18 main dish ideas for your vegetarian Thanksgiving menu this year.
We’re working ourselves towards mid-November and the biggest feast day of the year. Thanksgiving, my friends. And all over the country, meal planning has begun. Last week I featured 21 side dish ideas for a vegetarian Thanksgiving. This week, I’ve got your back on Thanksgiving vegetarian main dishes.
Because, let’s face it. If you’re an omnivore, deciding your main dish for Thanksgiving is easy. The religion of turkey-for-Thanksgiving roots back to our earliest childhood memories. Then it’s further cemented each year by the bazillion magazine covers surrounding us in grocery store lines.
But if you don’t eat meat, you need to create new traditions. So the question is, what kind of new food memories do you want to create of your own for this favorite American holiday?
Stay Somewhat Tradition: Go Roasted
Because of this Norman Rockwell pre-programmed thinking, many of us still like to have a roasted showstopper dish amidst all the veggie and casserole dishes. Squash can be a natural choice because of their vibrant colors and size. And their hollowed shapes are perfect for holding fillings or stuffing. But there are other very viable choices too. Check out some ideas below!
Roasted Butternut Squash
Butternut is probably the most obvious choice for drama. First of all, it’s the right size to be a centerpiece. Second, there are so many things you can do with it from hasselbacking to slicing it in half, roasting and stuffing.
Pomegranate Glazed Hasselback Butternut Squash
This dish is easier than it looks, since it just requires a potato peeler, a sharp knife, and 2 chopsticks or butter knives. This recipe has step-by-step instructions with photos for each step of the way.
Hasselback Butternut Squash
from Hey Nutritional Lady
I wasn’t able to get the photo in here, so you’ll just have to go over and check out this second hasselbacked butternut squash for yourself.
Fig-Basted Roast Butternut Squash with Quinoa, Apple and Fig Stuffing
If you don’t have fig jam for basting the butternut, you can use pear preserves or honey.
Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash
from Food Faith Fitness
Save room for an extra helping of this fabulous stuffing.
Roasted Delicata and Acorn Squash
As mentioned above, the cupped shape of many winter squash are naturals for stuffing. And some of them allow you to create individual portions if you’re cooking for a crowd, like acorn squash. These smaller squash are typically very easy to roast, and the stuffing can often be made ahead.
Stuffed Delicata Squash
One of the many great things about delicata squash is you don’t have to peel it. Just scrape out the seeds and pulp, and roast it, skin and all. It’s all edible.
Spiced Delicata Squash
from Naturally Ella
Spiced Acorn Squash with Charred Poblano Pepper & Chickpea Cornbread Stuffing
Vegan Stuffed Squash with Miso Maple Gravy
from The Recipe Well
Stuffed Acorn Squash
from Connoisseurus Veg
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Roasting a head of cauliflower, whole, can be a dramatic main dish, and is absolutely delicious. The outside is a little crispy, and the inside tender. Have some fun with spices and sauces.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
from Evolving Table
Vegan Gobi-Musallam-Biryani
from Herbivore Cucina
Roasted Portabella Mushrooms
Portabella mushrooms are crowd-pleasers since they’re well-shaped for stuffing, and have a robust umami (meaty) flavor.
Portabellas Stuffed with Cabernet Onions and Gorgonzola
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Crispy Goat Cheese
from A Beautiful Plate
Gluten-Free Stuffed Mushrooms
from The Fox and She
Go Non-Traditional with Italian Thanksgiving Dishes
Welcome Italian food to your vegetarian Thanksgiving table with some filling comfort food. Think baked pasta dishes, eggplant and risotto.
Baked Butternut Pasta
from Another Tablespoon
Pesto Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Sausage
from Vegan Travel Eats
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
from Cookie and Kate
Eggplant Pesto Parmesan Casserole
If you give any of these a try for your vegetarian Thanksgiving menu, I’d love to hear about it. And if you’re on Instagram, snap a photo and post it there. Just don’t forget to tag me @wimpyvegetarian!!
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