This veggie-packed Vegetarian Stuffing recipe is delicious, savory, packed with favor and will add goodness to any holiday meal!
Veggie Stuffing
Veggie sides are something I do a lot of, but you all asked for this recipe (loud and clear). I hear ya, TNNers! We do need a veggie-loaded vegetarian stuffing recipe for your holiday spread. And here it is…and, oh, how amazing it is!
This recipe is…..
Vegetarian, easily can be gluten free, and be made egg free or vegan.
Truth be told, I am not much of stuffing maker. I love to eat the stuff, but I never seem to be the one bringing it to Thanksgiving dinner.
So, when developing this vegetarian stuffing recipe, I called on my dear friend and fellow veggie-loving mama, Heather from Happy Kids Kitchen, to help me develop and perfect this recipe.
Many test batches later and, we totally nailed it! Savory, delicious and packed with veggies (like I do), this classic holiday side has been officially veggie-loaded.
What kind of bread should be used when making this vegetarian stuffing?
I suggest high-quality, bakery-style bread for this recipe (it will make the stuffing taste amazing!), but any type of bread will work. If you want to little more direction, here are some suggestions…
- French bread
- sourdough
- whole wheat
- whole grain
- gluten free (if you need that, be sure to read tips for making this veggie stuffing recipe gluten free below.
…use whatever bread you enjoy eating at home.
Tips for making vegetarian stuffing gluten free
Want to make this stuffing recipe gluten free?
Use your favorite loaf of gluten-free bread and continue with the recipe as directed. Depending on the bread type, you may need extra broth to ensure the stuffing isn’t too dry. Every gluten free bread is a little different and some are dryer than others.
Once you mix everything together, make sure the stuffing seems “mushy” and sticks together. If it is crumbling apart, stir in an additional 1/2 cup of broth.
How to make this veggie stuffing vegan and/or egg-free
I used 2 eggs as a binding agent to help it clump together in the lovely way that stuffing of my youth did. However, you can leave it out entirely or replace the egg in this recipe with a “flax egg” (this post tells you how to make them). Or, use whatever egg replacement you prefer to help bind this veggie stuffing together.
Time saving hacks
- Use your food processor to chop veggies in a flash! If you have a food processor, use the “S” blade to help finely chop the vegetables in this veggie stuffing recipe. It’ll help make this holiday recipe even easier and quicker to come together!
- Toast the bread the night before! That will help to cut the cooking time down and get this amazing stuffing on the table that much sooner!
- Use pre-chopped veggies. Many grocery stories sell pre-chopped carrots, onions and celery in the produce department. Grab some of those to make prepping this stuffing a little easier.
Other Suggested Adaptations
- Love sausage in your stuffing? If vegetarian is not a need, you can add some sausage to this stuffing recipe. Brown up a pound of uncooked pork or chicken sausage (casings removed) before cooking the vegetables, breaking it up into crumbles while cooking. Scoop the cooked sausage onto a plate then cook the diced vegetables in any fat that was left in the pan.
- Add apples! For some extra sweetness, dice up a large apple and cook it up with the vegetables in the recipe. The sweet and savory flavors together are delicious. You could add a ½ cup of dried cranberries too!
- Toss in some nuts! Chopped walnuts or pecans add great flavor and texture to stuffing. Use between a ½ to 1 cup depending on your preference.
- Add fresh herbs! Dried poultry seasoning is great, but if you have any fresh herbs like thyme or sage, mince those up and add them to this veggie stuffing for extra savory flavor.
- Pump up the richness with butter! For a more traditional stuffing taste, replace some of the olive oil in the recipe with butter. Cube up a tablespoon or two and dot it over the top of the stuffing before baking. This creates a delicious golden crust on your stuffing people will rave about.
Other veggie-loaded recipes perfect for your holiday table
- The BEST Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Mashed Instant Pot Potatoes with Cauliflower
- Broccoli Tots
- Zucchini and Corn Fritters
- Cheesy Cauliflower Nuggets
- Easy Sweet Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
- Mashed Butternut Squash (sweet or savory)
Loving this veggie-loaded stuffing recipe and now you’re hungry for more?
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Veggie-Loaded Vegetarian Stuffing
Ingredients
- 16-18 ounce loaf of rustic sourdough or whole grain bread cut into ½-inch cubes (10 cups) or favorite bread
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped shallot or onion about 3 large shallots or 1 onion
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped carrot about 2 medium carrots
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery about 4 stalks
- 12-16 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, stems removed and chopped small
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 3 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable or whatever your favorite broth is
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325℉. Spread cubed bread onto a baking sheet. Bake bread until mostly dried out and crisp, about 30 minutes, tossing half-way through. Once bread is done toasting, set aside to cool and increase oven temperature to 400℉.
- Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot/onions, carrot, and celery, and cook until vegetables have begun to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Add mushrooms to the skillet and cook until they have released all of their liquid and begin to brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, and poultry seasoning. Continue to cook another minute.
- Add balsamic vinegar and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add 2 cups of broth and simmer for a few minutes to ensure all the vegetables are soft.
- Add bread cubes to a large bowl then pour the vegetable and broth mixture over the top. Mix eggs and remaining cup of broth in a small bowl then pour over the bread and vegetable mixture. Add chopped parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Mix very well, allowing the bread to soak up all the broth.
- Grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish or baking pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Place stuffing in the prepared pan. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Bake until the stuffing is set and the top is crunchy and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Enjoy warm or let cool completely and store covered in fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
This is the perfect recipe for this time of the year! This stuffing looks just the way I like it – yum!
Thanks-a-mundo. Really thank you! Really Great.
THis was so hearty and delish! Thank you
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Carly!
Really enjoyed this. Much thanks again.
Great recipe
Thank you!
Can I make this day before Thanksgiving?
You could assemble it the day before, but I personally think it is better served fresh from the oven day of.
I think it should be 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar instead of Tablespoons. I made this recipe and the vinegar completely overwhelms it. It is not edible…
Hi Jackie! A bummer to hear that you didn’t enjoy the stuffing. Did you make any changes? I have made this recipe many times (including for my for my family for American Thanksgiving yesterday) and respectfully disagree with you about the vinegar. I think the balsamic gives it a depth of flavor that goes really well with the mushrooms. I think it is a great option for people to play with the amount of vinegar in this to fit their own personal taste preferences.
I also totally get that not everyone is going to be for every person. Thanks for taking the time to share.
I’m going to try this tonight. It would be helpful to have different serving sizes to make smaller amounts like they do on some of the recipe sites. Thanks.
Thanks for the thoughtful suggestion. I will definitely consider it. I’m always working on adding and updating the this site to make it more useful to readers.