5 Sumptuous Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving is almost here, which means kitchens will be in full force once more. If you follow a vegetarian diet, there are plenty of dishes you can enjoy this holiday. Here are the best vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes to try.

Flavorful Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes for the Holiday

Thanksgiving is a time to sit down with your loved ones and break bread together. And while a roast turkey is a staple this time of the year, there are plenty of meatless dishes that are just as delicious. Here are the best recipes for vegetarian Thanksgiving.

1. Green Beans and Mushrooms With Crispy Shallots

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mushrooms, cut into large pieces
• 1 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 oz parmesan, finely grated
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more
• 3 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, blanch green beans in salted water and then rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook shallots until crisp over medium-high heat. Place cooked shallots onto paper towels to drain the excess oil. Season with salt and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, cook mushrooms until soft. Season with salt and cook more until they begin to brown. At this point, lower the heat to medium. Add the green beans, butter, and kosher salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, basting the vegetables with butter as you go.
4. Add vinegar and black pepper. Cook for another minute.
5. Transfer to a dish and serve with grated parmesan and crispy shallots on top.

2. Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy

Vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes wouldn’t be complete without delicious gravy.

Ingredients:

• 3 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 4 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 tsp chopped thyme
• 1 tsp chopped sage
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until softened. Add mushrooms, herbs, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add flour and cook for another minute.
2. Pour in vegetable stock, whisking constantly to prevent clumping. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the gravy thickens.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

3. Sweet Potato Tian

Ingredients:

• 4 lb medium sweet potatoes
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 1″ piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
• 1 tbsp orange zest, finely grated
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1/4  cup light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp white miso
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp five-spice powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves

Directions:

1. Slice the sweet potatoes into about 1/8-inch thick pieces. Leave the peel on.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. In a saucepan, melt and cook the butter over medium heat until brown. Remove from heat.
4. Add garlic, orange zest, broth, orange juice, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, salt, miso, pepper, thyme, and five-spice powder. Whisk to combine.
5. In a large bowl, mix the brown butter mixture with the sweet potatoes, tossing to coat well.
6. In a buttered skillet, arrange the sweet potato slices in an upright position, following the curve of the pan until it goes all the way to the center. Pack them tight and don’t leave any gaps. Pour over the remaining brown butter sauce over the potatoes. Then cover the skillet with foil.
7. Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until it’s fork-tender. Remove the foil and turn up the temperature to 425°F. Bake again for 30 to 40 minutes or until the tops become golden brown.
8. Garnish the top with thyme and allow it to cool a little before serving.

4. Stuffed Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

• 1 (2-lb) butternut squash, halved and deseeded
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
• 1 (15.5-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups roughly chopped kale, from 1 bunch
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• Kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a foil-lined baking sheet, place squash with the cut side down. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
3. Turn over the squash cut side up and season with salt.
4. In a small bowl, mix butter and brown sugar. Spread this mixture over the squash, distributing evenly.
5. Bake in the oven again for another 30 minutes until tender.
6. In a small saucepan, boil quinoa in broth and salt over high heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the saucepan. Let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the quinoa is fluffy.
7. In a large skillet, cook kale in 2 tbsp of water and salt over medium heat. Stir often until kale is wilted. Remove from heat and add cooked quinoa, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, and cranberries. Let cool.
8. Once baked, remove the squash from the oven. Pour the pooled sugar syrup from the baking sheet over the baked squash. Spoon in the quinoa mixture into the cavities, allowing it to overfill, dividing evenly between the two cut squashes.
9. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve.

5. Stuffed Whole Cauliflower

If you’re looking for main Thanksgiving recipes for vegetarians, this stuffed whole cauliflower will surely wow at your dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 lbs), stem and leaves removed
• 3 slices country white bread, toasted
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 10 fresh sage leaves
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 vegetable bouillon cube
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
2. Boil a pot of heavily salted water and cook the cauliflower head for 6 to 8 minutes. Once just tender, drain the cauliflower and let it cool.
3. Butter 2 pieces of bread and cut into 1/4-inch cubes. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Chop the last piece of bread finely, without butter, then pulse in a food processor to produce fine crumbs. Add parmesan and 2 tbsp of butter, then pulse again. Transfer to a new bowl and set aside. Wipe the food processor clean.
5. Add the herbs, celery, bouillon cube, egg, 2 tbsp of water, 1/2 tsp of salt, and black pepper into the food processor. Pulse until wet and fine. Combine with the 1/4-inch cubed bread mixture until smooth.
6. Transfer the combined bread mixture into a pastry bag and cut a 3/4-inch opening at the tip.
7. Take the cauliflower, stem side up, and pipe the bread filling in the gaps between the stalks. Press down with your fingers to really get the mixture in there. Do this until you’ve used up all the bread filling.
8. Place the stuffed cauliflower on the baking sheet, stem side down. Brush the top with butter and salt. Spread the parmesan and bread mixture over the top evenly.
9. Bake the cauliflower until fork-tender and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Season with salt and to taste.
10. Cut into wedges and serve.

Have Some Fun With Veggies!

Thanksgiving is usually when people indulge in decadent dishes. But, if you want to put a healthy twist this time around or if you follow the vegetarian lifestyle, these vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes will surely turn heads at your holiday dinner.

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