Thanksgiving Vegetarian Stuffing

5 from 8 votes

Vegetarian stuffing is perfect to serve with your turkey for Thanksgiving. Made with roasted vegetables and fresh herbs, it is also dairy free and vegan.

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This vegetarian stuffing recipe is perfect to serve with your turkey for Thanksgiving. Made with roasted vegetables and fresh herbs, this stuffing recipe is also dairy free and vegan. Forget the boxed stuff this year, this flavorful stuffing is sure to be a hit with everyone!

vegetarian stuffing in a white casserole dish

If you’re anything like me, when it comes to Thanksgiving, I’m all about the side dishes! No Thanksgiving table would be complete without some homemade stuffing, and this recipe is sure to please! Perfect for serving to a hungry crowd, I just know you are going to love this recipe!

This stuffing recipe is the ideal dish to serve with your turkey and smother in gravy!

What vegetables do you use in vegetarian stuffing

Traditionally, you’ll need onions, celery, and carrots. I’m using onions, celery and butternut squash instead of carrots. I also add apples to give a tart flavor that balances the sweet and nutty butternut squash.

The vegetables that are in the stuffing recipe on a white plate

How to make stuffing

Cut the bread and roast

You want to get a large loaf of sourdough bread a few days before baking and leave it out on the countertop. That will ensure that the bread is not too fresh and soft, but hardened and almost stale. Cut into bite sized piece and spread apart on baking dish.

Bread cubes on a baking sheet

When it comes out of the oven, you want to to check that the bread has hardened and become golden brown and crunchy. Let it sit aside when it’s done to continue drying.

Toasted bread cubes on a baking sheet

Prepare the vegetables

Next it’s time to roast the vegetables. I recommend using the casserole dish you’ll be serving the stuffing in. Toss vegetables with apples and herbs and seasoning and roast in the preheated oven. It’s ok if the bread is still in there, although I would recommend finishing the bread before roasting the vegetables so it doesn’t impact the moisture in the oven.

The uncooked vegetables for the vegetarian stuffing

When it comes out of the oven, transfer the toasted bread on top of the roasted vegetables and add the vegetable broth. Mix everything together so the broth soaks all the ingredients well. Then return the vegetarian stuffing to the oven, first covered with tin foil, and then uncovered until the broth is absorbed and the bread is toasted.

The vegetarian stuffing before being baked

Tips for making vegetarian stuffing

  • Use stale bread and make sure to completely dry out the bread. It helps to absorb moisture from the broth and vegetables while staying crunchy. If you try to make any turkey stuffing recipe with soft, fresh bread, it results in a soggy texture.
  • Use fresh herbs. While you can substitute every tablespoon of fresh herbs for one teaspoon of dried herbs, this is the time of year to use those poultry herbs that are stocked at grocery stores. I love the combination of thyme and parsley. But you can also use sage and rosemary in addition or instead.
  • Cut all the vegetables into small bite sized pieces. When you take a bite of stuffing, you want to get the full aromatics in each bite plus the soaked and toasted bread. Cutting everything small and uniform helps the stuffing roast evenly and yield a consistent flavor throughout.
  • Make sure to cook the aromatics before. This includes onions and celery. True they’ll cook with the bread, but they need to cook first on their own to release the best flavor.

Frequently asked questions

How much liquid do you put in stuffing?

This recipe calls for 4 cups of vegetable stock, you can either use store bought or make your own. It’s really important to dry the bread cubes out in the oven so that they absorb all of the liquid. The stuffing should be moist but not wet. You can add a little broth at a time to help it absorb quicker.

Can you make this vegetarian stuffing ahead of time?

You can make stuffing a day or two ahead of time. Add the stock, but don’t add the bread and don’t bake it. Cover it and keep it in the fridge, then add the toasted dried bread and bake it on the day. You can also bake it slightly ahead of time and then cover it with foil and heat through before serving. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Isn’t all stuffing vegetarian?

Stuffing is traditionally made with chicken broth, so not all stuffings are vegetarian. This stuffing is also dairy-free and vegan, so perfect if you are hosting people with varying dietary needs. This stuffing works wonderfully with your classic Thanksgiving turkey or a vegetarian or vegan alternative like a nut loaf or a vegetarian pie.

A spoon serving the vegetarian stuffing

More Thanksgiving side dishes:

Add this delicious vegetarian stuffing to your Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday dinner. The butternut squash and apples are a pleasant surprise that brings a warm and sweet taste to the recipe. The recipe is egg-free and dairy-free but full of flavor that’s perfect with turkey!

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Vegetarian Stuffing recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

Vegetarian Stuffing

Vegetarian stuffing is perfect to serve with your turkey for Thanksgiving. Made with roasted vegetables and fresh herbs, it is also dairy free and vegan.
5 from 8 votes
Servings 12 servings
Course Side Dish
Calories 272
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 50 mins
Total Time 2 hrs

Ingredients
  

  • 12 slices stale sourdough bread 14 ounces, cubed
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 celery sticks chopped
  • ½ butternut squash peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 3 apples chopped
  • 1 parsnip chopped (optional)
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme destemmed and chopped
  • 4 sage leaves chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable broth

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the cubed bread on a baking tray and toast in the oven until it dries out but does not get browned, about 15-20 minutes; set aside at room temperature.
  • In another 9×13 baking dish, toss the onions, celery, parsnip, butternut squash, apples, thyme, sage and parsley with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake in the pre-heated oven until the vegetables soften, about 35-40 minutes.
  • Remove the baking dish from the oven, add bread on top and pour the vegetable broth over. Mix until all the broth has been absorbed. Press the mixture with the back of the spoon to level it off.
  • Bake uncovered until the stuffing begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Toss mixture and bake for an additional 30 minutes until some of the bread is toasted. Allow the stuffing to cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Video

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 4-5 days in the fridge, but the consistency is best on the first day. To reheat, place in the oven at  350ºF for 5-10 minutes until heated through. 
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • To make it gluten-free, you can use any gluten-free bread of your choice.
  • Instead of butternut squash, you can use carrots or other types of winter squashes like acorn squash.
  • Instead of celery, you can use fennel.
  • Feel free to vary the herbs to your taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 743mg, Potassium: 302mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 3576IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

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Final vegetarian stuffing in a large casserole dish

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Comments

  1. I can hardly wait until I try this stuffing recipe this week, this sounds so good.
    Thank you for all the recipes.

    Roman

  2. Hi Yumna your recipes sound delicious & healthy I have a friend who’s Lebanese he would love these dishes me too I’ll have to try them thanks for sharing 🤗

  3. Love stuffing. I took your advice to roast the vegetables aside then add the toasted bread. Good tips. Will be a repeat on thanksgiving.