These Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes will give you lots of tasty choices for your holiday table. Enjoy all of your favorite flavors with these vegan options! Whether you are looking for more plant-based side dishes to serve with a turkey or making a total vegetarian meal, you should find plenty here to enjoy.
Plus these side dishes have little or no saturated fat or added sugars. This is a great way to balance out richer foods you may be enjoying, like my favorite – desserts – or appetizers, rolls, soup, drinks, and more. Most of these recipes are from registered dietitian nutritionists.
These recipes are organized by the type of vegetable, although some may contain more than one type. For planning your Thanksgiving meal, think about what is in season and fresh in your area. Recipes you can make ahead of time are really useful too. Consider your space on the stove or oven: adding another appliance like a slow cooker or grill can help. You can add even more vegetables with a fresh green salad or a soup kept warm in a slow cooker too.
Winter Squash

This is a wonderful time of year to enjoy winter squash. So many varieties are fresh and available. They are good sources of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, and fiber. According to this article from the Smithsonian Magazine, winter squash was probably part of the first harvest celebration with Wampanoag people and Pilgrims in Plymouth, 1621.
Try one of these Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes made with winter squash. In many recipes, you can substitute for other types of winter squash. These are great make-ahead recipes, too! Use extra winter squashes for a centerpiece with mini gourds and pumpkins!





Cruciferous Vegetables
These veggies like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy, broccoli, romanesco, and cauliflower contain phytonutrients called glucosinolates. These are associated with a lower risk of some types of cancers and reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, too. Cauliflower needs to cook for a longer time than the other vegetables in this group, and would work well for make-ahead recipes.
Learn cooking tips from this Beginner’s Guide to Cruciferous Vegetables







Other Thanksgiving Vegetable Side Dishes

Stuffed pumpkin, peppers, roasted carrots, and baked crispy eggplant are more ideas to serve:




Lighter Versions of Family Favorites
Don’t forget potatoes or sweet potatoes!



I like to make extra side dishes to enjoy leftovers after Thanksgiving.
Related Posts You May Enjoy:
- 20 Best Plant-Based Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
- 12 Best Vegan Desserts for Thanksgiving – Under 150 Calories!
- 15 Healthy Vegan Desserts for the Holidays
- 15 Best Vegan Side Dishes for Grilled or Baked Tofu
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Do you plan to try any of these Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes recipes? Please let me know how you liked it in the comments:
Originally published 10/21/2021. Updated 11/24/2022.
Thanks. I like tge sweet potato recipe.