A variety of vegan Thanksgiving side dishes from Purple Carrot is laid out on a white table. The dishes include cranberry dessert, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and stuffing rounds.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Add to Your Menu

Don’t let the classic Thanksgiving turkey fool you — it’s easy to make the family feast 100% plant-based! Thanksgiving side dishes in particular often spotlight vegetables, and when cooking buttery sides, it’s easy to replace animal-based ingredients with plant-based alternatives. Get started with the 20 vegan Thanksgiving side dishes.

Short on time? Purple Carrot subscribers can sign up for our plant-based Thanksgiving meals!

1. Vegan stuffing

  • Estimated cooking time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Crusty bread (such as a baguette), vegetable broth, mushrooms

Dry out some crusty bread, cook some mushroom meat with fresh and savory aromatics, then mix it all with vegetable broth and a flax egg. Bake for about 45 minutes, then serve fresh after a bit of cooling. It’s the same Thanksgiving staple you know and love, but with more umami oomph and irresistible chew from the mushrooms.

2. Mushroom gravy

  • Estimated cooking time: 45 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Vegetable broth, mushrooms, plant-based butter

Cook mushrooms until they’re golden and mostly rid of water, then stir in flour and broth to thicken. Bring it all to a boil and keep a close eye on texture for a hearty, comforting, fully plant-based mushroom gravy that goes well atop so many other Thanksgiving sides. It’s also a treat to pour onto the fillings in our Maple Seitan Roast Sandwiches.

3. Vegan rolls

  • Estimated cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Flour, plant-based butter, plant-based milk, rapid-rise yeast

Warmed plant-based milk gets mixed with yeast and sugar, and once foamy, that gets mixed with flour, salt, and softened plant-based butter. After mixing and rising, you’ll punch the dough down and shape it into rolls, then give everything another rise and quickly bake them. Gently brush on a bit more vegan butter, then you’re ready to serve these fluffy, irresistible delights with the mushroom gravy you’ve already made.

4. Sweet potato casserole

  • Estimated cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Sweet potatoes, nuts, oats, plant-based butter

Baked sweet potatoes get mashed and mixed with browned plant-based butter and warm fall seasonings, and that’s only the start. It all gets sprinkled with a quick crumble topping of nuts, oats, plant-based butter, and fall seasonings before baking. Once it cools for about 20 minutes, it’s ready to slice and serve for the ultimate sweet Thanksgiving side with a superfood base.

5. Green bean casserole

  • Estimated cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Green beans, plant-based milk, plant-based French fried onions

Briefly blanch some fresh green beans, or save time with canned options. Combine your green beans with a plant-based gravy you make from your plant-based milk of choice, then top with plant-based French fried onions and move everything to the oven. After 15 to 30 minutes, you’ve got the best plant-based green bean casserole you’ve ever had.

6. Plant-based mac and cheese

  • Estimated cooking time: 30 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Pasta, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch

Skip the oven with a stovetop plant-based cheese sauce that comes together in just minutes. Coconut milk, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, and a few other add-ins give you that signature yellow shine, cheesy taste, and creamy texture. Mix it with cooked pasta for the easiest plant-based Thanksgiving side dish. For the full Thanksgiving experience, add your mac and cheese to a casserole or baking dish, then sprinkle panko breadcrumbs on top and bake.

Got a hankering for mac and cheese, but short on time? Keep our ready-to-eat edamame mac and cheese meals on hand!

7. Cranberry sauce

  • Estimated cooking time: 30 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Cranberries, orange juice, orange zest

After quickly gathering your ingredients and zesting an orange, toss everything together — cranberries, orange juice, the zest, and maybe some warm seasonings like cinnamon sticks or whole cloves — in a saucepan. Simmer covered for roughly 20 minutes, taking the cover off every now and again to mash the cranberries with the back of a fork. Go for five minutes longer if you want it thicker, but either way, you’re in for a jammy Thanksgiving side that’s a versatile star long after the big day. We dare you to spread it on a Bagelista cinnamon raisin bagel for a day-after breakfast.

Check out Purple Carrot’s cranberry relish for a shortcut to this Thanksgiving side classic!

Purple Carrot's cranberry relish for Thanksgiving is pictured in a white bowl and against a cream-colored background.

8. Minestrone soup

  • Estimated cook time: 30 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Cannellini beans, vegetable broth, sun-dried tomatoes, panko breadcrumbs

With fall-forward flavors, this Italian veggie soup is a perfect side dish for any Thanksgiving feast. You’ll cook some vegetables and simmer them with beans, lentils, and broth, then make a quick pesto, sun-dried tomato, and garlic panko topping as the soup cooks. Throw it all together for a plant-based Thanksgiving side dish that’s as scrumptious as it is healthy. Order our Autumn Minestrone Soup meal kit for all the ingredients and a quick, easy recipe.

9. Green goddess salad

  • Estimated cook time: None
  • Main ingredients: Cranberries, lettuce, quinoa, pepitas

Who said salads were off the table at Thanksgiving? Cranberries keep this fresh, light side dish appropriate for the occasion, with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) further evoking the moments before winter fully sets in. Just toss the greens and add-ins together with the included dressing, then plate and serve it to counterbalance all the heavy items on your table. And when you get the Gotham Greens Green Goddess Salad from Purple Carrot, it’s gluten-free and nut-free.

10. Mashed potatoes

  • Estimated cook time: 45 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Yukon gold potatoes, plant-based butter, coconut milk, garlic

Roast a whole head of garlic, then peel and rinse potatoes before chopping and cooking them in heavily salted water. Once the potatoes are tender enough to pierce with a fork, that’s your cue to drain them and return them back to the hot pan to get rid of excess moisture.

While you cook your potatoes, make a miso-garlic butter using the roasted garlic, then add it to coconut milk. Once this mixture is ready, mash your potatoes with a potato masher or ricer, and add your coconut milk a bit at a time. Mix it all together until just combined for a fluffy side dish you’ll want to make again tomorrow.

11. Crispy roasted potatoes

  • Estimated cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Yukon gold potatoes, extra virgin olive oil, fresh rosemary

Simmer peeled potatoes until you can slightly pierce them with a knife, and get a roasting pan ready in your preheating oven as the potatoes cook. Toss your potatoes in a bowl until you see a coating, then add lots of olive oil to further thicken the coating.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven, then add the potatoes in one even layer and roast for 40 minutes, flipping once and adding rosemary before a short final roast. They’ll come out so crispy you’ll think you deep-fried them.

12. Roasted Brussels sprouts

  • Estimated cook time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
  • Main ingredients: Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper

Halve some Brussels sprouts, then shake them up in a plastic bag with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the Brussels sprouts in a single layer for 45 minutes, shaking the pan every now and again for more even baking. Serve fresh — that crispiness will go away in the fridge!

13. Roasted carrots

  • Estimated cook time: 30 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Carrots, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil

Cut whole carrots into smaller yet still chunky strips, then toss them with maple syrup, balsamic, and olive oil before a quick roast with salt and pepper. Toss once during the roast for more even cooking, then finish with a final splash of balsamic and some salt. Dig in — this might be the best carrots have ever tasted.

14. Scalloped potatoes

  • Estimated cook time: 2 hours 20 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Potatoes, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, plant-based butter

Slice potatoes as thin as possible before infusing plant-based milk with herb flavors, then saute aromatics and flour into a roux alongside the milk. With nutritional yeast and some other flavorings, you get a scalloped potato sauce that’s completely free of animal products (and nuts and soy, depending on which milk you choose). After an hour and a half of baking, you’ll have scalloped potatoes so good that those not in the know will think you used dairy milk and butter.

15. Plant-based cornbread

  • Estimated cook time: 45 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Cornmeal, plant-based milk, flour, plant-based butter

After making a quick homemade plant-based buttermilk, mix some dry ingredients, then add in all your wet ingredients until just barely smooth. Fold in some fresh herbs, and let the batter rest for a short while before adding to a cast iron pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then cool fully before slicing and serving with all your other plant-based Thanksgiving sides for maximum indulgence.

16. Butternut squash soup

  • Estimated cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Butternut squash, plant-based butter, vegetable broth

Roasted butternut squash cubes and sauteed aromatics get blended together into a smooth soup that’s somehow both fluffy and thick. Most of this recipe is cook time rather than prep time, giving you precious moments back to work on other recipes too. Pair your finished soup with your cornbread or dinner rolls for a side dish that fully belongs on your Thanksgiving table.

17. Candied yams

  • Estimated cook time: 40 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Sweet potatoes, plant-based butter, organic brown sugar

The perfect side dish for anyone with a sweet tooth who’s also gluten-free, nut-free, or soy-free, candied yams are among the most beginner-friendly Thanksgiving side dishes for a newcomer. Peel and chop sweet potatoes, then boil until just soft (keep the cooking water!) and transfer to your baking dish. Add some sugar and seasonings to the reserved cooking water alongside some plant-based butter pieces, then bake, and voila — candied yams.

18. Cabbage steaks

  • Estimated cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Green cabbage, plant-based milk, neutral oil

Braise quartered cabbage heads in ripping-hot olive oil, rotating after each side is an eye-popping brown color. Saute aromatics in neutral oil such as avocado oil (olive oil imparts too much flavor), then add your plant-based milk of choice and cover the pan. After a while, you’ll have tender, browned cabbage and a thick sauce under it. Sprinkle with your favorite crunchy topping for a savory, texturally diverse Thanksgiving side dish you never saw coming.

19. Roasted shallots

  • Estimated cook time: 45 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Shallots, olive oil, organic brown sugar, balsamic vinegar

This isn’t quite your average vegetable side. It’s an aromatic that’s given the full veggie treatment. Brown shallots in plenty of olive oil and organic brown sugar, then add vinegar and roast until the shallots are soft enough to eat. Enjoy right away for a gourmet delight that’s as good on its own as it is in a Thanksgiving soup.

Tips for a low-stress Thanksgiving

As fun and delicious as Thanksgiving can be, all that food prep requires lots of time, not to mention standing in the kitchen as you get everything ready. Make prep easier by:

  • Cooking dishes a few days ahead: Although some Thanksgiving side dishes are best served fresh, many still taste great and retain their texture when made one to three days beforehand.
  • Delegating dishes to guests: You never have to make everything yourself. After all, it’s tradition for guests to bring dishes too! Handle the plant-based mac and cheese yourself, and have someone else bring their homemade dairy-free cornbread.
  • Planning an accessible menu: Before your Thanksgiving meal, ask your guests about their dietary restrictions. This way, you can gather appropriate substitute ingredients for your Thanksgiving recipes well ahead of time and keep your feast fully accessible.
  • Getting an anti-fatigue mat: After enough time on your feet in the kitchen, you might start to feel it in your neck, shoulders, back, legs, and feet. With an anti-fatigue mat in your kitchen, you’ll be much more comfortable the whole time.
  • Testing dishes beforehand: The best Thanksgiving hosts don’t serve first-time recipes on the big day. Test any dishes on the menu well ahead of the holiday so you know whether they’ll be crowd-pleasers.
  • Asking for help cleaning: All that cooking and eating can make for lots of dirty kitchenware and countertops. Your guests might be happy to help clean up afterward (or arrive early to help clean as you cook).
  • Stocking up on to-go containers: As delicious as all that food is, chances are you don’t have room to keep it all. With to-go containers on hand, everyone can take some of your Thanksgiving sides home, leaving you with only however much you can fit.
  • Subbing meal delivery services for grocery store runs: Cooking already takes plenty of time. Skip the huge time-suck of supermarket runs with services that deliver meal kits, ready-to-eat meals, and grocery items.

Shop Purple Carrot for a 100% plant-based Thanksgiving

From simple side salads to maple-centric sandwiches perfect for your Thanksgiving gravy, Purple Carrot’s 100% plant-based meal-kits, ready-to-eat meals, and grocery items give you tons of time back. You’ll get meals developed by chefs and dietitians alongside food items every pantry, fridge, or freezer should have, all without any in-person shopping. Shop Purple Carrot today for $100 off your first month of meal kit deliveries!

Max Freedman