Vegan Thanksgiving Menu: A Complete Plant-Based Feast with a Make-Ahead Plan

This is the vegan Thanksgiving menu we come back to every year: a cozy, from-scratch spread that fills the table and doesn’t leave anyone missing the turkey. Everything here is a tested One Bite Vegan recipe, and most of it can be made ahead, so the day itself is mostly reheating and roasting. Use the full menu, or pick a few dishes to bring to someone else’s table.

The menu at a glance

• Starter: Roasted Carrot Bisque
• Main: Roasted Portobello Mushrooms Florentine
• The essentials: Stuffing with Sage and Apples and Vegan Gravy
• Sides: Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Roasted Squash and Brussels Sprouts, Carrots Braised in Carrot Juice
• Bread: Brown Bread Baked in a Can
• Dessert: Deep Dark Chocolate Truffle Pudding or Vegan Orange Bread

Start with soup

A small cup of Roasted Carrot Bisque keeps hungry guests happy while the last dishes finish. The recipe includes curry, smoky, herb and sweet potato variations, and it’s even better made a day or two ahead.

The main: Roasted Portobello Mushrooms Florentine

Big, meaty portobello caps topped with garlicky spinach and a melty vegan mozzarella spread. They look like a centerpiece, they’re ready in about 20 minutes, and they can go in the oven while everything else rests. Serves 6.

Other main options: for a heartier, make-ahead main, try the Red Lentil Stew with Portobello Mushrooms and Roasted Butternut. For a smaller gathering, the Butternut Squash Risotto feels special without much fuss.

The essentials: stuffing and gravy

Our most popular holiday recipe. Vegan Stuffing with Sage and Apples is crispy on top and tender underneath, with portobello mushrooms, celery, onion, apple and a splash of white wine. It serves 10, so it covers a crowd.

Pour on plenty of gravy. Choose the classic Vegan Gravy for Thanksgiving (deep flavor from dried mushrooms, about 20 minutes), or the Rich and Creamy Vegan Mushroom Gravy (ready in 15). Both reheat well, so make them ahead.

Sides

• Mashed Potatoes with Hints of Garlic and Rosemary: creamy, dairy-free and ready in about 35 minutes.
• Vegan Green Bean Casserole: the classic, made with our creamy mushroom gravy instead of canned soup.
• Roasted Squash and Brussels Sprouts: caramelized, simple and colorful. Or try the Sesame and Soy Glazed Brussels Sprouts for something different.
• Carrots Braised in Carrot Juice and Orange Zest: one of our most-visited recipes, bright and naturally sweet.
• Vegan Butternut Squash or Herb Roasted Potatoes if you want one more side for a bigger crowd.

Bread

Vegan Brown Bread Baked in a Can is a New England classic: dense, slightly sweet and great with a little vegan butter. It bakes for about two hours, so make it a day or two before.

Dessert

Make the Deep Dark Chocolate Truffle Pudding the day before. The cashews soak for 1–4 hours, then it chills for 4–8 hours until set, so overnight is easiest. For something lighter, the Vegan Orange Bread is lovely with coffee after the meal. Want pie? Our 20 Vegan Thanksgiving Desserts roundup has pumpkin and pecan options.

Make-ahead timeline

The secret to a calm Thanksgiving is doing most of the work before Thursday. Here’s how we spread it out.

The weekend before

• Pick your dishes and write one shopping list from the recipes.
• Cube the bread for the stuffing and leave it out to go stale, or dry it in a low oven as the recipe describes.

Two to three days before

• Make the carrot bisque and the gravy. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Add a splash of broth when you reheat the gravy.
• Bake the brown bread and wrap it well once cool.

The day before

• Make the chocolate pudding (or orange bread) for dessert.
• Chop the onions, celery, mushrooms and apples for the stuffing, trim the green beans, and peel and cube the squash. Store each in its own container.
• Make the green bean casserole filling and refrigerate it. Add the fried onion topping just before baking.

Thanksgiving morning

• Assemble and bake the stuffing. It holds well covered with foil and rewarms in the oven.
• Roast the squash and Brussels sprouts.

The last hour

• Boil and mash the potatoes, and bake the green bean casserole.
• Roast the portobellos (about 20 minutes).
• Warm the soup and gravy on the stove, and slip the stuffing back in the oven to reheat.

How much to make

For about 8 people: one batch each of stuffing (serves 10), gravy (serves 8) and green bean casserole (serves 6), plus a double batch of mashed potatoes (each batch serves 4). With this many sides, a single batch of the portobellos (serves 6) is plenty.

Enjoying the holidays without overdoing it

Jen’s How to Stay Healthy Over the Holidays on a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet has simple ways to enjoy the feast and still feel good. If the new year is when you want to start eating more whole plant foods, her Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide walks you through it step by step.

Leftovers and more ideas

Leftover roasted vegetables make great grain bowls the next day, especially with a good sauce. Our 3 Easy Vegan Sauces guide turns three make-ahead sauces into seven days of dinners. For more holiday inspiration, browse our roundups of vegan Thanksgiving mains, side dishes and desserts.

Happy Thanksgiving from our kitchen to yours!