Vegan Stuffing

Vegan stuffing, a delicious, hearty, healthy, plant-based version of this classic Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish, made with just 10 ingredients.

Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, this vegan stuffing recipe is a must in every Thanksgiving table.

Although stuffing is also used as a turkey-filler, I'm a vegan myself, so I enjoy it as a side dish. It's much healthier and no turkey has to suffer!

However, you can stuff other things using this stuffing, like peppers, eggplant, squash or any plant-based alternative to the classic turkey.

It's a really inexpensive recipe, so useful if you have stale bread on hand, but you can also make it if you only have fresh bread.

My recipe is pretty simple and made with just 10 ingredients: bread (any type will do), sautéed veggies (onion and celery), vegan butter (oil is also okay, or even water or vegetable stock for a low-fat alternative), vegetable stock, herbs, and spices.

Some people also add nuts, seeds or dried fruits. I prefer this simple version, but it's up to you. Feel free to add also any meat alternative like lentils or seitan.

Stuffing is really easy to veganize. You just need to use vegan butter or oil instead of regular butter and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

How to make vegan stuffing – Step by step

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC.
• Add the butter or the oil to a skillet and when it's hot, add the onion, celery, oregano, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally (photo 1). Feel free to use some water or vegetable stock if you prefer your stuffing fat-free.
• Add the bread cubes and the sautéed onion and celery to a large bowl and stir until well combined (photo 2).
• Pour the vegetable stock into the large bowl and stir until well mixed (photo 3). I prefer to add the stock hot, but it's up to you.
• Transfer the stuffing to an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown (photo 4). Then remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool before serving.

Pro tips

• Feel free to use any type of bread you want (sourdough bread, French bread, Italian bread, bakery loaf of bread, baguette, etc). I've used sourdough bread, baguette and a loaf of whole wheat bread and all of them worked amazing.
• Omit the vegan butter for a fat-free version on this recipe and use some water or vegetable stock instead. Any oil will do, although I think vegan butter is the best choice.
• Add any veggies and herbs (dried or fresh) you have on hand.
• Feel free to add any nuts, seeds or dried fruits you want.
• Keep in mind you may need to add more vegetable stock depending on the type of bread you're using, how dry your bread cubes are or how wet you like you stuffing (I like it not too soggy, not too crispy, but something in between).
• Some recipes include eggs or any alternative to eggs like flax egg as a binder to hold all of the ingredients, but I think it's not necessary.

What is the difference between stuffing and dressing?

The two common terms are used interchangeably depending on where you live, but traditionally stuffing is stuffed inside of an animal before cooking (fortunately there are so many plant-based alternatives nowadays) while dressing is simply cooked in a baking dish in the oven.

Can you make vegan stuffing ahead of time?

Of course! You only have to follow my recipe, but don't bake the stuffing, just keep it covered in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Then remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking and bake following the recipe instructions (you may need to bake it for 5-10 more minutes if your stuffing is too cold).

If your stuffing is very dry, just add some vegetable stock before baking.

Can you freeze vegan stuffing?

Yes, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To defrost it, just transfer to the fridge the night before and reheat it in the oven at 325ºF or 160ºC (covered with aluminum foil) for about 20 minutes or until warm throughout.

If your stuffing is very dry, add some vegetable stock before reheating in the oven.

Looking for more side dish recipes?

• Vegan Cornbread
• Vegan Gravy
• Vegan Mashed Potatoes
• Vegan Green Bean Casserole
• Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Did you make this vegan stuffing recipe?

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Vegan Stuffing

Vegan stuffing, a delicious, hearty, healthy, plant-based version of this classic Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish, made with just 10 ingredients.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Side Dish, Vegan Thanksgiving

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 8

Author: Iosune

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Ingredients 

½x1x2x

US Customary - Metric

• ▢ 1 pound bread cut into 1-inch cubes, about 12 cups, see notes
• ▢ 2 tablespoon melted vegan butter or oil
• ▢ 1 onion, chopped
• ▢ 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• ▢ 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 2 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 2 teaspoon dried sage
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 cup vegetable stock

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Instructions

• I cube my bread 1 or 2 days in advance, transfer to a baking tray and let them sit on the counter covered to dry out. If you only have fresh bread or your bread is not very dry and you're in a hurry, just bake the bread cubes onto a baking tray at 400ºF or 200ºC for about 10-15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC.
• Add the butter or the oil to a skillet and when it's hot, add the onion, celery, oregano, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Feel free to use some water or vegetable stock if you prefer your stuffing fat-free.
• Add the bread cubes and the sautéed onion and celery to a large bowl. Stir until well combined.
• Pour the vegetable stock into the large bowl and stir until well mixed. I prefer to add the stock hot, but it's up to you.
• Transfer the stuffing to an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool before serving.
• Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

• I've improved this recipe. I've doubled all the ingredients, except the celery (I used to add the same amount) and the vegetable stock (I've only added ½ cup or 125 ml more). I've also used vegan butter this time (the original recipe was fat-free) and sourdough bread instead of whole wheat bread.
• Feel free to use any type or bread you want (sourdough bread, French bread, Italian bread, bakery loaf of bread, baguette, etc). I've used sourdough bread, baguette and a loaf of whole wheat bread and all of them worked amazing.
• Omit the vegan butter for a fat-free version on this recipe and use some water or vegetable stock instead. Any oil will do, although I think vegan butter is the best choice.
• Add any veggies and herbs (dried or fresh) you have on hand.
• Feel free to add any nuts, seeds or dried fruits you want.
• Keep in mind you may need to add more vegetable stock depending on the type of bread you're using, how dry your bread cubes are or how wet you like you stuffing (I like it not too soggy, not too crispy, but something in between).
• Some recipes include eggs or any alternative to eggs like flax egg as a binder to hold all of the ingredients, but I think it's not necessary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.6g | Protein: 4.8g | Fat: 4.7g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Sodium: 597mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 3.8g

Update Notes: This post was originally published in November of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions and tips in December of 2019.