Holidays & Entertaining Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Recipes Our Best Vegetarian Thanksgiving Main Dish Ideas These seasonal meat-free mains are sure to satisfy everyone gathered around the table. By Wini Moranville Wini Moranville Facebook Instagram Website Food, wine, and travel writer Wini Moranville is the author of "Everyday French Cooking: Modern French Cuisine Made Simple." Over the past 25 years, she has written hundreds of articles, covering everything from Christmas Cookies to Cognac for Better Homes and Gardens, Bonjour Paris, Relish Magazine, and other national publications. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on October 25, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Blaine Moats Thanksgiving is a holiday that honors the harvest, and who’s more grateful for the harvest than vegetarians, who star vegetables, grains, and legumes front and center on their tables every day. So, when you’re looking for vegetarian Thanksgiving main dishes, not just any meatless recipes will do! You’ll want recipes that laud the season’s best produce, such as winter squash, root vegetables, mushrooms, and more while offering enough pizzazz to make each dish celebration-worthy. That’s exactly what these recipes deliver. 01 of 14 Roasted Vegetable Lasagna View Recipe Andy Lyons Because it’s hearty and serves a crowd, a meat-free lasagna can be a fabulous main dish. Roasting the vegetables for deep, caramelized flavors makes this recipe especially fitting for the occasion. Contrast the richness of the dish with one of our crisp Thanksgiving salads. 02 of 14 Butternut Squash Gratin View Recipe Kim Cornelison When you’re looking for great vegetarian recipes, be sure to add “butternut squash” to your search terms! No matter how you serve it, the rich, much-loved veggie offers distinct flavors and colors of fall. And when you use it as the starring ingredient in a creamy casserole, the veggie can be the centerpiece of your meal. Our Roasted Broccoli with Pecorino and Lemon would make a fresh side dish. 03 of 14 Bulgur-Stuffed Acorn Squash View Recipe Blaine Moats Sautéed carrots, celery, and onion often make their way into stuffing recipes for turkey—so why not get that Thanksgiving spirit going (in a meatless way) by parlaying the trio into a great stuffing for acorn squash? Made extra hearty with bulgur, this recipe offers a particularly great anchor to a vegetarian Thanksgiving menu. 04 of 14 Butternut Squash Lasagna View Recipe Andy Lyons Hefty disks of butternut squash replace the meat in this candidate for one of our most divine main dishes ever. You’ll also appreciate the make-ahead option—get this one ready to pop into the oven up to 24 hours in advance. That way, you can welcome guests in the most leisurely way possible—with one of our great fall drinks, perhaps? 05 of 14 Coconut Sweet Potatoes and Wild Rice View Recipe Jason Donnelly What’s a Thanksgiving menu without sweet potatoes? For many, they’re a holiday must-have! By combining that autumn root veggie with wild rice and edamame, this recipe easily makes it onto our list of vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish ideas. And by flavoring it with coconut milk and curry paste, you’ll add some off-the-beaten-path flavors to the table. 06 of 14 Mushroom-Sweet Potato Moussaka View Recipe Carson Downing If vegans will be ringing your doorbell on Thanksgiving, your dinner will need a little more fine-tuning. Here’s a vegan Thanksgiving dish that will fit the bill. It subs mushrooms for lamb and cashew cream for dairy and eggs. 07 of 14 Autumn Potato Gratin View Recipe Blaine Moats Sage is the quintessential Thanksgiving seasoning, and it works its earthy-peppery magic in this rich and rewarding bake. The recipe is one of those dishes that can work two ways: It can be a hearty main dish for those who don’t eat meat, and (for the carnivores), it’s also a wonderful side dish to turkey and other trimmings. 08 of 14 Beet and Onion Jam Galette View Recipe Blaine Moats Sure, we love a beet and walnut salad, but when we’re on the hunt for vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish ideas, a salad isn’t quite going to cut it! Instead, cradle that dynamite duo in a rich, buttery crust for a seasonal (and filling) way to please the non-meat-eaters at your table. 09 of 14 Mushroom Ravioli Filling View Recipe Scott Little A great Thankgiving menu is all about crowding the table with a great variety of foods. That means when you’re choosing vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes, you’ll want to make sure that your meatless dishes will go with a lot of other flavors. This mushroom-anchored recipe will play nice with all kinds of classic dishes on the holiday table, from green bean casserole and scalloped corn to cranberry sauce. 10 of 14 Roasted Mushroom-Goat Cheese Tart View Recipe Blaine Moats Crème fraiche, goat cheese, and gorgeous maitake mushrooms make this tart as amazing-tasting as it looks. While it’s a perfect main dish, we offer it with a wee warning: If you’re hosting meat-eaters and non-meat eaters alike, make sure you’ve got plenty of this recipe for all your guests. Once word gets out about how good it is, everyone will—vegetarian or not—will be clamoring for the last few slices. 11 of 14 Eggplant "Meat" Balls with Chimichurri View Recipe Brie Passano Are eggplant meatballs worthy of a spot on your list of vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish ideas? Yes, indeed! When enriched with cheese and mushrooms and baked until crisp, the veggie easily makes the cut. Serve them with plenty of homemade Chimichurri sauce. 12 of 14 Broccoli and Tempeh Quinoa Salad View Recipe Adam Albright When looking for main dish ideas, a salad might not immediately come to mind. But take a closer look: savory tempeh, broccoli, quinoa, and peanuts all ensure that this rich recipe works as an entrée—especially when you serve it alongside plenty of meat-free side dishes. 13 of 14 Creamy Farro-Smothered Portobellos View Recipe Karla Conrad If your host has asked everyone to bring vegetarian dishes to the gathering, here’s one to consider. It’s both easy to make and easy to tote. Better yet, it’s chock full of wholesome and filling ingredients that will gratify vegetarians who want to eat as heartily as everyone else at the table. 14 of 14 Nutty Meatless Loaf View Recipe Andy Lyons If you’re looking for recipes that will satisfy in a truly meaty way, here’s one to consider. It looks and eats like a succulent meat loaf, but it’s anchored by nuts, lentils, and brown rice instead of animal protein. The carrots, pecans, and dried apricots offer a bonus of seasonal flavors. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit