Purple Carrot's Thanksgiving plant-based main and side dishes are pictured on a white marble table. On the menu are Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, cranberry dessert, and stuffing rounds.

11 Vegan Thanksgiving Main Dishes For a Perfect Holiday Dinner

Whoever said it’s impossible to be fully plant-based at Thanksgiving was lying. From stuffed vegetable sides to plant-based spins on the classic Wellington and even the signature turkey roast, staple Thanksgiving main dishes are easy to make without any animal products.

1. Pumpkin gnocchi

  • Estimated cook time: 40 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Delicata squash, pumpkin puree, gnocchi, sage

A creamy, buttery, sage-forward pumpkin sauce gets mixed in with gnocchi and topped with roasted squash, fried pecans, and sage leaves. You’ll get savory, crunchy depth in each bite, not to mention significantly more nutrients than with your average plant-based Thanksgiving main dish. And with Purple Carrot’s pumpkin gnocchi meal kit, it all comes together in just 40 minutes.

2. Stuffing rounds

Take America’s favorite side dish and turn it into a showstopping main. Stuffing rounds take the same shape and vibe as turkey or ham on the plate, without any of the animal ingredients. The stuffing is fully plant-based, swapping out ingredients like chicken broth for their vegan-friendly cousins.

Shop this limited-edition product from Purple Carrot.

3. Tofu-seitan “turkey” roast

  • Estimated cook time: Two hours
  • Main ingredients: Tofu, vital wheat gluten, plant-based butter, rice paper

With the powerhouse plant-based proteins tofu and seitan, you’ll transform a dough ball into a tender, meaty Thanksgiving staple without any animal products. After the dough bakes, you’ll use rice paper and plant-based butter to form a crispy skin just like the “real” turkey you’ve long seen on traditional Thanksgiving tables. It’s perfect for serving with your fluffiest plant-based mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, or other plant-based Thanksgiving side dishes.

4. Stuffed butternut squash

  • Estimated cook time: 1 hour
  • Main ingredients: Butternut squash, lentils, guacamole

Roast two butternut squash halves face-side down, then scoop out their flesh and stuff the squashes with lentils. Save time on cooking lentils with Lentiful’s homestyle chili instant lentils, which also bring fun chunky textures and savory tomato flavor to your stuffed squash.

Top your sweet, pillowy squash halves with Purple Carrot fresh medium guacamole to add even more velvety flavors and a hint of spice that’s as warm as the holidays. This recipe is entirely free of gluten, nuts, and soy (and, of course, animal products), so it accommodates just about every crowd.

5. Plant-based “beef” Wellington

  • Estimated cook time: One hour
  • Main ingredients: Frozen puff pastry, plant-based beef, lentils

Sauteed aromatics, crumbled plant-based beef, and canned lentils transform into a plant-based Wellington wrapped in frozen puff pastry. It’s a protein-packed, umami-rich delight that’s known to please even the most ardent omnivores. Plus, as a slightly more advanced recipe, it’s perfect for cooking with a partner, parent, or that long-lost cousin who inevitably shows up on the big day.

6. Plant-based lasagna

  • Estimated cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Marinara sauce, plant-based mozzarella, lasagna noodles, spinach

Packed with protein and free of animal products, plant-based lasagna is among the heartiest, most comforting dishes to serve at Thanksgiving. Though many recipes call for tofu and cashews, there are easy substitutes for each — unflavored, non-Greek plant-based yogurt for tofu, coconut milk for cashews.

You’ll use these ingredients to make a homemade ricotta that goes between delectable lasagna noodles with spinach and plenty of marinara sauce. Top your lasagna with Treeline’s plant-based mozzarella cashew cheese toward the end of baking for a final ooey-gooey touch that’ll ensure the whole casserole gets devoured by the night’s end.

Not in the mood to cook? Skip the stove and try Purple Carrot’s ready-to-eat family lasagna bake.

7. Plant-based savory galette

  • Estimated cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Asparagus, plant-based ricotta, flour, plant-based butter

Galettes are for more than just dessert. With a homemade dough you prepare two days in advance, a plant-based ricotta you make yourself or buy ready-to-use, and asparagus or green beans, you’ve got a savory Thanksgiving main on your hands.

Try this recipe if you’re a seasoned pro at making pastry dough and folding dough into visually enticing shapes. If this doesn’t sound like you, bring in a loved one who’s great at this. The flaky, fatty crust and light, creamy ricotta pair beautifully with the crisp-tender veggies!

8. Plant-based shepherd’s pie

  • Estimated cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Russet potatoes, plant-based beef, frozen vegetable mix

A gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free option depending on which brands you choose for certain ingredients, plant-based shepherd’s pie is so meaty and hearty it’ll win over anyone. A filling of plant-based “meat” and chopped veggies gets tucked under a quick layer of plant-based mashed potatoes, then baked into a casserole you’ll never want to run out of. Each square is packed with savory, umami oomph and delightfully fluffy and chewy textures.

9. Plant-based biscuit-topped chickpea pot pie

  • Estimated cook time: 1 hour
  • Main ingredients: Chickpeas, flour, plant-based butter, mixed vegetables

Form a roux in a large skillet, then stir in mixed vegetables, potatoes, and chickpeas for a thick, creamy filling. Quickly make a biscuit dough with some baking essentials, and add plant-based cheddar cheese for an extra dash of sharp, fatty flavor. Dollop the dough atop your filling, then bake it for a “chicken” pot pie topped with a Thanksgiving staple.

10. Plant-based meatloaf

  • Estimated cook time: 1 hour
  • Main ingredients: Chickpeas, breadcrumbs, ketchup

Sauteed aromatics and veggies meet mashed chickpeas and breadcrumbs in this simple plant-based meatloaf recipe. The filling gets pressed into a loaf pan, then baked for 30 minutes and glazed with ketchup and plant-based Worcestershire sauce. Each slice is as dense and delicious as beef meatloaf, and it’s perfect for pairing with your favorite plant-based mashed potato recipe. Bon appetit!

11. Pumpkin stuffed shells

  • Estimated cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Pasta shells, plant-based ricotta, pumpkin puree, coconut milk

Preview the pumpkin pie that follows dinner with these plant-based pumpkin stuffed shells. Make plant-based ricotta or grab it ready-to-go, then combine it with pumpkin puree. Bring together some homemade plant-based bechamel sauce, then arrange cooked pasta shells and your ricotta and sauce in a baking dish. Bake it all up, then serve it immediately for a family-sized meal that’s worth every bite.

12. Maple seitan roast sandwiches

  • Estimated cook time: 25 minutes
  • Main ingredients: Delicata squash, maple syrup, seitan, ciabatta

Roasted squash slices and a homemade whipped miso-bean spread get piled onto fluffy, crusty ciabatta bread with seitan coated in a maple glaze. Cranberry sauce gives this sandwich another layer of plant-based Thanksgiving main dish vibes, as does a dash of plant-based mushroom gravy if you’ve made it yourself. Pull these sandwiches together in just 25 minutes with the Purple Carrot maple seitan roast sandwich meal kit.

Make plant-based Thanksgiving easier with Purple Carrot

Forget scouring grocery stores for plant-based ingredients and all that time you spend trying to find the perfect recipe. With Purple Carrot’s 100% plant-based meal kits and grocery ingredients, vegan Thanksgiving isn’t just possible — it’s a cakewalk (even if you’re not making cake). Plus, all our meal kits are devised by chefs and dietitians, and most of them come together in under 30 minutes. Shop Purple Carrot today for $100 off your first month of deliveries.

Max Freedman