47 Vegan Thanksgiving Sides Everyone Will Love

updated Nov 1, 2023

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Credit: Joe Lingeman

If you’re vegan or expecting guests at your Thanksgiving table who are, you know how important it is to make sure that there are plenty of options for them to choose from. Luckily, classic side dishes are often vegetable-forward anyway, so it’s actually not that difficult at all to make it happen.

From

soups

roasted veggies, here are 47 vegan Thanksgiving recipes everyone around the table will love.

1 / 47

Harvest Roasted Apple Kale Salad

From the roasted apples to the pecans and walnuts, this kale salad's star ingredients create a crunchy, yet tender mix of texture and bold flavors.

2 / 47

Thanksgiving Lentil Salad

This colorful lentil salad is packed with flavor, thanks to a few cloves of garlic that are roasted until soft and nutty alongside the veggies. Then they're mashed into the vinaigrette.

3 / 47

Air Fryer Green Beans

Air fryers are great for cooking green beans (fresh or frozen!).

4 / 47

Vegan Roasted Broccoli Soup

Cauliflower and potatoes give this plant-based soup its creamy texture.

5 / 47

Roasted Baby Potatoes

Everyone needs a simple, versatile side that’s easy to partner with whatever they're cooking for dinner.

6 / 47

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Garlic

Take your standard roasted Brussels sprouts routine (olive oil, salt, pepper) from good to memorable by adding two ingredients you probably already have around: lemon and garlic.

7 / 47

Roasted Delicata Squash

This basic recipe results in the very best roasted delicata squash that's perfectly tender and caramelized.

8 / 47

Easy, Classic Roasted Root Vegetables

A simple formula for roasting any mix of root vegetables — be it carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, or rutabagas.

9 / 47

Roasted Butternut Squash with Orange Tahini, Walnuts, and Za’atar

A citrusy tahini sauce, toasted walnuts, and savory za'atar lend big, bold flavor to this simple sheet pan of roasted butternut squash.

10 / 47

Crash Hot Potatoes

This easy method for crispy smashed potatoes will be your new go-to side dish.

11 / 47

Roasted Carrots with Orange

Roasting thin slices of oranges along with the carrots adds just a bit of bitterness to this side dish that makes it much more complex and interesting than most.

12 / 47

3-Ingredient Roasted Dijon Potatoes

Tossing the potatoes in whole-grain Dijon mustard not only adds a pop of tang, but also makes them even crispier and crunchier.

13 / 47

Roasted Cabbage with Mustard Vinaigrette

These thick wedges of roasted cabbage are not only a great vegan side dish, but they're also hearty enough to be a main dish at the Thanksgiving table.

14 / 47

Cauliflower Soup

This easy, creamy cauliflower soup, flavored with garlic and thyme, is naturally dairy-free and vegan.

15 / 47

Vegan Mashed Potatoes

These garlicky potatoes are so creamy and lush — without a single drop of cream or butter.

16 / 47

Lemony Green Beans With Almond Breadcrumbs

This recipe is a brighter, fresher, and vegan-friendly version of classic green bean casserole. Feel free to make the breadcrumb mixture a couple of days before to get ahead.

17 / 47

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Ginger and Scallions

Pieces of scallion and finely grated fresh ginger are tossed with Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, pepper, and soy sauce for an umami-packed side dish.

18 / 47

Ginger, Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato

The spicy bite of fresh ginger is a great complement to naturally sweet butternut squash and sweet potatoes.

19 / 47

Vegan Mac and Cheese

This vegan mac and cheese is made with sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast for the finest plant-based comfort food.

20 / 47

Cranberry Sauce

This basic sweet-tart condiment comes together with just three simple ingredients.

21 / 47

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Opt for olive oil instead of brown butter to keep these extra-savory roasted sweet potatoes vegan.

22 / 47

Blistered Green Beans with Pickled Shallots and Toasted Breadcrumbs

Fresh green beans are stir-fried until blistered, then tossed with tangy pickled shallots and topped with crunchy, salty breadcrumbs.

23 / 47

Ukrainian Dill Potatoes

The dish is just four humble ingredients — potatoes, dill, garlic, and sunflower oil — but their combination is magical.

24 / 47

Warm Sesame Brussels Sprouts and Lentil Salad

Thin shavings of Brussels sprouts and nutty lentils are tossed in a creamy sesame dressing for an easy, make-ahead side.

25 / 47

Fig Cranberry Sauce

Basic cranberry sauce gets an upgrade with dried figs, warm spices, and a splash of booze.

26 / 47

Vegan Brown Gravy

No meat, no problem! This vegan gravy gets lots of deep flavor and savory richness from caramelized onions and earthy mushrooms.

27 / 47

Orzo with Caramelized Fall Vegetables & Ginger

Plan to use your biggest sauté pan for this loaded side, and skip the final sprinkle of Parmesan.

28 / 47

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash, sage, and apple join forces in this easy Instant Pot soup that celebrates all the flavors of winter and fall.

29 / 47

Herb-Roasted Baby Carrots

This breezy side dish makes the most of the roots, roasting them to bring out their natural sugars and dressing them in nothing but a happy mix of fresh herbs and minced garlic.

30 / 47

Easy Skillet Kale with Lemon & Garlic

There aren’t any big secrets to making awesome kale — you just need a large skillet and some basic pantry ingredients.

31 / 47

Easy 10-Minute Garlic Broccolini

Broccolini is basically broccoli’s lazier — and arguably tastier — cousin. The best way to prepare it is also the simplest: Toss it in a hot pan with olive oil and lots of garlic until it’s vibrantly green and tender.

32 / 47

Garlicky Roasted Broccoli

This broccoli takes just a few minutes to throw into the oven and emerges toasty around the edges and garlicky and a little spicy.

33 / 47

Kohlrabi and Cabbage Salad with Maple Lemon Dressing

This salad is a great make-ahead side dish because the kohlrabi and cabbage are sturdy enough that they won’t wilt very much as they sit and the flavors just meld together really well.

34 / 47

A cousin to broccoli, this recipe starts by quickly blanching the broccoli rabe to reduce bitterness.

35 / 47

Roasted Green Beans with Harissa

Want to kick up the green beans a little bit this year? Start with some harissa.

36 / 47

Thanksgiving Slaw

We can tell you from experience that this slaw is all but guaranteed to be a new holiday favorite.

37 / 47

One-Pot Smoked Almond and Herb Couscous

This side dish might be simple, but thanks to smoked paprika, almonds, and parsley, it's anything but basic.

38 / 47

Brimming with buttery bread and herb stuffing flavor, this plant-based stuffing is deliciously cater to the dietary preferences of everyone at the table.

39 / 47

Braised Fennel and Shallots with Parsley and Orange Zest

Sweet shallots offset some of the fennel’s strong, licorice flavor, and their natural sugar content helps create a beautiful glaze.

40 / 47

Collard Green Slaw

This wintery coleslaw is flecked with carrots, apples, red cabbage, and tahini dressing spiked with a little honey and apple cider vinegar.

41 / 47

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

This 3-ingredient buffalo cauliflower bites are crispy, spicy, and great eaten as is.

42 / 47

Roasted Green Beans

Roasting is the easy, hands-off way to cook perfect green beans.

43 / 47

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

The fall time casserole we know and love gets dairy-free makeover, and a grown-up upgrade with homemade crispy shallots. The number of pans required to make it? Just one.

44 / 47

Roasted Broccolini Recipe

An easy yet rewarding recipe for crispy-edged Broccolini roasted in the oven.

45 / 47

Kabocha Squash Soup

The rich texture of a kabocha squash makes it the perfect choice for a velvety blended soup. Enjoy it as a festive fall lunch or light dinner.

46 / 47

Green Bean Salad with Farro and Crispy Shallots

Adorned with toasty nuts, fried shallots, and radicchio, this green bean salad is a beautiful addition to your table, anytime of year.

47 / 47

Adeena Sussman's Jeweled Rice

This sweet, savory, and herby rice dish is a side dish that will steal the show.

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