How to Plan a Delicious Thanksgiving Without Turkey (or Any Meat!)

Sharon Palmer RD

Published on November 18, 2025

Discover how to plan a flavorful Thanksgiving without turkey or meat. Get expert tips, cooking inspiration, and plant-based recipe ideas for a memorable holiday feast everyone will love.

Who says Thanksgiving has to center around turkey? Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or simply looking to enjoy a lighter, more sustainable holiday, it’s easy to create a Thanksgiving without turkey or meat that’s just as comforting, festive, and satisfying. In this guide, you’ll find practical tips for planning your meatless Thanksgiving menu, creative plant-based cooking ideas, and a collection of flavor-packed recipes that bring all the warmth and tradition of the holiday—without the bird. From hearty mains and vibrant sides to indulgent desserts, you’ll learn how to craft a Thanksgiving feast that celebrates abundance, gratitude, and flavor in every bite.

Don’t forget the starters! Try this recipe for Creamy Pumpkin Hummus.

The scent of pumpkin pie baking in the oven wafts in the air, potatoes steam in the pot as they await mashing, and cranberry orange relish glistens on the table in a pretty glass bowl. Tis the season for Thanksgiving cooking! So much of our beloved holiday celebrations center upon food traditions. And as you gather your family and friends around your festive holiday table this year, you’ll likely find at least a few people on your guest list that avoid animal foods to some degree. If you’re thinking of planning a turkey-free Thanksgiving holiday, you’re not alone. In fact, the Vegetarian Resource Group survey found that 6% of people in the US are vegetarian or vegan, thus, will be planning their holiday tables sans the “gobble, gobble”. And that’s not even counting the 22.8 million people in the US who are “vegetarian-inclined”. Whether your guests avoid meat or they exclude animal foods altogether, it’s a nice touch to provide a few completely plant-based options to suit all palates and preferences as part of your updated holiday food tradition.

Plan to include a variety of seasonal plant foods on your holiday table, including this recipe for Cranberry Relish with Walnuts.

Thanksgiving Traditions, Plant-Based Style

When it comes to Thanksgiving, it’s even more important to consider a more plant-based approach. After all, this is the holiday all about giving thanks to a wholesome, abundant food supply that nourishes the mind, body and soul. What better way to honor it than by focusing on delicious, nutrient-rich, health-protective plants! Historians say that our very first Thanksgiving menu of 1621 likely included a variety of local, seasonal, plant foods, such as wheat flour, Indian corn, pumpkin, peas, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes, carrots, plums, grapes, walnuts, chestnuts, acorns, leek, currants, and parsnips. Today, our traditional Thanksgiving plant foods have broadened to include seasonal favorites, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, carrots, winter squash, apples, and cranberries. These are the very foundation for a plant-centric, holiday menu.

Check out my video on how to plan a vegan holiday menu here.

How to Plan a Vegetarian or Vegan Thanksgiving

So, how do you make your plant-based Thanksgiving table shine? Consider that when it comes to Thanksgiving, even die-hard carnivores wax poetic on the sides: stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, candied sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. You can use this as your starting place, and then go on from there. Check out my tips for planning a fabulous shindig below.

Roast up a yummy recipe of Maple and Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts; get the recipe here.

Top 4 Tips for Planning a Plant-Based Thanksgiving Menu

Before the stress of menu planning descends upon you, tune in to these easy tips for fuss-free, vegan holiday cooking that will satisfy every palate, carnivores and herbivores alike!

Try this scrumptious plant-based side dish for Roasted Winter Vegetables Smothered in Tahini Sauce here.

1. Focus on the Veggie Sides

Ask most people about their favorite holiday dishes and they’ll gush over the sides, from green bean casserole and cornbread dressing and broccoli casserole to mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts. There are just so many classic sides offerings in American cuisine. Resurrect those plant-based traditions by offering several vegetable side dishes on your table. You can make them vegan quite easily with a few substitutions. Skip bacon add-ins and use vegetable broth instead of meat or poultry broth in sauces; and substitute plant-based milk (i.e., soy, oat or almond) for milk in sauces, plant-based cheese (there are lots of options in supermarkets these days) for cheese in casseroles, and dairy-free margarine or olive oil for butter in recipes. Let your local farmers market guide you to the most delicious plants to inspire your menu. Check out one of my favorite holiday side dishes, Roasted Butternut Squash with Dates, Figs, and Pistachios.

Check out my flavorful recipe for Cranberry Apple Leek Whole Grain Stuffing.

2. Don’t Skip the Stuffing

Just because there is no turkey roasting in the oven, it doesn’t mean you can’t do an amazing savory stuffing. After all, these days most people bake their stuffing on the side, rather than stuff their bird and risk food safety issues. Try my time-honored favorite plant-based dressing recipes, Cornbread Stuffing with Cranberries and Cranberry Apple Leek Whole Grain Stuffing. This savory side dish is a must, served with plenty of tangy fresh cranberry relish and a savory mushroom gravy.

Include a savory vegan Thanksgiving main dish, such as this Herbed Lentil Patties with Mushroom Sauce.

3. The Star of the Plate

Even though you may plan a variety of sides for your Thanksgiving table, it won’t be complete without a hearty, plant-based entrée. Many people turn to faux turkey products, such as Gardein Holiday Roast, Field Roast Celebration Roast and Tofurky Feast. These are all great options. But you also can make something more home-made and personalized, such as a savory grain and nut loaf (you can also try one of my favorite recipes in my book Plant-Powered for Life), lentil patty, or vegan meatballs with cranberry sage sauce.

Consider making a classic pumpkin pie made from fresh pumpkins!

4. Don’t Forget Dessert!

Some of the best, holiday desserts start and end with fruit: apple crumble, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, or persimmon cake. I rest my case! It’s important to make sure your vegan guests have a sweet conclusion to their meal, too!

In the end, a plant-powered Thanksgiving table can be just as (if not more) delicious and celebratory as one focused on a turkey. And it just might leave you pushing away from the dining room table feeling just a tad bit lighter than in years past.

For other plant-based holiday recipe collections, check out the following: