Make room on your Thanksgiving table for this vegan Spinach Mushroom Stuffing, because this traditional side just might be the star of the meal! This easy recipe is vegan with a gluten-free option.
Thanksgiving Dinner
I'll be honest. I was never very fond of Thanksgiving dinner as a child. I didn't really see what the big deal was, as most of the menu consisted of food I didn't want to touch with a ten-foot fork. That dead bird carcass always gave me the heebee jeebees. As I grew up, my taste buds changed, as did my diet, and Thanksgiving dinner is now of my favorite meals of the year. Now that I'm vegan, it's 100% carcass-free.
Vegan Spinach Mushroom Stuffing
Stuffing was one of the dishes loathed as a child. I mean, isn't it just wet bread? And It always came out of a box. Somewhere along the line, I started to like it, and now I love it. Over the years, as I've experimented with different ingredients, I've created a recipe that I now really love, and stuffing has become one of my favorite parts of the Thanksgiving meal.
A lot of stuffing recipes are made with sweet ingredients like cranberries, but I prefer savory foods on my Thanksgiving plate. Spinach and mushrooms are a favorite savory combo for me, so that's what I've used here.
I especially love this stuffing with a plate of leftovers, and I'm going to come right out and admit that I've eaten this for breakfast on the day after Thanksgiving.
How to Make Vegan Spinach Mushroom Stuffing
This recipe may look complicated, but I promise it's not.
- First you bake your cubed bread for 10 to 15 minutes, or it's crusty.
- While the bread is baking, you cook the onion and celery in a large pan.
- After the onion begins to brown, you add the mushrooms to the pan and cook them for another 5 minutes or so.
- Next you add the fresh herbs and spinach to the pan and cook for another minute or two, or until the spinach has wilted.
- Now you mix the bread cubes and vegetables together in a large bowl and add the vegetable stock.
- You transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and bake it for about 50 minutes.
How to Customize Your Vegan Stuffing
Play with this recipe and make it your own!
- You can add vegetables to your liking. Try kale instead of spinach, carrots instead of mushrooms, and leeks instead of onions.
- If you'd like a little crunch in your stuffing, you can add chopped nuts, such as almonds or pecans.
- You can add dried cranberries and roasted chestnuts, if you like a little sweetness in your stuffing.
- You can use pretty much any type of bread in this recipe, and it's best if it's a few days old. I like to use sliced whole wheat bread, but you can use a sourdough boule, a pumpernickel loaf, or even stale baguettes.
- If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your bread is gluten-free, or try my Polenta Stuffing recipe instead.
Using Store-Bought Stuffing Mix
I don't always use fresh bread in this dish. If I have a lot of dishes to make or I'm short on time, I'll take a shortcut and use prepackaged stuffing. A lot of stuffing mixes aren't vegan though, so if you're going to use one, be sure to check the ingredients. Some have milk and eggs, and others have chicken broth. Whole Foods has a vegan mix, as does Pepperidge Farm.
If you are using packaged stuffing mix, you might want to cut back on the fresh herbs, or omit them altogether, as it most likely already a contains a lot of herbs.
Vegan Spinach Mushroom Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 loaf day-old whole grain bread cut into 1" cubes
- 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil
- 16 ounces mushrooms sliced (try chanterelle, shitake, crimini, or white button)
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 or 3 celery stalks sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 8 ounces baby spinach leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable stock plus more, if stuffing is too dry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and lightly oil a 13” x 9” baking dish.
- Spread the bread out in a even layer over 2 baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until bread is crusty but not hard. Transfer to very large bowl and cool.
- While the bread is cooking, heat the oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery. Sauté until they're tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushroom, and sauté until they are tender and beginning to brown, about 5 more minutes. Add all of the fresh herbs and the spinach and toss until just wilted, about 1 minute.
- Stir vegetable mixture into the bowl with the bread cubes. Add the stock, salt and pepper, tossing to combine even. Add more stock, ¼ cup at a time if the mixture seems to dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.
- Bake stuffing uncovered until cooked through and brown and crusty on top, about 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.
More Thanksgiving recipes you might enjoy include:
- Creamed Kale
- Green Bean Casserole
- Super Easy Cranberry Sauce
- Mushroom Gravy with White Wine
- Maple Miso Glazed Squash
- Thanksgiving Rice
MizzB
Looks luscious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.