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    35 recipes for a vegan Thanksgiving

    Published: Nov 2, 2020 · Modified: Feb 17, 2022 by Cadry Nelson
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Text overlay: 35 recipes for a vegan Thanksgiving. Holiday table with plant-based dishes.

    Your holiday dinner is covered with this round-up of 35 vegan Thanksgiving recipes. These plant-based dishes include an enticing array of appetizers, sides, salads, and main dishes. Plus, tips on how to navigate the social aspects of a vegan holiday!

    Fancy dinner table with plates and glasses.

    The leaves have turned red and yellow. The wind outside has a chill in it. And squash is lining up on the grocery store shelves.

    You know Thanksgiving can’t be far off.

    Here’s a mouthwatering line-up of plant-based recipes to make your meal a festive one. It features veganized holiday favorites, as well as some new-to-you dishes you’re sure to love.

    This vegan Thanksgiving round-up contains everything you’ll need from cocktails and appetizers through the main event.

    And remember, there’s no reason to limit yourself to just one day. Enjoy these dishes all season long. Pin them to your Pinterest board and/or share them on Facebook, so that you can refer back to them!

    Cocktails & appetizers

    While finishing touches are being made on the main course, it’s fun to have nibbles for noshing. Bring on the cocktails, dips, and finger foods.

    Hand pouring sparkling wine into glass with cranberries and cranberry juice.

    Cranberry mimosa

    This cranberry juice and champagne cocktail includes just three ingredients. It’s as festive as it is easy.

    Cranberry salsa with cream cheese on plate, topped with jalapeno slices and cilantro.

    Cranberry salsa with cream cheese

    Look at that gorgeous vibrant color! Zesty cranberry salsa is formed over non-dairy cream cheese for a tangy mixture of sour and sweet.

    Serve it with crackers for spreading.

    Warmed castelvetrano olives with lemon & garlic: A beautiful vegan, gluten-free appetizer | cadryskitchen.com

    Warmed Castelvetrano olives with lemon & garlic

    You’ve got to love it when an appetizer this easy seems so fancy. Buttery Castelvetrano olives are sautéed with garlic, fresh thyme, and lemon zest.

    Serve warm or at room temperature. You can also make this one ahead of time!

    Bowl of tapenade with ingredients.

    Olive tapenade

    This easy appetizer comes together in only five minutes! It’s made by throwing olives, capers, lemon juice, EVOO, garlic, and fresh thyme into a food processor. Just add crackers!

    Seitan bacon wrapped dates on appetizer plate.

    Vegan bacon wrapped dates

    A simple but satisfying appetizer!

    Pitted dates stuffed with vegan cheese or nut butter, wrapped in seitan bacon, and lightly fried. They’re an easy crowd pleaser.

    Salads & side dishes

    Thanksgiving foods are often shades of beige. It feels good to balance out the tan with pops of color.

    Close-up roasted apple salad with candied pecans and vegan feta.

    Fall salad with apples, vegan feta cheese, and candied pecans

    This fall salad with apples is topped with candied pecans, green onions, and a cider vinaigrette. Add store-bought or homemade vegan feta or chèvre on top.

    Persimmons on top of salad.

    Salad with persimmons & delicata squash

    This salad just screams fall. It’s loaded with roasted delicata squash, persimmons, pistachios, and caramelized onions. 

    Overhead easy spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette & spoon.

    Easy spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette

    This easy spinach salad is topped with candied pecans, bell peppers, celery, carrots, and dried cranberries. Add a splash of balsamic vinaigrette dressing to finish it off.

    Bowl filled with wild rice soup by bread.

    Vegan wild rice soup

    Taste the flavors of fall with this satiating soup. It’s filled with seitan chicken, wild rice, carrots, onions, celery, and kale. So cozy!

    Stuffing on plate with chickpea cutlets.

    Vegan stuffing with chestnuts

    Nothing says holidays like stuffing. This one is packed with carrots, celery, onions, and chestnuts.

    (No chestnuts? No problem! You can use browned seitan sausage or walnuts instead.)

    Vegan stuffing muffin on plate. Platter of stuffin' muffins in background. Vegan Thanksgiving recipes.

    Vegan stuffing muffins

    For a handheld take on stuffing, make stuffing muffins! They are stuffed with celery, carrots, onions, and chestnuts.

    Gravy boat by mashed potatoes and greens.

    Easy vegan gravy

    This turkey-style vegan gravy is perfect at the holidays. It’s filled with the flavors of herbs de Provence and thyme.

    With pantry-friendly ingredients, it’s ready in just 10 minutes!

    Mashed potatoes and chestnut gravy on plate with spinach salad, vegan turkey, and cranberry sauce.

    Cashew gravy with chestnuts

    Velvety cashew gravy with chestnuts is spiced with thyme and rosemary. Ladle this velvety gravy over mashed potatoes for a festive addition to your holiday dinner. Plus, it’s gluten-free!

    Holiday dinner on plate with greens, roast, stuffing, and orange cranberry sauce.

    Orange cranberry sauce

    Why use canned cranberry sauce when it’s so easy to make your own? This one comes together in a jiffy with fresh cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, and orange zest.

    It has a wonderful balance of tart and sweet.

    Cranberry salsa with orange zest in martini glass.

    Fresh cranberry salsa with orange zest

    Cranberry salsa is a fresher take on cranberry sauce. With cilantro, red bell pepper, onions, garlic, lime juice, orange zest, and orange juice, it really wakes up beige comfort food.

    Use the leftovers on sweet potato tacos with black beans!

    Field Roast Celebration Roast with apple chutney, mashed potatoes, and broccoli on plate.

    Apple chutney

    Apple chutney is like a chunky apple sauce with the warming flavors of curry, ginger, and cinnamon. It can be eaten warm or cold straight out of the refrigerator.

    It plays together beautifully with a vegan holiday roast!

    Close-up Brussels sprouts with pistachios, caramelized onions, and apples in bowl.

    Roasted Brussels sprouts with apples & caramelized onions

    Brussels sprouts are at their best when they’re roasted with apples, caramelized onions, and a smattering of pistachios. Sweet apple and crunchy pistachios wipe away any bitterness from the sprouts.

    Broccolini and kale on plate with lentil loaf & mashed potatoes.

    Sautéed broccolini and kale

    Add some color to your holiday plate with this broccolini recipe. Broccolini is sautéed with garlic & kale for an easy vegan and gluten-free side dish. 

    Red wine mushrooms on plate with chives.

    Red wine mushrooms with garlic

    Everything is better with garlic and red wine. These mushrooms are positively loaded with umami. 

    Mashed potatoes & seitan bacon vegan gravy on plate with Herbivorous Butcher seitan.

    Mashed potatoes with seitan bacon vegan gravy

    Of course, it just isn’t Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes. Here fluffy mashed potatoes are topped with a generous ladling of seitan bacon gravy.

    Or if you don’t feel like making gravy too, make mustard mashed potatoes! They’re great all on their own.

    Lemony potatoes garnished with chives in serving dish.

    Lemony potatoes with garlic and oregano

    Another potato dish? Why not?

    These flavorful potatoes are made with garlic, lemon juice, broth, and oregano. So vibrant & robust! 

    Close up easy roasted cauliflower in small bowl with lemon slice.

    Easy roasted cauliflower in the air fryer or oven

    This easy roasted cauliflower side dish can be made in the oven or the air fryer. With a squeeze of lemon juice and pinch of salt, it lets the toasty flavor of cauliflower really shine. 

    Delicata squash with tofu scramble platter & corn tortillas.

    Roasted delicata squash

    Delicata squash is the essence of fall. It’s a simple side dish, because you can leave the skin on. It’s dotted with flavorful dried rosemary.

    Loaded vegan baked potato soup in mug with seitan bacon, non-dairy cheese, vegan cream cheese, and onions.

    Fully loaded vegan baked potato soup

    You can’t have too many potatoes on Thanksgiving. This creamy baked potato soup is topped with seitan bacon, non-dairy cheese, and green onions.

    Easy collard greens in a yellow Pyrex dish.

    Easy collard greens

    Succulent collard greens fall apart in the mouth. It’s one of those rare side dishes that’s only more inviting if it sits on the stove for a while. 

    Vegan dinner on plate with seitan slices, mashed potatoes, and crispy cabbage side dish.

    Roasted cabbage

    Cabbage gets beautifully toasty around the edges when roasted in the oven. Cut it into smaller pieces for the best ratio of caramelized crust to buttery soft.

    Main dishes

    Slice of vegan pot pie on white plate. Full-sized pot pie in background.

    Chicken-style vegan pot pie

    For something cozy and hearty, vegan pot pie makes a great main course. It’s filled with carrots, onions, celery, peas, and chicken-style seitan. Then it’s bundled up in a creamy cashew sauce.

    Bonus: This pot pie uses store-bought frozen pie crust for extra convenience factor! 

    To make this a gluten-free option, replace the seitan with beans, and use a gluten-free pie crust.

    Mini vegetable pot pie in a yellow cocotte.

    Mini vegetable pot pie

    Continuing with the pot pie theme, these bean and vegetable pot pies are personal-sized. Equal parts cute & delicious. The recipe includes making your own flaky top crust.

    Hand holding vegan fried chicken leg.

    Vegan fried chicken

    Before you went vegan, if the drumstick was your preferred main course, then look no further. This vegan fried chicken is speared on a bamboo skewer, breaded, and fried. It even has a crispy “skin!”

    Polenta stack with barbecued squash and cashew cream on plate with pepitas.

    Vegan polenta stacks with barbecued squash & cashew cream

    With a crisp layer of polenta, cashew cream, and barbecued delicata squash, this eye catching entree is layered with flavors and textures. Use pre-made polenta as a time saving option!

    Vegan Thanksgiving kabob on plate with salad and cranberry sauce. Vegan Thanksgiving recipes.

    Vegan kebabs

    Thanksgiving skewers have all of your favorite holiday flavors – on a stick. With deconstructed stuffing, potatoes, lemony seitan, and sweet potatoes with marshmallows, you hit all of the classics.

    Two cauliflower steaks on plate with chimichurri.

    Roasted cauliflower steaks

    Let cauliflower have a chance to shine. This eye-catching main course is topped with garlicky cilantro chimichurri. 

    Vegan arancini on plates with basil.

    Vegan arancini

    Arancini isn’t your typical Thanksgiving entree. However, these Italian rice balls are cozy, crisp, and dramatic.

    Break into the crackling crust of the outside, and you’re treated with creamy mushrooms, seitan, and cashew sauce with rice.

    Bonus: It’s made using leftover vegan risotto. And it can be made in the air fryer or oven!

    Close-up baked tofu with lemon & rosemary on white plate.

    Easy baked tofu recipe with lemon & rosemary

    Dotted with rosemary and lemon, this weeknight-friendly dish also makes a lovely holiday main course.

    Vegan turkey sandwich with avocado and cranberry sauce on plate.

    Vegan Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich

    Of course, the best part of Thanksgiving may be the leftovers! Deliciously re-purpose them in this Thanksgiving sandwich with avocado.

    (Make the most of your holiday dinner with these 18 Thanksgiving leftovers recipes!)

    More Thanksgiving resources

    Finally, I always say that with veganism, the food is the easy part. It’s navigating social situations that can be tricky.  

    If this will be your first vegan Thanksgiving, here are some helpful resources as we move into the holiday season.

    • 12 tips for surviving your first vegan Thanksgiving
    • When people won’t eat your food because it’s vegan
    • How to deal with vegan jokes at your expense
    • Going vegan: Making new food traditions
    • My wish for the turkeys

    Content and photos updated November 2, 2020. Originally posted November 2015.

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bianca

      November 16, 2015 at 1:24 pm

      This is such an awesome list, Cadry! Thanks for posting this. My mom handles all the cooking, mostly. But I usually throw in a dish or two. I may pick something from this list.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 01, 2015 at 11:10 am

        Thanks, Bianca! I wanted to include some dishes from Vegan Crunk, but I was having a hard time finding recipes on your blog. Have you thought about making a recipe tab?

        Reply
    2. Dale

      November 16, 2015 at 3:29 pm

      One of these days I’m going to join someone for a Thanksgiving. I’m really curious to see what the experience is really like.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 01, 2015 at 11:11 am

        You really should and then write about it! It would be fun to hear an outsider’s perspective.

        Reply
    3. ADI

      November 16, 2015 at 4:05 pm

      Perfect! My friend was looking for some vegan suggestions. I’ll send her the link to this. ~.o

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 01, 2015 at 11:12 am

        Terrific, thanks!

        Reply
    4. Eva @ Four Leaf Clover

      November 16, 2015 at 11:16 pm

      I needed vegan Thanksgiving ideas so thank you so much for sharing so many of them!! I’m attending my husband’s family Thanksgiving for the first time this year and I’ll be the only vegan there so I’ve gotta bring something reeeeally good, haha!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 01, 2015 at 11:13 am

        Oh, I hope it went well! Let me know how you fared if you get a chance. 😀

        Reply
        • Eva @ Four Leaf Clover

          December 05, 2015 at 11:38 pm

          I ended up just making a dessert (vegan snickerdoodle cupcakes) and they were a hit! Everyone loved them 🙂 How as your Thanksgiving?

          Reply
          • Cadry

            December 07, 2015 at 11:08 am

            I’m so glad they were a hit! They sound delicious. My Thanksgiving was easy and very low key. It was just me and my husband this year, and so we were able to make dinner at our own pace with whatever we were in the mood for that day.

            Reply
            • Eva @ Four Leaf Clover

              December 07, 2015 at 11:34 am

              That sounds really nice and calm (something you don’t often find around holidays, haha!)… I’m glad you had a good day! Were you planning on doing a similar post for Christmas?

              Reply
              • Cadry

                December 07, 2015 at 11:55 am

                Yes, it hadn’t been our original plan for the holiday, but it did make things very low stress. I hadn’t planned on doing a similar post for Christmas since people tend to eat similar things. Do you think it would be useful?

                Reply
                • Eva @ Four Leaf Clover

                  December 07, 2015 at 9:42 pm

                  I’ve only ever been to one American Christmas before so I wasn’t really sure what to expect food-wise. I didn’t bring food that year, but I will probably be bringing food this year. But if it’s pretty much the same food, then I’ll work with that 🙂

                  Reply
                  • Cadry

                    December 09, 2015 at 12:06 pm

                    Oh, I see! Some families have different traditions, but for the most part, Thanksgiving foods & Christmas foods are pretty similar.

                    Reply
    5. Cadry

      November 20, 2015 at 12:24 pm

      My pleasure! I love that recipe any time of the year. It’s so good!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Cadry!

    I’m a longtime vegan. (15 years!) But I grew up eating a Standard American Diet. I know that all of us crave foods that are familiar, comforting, and delicious.

    That’s why it’s my passion to share mouthwatering plant-based recipes that taste like home.

    More about me →

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