The BEST Vegetarian Stuffing for thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday! I’ve been making and perfecting this recipe for over 30 years now. It’s rich and savory, moist, easy to make, and everyone (including the meat eaters) will love it.
Stuffing is the best part of the thanksgiving dinner. And this savory vegetarian stuffing recipe will not disappoint. It can be made ahead so it’s easy on the cook. It’s made with ingredients that make it special like mushrooms, water chestnuts, and roasted chestnuts. Serve this holiday side dish at your next family dinner and have it be the star of the show!
I first shared my recipe in 2014. I’ve updated it here for you with new information and photos for a better user experience. I hope you make and enjoy this recipe, because it truly is a part of my life that I have worked hard to make the best!
And I know I was a bit wordy in this post. Please forgive me, I just love this recipe so much! Please feel free to just “jump to recipe” quickly if you want. I just want everyone to enjoy this stuffing!
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Vegetarian dishes at thanksgiving
This is my favorite easy Vegetarian Holiday Stuffing recipe that I’ve been perfecting for many years. The vegetarians at your table will adore you, and the meat eaters won’t even miss the meat!
I’ve been a vegetarian for more than 30 years. And I’ve been working on this stuffing recipe for about that long!
When I first became a vegetarian, I decided that I needed Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner to be tasty, just like they were when I ate meat.
Stuffing has always been my favorite side dish at the holiday table and I really missed it for many years!
So, I set forth to make a great stuffing. And, I think I’ve perfected it!
Other vegetarian recipes you’ll want for the holidays
Thanksgiving is such a delicious family holiday, make is special by adding these recipes to your holiday table. Vegetarian Gravy, Wild Rice Casserole, Creamed Spinach Gratin, Pumpkin Pie Recipe. And I have a helpful guide to hosting vegetarians at your holiday table if you’d like to look for more holiday recipes!
Basic stuffing is made of bread, onion, butter, and broth. Super simple.
Make sure to use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian. You can use chicken or turkey stock, but the stuffing won’t be vegetarian.
From that basic stuffing mix, I made it hearty and full of flavor by adding mushrooms for meatiness, water chestnuts for crunch, and shelled chestnuts for more umami meatiness. This is just the best vegetarian stuffing!
Difference between stuffing and dressing
I’ve seen lots of debates over what to call the bread-based side dish.
Personally, I was brought up calling it stuffing. My mom always stuffed the turkey with it.
Technically, stuffing is a mixture used to stuff another food, like turkey, before cooking. Whereas dressing is cooked in a pan outside the turkey.
So, this is actually a Vegetarian Dressing Recipe.
But after I became vegetarian, I never really thought about what to call it. So, whether you call it veggie stuffing or veggie dressing, this delicious holiday side dish is a must make that everyone will love.
How to make stuffing
Be sure to scroll down to the printable recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions.
First, let’s take a look at the ingredients
Mushrooms
Mushrooms add meaty texture and umami flavor to this stuffing. They also add great flavor and they smell fantastic as they cook.
I slice them, and cook them sliced. They cook faster this way. Then once they’ve released their water, the water has cooked off, and they start to brown pop them in the food processor to make fast easy work of chopping them up nice and small.
This way the mushrooms are easily mixed into the stuffing, and you get that great flavor in every bite.
Water chestnuts
Water chestnuts are aquatic vegetables that are nutritious, low in calories, delicious, and not actually nuts at all. They add crunch and texture to the stuffing.
My family isn’t big fans of celery, which is pretty traditional in stuffing, so I’ve learned that water chestnuts are a good crunchy replacement.
You’ll find water chestnuts in cans at the grocery store, usually in the Asian foods aisle. They’ll have whole water chestnuts and sliced ones. Either will work in this stuffing.
Chestnuts
The chestnuts are probably the most unusual ingredient in my stuffing recipe.
They add a great meatiness to the stuffing. And the flavor is so good.
I use whole roasted and peeled (or shelled) canned or jarred chestnuts. Buying already prepared chestnuts is a great time saver. All you have to do is chop them in half so they are more bite sized.
I have found pouched organic chestnuts at my grocery store, at Sprouts Market, and at other health foods markets. Amazon also carries them, and you can grab some chestnuts in pouches with my affiliate link or jarred chestnuts.
Of course, you could roast your own. It’d be fun to do with your kids, and once you had enough to snack on you can throw them in the stuffing, follow these great instructions on how to roast them.
But what if I can’t find chestnuts?
If you can’t find chestnuts, you can simply leave them out of the stuffing. Or, reader Karen suggests pecans, which I think is a fantastic idea!
Last year I had some problems finding jarred or canned chestnuts at the store. There’s enough other stuff going on in the stuffing that the stuffing is still great without them.
What kind of broth should I use?
Use a vegetable broth to keep this dish vegetarian. I know that may sound pretty basic to some vegetarians, but many people get confused about this point.
My favorite broth, that I highly recommend, is my homemade Vegetarian Vegetable Broth.
About a day or two before Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner I start making the homemade broth. It makes it smell like a holiday dinner! And, it gets me in the holiday spirit.
Making the broth helps me to clear out the fridge and the freezer of all those veggie bits that I have saved up or just want to use up. It makes more room for the prepared dishes (it’s like a win-win!).
The extra time it takes to make your own broth is so worth it! The food tastes richer and yummier.
Of course, if you don’t have time to make your own broth, I have a recommendation there too! I love {affiliate link} Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base. It tastes great, lasts a long time in the fridge, has less sodium than most brands, and doesn’t take up much space.
Stuffing mix
For the best easy stuffing recipe, just go with a packaged herb seasoned classic or traditional stuffing mix from the grocery store.
I suggest using {affiliate link} Mrs. Cubbison’s Traditional Stuffing in this stuffing. It has seasonings already in it, and I like the odd shapes and the fact that they aren’t perfect little cubes. And, Mrs. Cubbison’s is vegetarian and most grocery stores carry it.
Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing is another brand that’s good quality and often available. It’s also vegetarian.
I’ve made my stuffing with my homemade bread crumbs, and it turns out great. But, let’s be honest, who has time during the holidays to make everything, including the stuffing mix, from scratch.
If you’d like to read more about the easy way to make your own bread crumbs, take a look at my recipe for White Bean Gratin Casserole and you’ll get some great tips on homemade bread crumbs.
Let’s make this!
This meatless thanksgiving stuffing is easy to make and you can use the measurements and ingredients in the recipe card below as a guide to great stuffing. If you want to add more of something or swap in something else, it’ll still be great!
To build the flavors, we work in stages, cooking each item to perfection.
Heat oil (and feel free to use your favorite kind: olive oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, etc…) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling to coat pan. Add chopped onion and salt. The salt will help draw out the moisture of the onion and help it cook more quickly. Plus, the salt will season the onion.
Sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
If onions start to cook too quickly, add about ¼ cup water to slow the cooking and allow caramelization. Remove onions from pan to a large bowl, and set aside.
Heat another ½ tablespoon oil in the same pan and add in the sliced mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms until they release all of their water and start to brown, about 10 minutes.
Remove mushrooms and either place in the large bowl with the cooked onions, or place the cooked mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, adding finely chopped mushrooms to the bowl after chopping.
I highly recommend chopping them finely in the food processor. It makes the stuffing moist and flavorful!
And, finely chopping them after cooking makes them cook much faster than if you finely chop them before cooking.
Stir water chestnuts and chestnuts into the bowl with the veggies.
In the same pan, melt butter, adding ¼ cup olive oil, and once butter is melted, stir in broth. Heat broth to a low boil, and remove from heat. Stir dressing into broth, and mix moist dressing into the bowl with the veggies.
Taste dressing for moisture and seasoning. If the dressing seems a bit dry (remember, the dressing will dry out a bit in the oven), add in more broth, mixing to combine.
Spoon dressing into large oven-proof greased casserole dish. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil, and bake for 30-45 minutes, until heated through. Remove lid and bake for 5 more minutes to brown up the top if desired.
Uncover the casserole dish for a crispy top for the last few minutes of baking if desired.
Serve hot, garnishing with chopped chives, green onions, fresh sage leaves, or fresh thyme leaves if desired.
This recipe is easily doubled. If you’re feeding a crowd or if you want to have plenty of leftovers, simply double this recipe. I often do this because the leftovers are so good!
Now the vegetarians at your table don’t have to miss out on stuffing.
Can this be made ahead?
You can totally make this dressing in advance! Who doesn’t love a Thanksgiving recipe that can be made ahead of time!
Remember, this doesn’t have the same safety issues that a poultry stuffing would have. And because it’s eggless, there’s very little to worry about.
I usually make it the day before and keep it in the fridge. I also use this same stuffing to stuff the turkey if I’m going to be making a turkey.
You can prep it the day before thanksgiving or just a few hours in advance.
Either way, follow the recipe, stopping right before you bake the stuffing. Cover the baking dish, and stick it in the fridge.
Pop it in the oven 30-40 minutes before your meal, so that it’s hot when you eat.
And, if you’re a guest at someone else’s house, you can even do prep at home and then do the final bake once you get to your gathering.
My guests say they never realize that the stuffing is vegetarian, so it all works out.
Yes, you can freeze stuffing for up to 3 months.
Allow the stuffing to cool. Place it in an airtight container, and place the container in the freezer.
When you’re ready to eat, just let it defrost in the fridge overnight then bake it up as directed.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes, this vegetarian stuffing can be made vegan very easily! The only non-vegan ingredient is the butter, so you’ll simply need to use a store-bought vegan butter in a one-for-one swap.
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Vegetarian Stuffing Recipe
Vegetarian Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup olive oil divided use
- 1 onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lb mushrooms sliced
- 2/3 cup canned water chestnuts drained and cut in quarters
- 1 cup shelled roasted chestnuts cut in half
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 12 ounces seasoned stuffing like Mrs. Cubbisons or Pepperidge Farm
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling to coat pan. Add chopped onion and salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. If onions start to cook too quickly, add about ¼ cup water to slow the cooking and allow caramelization. Remove onions from pan to a large bowl, and set aside.1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup olive oil, 1 onion, ½ teaspoon salt
- Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in the same pan and add in the mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms until they release all of their water and start to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove mushrooms and either place in the large bowl with the cooked onions, or place the cooked mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, adding finely chopped mushrooms to the bowl after chopping.1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup olive oil, 1 lb mushrooms
- Stir water chestnuts and chestnuts into the bowl with the veggies.2/3 cup canned water chestnuts, 1 cup shelled roasted chestnuts
- In the same pan, melt butter, adding ¼ cup olive oil, and once butter is melted, stir in broth. Heat broth to a low boil, and remove from heat. Stir dressing into broth, and mix moist dressing into the bowl with the veggies. Taste dressing for moisture and seasoning. If the dressing seems a bit dry (remember, the dressing will dry out a bit in the oven), add in more broth, mixing to combine.1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 3 cups vegetable broth, 12 ounces seasoned stuffing
- Spoon dressing into large oven-proof greased casserole dish. Cover with a tight fitting lid or foil, and bake for 30-45 minutes, until heated through. Remove lid and bake for 5 more minutes to brown up the top if desired.
- Serve hot, garnishing with chopped chives, green onions, or fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Tara
I love that you have both kinds of chestnuts in here. I have always put in water chestnuts in my stuffing!
Linda
What a delicious combination of ingredients you have chosen for your stuffing! I love that it’s vegetarian and am so glad I made it for our holiday table! The vegetarians were so impressed that I remembered them!
Sophia
OMG I loooooove that this has chestnuts in it! How freaking festive is that?! It is super delish! You are showing me being vegetarian ain’t so bad!
Sarah
This stuffing is to die for! The mushrooms are so delish! It’s moist without being soggy, and I think all those mushrooms make it that way! Sooo good!
christine
I love when I can serve my husband something meat free and him not notice. I usually make a sausage stuffing but this was a wonderful meat free alternative.
Mike Benayoun
Really like the addition of chestnuts as they give the necessary texture to this stuffing. Nice job Debi
Nicky
This is fantastic. I like vegetarian sides for large meals. That way everyone is happy
Michelle F.
That is really good. Stuffing is one of my favorite holiday sides. I like how everything is cooked in layers. It made it so tasty!
Pat
Love. Love. Love! Stuffing is my absolute favorite! Love the mushrooms AND chestnuts!
Dawn
My daughter is vegetarian and she misses stuffing! I made this for her and she was so happy. Best stuffing she’s ever had! Thanks! You made me a hero!
Stacey
This is delicious! So glad to try this recipe out!
Cindy
Yeah for vegetarian stuffing! This is amazing!
Heather
I like the mushroom in it, and I love the chestnuts in it. It’s great!! My grocery store had chestnuts right in the front in a Thanksgiving display!
Jenn
The mushrooms add a nice uniqueness. I was concerned that it was too many, but once you cook them and puree them they are perfect. So moist and so much flavor.
Holly
That stuffing is delicious, and totally opposite of the stuffing we usually have for Thanksgiving. My grandmother makes handmade Italian stuffing full of sausage. It’s my favorite dish. So I made both stuffing this year. Great. Totally different than Grandma’s.
Sandra
This is a great recipe for everyone! I’ve had mushrooms in my stuffing before, but not chestnuts! It’s so delicious! And the chestnuts weren’t hard to find at all.
KC
I love that you can use this stuffing in or out of the bird. I know it isn’t vegetarian if in, but it’s so delish, I can’t resist! 🙂 The chestnuts and mushrooms made it hearty and I love all the extra veggies in my meal!
kristi
This is awesome! Love the chestnuts! They made it so much festive fun!
Mistee Dawn
Never tried vegetarian stuffing before. We went with a healthier holiday meal this year. Gave this a try and loved it. Added celery and shredded carrots to it.
Caitlin
I love eating stuffing during the holidays. This is super delicious!!