This Sourdough Stuffing Recipe is made with fresh sourdough, roasted squash, sautéed veggies, and fresh herbs. It’s a savory, comforting, satisfying side dish, perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!
When transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, traditional food-centered holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas can be tricky to navigate. I know from experience—after giving up eating animal products in 2011, I searched for years to find the best vegan Thanksgiving replacements!
Stuffing was one of the Thanksgiving side dishes I loved the most. My Nana’s turkey dressing was an all-time favorite, not only because it was well-balanced, rich, and tasty but because she made it with love!
This vegan version was long in the making, but the results are more than worth it. It’s savory, rich, satisfying, and soft, yet crisp. So good you’ll never miss the meat — promise!!
Best of all, Nana approves of my recipe, and so do I! Just be sure to make it with LOVE — after all, it’s the most important ingredient! For more vegan Thanksgiving side dishes, check out my Air Fryer Green Beans, Sweet Potato Soup, Vegan Mashed Potatoes, and Mushroom Gravy.
Is Stuffing Vegan?
Though you can make stuffing vegan with just a few simple adjustments, not all stuffing recipes are vegan. Those with pork or chicken sausage, chicken or turkey broth, or eggs are not vegan-friendly. However, vegan stuffing recipes like this one are made with all plant-based ingredients and are safe (and delicious!) for vegans and vegetarians alike.
Ingredients
Sourdough Bread: Use store-bought, bakery, or homemade bread. For the best results, use fresh bread, not stale or day old.
Butternut Squash: This sweet and earthy veggie adds flavor and texture to the recipe while keeping it vegan. Peel the squash and cut it into 1/3-inch cubes for even roasting.
Onion & Celery: You will need 1 onion, preferably yellow, but white also works. Dice it and the celery into evenly sized chunks.
Mushrooms: Oyster and Baby Bella mushrooms add hearty meatiness without animal ingredients. You will need 1 cup of each type of mushroom, cleaned well and thinly sliced. If you cannot find oyster mushrooms, you can use more baby bella, or your other favorite mushroom variety.
Vegan Sausages: Plant-based sausages add flavor, nutrition, and satisfaction to this vegan dressing recipe. For the best results, make homemade sausages, though store-bought can save on convenience. I like using Field Roast’s Smoked Apple & Sage sausage. You can also make the sausage ahead of time and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Fresh Herbs: Chopped fresh sage and rosemary add classic herbal stuffing flavor. If needed, you can swap their dried counterparts.
Vegetable Bouillon Paste: Bouillon paste, such as Better Than Bouillon, adds savory flavor and moisture to the toasted bread when mixed with hot water. Alternatively, you can use vegetable broth or two vegetable bouillon cubes.
Oil, Salt, & Pepper: Use a neutral oil such as avocado for baking and sautéing. Or use extra virgin olive oil. Sea salt, white pepper, and black pepper season the stuffing before baking. If you don’t have white pepper, substitute cracked pink peppercorns or an extra 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
How to Make Sourdough Stuffing
- Preheat Oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Prepare Bread and Butternut Squash. Toss the butternut squash with 2 tablespoons of oil and spread it evenly onto one of the baking sheets. Toss the cubed sourdough bread with 2 tablespoons of oil and spread it evenly on the other baking sheet.
- Toast Bread and Roast Squash. Bake the butternut squash for about 40 minutes or until tender. Bake the bread cubes for 15 minutes until crispy. These should bake at the same time on different racks in your oven.
- Sauté Vegetables. While the squash and bread bake, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet, cast iron if possible. Add onions, garlic, celery, and a dash of sea salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Cook Sausage, Mushrooms and Herbs. While the aromatics are cooking, warm a tablespoon of oil in another skillet. Add the mushrooms, sausage, sage, and rosemary to the skillet and cook. Stir often to evenly cook the mushrooms until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook the mushrooms and sausage in the same skillet as the onions. Just wait until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, before adding the sausage and mushrooms. I cook them separately to cut time.
- Combine the Ingredients. Remove the skillets from the heat. Combine the sautéed onions, mushrooms, and butternut squash in whatever dish you’d like to serve the stuffing in. I added the remaining ingredients to the large skillet used to pan fry the mushrooms. Just be sure that your vessel is large enough for the whole stuffing.
- Add Vegetable Broth. Stir well to combine the stuffing ingredients. Pour the vegetable broth over the stuffing and stir it well. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
- Bake the Sourdough Dressing. Cover the skillet with aluminum foil or an oven-safe lid, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for 5 minutes to crisp the top. Serve hot.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Use fresh bread. Whether homemade or store-bought, fresh bread adds superior flavor, so use it whenever possible.
- Use a cast iron skillet. Ensure even baking and a lightly crisp exterior by baking the vegetarian stuffing in a large cast iron skillet. If you do not have one, use a large oven-safe skillet or 8×13-inch ceramic baking dish.
- Season to taste. Salt and pepper are essential seasonings. They accentuate and bring the other flavors to life! Be sure to add extra to taste before baking the vegan dressing.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make this homemade sourdough stuffing up to 2 days in advance. Follow the recipe as directed up until the vegetable broth is added. Then, store it covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Toss the stuffing with the broth, season it to taste, and bake it just before serving.
Doubling the Recipe
This recipe serves about 6 people. For larger crowds, double the ingredients and follow the recipe directions as listed, using extra pans to bake the bread and squash and a second pan to bake the stuffing.
Recipe Variations
Whether low on ingredients or wanting to switch things up, check out any of these alternative sourdough stuffing recipes, vegetarian/vegan and traditional!
- Sans Sausage: If desired, you can make this sourdough stuffing recipe without the vegan sausage but omitting it.
- Dried Herbs: Use 1 teaspoon each of dried sage and rosemary instead of fresh chopped sage and rosemary.
- Different Breads: You can use nearly any fresh bread for this recipe, such as ciabatta, French, artisan, or whole grain.
- Traditional: Not vegan? No problem. This recipe is a certified hit with my meat-eating friends and family.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Leftover sourdough bread stuffing keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: You can also freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Heat the stuffing in the microwave on gentle heat or in a covered pan or skillet in a 300°F oven for 10-15 minutes or until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best substitute for eggs is vegetable broth. It adds moisture and savory flavor while being vegetarian, vegan, and allergy-friendly.
Yes! Drying out the bread is an essential step that allows the bread to absorb the seasonings and broth without getting soggy.
Yes, you can make this sourdough dressing recipe without the butternut squash and mushrooms. Omit those ingredients from the recipe, skipping the squash roasting step and adding only the sausage and herbs to the base vegetable mixture.
Though you can use stale bread for stuffing, it can lack flavor and texture. I recommend using fresh bread and toasting it to dry it out whenever possible.
More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
- 1 loaf of sourdough bread, about 6-8 cups, cubed about ⅓ inch
- 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cubed about ⅓ inch (about 2 cups)
- 5 tbsp avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 lb oyster mushrooms, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 10 ounces baby bella or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 4 vegan sausages, chopped. homemade or store-bought
- 6 fresh sage leaves, minced (or 1 tsp dried sage)
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
- 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon paste, dissolved into 3 cups hot water
- 1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp black pepper
Prevent your screen from going dark
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Toss the butternut squash with 2 tablespoons of oil and spread it evenly onto one of the baking sheets. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss the cubed sourdough bread with 2 tablespoons of oil and spread it evenly on the second baking sheet. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bake the butternut squash for about 40 minutes or until tender. Bake the bread cubes for 15 minutes until crispy. *They can go into the oven together if you have space.
While the squash and bread bake, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet (cast iron if possible). Add onions, garlic, celery, and a dash of sea salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, sausage, sage, and rosemary to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally to evenly cook until the mushrooms are tender. *Note: In the photos and video, I cooked the sausage and mushrooms separately from the onions to save time.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the toasted bread, roasted butternut squash, salt, and black pepper to the skillet (or whatever vessel you’d like to bake the stuffing in). If you cooked the onions and mushrooms separately, combine them too. Stir well to combine the ingredients. Pour the vegetable broth over the stuffing and stir it well. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
Cover the skillet with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for 5 minutes to crisp the top. Serve hot.
- Refrigeration: Leftover sourdough bread stuffing keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: You can also freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Heat the stuffing in the microwave on gentle heat or in a covered pan or skillet in a 300°F oven for 10-15 minutes or until hot.
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