29 Christmas dinner side dishes & soups

Don’t celebrate Christmas? They’re great for any winter celebration or even just a random weeknight.

In this post:

What could be more timely than this chestnut-filled cashew gravy?

This velvety gluten-free gravy is seasoned with rosemary and thyme.

Perfect for pouring generously over a mound of vegan mashed potatoes.

It doesn’t get more quintessentially Christmas than roasted chestnuts!

Roasting chestnuts is fun and easy to do.

Plus, it only takes about 30 minutes.

Wow your dinner guests with these decadent cheesy vegan potatoes!

Tender sliced potatoes are enveloped in a custard-like cashew cheese for a truly comforting experience.

Baked potatoes are welcome at any meal – from a humble Tuesday night to a fancy holiday dinner.

Even better, an air fryer baked potato takes only about 35 minutes to make.

You won’t believe how crispy the air fryer gets the peel!

Load it up with non-dairy butter, chives, and/or crispy seitan bacon.

Roasted delicata squash is dotted with flavorful rosemary.

It’s a gluten-free dish that’s perfect for the holidays or anytime!

Broccolini with garlic & kale is an easy side dish that goes with almost any main course.

Plus, it comes together in only minutes!

If you don’t have broccolini available, simply make sautéed kale with garlic.

Brussels sprouts are at their nutty best when roasted in the oven.

Add caramelized onions & apples for sweetness. Then finish it off with a smattering of toasted pistachios.

Even ardent sprout haters are going to love this gluten-free Christmas side dish.

Mouthwatering collard greens melt in your mouth.

They are cooked with loads of garlic and softened by cooking low & slow in vegetable broth.

This is my go-to collard greens recipe.

Red wine mushrooms are sautéed with garlic.

Then the pan is deglazed with dry red wine. (I like to use Tempranillo or Malbec.)

It’s amazing what a splash of red wine can do!

It turns simple mushrooms into a show-stopping side dish.

It just isn’t the holidays without a heaping helping of vegan stuffing.

Dotted with carrots, celery, onions, and chestnuts, this savory dish completes any holiday meal.

(No chestnuts? No problem! Use browned seitan sausage or walnuts instead.)

Reimagine traditional stuffing with these stuffing muffins.

They are packed with all of the usual ingredients like celery, carrots, and onions.

But they are cooked in muffin pans for a fun take on this holiday favorite.

Creamed kale makes comfort food out of this dark leafy green. Garlicky kale is covered in a flavorful cashew sauce.

It’s a mouthwatering side dish that comes together in just 17 minutes!

Roasted cauliflower is a side dish that is ridiculously easy to make. It’s a hands-off dish that can be made in the oven or air fryer.

Roasted cauliflower is finished with a squeeze of lemon juice and pinch of salt.

This simple preparation allows the toasty flavor of cauliflower to really shine.

Fluffy mashed potatoes are a regular holiday favorite for a reason.

They’re so light, creamy, and delicious!

Smother mashed potatoes with pantry-friendly vegan turkey gravy.

The gravy is ready in just 10 minutes!

Cranberries are only available for a short while.

Make them count with this orange cranberry sauce.

It’s sweetened with orange juice for a delightful balance of tart & sweet.

Wake up that plate of comfort food with vibrant cranberry salsa.

It is packed with cilantro, red bell pepper, onions, garlic, lime juice, orange zest, and orange juice.

This vegan & gluten-free topping is also great on sweet potato tacos.

This easy roasted cabbage recipe makes cabbage buttery soft and crispy around the edges.

It’s also a great way to use any excess cabbage that you have, because the vegetable shrinks in the process.

Try something new with everyone’s favorite holiday classic.

Add a squeeze of stoneground mustard for mustard mashed potatoes.

If you like mustard in potato salad, you’re going to love the tang it adds to them mashed.

Any meal is a little more special when sweet fried plantains are involved.

Caramelized edges give way to a sweet and creamy interior.

They don’t take much time to make. But they always feel exciting.

Soups for the holidays

Soup is a wonderful starter, because it’s easy to make ahead of time. Then just reheat it on the stove and serve.

Plus, this time of year, we could all use whatever help we can get at keeping warm!

Vegan baked potato soup got a festive holiday makeover to become melted snowman soup.

This fun & kid-friendly dish is made with potatoes, onions, garlic, and warming spices.

Get the whole family involved to decorate their snowmen – with a carrot for a nose, black olive eyes, and sun-dried tomato mouths.

Sweet potato peanut stew is a one pot meal that can be a starter or main course.

It’s packed with chickpeas for an extra punch of protein, peanuts, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.

This soup is a good make ahead meal, because the flavors only improve with time.

Coconut curry kabocha squash soup has spicy heat, plus the sweet balance of apple and maple syrup.

It makes a delicious starter to a full meal, or enjoy it with crusty bread for dinner.

Vegan tortilla soup is so warming & filling, it could easily be a full meal on its own.

It’s filled to the brim with beans, seitan, corn, spices, and fire roasted tomatoes.

Top it with non-dairy cheese, cilantro, avocado, and crunchy tortilla strips.

You’ll get a mix of hot, cool, creamy, and crunchy in every bite.

Now here’s a soup that knows how to bring the cozy!

This creamy mushroom soup is filled with lentils and brown rice.

The flavor is reminiscent of a mushroom stroganoff without the noodles or vegan risotto without the babying.

With the fragrant addition of rosemary, thyme, garlic, and onions, this soup packs a punch of homey deliciousness.

Fight back against the biting wind outside with this creamy gnocchi soup.

It is packed with pillowy potato dumplings, vegan sausage, and kale in a luxurious cashew broth.

Don’t feel like cooking on Christmas?

Make a batch of three bean chili the day before!

Like everyone knows, it only gets better with time.

So that means all you have to do is heat and eat.

This chili is filled with pinto, black, and Great Northern beans.

It’s a one pot meal that takes less than a half an hour to prepare.

This fall salad with apples ticks the boxes for tangy, salty, sour, and sweet.

With candied pecans, vegan feta cheese, and a cider vinaigrette, there’s a reason it’s a household favorite.

Delicata squash salad is the perfect Christmas side dish for your holiday dinner.

With caramelized onions, pistachios, roasted squash, persimmons, and pistachios, this salad really leans into the season.