You may be used to serving turkey at your Thanksgiving dinner, but that doesn't mean you have to go the traditional route. Maybe you are looking for new recipes to add to your typical Thanksgiving menu, or perhaps a lot of your guests follow a vegetarian or vegan diet and won't be eating turkey on November 24. Either way, there are delicious vegan Thanksgiving recipes (we have plenty of vegetarian ones, too!) that will hit your craving for classic sides and delicious appetizers while still using only plant-based and vegan ingredients. Meat lovers will still enjoy these recipes, and those looking for a lighter fare will appreciate seeing healthier Thanksgiving mains on the table.
Before we jump in, it's a good idea to differentiate between a vegetarian diet and a vegan one — if you already follow the latter and are just looking here for ideas, skip on ahead! But if you have some guests coming to your house for the first time or who are newly vegan, here are a few important chef's notes. A vegan diet excludes all meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy, while a vegetarian diet includes eggs and dairy. A plant-based diet, meanwhile, focuses on plant foods but allows for small amounts of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy. If you are unsure, you can also ask your guests specifically as some vegans may be fine eating honey for example, while others are not.
While there may be no turkey stuffing recipes on this list, there are plenty of other vegan sweet potato and hearty salad ideas that promise not to disappoint dinner guests following a vegan diet. Just because these dinner ideas are vegan doesn't mean they are just a platter of roasted vegetables. Instead, recipes incorporate all your favorite fall flavors for a vegan version of classic Thanksgiving fixings. You'll still find cranberry sauce, brussels sprouts, and pumpkin-based soups in this round-up of holiday meals.
