35+ Meatless Thanksgiving Recipes
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on November 22, 2025
Thanksgiving is just around the corner! What are you making? Weโre attending a big family dinner and everyone is bringing a dishโweโve been asked to bring this arugula and wild rice salad again this year. Whether youโre serving a vegetarian, vegan, or simply interested in fun veggie-forward dishes, I hope youโll discover the perfect recipe in this roundup.
Youโll find plenty of colorful main dishes in the list. From veggie lasagna to stuffed acorn squash, these recipes will appeal to everyone. My cookbook, Love Real Food, offers some delicious entrรฉes as well: Quinoa-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (page 144), Roasted Eggplant Lasagna (page 163), and Roasted Carrots with Farro, Chickpeas, and Herbed Tahini Sauce (page 186).
Youโll also find hearty green salads, many of which could serve as a main in sufficient quantity. Plus creamy soups, a whole section for potatoes and sweet potatoes, and more savory side dishes. Many recipes are gluten-free or vegan, too.
At the end of the post, youโll find links to recipes that will round out your Thanksgiving Day menu, including breakfast options and appetizers. Check out Thanksgiving-worthy cocktails here. For even more ideas, use the filters in my full Thanksgiving archives or the search bar if youโre looking for something in particular. Enjoy!
Vegetarian Main Dishes
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
This butternut squash risotto recipe tastes incredible! Roasted butternut squash and crispy fried sage take it over the top. This risotto is also healthier than most, since it calls for brown rice instead of white, and requires practically no stirring. You can just bake it all in the oven! Recipe yields 4 servings.
Roasted Carrots with Farro, Chickpeas & Herbed Crรจme Fraรฎche
This roasted carrot recipe looks gourmet, but itโs surprisingly easy to make! It would be a lovely dish on your holiday table or a great weeknight dinner on its own. Recipe yields 4 main dish servings to 8 side servings, depending on portions.
Better Broccoli Casserole
Broccoli casserole made better with roasted fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, creamy quinoa and irresistible, garlicky whole grain bread crumbs. This healthy casserole is easy to make and tastes amazing! Recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.
Best Vegetable Lasagna
Seriously the best veggie lasagna! This lasagna recipe is packed with bell pepper, zucchini and carrots, sautรฉed until golden and tender on the edges. Recipe yields one 9-inch lasagna, enough for 8 slices.
Easy Brown Rice Risotto with Mushrooms and Fresh Oregano
Creamy, delicious, healthier baked brown rice risotto with minimal stirring required! This recipe is designed for brown arborio/short grain brown rice so any grain substitutions will affect baking time. (White arborio rice will only need to be baked for 40 to 45 minutes.) Look for brown arborio/short-grain brown rice at well-stocked grocery stores or health food stores. Skip the wine if you donโt drink, but it adds a lovely depth of flavor. Recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.
Creamy Roasted Brussels Sprout and Quinoa Gratin
Roasted brussels sprouts and quinoa collide in this creamy, cheesy, texture-rich dish. If youโre looking for a healthier gratin recipe, this is it! If you need a gluten-free dish, just use gluten-free bread to make the bread crumbs. Recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.
Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash
This vegetarian stuffed acorn squash recipe is beautiful and delicious! The cheesy quinoa filling develops an irresistible crispy top in the oven. Make it for your holiday dinner or serve it on a relaxed weeknight at home. Recipe yields 4 stuffed squash halves.
Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
This amazing baked ziti recipe is lightened up with roasted vegetables. Golden mozzarella, sizzling red sauce and tender pasta make this vegetarian ziti super delicious! Recipe yields 8 servings.
Hearty Green Salads
Pomegranate & Pear Green Salad with Ginger Dressing
Watch how to make this pomegranate and pear green salad with this short video! Itโs bursting with fresh pomegranate, Bartlett pear and Honeycrisp apple!
Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw
This delicious slaw recipe features shredded Brussels sprouts tossed with tangy honey mustard dressing, toasted almonds and dried cherries (or cranberries). Recipe yields 4 substantial side servings; double if desired.
Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
My favorite fresh salad featuring healthy greens, sliced apple, toasted pepitas, dried cranberries and crumbled goat cheese. Toss with my simple apple cider vinaigrette (recipe below) or use balsamic dressing in a pinch. Recipe yields 2 full-sized salads or 4 to 6 side salads.
Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad with Ginger Dressing
This delicious salad recipe features roasted sweet potato, wild rice and arugula. Itโs fresh, filling and nutritious! Enjoy this salad all week long. This recipe yields a lot of salad (6 generous servings) and is easily halved.
Homemade Caesar Salad
Make the best homemade Caesar salad with this foolproof recipe! This Caesar salad recipe is the perfect side salad for special meals and holidays (or any time you get the craving). Recipe yields 4 generous side salads or 6 small.
Balsamic Butternut, Kale and Cranberry Panzanella
This winter panzanella salad features roasted butternut squash, kale, toasted croutons, cranberries and shallots tossed in homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Recipe yields 3 to 4 meal-sized salads.
Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing
This wild rice salad includes arugula, dried cherries, toasted almonds and feta, tossed in a zippy lemon dressing! Itโs gluten free, filling and delicious. Recipe yields 4 medium salads, or 8 small side servings.
Roasted Delicata Squash, Pomegranate and Arugula Salad
This vibrant salad features delicata squash, pomegranate, arugula, pepitas and feta tossed in a maple balsamic vinaigrette. If you are preparing this salad in advance, reserve the dressing on the side until you are ready to serve. Recipe yields 6 substantial side salads or up to 10 small salads; cut the recipe in half if desired.
Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Salad
This hearty fall through winter salad recipe features roasted butternut squash and apples, wheat berries (or your cooked whole grain of choice), arugula and maple-cinnamon pecans, all tossed in an irresistible gingery dressing! This salad is vegan as written and easily made gluten free. Recipe yields 4 main dish servings.
Autumn Kale Salad with Fennel, Honeycrisp and Goat Cheese
Healthy kale salad featuring shaved fennel, chopped honeycrisp apple, toasted pepitas, dried cranberries and goat cheese, tossed in a lemony dressing. This recipe yields 2 large, full-meal salads or 4 side salads.
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Pistachios
This classic roasted beet salad recipe is like my favorite French restaurantsโ beet salads! This salad features goat cheese, pistachios and arugula with a zippy Dijon dressing. Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.
Farro and Kale Salad with Goat Cheese
Youโre going to love this delicious and nutritious kale and farro salad recipe! Itโs full of hearty greens and chewy whole grains, plus flavorful toasted almonds, crumbled goat cheese, dried cherries and tangy vinaigrette. Recipe yields 4 large salads or up to 8 side salads.
Butternut Tabbouleh
This fresh winter tabbouleh salad recipe features butternut squash instead of tomatoes, along with some dried cranberries for complementary flavor. This recipe yields 4 side salads. Feel free to double the recipe; if you do, youโll likely need to cook the butternut squash longer than indicated below.
Creamy Fall Soups
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
This homemade butternut squash soup is the best Iโve ever tasted! This recipe is super creamy (yet cream-less) and full of delicious butternut flavor. Leftover soup tastes even better the next day. Recipe yields about 4 bowls or 6 cups of soup.
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
This cauliflower soup recipe is the best! Roasted cauliflower makes it taste amazing, and a little butter (instead of cream) makes it luxuriously creamy. Recipe yields 4 bowls of soup.
Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup
This pumpkin soup recipe is creamy AND healthy! It calls for roasted pumpkin for maximum flavor. This roasted pumpkin soup recipe would look lovely on your holiday dinner table, and leftovers would go great with sandwiches or salads the next day. Recipe yields 4 bowls or 6 cups of soup.
Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes
Lucilleโs Mashed Potatoes
My familyโs favorite mashed potatoes recipe! These mashed potatoes are creamy, rich and tangy, thanks to the cream cheese and sour cream. You can make these mashed potatoes ahead of time, too (see the final step for details). Recipe yields 8 large or 12 medium servings; I believe you could successfully halve the recipe for a smaller crowd.
Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
These incredible mashed sweet potatoes are mixed with herbs, butter and sour cream. No marshmallows or brown sugar in this mashed sweet potatoes recipe! Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings.
Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
Make this sweet potato casserole recipe for the holidays! Topped with buttery pecans, this creamy sweet potato casserole will be a BIG hit. Recipe yields 8 to 10 servings.
Kale Colcannon
Youโre going to love these Irish mashed potatoes with kale. This colcannon recipe is the perfect side dish for St. Patrickโs Day. So creamy and delicious! Recipe yields 8 modest side servings, or 6 medium.
Perfect Roasted Potatoes
These golden roasted potatoes are the perfect side dish! The fresh herbs are optional, but quite nice. Recipe yields about 4 generous side servings (see note for multiplying the recipe).
Hasselback Potatoes
Follow this recipe to make the best Hasselback potatoes! Buttery Hasselback potatoes are irresistibly crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside. Recipe yields 4 to 6 potatoes.
More Vegetarian Side Dishes
Best Ever Green Beans
This green bean recipe will become your new favorite side dish. Inspired by a classic French recipe (haricots verts amandine), these green beans feature buttery toasted almonds, tender shallot and a squeeze of lemon. Recipe yields 4 generous side servings; you can double the recipe by cooking it in a large Dutch oven.
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Pecans
This recipe features roasted Brussels sprouts, pecans, cranberries, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. This simple side dish is utterly irresistible and perfect for the holidays! Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.
Fresh Creamed Spinach
This creamed spinach recipe is made with fresh baby spinach and cream cheese. Itโs deliciously rich and creamy, but not over the top. Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.
Perfect Roasted Carrots (Three Ways!)
Who knew carrots could be SO good?! Roasted carrots are an easy, healthy and affordable side dish. This is the only roasted carrot recipe youโll ever need! Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.
Honey Butter Cornbread
Make the best homemade cornbread with this easy recipe! Itโs fluffy on the inside, crisp around the edges, and full of delicious honey-butter flavor. Recipe yields one large skillet of cornbread (see recipe notes for alternate baking vessel options).
Almost Homemade Green Bean Casserole
This delicious green bean casserole is loaded with fresh green beans and mushrooms (no canned ingredients here). I took one shortcut with the topping and used crushed high-quality potato chips instead of fried onions. That means this recipe is significantly easier to make than home-fried onions, and itโs easy to make it gluten free. Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings.
Amazing Vegan Mac and Cheese
This vegan mac and cheese recipe is incredibly creamy and remarkably cheese-like! You wonโt believe how delicious dairy-free mac and cheese can be.ย Recipe yields 2 large or 4 modest servings.
Easy Honey Butter
This honey butter is so easy to whip together! A final drizzle of honey and sprinkle of salt make it utterly irresistible. Recipe yields about 3/4 cupโdouble it for a crowd.
Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Sauce
This naturally sweetened cranberry sauce recipe is made simply with fresh cranberries, honey or maple syrup and orange zest! Itโs easy to make and tastes amazing, too. Recipe yields about 2 cups cranberry sauce.
More Thanksgiving Day Recipes
Appetizers & Snacks
- Baked Goat Cheese
- Cranberry Sauce and Goat Cheese Crostini
- Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Crostini
- How to Make a Cheese Board
- Naturally Sweetened Candied Pecans
- Pimento Cheese
- Pomegranate Salsa
- Stovetop Popcorn
- Sweet Potato Hummus
- Sweet & Spicy Roasted Party Nuts
- Torn Olives with Almonds, Celery & Parmesan
Breakfast & Brunch
- Apple Steel-Cut Oatmeal
- Apple & Carrot โSuperheroโ Muffins
- Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Quinoa
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Steel Cut Oats
- Foolproof French Toast
- Frittatas (Stovetop or Baked)
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oat Pancakes
- Healthy Breakfast Casserole
- Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Chai Lattes
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Oat Waffles
- Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Maple Glaze
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
- Brunch cocktail: Best Mimosa (Plus Tips & Variations!)
- Brunch cocktail: Homemade Bloody Marys
Cookies & Desserts
- Apple Crisp
- Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups
- Foolproof Basque Cheesecake
- Gluten-Free Apple Tart
- Lemon, Rosemary and Olive Oil Shortbread
- Naturally Sweetened Pecan Pie
- Pear Cranberry Crisp
- Peanut Butter Oat Cookies
- Perfect Baked Apples
- Pumpkin Pecan Polvorones
- Spiced Oatmeal Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Whipped Cream
Thanksgiving Cocktails
- Browse my holiday cocktail recipes here.
Happy Thanksgiving from Cookie and Kate!
Dear Kate,
I have been a fan of you blog for a few years. As a dog lover I wanted to say sorry to hear about Cookie. I hope that she is doing well. I wanted to share a great gal and her website. Her name is Amanda Rea and she has a dog b&b. Her website is Sama Dog.com You will find some wonderful holistic infoโฆ.also she previously worked in the event (food)planning for Deepak Chopra. On the website she has some beautiful meditations to do with your pup. Hope that you will take a look.
Thank you, Tina. We appreciate your kind words and recommendation.
Am I missing the way to share your posts other than copying the link? I wanted to share with my friends on FB but see no way to do that. Thanks.
Hi Sherry! You can copy the link, I donโt have a share to option.
Silly me, I thought this would be a quick โglance and chooseโ mission to add to my Thanksgiving week meals. Everything looks so delicious, I canโt decide! Guess Iโll just have to try them all. Thank you for such amazing ideas for fresh, seasonal food.
I think you should try them all, eventually! Be sure to let me know what you think, Christina.
Thanks for these veg Thanksgiving recipes! We usually have veg or faux meat lasagna (we like Gardein crumbles); this year Iโll try your recipe. And I have a squash screaming to be stuffed with quinoa or made into a risotto. Thanks for this trove of recipes; Iโll try several this season. You never fail to offer creative recipes.
Thanks for the opportunity. Iโll save Turkeyโs life
I am drooling here after looking through your โ33 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes.โ Weโve recently returned to the Seattle area and are in the throes of having renovations done on our house here. Weโre currently living in our basement, so cooking has been pretty tough lately. We sold our old range and just a couple of days ago had the new one installedโฆPainters worked on the ceilings until just an hour ago, so now I must wipe the dust off every surface before even considering whatโs for dinner. Tired of ordering out or making due with Amyโs frozen food bowls! It will just be the two of us (and our needy dog) for Thanksgiving, but I do want to try some of the delicious recipes youโve offered! Thank you! Jo
Fabulous! I am definitely making several of these
I made your Gluten-Free Buckwheat Waffles today. They were very good, definitely a keeper. Bringing everything to room temperature before making was not mentioned, but it is a suggested. I thought the batter was a little to thick for my Belgian Waffle Maker and added another ounce of Buttermilk.
Iโm glad you enjoyed them, Stephen!
Love all those salad recipes! I canโt wait to give them a try!
Do you have vegetarian recipes you make for Cookie? Would you share your canine friendly recipes?
I just put in the veggie black bean enchiladas (modified to be the filling and a bit of corn, will serve over rice) into the oven. Love this as enchiladas and as a topping over rice. Didnโt have the tortillas on hand the first time I tried it. Now it is a go to version. Thank you Kate!
I donโt have dog recipes, sorry! Iโm glad you enjoyed my enchiladas.