Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving 50+ Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes That Might Make You Forget About Turkey Altogether By Zoe Denenberg Zoe Denenberg As a professional baker, Zoe Denenberg has spent the past two years traveling across the country—from Alabama to Hawai'i—working in farm-focused pastry kitchens. She has written about food, travel, and culture for Southern Living since 2019. See more of Zoe's work at https://zoedenenberg.wixsite.com/portfolio and follow her on Instagram. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 8, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall When it comes to Thanksgiving, we're used to over-indulging, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Our spread often includes a selection of at least five different sides, from potatoes to mac and cheese to delectable vegetable casseroles. And whether it's roasted, smoked, or fried, the crowning glory of the Thanksgiving feast is, of course, the turkey. But when you're feeding a crowd, there are guaranteed to be some guests with dietary restrictions. If you'll be hosting friends or family with vegetarian diets this Thanksgiving, it's crucial to provide a selection of options to satisfy their Thanksgiving cravings and expectations. We've collected over 65 recipes that prove that a vegetarian Thanksgiving doesn't have to be boring or unindulgent. Even with a vegetarian menu, your favorite dishes can still feature all the butter— it's a staple in our Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole and our Old-School Green Bean Casserole. For those looking to lighten things up, we also have healthier twists on Thanksgiving classics, like our Skillet Cauliflower Mac and Cheese or Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs. But don't worry—these healthier, veggie-based dishes are still utterly decadent. With these vegetarian Thanksgiving dishes, you'll likely forget about the turkey altogether. 01 of 57 Mashed Potatoes and Rutabaga with Collards Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Mashed Potatoes and Rutabaga with Collards This recipe brings three vegetables together to create one creamy side dish. Plus, it couldn't be any easier to eat your greens than when they are swirled in buttery mashed potatoes. 02 of 57 Tabitha Brown's Vegan Mac and Cheese Greg DuPree, Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Tabitha Brown's Vegan Mac and Cheese North Carolina native Tabitha Brown has proven that mac and cheese can be both comforting and vegan. While there's no dairy in this recipe, the dish is still as creamy and gooey as ever. 03 of 57 Spiced Cranberry Mold Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Spiced Cranberry Mold One of the best things about this recipe is you can make it ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to a week, eliminating one to-do item on Thanksgiving Day. 04 of 57 Spicy Sweet Potato Crostini Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Spicy Sweet Potato Crostini Instead of bread, we used sweet potatoes as the base in this crostini recipe. This impressive looking appetizer only takes 20 minutes of hands-on cooking time and less than 10 ingredients. 05 of 57 Instant Pot Creamy Root Vegetable Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Instant Pot Creamy Root Vegetable Soup We love that this soup comes together entirely in your Instant Pot. It's also very adaptable, so if you can't find one root veggie, just add in more of another. 06 of 57 Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese This may be the first dish that the kids flock to, but (rest assured) the adults will all be scooping out portions of this creamy, cheesy mac too. 07 of 57 Sweet Potato Stacks Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Sweet Potato Stacks You'll be surprised to learn how few ingredients are needed to pull together these impressive sweet potato stacks. This adult version of sweet potato casserole still strikes that balance of sweet and savory, but without the marshmallows. 08 of 57 Buttery Yeast Rolls Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Buttery Yeast Rolls If you've shied away from homemade rolls but are ready to give it a go, this easy recipe is a good one to start with. The hardest part is dragging out your stand mixer. 09 of 57 Roasted Carrots and Parsnips Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Roasted Carrots and Parsnips Roasting veggies at a high temperature and long cook time give them a sweet finish that will be enjoyed by every member of the family. 10 of 57 Butternut Squash Lasagna Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Butternut Squash Lasagna Butternut squash and fresh sage give this meatless main loads of seasonal flavor. 11 of 57 Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Photo: Greg Dupree Recipe: Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Just five minutes of cook time are needed when you use a multicooker to make homemade cranberry sauce. 12 of 57 Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese If you can't find canned butternut squash puree, this recipe can also be made with canned pumpkin. Both will give this mac and cheese it's pretty orange-hue. 13 of 57 Crispy Potato Galette Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Crispy Potato Galette Even though you may be tempted, don't hold cut potatoes in water before baking. This will remove the starch that's needed to hold the galette together. 14 of 57 Mushroom-Stuffed Phyllo Cups Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Mushroom-Stuffed Phyllo Cups These mini pastry shells with a mushroom filling are a great appetizer to serve your guests as soon as they walk in the door. 15 of 57 Stuffed Acorn Squash with Farro Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Stuffed Acorn Squash with Farro This side dish is so hearty and flavorful, you'll forget all about the other dishes on the table. Our test kitchen recommends roasting the squash cut side down for the best caramelized color. 16 of 57 Harvest Salad Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Harvest Salad All of fall's best produce comes together to create one hearty, seasonal salad. The variety of tastes and textures make this salad anything but boring. 17 of 57 Melting Sweet Potatoes Atonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Melting Sweet Potatoes Forget about the marshmallow-topped casserole of your childhood, this sweet potato dish with toasted walnuts is full of flavor. 18 of 57 Mashed Potato Casserole Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey Recipe: Mashed Potato Casserole Want to get ahead of your holiday cooking schedule? This updated take on mashed potatoes can be made up to two days in advance. 19 of 57 Classic Cranberry Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Cranberry Salad Ditch the wobbly cranberry sauce for something with a bit more texture. This Cranberry Salad is still true to the classic fruity flavors, but it's studded with pecans for added crunch. 20 of 57 Savory Corn Pudding Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Savory Corn Pudding Onion, thyme, and salted butter help you lean on the savory side in this classic holiday dish. 21 of 57 Classic Candied Yams Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Candied Yams Just like Grandma used to make. Candied Yams may be traditional, but we don't plan on leaving them out of the spread any time soon. 22 of 57 Old-School Green Bean Casserole Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Old-School Green Bean Casserole Ditch the canned cream-of-mushroom soup and opt for fresh mushrooms in your Green Bean Casserole. 23 of 57 Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole If you're looking to impress this Thanksgiving, this elegant Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole is a sure-fire way to win over the in-laws. 24 of 57 Cranberry Brie Bites Southern Living Recipe: Cranberry Brie Bites These cheesy bites just take 20 minutes from start to finish. You can prepare them minutes before your guests arrive with no problem. 25 of 57 Honey-Glazed Spiced Carrots Iain Bagwell Recipe: Honey-Glazed Spiced Carrots Honey lends a touch of sweetness to these holiday-spiced carrots. For an impressive presentation and pop of color on the table, use rainbow carrots. 26 of 57 Sweet Potato Soufflé Micah Leal Recipe: Sweet Potato Soufflé Looking for something sweet that's still hardy enough to make it on the non-dessert menu? This classic soufflé is sure to delight. 27 of 57 Cranberry Fluff Salad Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Recipe: Cranberry Fluff Salad Liven up your Thanksgiving spread with this colorful, retro salad that's sure to go fast. 28 of 57 Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole Atonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole Russet and Yukon Gold potatoes combine with butter, cream, and cheese in the fluffiest potato casserole we've ever tasted. 29 of 57 Herbed Wild Rice Dressing Iain Bagwell Recipe: Herbed Wild Rice Dressing Tired of bland cornbread dressing? Mix things up with this colorful Herbed Wild Rice Dressing, complete with red onion, apple, and fresh sage. 30 of 57 Yeast Rolls Iain Bagwell Recipe: Yeast Rolls A good yeast roll is a Thanksgiving meal staple, and these swirled breads surely won't disappoint. 31 of 57 Cranberry-Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Recipe: Cranberry-Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip Meld spicy, tangy, sweet, and creamy all into one bite with this new holiday classic. 32 of 57 Broccoli-Cheese Casserole Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Casserole Imagine your favorite broccoli-Cheddar soup, distilled into a melty casserole. This weeknight hero will be a welcome addition to the Thanksgiving spread. 33 of 57 Skillet Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Skillet Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Wait, there's cauliflower hidden in this gooey mac and cheese? Your guests will never be able to tell the difference. 34 of 57 Oven-Baked Sweet Potatoes Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Recipe: Oven-Baked Sweet Potatoes Your holiday main may be complex, but that doesn't mean you can't balance things out with something simple. Elevate these easy baked potatoes with a few toppings, and you've added one more dish to the spread without breaking a sweat. 35 of 57 Ben Mims' Perfect Cornbread Brian Woodcock Recipe: Ben Mims' Perfect Cornbread If "perfect" is in the name, we'll certainly have high hopes for a recipe. Luckily, this cornbread lives up to—and exceeds—our expectations. 36 of 57 Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes Let the full flavors of your sweet potatoes shine in this quick dish that will leave your oven free for the main event. 37 of 57 Acorn Squash Soup Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Victor Protasio, Prop Stylist Claire Spollen Recipe: Acorn Squash Soup Want to take it up a notch? Top it off with fried scallions, chopped toasted hazelnuts, a dash of hot sauce, or a sprinkle of cinnamon. 38 of 57 Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese Take a risk and sprinkle some vegetables into your Thanksgiving mac—we doubt anyone will complain about this crispy, roasted broccoli. 39 of 57 Savory Sweet Potato Casserole Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Savory Sweet Potato Casserole It'll be hard for Grandma to part with that marshmallow topping, but this savory pecan crumble will immediately win over the crowd. 40 of 57 Mashed Potato Cakes Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Mashed Potato Cakes The key to perfect potato cakes? Patience. You've got to let them brown nicely on one side before flipping them. 41 of 57 Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks Linda Puglies; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks Decadently creamy on the inside and topped with a crown of crispy leeks, this Green Bean Casserole has achieved a blissful balance of textures and flavors. 42 of 57 Butternut Squash Gratin Photo: Iain Bagwell Recipe: Butternut Squash Gratin Who needs turkey? Butternut squash is packed full of vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber, making it a healthy and substantial option for vegetarians. 43 of 57 Parmesan-Herb Angel Biscuits Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Parmesan-Herb Angel Biscuits Ramp up the flavors of Mama's favorite homemade biscuits with Parmesan and fresh herbs. 44 of 57 Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes These mashed potatoes are done the only way we know how: swirled with plenty of buttermilk, crème fraiche, and butter. 45 of 57 Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Cornflakes, marshmallows, and pecans crown this family-favorite sweet potato casserole. 46 of 57 Herbed Potato Stacks Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith Recipe: Herbed Potato Stacks With only 10 minutes of active time, these elegant potato stacks—seasoned with fresh thyme and rosemary—are easier to execute than you may expect. 47 of 57 Balsamic Green Beans with Pearl Onions Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith Recipe: Balsamic Green Beans with Pearl Onions Balsamic brings an acidic tang to these snappy green beans, brought together by the slightly-sweet bite of the pearl onions. 48 of 57 Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon A simple vegetable sautée is never out of place on our Thanksgiving table, and these mustard greens couldn't be easier to prepare. 49 of 57 Sweet Potato Cobbler Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Gordon Sawyer and Tina Stamos, Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Sweet Potato Cobbler Topped with fresh biscuits, this creative Sweet Potato Cobbler combines sweet and savory in the loveliest ways. 50 of 57 Creamed Spinach Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Creamed Spinach Woven with thick whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, and studs of toasted pine nuts, this is not the mushy creamed spinach of your childhood. 51 of 57 Asparagus Gratin Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Asparagus Gratin A creamy, cheesy sauce gives fresh asparagus an upgrade making it worthy of being placed on your holiday spread. 52 of 57 Sumac Carrots with Feta Mousse and Crispy Panko Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Sumac Carrots with Feta Mousse and Crispy Panko Feta mousse and crispy panko dress up carrots for the special occasion. 53 of 57 Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens Traditionally, Southern collard greens are made with pork, but we've come up with a vegetarian recipe that packs in as much flavor as the original. Slow-cooked with fire roasted tomatoes and paprika, these greens still have that smoky bold flavor without the meat. 54 of 57 Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith Recipe: Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad This fresher take on Thanksgiving beets combines the earthy root with crisp apple and sweet fennel for a refreshing palate cleanser between all of the mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. 55 of 57 Oven-Roasted Asparagus Southern Living Recipe: Oven-Roasted Asparagus This low-effort side uses only a few ingredients to dress up roasted asparagus. Don't skip finishing the dish with a sprinkling of almonds; they add a touch of delicious crunch. 56 of 57 Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes Southern Living Recipe: Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes Mix up the mashed potatoes this year by folding in some goat cheese. We call for plain, but have fun using flavored goat cheese for an extra boast of flavor alongside a little tang. 57 of 57 Sweet Potato, Cauliflower, and Greens Casserole Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: Sweet Potato, Cauliflower, and Greens Casserole This hearty and comforting vegetable casserole is sure to satisfy even the meat lovers. The creamy cheese sauce also makes it easy to sneak veggies into the kids (and adults too). Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit