How to Create the Perfect Plant-Based Stuffing
FOOD & HOME
How to Create the Perfect Plant-Based Stuffing
By: Tanya Flink
Image by Pixels Stories
The name of this essential Thanksgiving side dish is polarizing—some call it dressing, while others adamantly insist on stuffing. No matter what, the love for savory, fall-seasoned bread pudding is universal. Whether it’s made from a box, scratchmade, or semi-homemade, there are infinite ways to prepare the quintessential stuffing (or dressing). However, it’s not the most fool-proof of side dishes. The perfect stuffing is crispy on top, soft and tender underneath, and has plenty of extra ingredients that add a pleasing variety of different yet harmonious tastes and textures. Read on for stuffing 101, flavorful add-ins, and five trusted recipes to make the perfect plant-based stuffing this season.
How to Make Plant-Based Stuffing: The Basics
Stuffings start on the stove and finish in the oven. You’ll begin by sautéing your mirepoix—a mix of diced celery, onions, and carrots—in oil or non-dairy butter. You can also add in some fun extras here such as diced fall apples or cranberries. Add your herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, etc) and cook until the produce is soft and fragrant. Add your liquid (typically vegetable broth), simmer, then toss in cubed, dry bread to soak up the flavor. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and mix in your plant-based meat (we like to brown our “Chorizo” for this). Bake covered for 30 minutes then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes or so until the top is golden brown.
That’s it! Keep reading for measurements, but sometimes it’s helpful to understand the method before diving into the specifics. You can make excellent plant-based stuffing. We promise, no one will miss the meat. If you’re a stuffing-making pro, check out the varieties below to mix it up this year—you could just create your best stuffing yet! If you’re new, follow one of the reliable recipes to nail this belly-warming side dish for your Friendsgiving or holiday with the family.
Plant-Based Stuffing Add-ins
“Chorizo”: Thanksgiving food tends to be a bit bland … at least in the spice department. The Abbot’s Butcher “Chorizo” warms up this dish and provides a distinctly unique flavor profile compared to usual suspects at the table. Don’t be afraid to go heavy on the “Chorizo—” we like a 3:1 ratio of bread to plant-based meat.
Cranberries: In November, fresh cranberries are everywhere, and we love incorporating them in more than just the sauce. For a tart and pleasantly surprising pop of freshness, throw in whole cranberries into your stuffing mixture just before baking. For a sweeter, chewier bite, use dried cranberries (or even cherries). If you do try this ingredient, swap the Abbot’s Butcher “Chorizo” for our Slow Roasted Chick’n.
Kale: Most Thanksgiving spreads are desperately lacking greens—even the green bean casserole has a beige hue. Adding bite-sized pieces of kale not only provides a much-needed pop of color, it also offers much-needed texture variety (and a few more nutrients, though who’s counting?). Spinach, chard, or collard greens also work well.
Cornbread: Reinvent your go-to stuffing recipe simply by swapping white bread for cornbread. Note: just like white bread, you’ll want to use slightly stale cornbread (or dry it out in the oven). This corny base pairs equally well with Abbot’s Butcher Slow Roasted Chick’n and “Chorizo.” Fair warning: once you try cornbread stuffing, you may never go back to basic bread.
Squash: Almost any squash will do here—pumpkin, butternut, acorn, kabocha, etc. Before adding to your stuffing mixture, cube the squash into bite-sized pieces, season, and roast in the oven until caramelized. This will add a slight sweetness to your stuffing in addition to pockets of crispy, creamy texture.
Stuffing Recipes
1. “Sausage” and Herb Stuffing": This is a basic yet extremely satisfying stuffing. It’s very likely you have all the ingredients in your cupboard. Add a package of the Abbot’s Butcher Ground “Beef” to transform basic savory bread pudding into a hearty dish with protein and a ton of flavor. Stuffing newbies, start here! Get the recipe
2. Serious Vegan Stuffing:Taken from the esteemed Serious Eats food and recipe blog, this plant-based stuffing is a serious time commitment. However, it’s also seriously good. Made with meaty mushrooms, toasty pecans, and a medley of aromatics, this recipe is meant to impress. We like to add our Slow Roasted Chick’n for some extra protein and chew. Get the recipe
3. Cornbread Stuffing: We’ve tried several cornbread stuffings, yet we always come back to this one. It’s a solid base for getting creative—like adding a package of our “Chorizo” or ground “Beef.” Use this as a jumping off point to add your favorite flavors and jazz up this humble recipe. Get the recipe
4. Vegan Chorizo Chestnut Stuffing: Usher in a taste of the winter holidays with this chestnut-dotted, spicy chorizo stuffing. It’s toasty, earthy, a little bit spicy, and completely comforting. You’ll know when people start tucking into it by the sighs of contentment around the table. Get the recipe
5. Stuffed Pumpkin: Make stuffing the main dish by baking it in a sugar pie pumpkin. First, deseed a tiny pumpkin, brush it inside and out with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast it until just shy of fork-tender. Right before stuffing the pumpkin, baste it with a glaze of your choice (pure maple syrup with a touch of miso and water works exceptionally well). Take any one of the recipes above, and in lieu of baking it in a dish, stuff it in the pumpkin. Note: it may take longer to bake. You’ll know it’s done when you can easily pierce the pumpkin with a fork. Allow your baked, stuffing-stuffed pumpkin to cool slightly then proudly bring it to the center of the table and carve it like the chef you are.
For more festive recipes and further culinary inspiration, check out the other posts in Our Journal.