Crowd-Pleasing Thanksgiving Recipes: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

When entertaining a crowd over the holidays, it helps to have a few foolproof recipes in your repertoire — ones you can serve to those with special diets or food allergies, still delicious and memorable enough for a celebration.

 

Here, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite recipes for your Thanksgiving feast. Each one is vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free, without skimping on hearty fall flavors.

 

 

Pureed Fennel Soup Guests may be surprised to learn this creamy soup contains no dairy. Instead, olive oil incorporated at the end adds richness, and the subtle flavor of fennel shines.

Brussels Sprout Slaw This twist on traditional slaw calls for tossing shredded Brussels sprouts and radicchio in a tangy dressing. Serve as a salad or a side.

Arugula-Orange Salad with Pomegranate-White Wine Vinaigrette Richly colored with a sweet-tart balance, this salad relies on pomegranate seeds, oranges and thinly sliced red onion for flavor.

 

 

Quinoa Salad with Dried Cherries and Pistachios Naturally gluten-free quinoa makes a perfect base for a hearty side dish or stuffing. Add more roasted vegetables to turn it into a vegetarian main course.

Wrinkled Potatoes with Green Dipping Sauce This creative dish gets maximum flavor from a bold, vibrant sauce instead of cheese or cream.

Caramelized Cauliflower Vegetable sides don’t come simpler than this one, which uses just 3 ingredients. The trick is to roast the florets in a hot oven to bring out the natural sugars.

Maple-and-Soy-Glazed Acorn Squash Sweet maple syrup, salty soy and spicy ginger combine to form a rich glaze for thick slices of winter squash in this recipe. Look for gluten-free soy sauce, or substitute tamari.

Cranberry-Orange Mostarda This updated alternative to cranberry sauce stars fresh herbs and mustard in a nod to the classic Italian condiment.

 

 

Spiced Poached Pears When avoiding desserts with cream and pastry, turn to seasonal fruits like apples and pears. Simmered with seasonal spices, they make a beautiful presentation.

Baked Apples Filled with Apricots and Figs Soak dried fruits in sweet apple cider for a surprisingly rich filling to baked apples. Drizzle with a bit of honey to satisfy a sweet tooth.