With menu options this tantalizing, even the non-vegetarians in your family won’t miss the meat. Your friends and family will love this variety of hearty, delicious holidays dishes. Here are ten vegetarian Christmas dinner ideas that everyone will love. These vegetarian recipes for Christmas are sure to become family favorites.
Mushroom Risotto
Risotto is a luxurious alternative to basic rice and pasta dishes. Use hot stock and high-quality cheese to create a dish that is decadently indulgent. This recipe from Delish uses arborio rice, button mushrooms, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. No vegetarian Christmas dinner would be complete without it!
Cauliflower Stuffing
Stuffing is a staple at many Christmas dinner meals. This clever recipe takes out the bread entirely and replaces it with cauliflower! Fresh herbs give this stuffing a homey taste. Like any classic stuffing, this recipe starts with sautéing your mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrots. Cauliflower and mushroom add the texture and “meatiness” to this vegetarian dish.
Apple-Brussels Sprouts Salad
This easy to make dish brings festive red and green colors to your holiday table. Toasted walnuts combine beautifully with brussels sprouts and apples. A homemade vinaigrette and Pecorino cheese finish off this refreshing holiday dish. When looking for vegetarian recipes for Christmas, it is important to look at dishes that offer a variety of tastes and colors.
Christmas Queso
Queso is always a crowd pleaser! Add some holiday cheer to this favorite dish and turn it into a Christmas queso. This simple item only takes ten minutes to make. Combine hand whipped cream with cheese to make the queso. Garnish with jalapeno and cilantro to add a spicy holiday flair to the bowl. Serve the Christmas queso with red and green tortilla chips, of course! Use this as an appetizer for your vegetarian Christmas dinner.
Pretzel Rolls
Everyone expects rolls at a holiday meal so we needed to include some in our list of vegetarian recipes for Christmas. Impress your guests with impress pretzeled rolls. Serve them hot to heat up hands and hearts on a cold winter day. Pretzeled bread can be time-consuming, as you need to allow plenty of time for the dough to rise, but they are well worth the effort.
Buttery Cinnamon Sugar Acorn Squash
Cinnamon and Christmas just go together, don’t you think? This savory and sweet side dish is the perfect complement for any holiday main dish. This baked dish is like cinnamon toast, only better for you and much tastier. Add a little sweet to your vegetarian Christmas dinner!
Three Cheese Mashed Potatoes
If your traditional holiday meal includes mashed potatoes, take them up a few notches. Sure, one cheese in your potatoes is good, but why not go all the way to three? These are the creamiest, cheesiest mashed potatoes you may ever find. They are so filling that it’s almost a meal in itself.
Pear, Pomegranate, and Spinach Salad
This beautiful salad has both the looks and the tastes that one expects during the Christmas season. The red of the pomegranate paired with the green spinach looks like a holiday display. The sweetness of the fruit pairs nicely with the slight tang of the feta cheese. Be sure to toast the nuts to add some crunch to the salad and to also balance out the flavors. Vegetarian recipes for Christmas do not get much easier than this!
Lentil and Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Many families serve shepherd’s pie during the holidays. This vegetarian option omits the lamb filling and uses an unexpected yet equally delicious alternative. This shepherd’s pie is packed with delicious lentils and other seasonal vegetables. The topping is made with a gorgeous sweet potato mash. This delicious dish is healthy, hearty, satisfying, and perfect for any vegetarian Christmas dinner.
Wild Mushroom Gravy
If you serve mashed potatoes or stuffing, be sure to have some gravy on hand as well. There are plenty of vegetarian gravy recipes around, but this one has a luxurious flavor and texture. Oyster mushrooms are the base for this recipe. Cook them in mushroom stock, or use vegetable stock if you prefer.
So, will you be serving up a vegetarian Christmas dinner? Be sure to try these vegetarian recipes for Christmas this year! For more outstanding holiday dining options, see our article about the non-traditional foods to celebrate Hanukkah.
