Meats such as ham and turkey are usually the centerpieces of the Christmas feast. But does that mean vegetarians can’t get in on the fun? Of course not! There are tons of holiday-worthy recipes out there that also happen to be vegetarian. This list features 30 of them, and they’re all so impressive, they might just steal the spotlight! If you’re vegetarian or have vegetarian friends over for Christmas lunch or dinner, I have you covered, from appetizers to sides to dessert!
30 Vegetarian Christmas Recipes and Ideas
1. Stuffing
Just because you can’t eat turkey doesn’t mean you should miss out on the stuffing, too! This recipe is hearty, scrumptious, and 100% vegetarian. It’s crisp on the outside and ridiculously delicious in every bite. It’s so good, you won’t miss the meat! It uses veggie broth, lentils instead of meat, and flax seeds instead of eggs. Thanks to these simple swaps, this stuffing is for everyone to enjoy.
2. Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is velvety, beautiful, and outrageously tasty, too! The secret to the most flavorful soup is roasting the butternut squash beforehand. It releases the natural sugars in the squash, giving it an even deeper, more robust flavor. Pro-tip: coat the squash with herbs and spices before roasting for best results.
3. Hasselback Potatoes
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with baked potatoes. But if you care to make things more interesting, here’s the recipe for you. Hasselback potatoes are just like baked potatoes, except the spuds are sliced very thinly to give them crispy edges, nooks, and crannies when baked. The resulting textures – crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside – make the dish truly holiday-worthy.
4. Cranberry Sauce
Give your vegetarian stuffing an extra tasty point with this cranberry sauce. The wonderful combo of sweet and tart complements any savory dish. Best of all, this crimson delight only requires a few basic ingredients and 15 minutes of your time. Why opt for store-bought if you can make something a hundred times better at a fraction of the cost?
5. Roasted Vegetables
Rustic roasted vegetables are perfect either for an intimate meal or a fancy celebration. The colors alone will get you into the Christmas spirit! You can use whatever veggies you like, although this recipe calls for broccoli, butternut squash, zucchini, bell peppers, and onions. Throw in some cremini mushrooms in there, too, to add a rich and meaty flavor. Make the veggies even more delightful with garlic, thyme, and balsamic vinegar.
6. Apple Cranberry Coleslaw
Regular cabbage and carrot coleslaw is good, but this elevated version is so much better. From the color to flavor to the crunch, this slaw definitely packs a punch. Chopped apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries are added to the mix for an even brighter, tastier side dish. This recipe puts the usual coleslaw to shame! The contrast between sweet and tart is magnificent. The dressing – a mix of mayo, yogurt, honey, and ginger – beautifully ties the ingredients together.
7. Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, kale, almonds, and hemp seeds are tossed with a lemon, olive oil, and honey vinaigrette. If the thought of Brussels sprouts scares you, I understand. You definitely should still give this salad a try. It’ll change your mind about the misunderstood vegetable forever! Not only is this salad super nutritious, vegan, and gluten-free, it’s also honestly delightful.
8. Mushroom Leek Quiche
Loaded with mushrooms, leeks, and chestnuts, this quiche is every vegetarian’s dream. Aside from the flavor, though, what makes this quiche extra special is that it’s also vegan. Yup, there are no eggs involved in this dish! How is that possible, you ask? It’s all thanks to silken firm tofu! Mixed with non-dairy milk or chickpea flour, this egg alternative makes for a rich, custard-like filling.
9. Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries
Brussels sprouts are roasted to get a deep caramelized flavor and then drizzled with balsamic reduction and sprinkled with dried cranberries. With its lovely hues of red and green, this dish is absolutely perfect for Christmas. More importantly, it’s incredibly good. I had no idea Brussels sprouts and cranberries tasted great together! The balsamic reduction adds a nice layer of flavor, too.
10. Corn Pudding
Corn pudding is a southern classic that never fails to make me smile. It’s sweet and creamy like custard and bursting with corn flavor. It’s kind of like corn casserole, but with a slightly creamier texture. It’s a fantastic side dish to turkey, ham, and chili, but I’ll bet you also won’t mind eating on its own.
11. Creamed Spinach Gratin
Creamed spinach gratin – I can’t even begin to express how much I adore you! First of all, I love how it manages to be so rich while still being vegetarian. The spinach is sauteed in onion and garlic to give it more flavor. Because of its non-dairy, cashew-based cream sauce, not only is it creamy, it’s also nutty! The crispy and golden crust is a combo of cashews, sesame and sunflower seeds, and nutritional yeast. Merry Christmas, indeed!
12. Glazed Carrots
Sweet and crunchy baby carrots are roasted in a sweet glaze. It may be simple, but trust me, this side dish will disappear in minutes. Isn’t it amazing how a simple mixture of brown sugar and butter creates such a deep, wonderful flavor? Trust this sticky glaze to make any vegetable kid-friendly!
13. Honey Thyme Butternut Squash
Move over mashed potatoes: mashed butternut squash is here to stay! Boiled butternut squash is mashed with butter, half-and-half, honey, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. It’s sweet, buttery, and brimming with flavor. This bright and warming side dish is perfect for any occasion.
14. Whipped Sweet Potato
Whipped sweet potatoes are smooth, fluffy, and downright delicious. This insanely easy recipe calls for seven basic ingredients. Despite its simplicity, though, this side dish is party-worthy. You can make this dish as smooth or as chunky as you like, and it’ll be a sure hit either way.
15. Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Galette
Earthy and meaty mushrooms meat sweet and crunchy onions in this epic vegetarian galette. From the flaky crust to the scrumptious filling, this French tart is amazing in every bite. Also gluten-free and vegan, this recipe uses sorghum flour, rice flour, chickpea flour, and cornstarch to create that golden crust. It proves that a little creativity goes a long way!
16. Olive Penguins
These appetizers are as adorable as it gets! With some olives, carrots, pimento peppers, and cream cheese, and a lot of creativity, you can make these charming penguins! The only downside to this festive starter is that it’s too cute to eat! But once you finally bite into it, you won’t be able to stop. The combo of crunchy and chewy, tart and creamy makes these penguins impossible to resist.
17. Garlic Sauteed Spinach
They say it’s the simple things that are the most extraordinary. The case is true for this vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dish. Delicate baby spinach leaves are sauteed in garlic – that’s all there is to it. The great thing about this dish is that its simplicity makes it a great side dish for any entree you can think of.
18. Scalloped Potatoes
These scalloped potatoes are rich, creamy, and drool-worthy. Plus, you’ll love the added texture that thinly sliced potatoes make! This simple recipe uses creamy bechamel – a thick sauce made of flour, butter, and milk – to give the potatoes life. If you’re not vegan, you can make the dish even more spectacular with cheese. But honestly, it’s perfectly fine without it.
19. Vegan Turkey
This turkey loaf is all you’ll need if you’re craving the flavor of meat. Swap your holiday ham for this dish for a delicious vegetarian treat! It’s so tasty and meaty, you’ll be surprised it doesn’t contain actual meat. A combination of chickpeas, broth, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and herbs creates this vegetarian masterpiece.
20. Mushroom Risotto
Risotto is a savory Italian dish of arborio rice. Mushrooms give it meatiness, while wine and stock give it flavor. It’s surprisingly rich and creamy without using any cream. The cooked arborio rice itself creates that lovely texture. An optional sprinkling of vegan parmesan elevates its flavor. I once thought risotto was a complicated dish. When I found out it takes less than an hour to make, I immediately added it to my family’s weekly meal rotation.
21. Roasted Brussels Sprouts Pasta
Al dente spaghetti is tossed with a sauce of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, chili, smoked paprika. The not-so-secret ingredient? Roasted Brussels sprouts! This unique take on the traditional Italian dish is truly spectacular. Aside from the crunchy and creamy sprouts, the pasta dish is also loaded with roasted walnuts and garnished with parsley. You can just imagine the different flavors and textures that go in this dish! What a festive Christmas treat!
22. Cauliflower Casserole
Any kid will agree that cheese makes everything better. This cauliflower casserole is proof. When topped with cheese, flavorless cauliflower florets transform into a show-stopping dish. This casserole takes it a step further by topping the cheese with buttery breadcrumbs. Once baked, the crumbs turn into a crispy golden outer crust, which goes oh so well with ooey-gooey cheese. But here’s the kicker: this cheesy casserole doesn’t actually contain cheese! The recipe calls for a cheese substitute instead so that the dish is still the same level of deliciousness while being vegan at the same time.
23. Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
This vegan lasagna is loaded with mushrooms and chopped spinach. It’s so rich, creamy, and somehow, meaty! It has everything you can ask for in a classic lasagna, but it’s a lot healthier. The key is to use firm tofu and nutritional yeast to still get that meaty and cheesy flavor.
24. Cornbread
There are hundreds, if not thousands of cornbread recipes on the internet, but this one is, hands down, the best. It’s crispy, moist, crumbly, buttery, and bursting with corn. It’s easy to make, to boot! You really couldn’t ask for more.
25. Mince Pies
Say hello to the traditional English mince pies! Flaky and buttery pastry crusts are filled with sweet and spicy mincemeat, which is actually a combo of currants, raisins, apples, and spices. Aside from the sweet and warming flavors, what makes these pies extra-special is the star-shaped outer crust. Nothing screams Christmas more than that!
26. Sweet Potato Pecan Cookies
These delicate drop cookies are so soft they melt in your mouth. Sweet potatoes, butter, and pecans make them irresistible. They’re amazing enough as they are, but you can take them up a notch with a sweet citrus glaze.
27. Cranberry Bread
This bread is rich and buttery and studded with fresh cranberries. Its color and flavor will make your Yuletide celebrations extra festive. The bread is delicious on its own, but toppings and add-ins make it more exciting. Feel free to top it with finely chopped almonds, chocolate chips, or a sinful glaze.
28. Christmas Bread Pudding
This bread pudding is soft, moist, and delicious like custard. Chopped apples and dried cranberries add flavor and texture, while cinnamon and rum give it warmth.
29. Cranberry Christmas Crepes
Nothing beats waking up on Christmas morning to the smell of these sweet crepes! Filled with cream cheese and spiced cranberry jam, this breakfast dish is the perfect way to start the holiday festivities.
30. Christmas Coffee
Pair your Christmas crepes with a cup of Christmas coffee for the ultimate holiday breakfast. Freshly brewed coffee is made even more delightful with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. A dollop of whipped cream and colorful sprinkles give it a festive flair. While this coffee drink is best served hot, it also tastes great when cold. Let the coffee cool to room temperature and add some ice cubes, and voila! Click on a star to rate it!
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