Learn How to Make the Base Recipe
This is one of our base recipes—flexible formulas designed to help you cook with confidence. Once you learn the method, you can mix in your favorite fruits, veggies, nuts, or cheeses to make it your own. Our vegetarian stuffing base recipe is savory, customizable, and sure to please a crowd. Made with crusty sourdough bread, aromatic vegetables, fresh herbs, and broth, it’s the perfect comfort food for the holidays or any time of year!
Must-Know Cooking Skills to Level Up your Kitchen Game
To make this recipe even easier, check out these videos to learn how to:
Learn how to slice and dice like a pro in our Knife Skills 101 course!
Culinary Tips for the Best Vegetarian Stuffing
- Dry out your bread: Toasting the bread ensures your stuffing has structure and doesn’t turn soggy.
- Cook the veggies well: Sauté the onions, celery, and optional mushrooms until they’re soft and golden for maximum flavor.
- Don’t skip the herbs: Fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley make this dish shine.
- Moist, not mushy: Add broth gradually; the mixture should feel damp but not soupy. The bread should soak up all of the liquid and none should pool at the bottom of the bowl.
- Bake covered, then uncovered: This gives you a moist interior with a golden, crisp topping.
Ingredient Swaps & Substitutions
- Sourdough Bread: Use whole wheat, multigrain, or gluten-free bread if preferred.
- Butter: Swap for all extra virgin olive oil to keep it dairy-free or vegan (omit eggs, too).
- Garlic: Sub 1 teaspoon granulated garlic.
- Herbs: Use your favorites. Sage, rosemary, and thyme are classic stuffing herbs, but any will work!
- Broth: Any low-sodium (140 mg or less) vegetable broth or stock works.
- Eggs: Use a flax or chia “egg” for a vegan version.
Vegetarian Stuffing Recipe Variations
Remember that this is a base recipe, so the goal is for you to customize it to your taste! Keep it simple or spice it up!
Check out our variations for more ideas and inspiration!
Apple Cranberry Stuffing with Pecans
Mushroom Stuffing with Walnuts
Sourdough Stuffing with Spinach & Gruyère
Equipment Recommendations for Cooking Stuffing
For recipe success, use the following tools:
- Cutting Board& Chef’s Knife – for uniform dicing
- Large Saute Pan– to sauté vegetables evenly
- Mixing Bowls– to combine ingredients
- 9×13-Inch Baking Dish– for the perfect bake
- Measuring Cups & Spoons– precision counts
Check out our essential equipment guide to stock your kitchen with ALL the tools you need to prepare anything and everything!
Health Benefits of Vegetarian Stuffing
This recipe features sourdough bread, vegetables, herbs, extra virgin olive oil, and optional fruit and nuts.
Sourdough
Although sourdough bread is made from refined white flour, it actually may be a good substitute for whole grain bread. It has a lower glycemic load than white bread, meaning it takes your body longer to digest it than regular white bread, especially if eaten as part of a meal. Some of the world’s longest-lived populations consume sourdough regularly, so it must be working for them!
Vegetables, Fruit, and Herbs
Vegetables, fruits, and herbs provide fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals. We always advise people to eat a variety of colors because they all provide different benefits for your body.
Extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is a key component of the Mediterranean Diet. It contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols. These nutrients may reduce inflammation, helping prevent cancer, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes.
Nuts
Nuts are a great source of plant-based protein and healthy fat. They also add a nice crunch and umami flavor to your stuffing.
Explore our Ingredient Guide for more tips on choosing the freshest, most flavorful picks for your recipes. Because great ingredients = great food! 🌟🍴
How to Serve Vegetarian Stuffing
Serve this stuffing alongside roasted vegetables, turkey or chicken (if not strictly vegetarian), or as the star of a plant-forward meal. Pair with a crisp salad or hearty soup for a comforting dinner.
Storage Tips
Allow stuffing to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave. Stuffing can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Looking for additional healthy Thanksgiving recipes?
Check these out!
Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce with Cherries and Ginger
Roasted Sweet Potato and Banana Casserole
Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
Share the Love – Leave Us a Review!
Unlike many other recipe blogs, we encourage you to tweak our recipes to suit your taste. Try it out, leave us a review, and tell us what changes you made! We love hearing how you make it your own.
FAQ Questions:
Can I make this vegetarian stuffing ahead of time?
What can I add to vegetarian stuffing?
Can I make vegetarian stuffing with any type of bread?
How do I keep vegetarian stuffing from getting soggy?
Can I make this stuffing vegan?
Yes, depending on the ingredients you use. Choose vegetable broth and plant-based butter or another vegan fat if the recipe contains dairy ingredients. Also check that your bread is made without milk, butter, or eggs.
Vegetarian Stuffing Base Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb sourdough bread, cut into ½” cubes
- 2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, diced ¼” (~2 cups)
- 3 celery, diced ¼” (~1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, Italian parsley)
- 2 - 2 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth or stock
- 2 large eggs, whisked
Mix-ins to YOUR taste
- 8 ounces - 1 pound mushrooms finely chopped
- 2 cups kale chopped (or 4 cups baby spinach)
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 1 large apple or pear diced ¼” (~1 cup)
- ½ cup nuts toasted chopped or sliced
- ½ cup dried fruit dice if large like figs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast until dry and lightly golden, about 10-12 minutes.
- In a large skillet (10-12”), heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and optional mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and mushrooms brown, about 8–10 minutes. Stir in garlic, then optional kale or spinach, herbs, salt, and pepper; cook 1 more minute or until greens begin to wilt.
- Place toasted bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed vegetables, optional diced apple, dried fruit, toasted nuts, and/or shredded cheese and toss to combine.
- Whisk together 2 cups of broth and eggs. Pour evenly over bread mixture and stir until well coated. Mixture should feel moist but not soggy. Add more broth if needed.
- Transfer stuffing to a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15–20 minutes until top is golden and slightly crisp. Enjoy!
This Post Has 2 Comments
Great recipe, this vegetarian stuffing base is really well thought out! I love how simple the foundation is (sourdough, herbs, vegetables, broth) and yet so customizable
We agree! 🙂