Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu

American Thanksgiving dinner, with its traditional turkey as the main course, can be difficult for vegetarians. Here are some ideas to mix and match for your vegetarian Thanksgiving menu, from appetizers to dessert.
 

Vegetarian Appetizers

Crudités
A platter of crudités typically consists one or more types of raw vegetables served with one or more dips. These can be served as an appetizer, at a buffet, in place of a salad - the sky is the limit. Here are some ideas for interesting crudité platters.

French Onion Soup
Traditional French onion soup is made with beef broth, but this vegetarian version is so flavorful that meat-eaters will never know the difference!

Potato Soup
A quick and easy recipe for a favorite cold-weather food.

Pumpkin Soup
This spicy soup is a good recipe to use up all of that pumpkin left over from Halloween.

Rice Salad
This is a very simple but lovely dish. Kids will especially like making their own salad by picking their favorite items.

Squash Soup
Just a handful of ingredients and an hour of roasting make the most flavorful squash soup you can imagine.

Sweet Potato and Corn Soup
Sweet potato soup with corn, peppers, and carmelized onions is a real cold weather treat.

Wild Rice and Cranberry Soup
An elegant soup made of wild rice and cranberries laced with sherry.
 

Bread

Buttermilk Biscuits
There's nothing quite like buttermilk biscuits hot out of the oven.

Corn Bread
Hot corn bread is absolutely delicious topped with butter or cream cheese.

Dinner Rolls
I find that the nicest meals are always nicer with some bread in my hand, preferably warm from the oven. We don't have a nice bakery nearby, so I have to make my own rolls, and this is the simplest recipe I've found.

Popovers
Recipe for popovers, perhaps the simplest and quickest way to enjoy fresh bread hot from the oven.
 

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Main Courses

Lasagna
Lasagna is basically a casserole made with layers of flat noodles, vegetables, cheese, and sometimes meat. There are a million variations on lasagna; here are some vegetarian favorites.

Ratatouille
The perfect recipe to enjoy fresh vegetables and herbs; it can be served half a dozen different ways.

Shepherd's Pie
This vegetarian shepherd's pie recipe is a simple yet delicious lambless version of the real thing.

Spanakopita
A classic vegetarian recipe from Greece: rich and delicious spinach-cheese pie.

Sweet Potato Gratin
Sweet potatoes layered with black beans, rice, and spinach make a hearty, healthy main course.

Vegetable Gratin
I don't know anyone who doesn't love gratins - there's something about the cheese/bread crumb layer on top that appeals to just about everyone. If this sounds like you, try this tasty way to use up some leftover vegetables.

Veggie Loaf
This recipe for veggie burgers spread into a loaf pan and baked for 30-40 minutes makes a great vegetarian "meat" loaf.

Winter Squash Risotto
Risotto isn't difficult to make, but it does require a lot of standing at the stove, stirring away. The end result, however, is delicious and a wonderful comfort food.
 

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Cranberry Sauce
What would Thanksgiving dinner be without this sweet-tart, jelly-like sauce?

Gravy
This simple, nut-based gravy recipe will satisfy your cravings at Thanksgiving or any other time of year.

Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. They're quick and easy and the soft texture makes me feel like a kid. They're also a great base for all kinds of variations like vegan mashed potatoes and garlic mashed potatoes.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Looking for a tasty alternative to regular mashed potatoes? Try mashed sweet potatoes (aka yams).

Mushroom Sauce
Add another ¼ c of flour to thicken this vegan mushroom sauce into mushroom gravy.

Red Cabbage with Cranberries
A sweet-and-sour side dish that will brighten your table at Thanksgiving or any time of the year.

Roasted Winter Squash
An easy-to-prepare, delicate sweet-and-sour squash dish.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Make the most of the sweet potatoes available in winter - these stuffed sweet potatoes are sweet and buttery.

Stuffing
Stuffing doesn't have to be cooked inside a turkey - this vegetarian bread stuffing with apples and walnuts is delicious baked as a casserole.
 

Thanksgiving Dessert

Apple Pie
Autumn is just around the corner, and I can't think of a better way to welcome it than with a homemade apple pie.

Cranberry-Nut Bread
A sweet-tart bread that is equally good for dessert, tea, or breakfast.

Cranberry Tart
I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the United States, Thanksgiving is cranberry season. Cranberry sauce usually has pride of place at the table, but here's another tasty way to enjoy cranberries.

Sweet Potato Pie
This lovely pie is sweet but not too sweet, so you can eat it as a side dish with or dessert after Thanksgiving dinner.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Creamy, rich, and not-too-sweet pumpkin cheesecake is a perfect Thanksgiving dessert.

Pumpkin Pie
This "no-fault" pumpkin pie is the perfect end to Thanksgiving dinner.
 

Tips

Adaptable Recipes
Meals with a mixed group of vegetarians and non-vegetarians can require a lot of extra effort from the cook. However, you can save a lot of work by making similar dishes for both groups - a vegetarian version and a meat version. Here are some vegetarian recipes that lend themselves easily to meat additions.

Dealing with Vegetarians
If you're not a vegetarian, the thought of cooking for or eating with someone who is may seem rather daunting. In fact, it's really not that difficult, if you follow a few simple guidelines and use common sense.

More Vegetarian Menus

Any other vegetarian Thanksgiving ideas? Let us know on the forum.

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