18 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

This bright, fresh version of hummus is great with any combination of raw vegetables.

Recipe: Cashew-Lime Cilantro Hummus

Fuyu persimmons and pomegranates add autumn color and a sweet-tart punch to bitter chicories (frisée and radicchio).

Recipe: Chicory Salad with Persimmons, Pomegranates, and Walnuts

Cookbook author Andrea Nguyen and her family serve this crunchy Vietnamese-flavored slaw the day after Thanksgiving with leftovers. But we think it’s worthy of a spot on the holiday menu.

Recipe: Cabbage, Cashew, and Fennel Salad

A curry might not be the first dish that comes to mind when planning your holiday menu. However, the depth of flavor and delicious use of squash, a Thanksgiving staple, makes this recipe a crowd-pleaser for vegans and omnivores alike.

Recipe: Cashew, Coconut, and Squash Curry

Though the Indian seasonings are a departure from traditional Thanksgiving flavors, the bright vegetables in this vegan main dish are right in keeping with the holiday’s harvest theme. You can easily double it to serve a bigger group.

Recipe: Spiced Red Lentils with Caramelized Onions and Spinach

The secret ingredient in this recipe, inspired by one served by chef Matthew Dillon at the Corson Building in Seattle, is an easy-to-make Egyptian nut-and-spice blend called dukkah. Dillon likes to serve the roasted vegetables as a side dish, but in more generous portions it serves 4 as a main.

Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower and Shallots with Chard and Dukkah

This colorful salad combines autumn ingredients with an unusual-for-Thanksgiving grain. The result is as eye-catching as it is delicious.

Recipe: Black Rice Salad with Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Seeds

Earthy buckwheat serves as the base in this tasty whole grain salad, which would make a delicious side or filling main dish at the holiday meal.

Recipe: Warm Buckwheat Salad with Roasted Shallots, Apples, and Frisee

Vegetarians or vegans will love this hearty salad with smoky flavor.

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts and Wheat Berry Slaw with Smoked Paprika

Use olive oil instead of butter to make this hearty vegetarian dish all-the-way vegan.

Recipe: Pearl Couscous with Fall Vegetables and Caramelized Onions

Virgin coconut oil is unrefined and cold-pressed, like extra-virgin olive oil, and isn’t hydrogenated. It has a clean, slightly nutty taste that’s delicious in this dish. Deborah Madison, who adapted this recipe from one in a new revision of her book Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (1997), likes to use a mix of sweet potatoes, but it’s fine to go with just one kind. Paler sweet potatoes tend to be drier, so if you use them, add more oil.

Recipe: Coconut Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sesame Seeds

Olive oil and citrus-toasted crumbs make this Thanksgiving staple special.

Recipe: Green Beans with Crisp Meyer Lemon Bread Crumbs

These Brussels sprouts are just 34 calories per serving, making them a healthy addition to your meal. You need only a splash of oil on the leaves because you cook them quickly, like a warm salad, and they stay crisp.

Recipe: Warm Brussels Sprout Leaves with Toasted Garlic and Lemon

Leggy, small-flowered broccolini is a hybrid of regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It’s great steamed, but glorious roasted: The color and flavor deepen, and the florets get delectably crisp—almost as though they’ve been fried. Roasted regular broccoli is also delicious, though it won’t get quite as crisp.

Recipe: Roasted Broccolini

Whorled broccoli romanesco is an exotic treat, yet it’s very easy to prepare—just steam until tender. If you can’t find small heads, just break a full-grown head into florets (cauliflower works too). This recipe is adapted from one in Vegetable Literacy (Ten Speed Press, 2013), by Deborah Madison.

Recipe: Broccoli Romanesco with Green Herb Sauce

Light and refreshing, this sorbet is the perfect final dish on a day of feasting.

Recipe: Green Apple Sorbet

Omit the mascarpone-and-cream topping and serve with your favorite vegan ice cream instead.

Recipe: Red Wine Poached Pears

Freshly squeezed orange juice with a little cinnamon dresses this simple salad.

Recipe: Spiced Orange and Date Salad