuffing cooked in a turkey or gravy made with drippings don’t count.
Ask What Your Guest Will Eat
I know people who consider themselves vegetarians and eat poultry and fish. Others don’t eat meat, but will eat broth, gelatin, shortening, etc. Because so many people define vegetarianism in so many different ways, the best thing you can do is be clear on what your guest can and cannot eat before you make any meal plans.
Have Your Guest Bring a Dish
This is probably the easiest solution!
While there are a few vegetarian faux turkey options out there, I much prefer a homemade main dish made with real ingredients. If my Savory Pumpkin Galette and Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash Rings aren’t your thing, here are 40 more vegetarian main dishes for Thanksgiving.
Stuffed Vegetables
Kale-Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice Salad [Beard & Bonnet]
Stuffed Peppers with Millet & Black Bean Pilaf [Jeanette's Healthy Living]
Walnut-Stuffed Mushrooms [Vegetarian Times]
Squash with Wild Rice & Chanterelle Stuffing [VegNews]
Pumpkin Stuffed with Vegetable Stew [Epicurious]
Tempeh Bacon & Apple Stuffed Sweet Potatoes [The Sweet Life]
Onions Stuffed with Rice-Lentil Pilaf [Fat-Free Vegan]
Tarts, Quiches & Pot Pies
Oh-So-Easy Broccoli Cheddar Pot Pies
Savory Green Bean & Mushroom Tart [A Spicy Perspective]
Leek & Olive Tart [Rikki Snyder]
Fall Vegetarian Pot Pie [A Thought for Food]
Harvest Galette [Martha Stewart]
Mushroom Pie in a Whole-Wheat Flax Crust [Vegetarian Times]
Brussels Sprouts & Grape Galette
Swiss Chard & Cheddar Quiche [Real Simple]
Pizzas & Flatbreads
Sweet Potato Pizza with Kale & Caramelized Onions
Sweet Potato Flatbread [Simply Irresistable]
Pumpkin & Fried Sage Flatbread [Foodie Crush]
Butternut Squash & Caramelized Onion Flatbread (pictured above; photo by Rikki Snyder)
Flatbread with Kale, Swiss Chard, Pine Nuts, Currants, Brown Butter & Ricotta Salata [Vegetable Matter]
Roasted Garlic, Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Pizza [The Endless Meal]
Wild Mushroom & Potato Pizza
Fig, Apple & Gorgonzola Flatbread [Steamy Kitchen]
Meatless Loaves
Mini Vegetarian Meatloaves
The Ultimate Vegetable Lentil Loaf [The Simple Veganista]
Glazed Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf [Oh She Glows]
Seitan Stuffed with Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, and Mushrooms [Fat-Free Vegan]
Vegetables Wellington Redux [Vegetarian Times]
Lentil Loaf [The Muffin Myth]
Broccoli Cheddar Loaf [Vegetarian Times]
Vegetarian Nut Loaf [A Couple Cooks]
Casseroles
Mushroom & Kale Lasagna with Rosemary Cashew Sauce
Pumpkin & Cheesy Baked Potato Casserole [Averie Cooks]
Pumpkin Mac & Cheese with Apples and Caramelized Onions [Once Upon a Cutting Board]
Butternut Squash & Sage Lasagna (use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth) [Martha Stewart]
Butternut Squash & Duxelles Casserole [Vegetarian Times]
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with Roasted Garlic & Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes [The Fig Tree]
Baby Bella & Kale Casserole
Creamy Baked Pumpkin Rigatoni [Kitchen Treaty]
For more meatless Thanksgiving ideas, click on the Thanksgiving link in my sidebar and visit my Thanksgiving pinboard on Pinterest.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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Thanks for linking up my Pumpkin & Cheesy Baked Potato Casserole! This is a fabulous roundup and I hope you have a great holiday!
You’re welcome–I hope you have a great Thanksgiving too!
Yum! Even though our Thanksgiving has passed, this is a great roundup of meals to try anytime! Thanks for including my mac and cheese in your list!
It is totally on my list of things to make soon! So many fall flavors in one dish.
WOW what a great round up. 40! I’m impressed. sending to my mom right now…she’s vegan!
Thank you! And I made your winter squash & black bean burgers this week–they are so good!
Great list!
I need to tell my SIL about your site. She’s a vegetarian and would love these recipes!
So many yummy dishes!!
All of these look and sound so good. Thank you for sharing them with us.
I’m not a vegetarian but these look like pretty fabulous ways to celebrate even without the meat. Sometimes the meat is overrated anyway. I’m not a huge fan of turkey to begin with.
Yeah, I never cared for turkey much either even when I did eat meat. The sides are so much better!
Those all sound so yummy! I fill up on sides usually anyway on Thanksgiving & don’t really eat more than a couple of bites of turkey so I could totally make it through the day without meat- especially with yummy recipes like these!
A belated thank you for including my baked pumpkin rigatoni! Yay!
This is such a great selection of main dishes. I’m inspired by the loaf section. I tend to veer away from loaf recipes and I’m not even sure why. I think I need to give one of those recipes a try. Loafs need love too, right?!
I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and I can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve for December.
I have no big theme weeks planned for December–I was thinking about it, but laziness won out.