Vegetarian and vegan Thanksgiving recipes to anchor the menu

Squash Malai Kari. Kabocha squash and a sauce full of fragrant warming spices make this Bengali-inspired dish a great candidate for the Thanksgiving table. It’s already a staff favorite here at Voraciously.

Spiced Tahini Loaded Sweet Potatoes. Why pigeonhole sweet potatoes as a Thanksgiving side when they can also shine at the center of the plate? Tahini, sumac and pomegranate seeds add Middle Eastern flair.

Pumpkin, Walnut and Sage Crostata. This is the savory tart to end all savory tarts, the dish that sets a new (high) bar for what a celebratory vegetarian main should look like. Creamy, earthy pumpkin in a crisp, buttery crust. Goodbye, tofurkey!

Stuffed Squash Roast. Take the potential stress out of roasting and stuffing a squash by roasting the squash on its own before filling it with glazed onions, mushrooms and a nutty, fruity rice blend. You can make all the components up to a week in advance, and then assemble and do the final roast on Thanksgiving.

Roasted Portobello Mushroom, Pecan and Chestnut Wellington. Here’s what to make if you want something impressive and decadent but also easy to assemble. (See just how simple it is in this video.) The filling can be refrigerated for up to five days; the assembled dish can be refrigerated for up to three days before baking. You can make this vegan by finding a vegan puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm) and using a nondairy cream to seal the pastry.

Vegetarian Roast Beast. Stacks on stacks of vegetables, flavored with sage-infused pesto and smoked cheese, and served on a bed of couscous or orzo. (Make it vegan by substituting a vegan cheese.) The whole thing can be roasted and refrigerated for up to three days, then reheated (wrapped in several layers of foil) for about 30 minutes in a 300-degree oven. Watch how the whole thing comes together in this handy video.

Biryani Stuffed Pumpkins. These seasonal beauties are warmly spiced, fragrant and stunning. We liked this best with small kabocha squash, but you can use a variety of small squash for visual impact. The first round of baking the pumpkins can be done up to three days in advance.