This is the Best Savory Vegan Stuffing recipe and no one will know it's vegan. It is the perfect side dish to serve on your holiday table.
There are so many delicious recipes at Thanksgiving dinner but stuffing (or dressing) has to be my favorite one. There are so many kinds of stuffing - cornbread, sausage and apple, or mushroom. But my favorite is the traditional stuffing with onions, celery, and fresh herbs. While I refer to this as stuffing, technically it's vegan dressing since it isn't being stuffed inside a turkey or anything else.
Making the Stuffing
To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9x13 casserole dish. You can also use a nonstick oil spray. Set aside the prepared dish. Next, prepare the bread by cutting it into 1" cubes. You can use any type of bread you want or a combination of 2 breads. I often use both white bread and wheat bread in my stuffing. Spread the cubes onto a baking sheet making sure the bread is in a single layer. You may need to use two. Bake for 10-15 minutes until it's dried out and a little toasty. Stale bread needs a little less time than fresh bread.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the vegan butter. Once the butter is melted, add the chopped onions and celery. Cook for about 12 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the fresh herbs by finely chopping them. While most of the time I think it's fine to use dried herbs, for this recipe you need fresh ones.
Once the bread cubes have dried out in the oven, put them in a very large bowl. Add the vegetable mixture, fresh herbs, salt and black pepper. Carefully pour in about 1 cup of vegetable stock and slowly stir up the mixture.
Continue to stir up the mixture, adding more veggie broth to the very dry areas until you've added all 2 cups worth. Continue stirring until it's the consistency you like. I like to have some crunchy pieces but others like very soft, uniform stuffing. You might want to add a little more broth if needed.
Pour the stuffing mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take the cover off and give it a quick stir. Leaving the foil off, bake for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Prepping Ahead of Time
This recipe can be made ahead of time which is a great time saver on the big day. Just make the stuffing according to the recipe but don't bake it in the oven. Put it in the prepared casserole dish, cover with foil, and put in the refrigerator.
The next day, add enough broth to make sure there aren't any very dry areas before baking it. It might be slightly dryer after spending the day in the fridge. Let it sit out on the counter for 20 minutes to get close to room temperature. I also recommend cooking it for an additional 10 minutes.
My Thanksgiving Menu
I've been cooking a traditional Thanksgiving meal for a long time...since I was in my mid-twenties. I've made some changes along the way but now the menu is pretty much the same year to year and caters to both vegans and non-vegans. While some might think hosting a Thanksgiving for both vegans and nonvegans is difficult, it's actually not anymore challenging than a regular one. The best part of the meal is the delicious side dishes and most are easy to veganize. Here's the menu.
- Roasted Turkey (for the non-vegans)
- Vegan Roast (I like Trader Joe's one.)
- Mashed Potatoes
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole Using Canned Green Beans
- The Best Savory Vegan Stuffing
- Easy Vegan Cornbread Casserole With Jiffy Mix
- Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
- Another Vegetable - either roasted asparagus or collard greens
- Cranberry Sauce (both homemade and from a can)
- Gravy (traditional and mushroom gravy)
- Dinner Rolls
FAQ
Can I make the stuffing without celery?
Sure. I absolutely love celery in my stuffing but if you aren't a fan, you can leave it out.
What is the best bread to use for stuffing?
I often use both whole wheat and white bread in my stuffing. But sourdough bread is also delicious in stuffing.
Summary
This recipe is the perfect addition your Thanksgiving menu or Christmas dinner. The fresh herbs give it so much flavor and make your house smell amazing while it's cooking. This classic stuffing recipe (veganized) is delicious for any holiday meal.
The Best Savory Vegan Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds loaf of bread
- ¾ cup vegan butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, sliced thin
- 2 cups vegetable broth (may need a little more)
- 2 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon salt, depending on saltiness preference
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside. You can also use a nonstick oil spray.
- Prepare the bread by cutting it up into 1" cubes. Spread the cubes onto two baking sheets. Make sure the bread is in a single layer.
- Bake the bread for 10-15 minutes, depending how fresh it is. Very soft and fresh bread will need a few more minutes to dry out than stale bread.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. Once melted, add the chopped onion and celery and cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare the fresh herbs by finely chopping them. The herbs are the key ingredient in this recipe. Dried herbs won't taste nearly as good.
- Once the bread cubes have dried out in the oven and are a little toasty, put them in a very large bowl. Add the cooked onion, celery and butter mixture, the fresh herbs, and the salt and pepper.
- Carefully pour in about 1 cup of the vegetable broth. Slowly stir up the stuffing mixture, adding more broth to the very dry areas until you've added all 2 cups worth.
- Stir until the right consistency. I like some crispier pieces in my stuffing, but if you like yours uniformly soft, mix very well. You might want to add a little more broth if needed.
- Pour the stuffing mixture into the prepared casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use whatever bread you like the most. I sometimes mix more than one kind of bread too!
- Earth Balance is my favorite brand of vegan butter.
Leah says
This is the perfect stuffing recipe! I started looking early for Thanksgiving this year and this is exactly what I was looking for. I love the flavor of the fresh herbs. I know the non-vegans will love this too. Thank you.
jencardenas says
This stuffing is my favorite dish at Thanksgiving! Thanks for the comments.