If you haven’t been able to tell yet, I’m trying to load you guys up with some awesome vegan options for Thanksgiving, Christmas and beyond. I know it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to adapting family recipes to suit everyone’s dietary needs, so let us help!
This year I’m sharing lots of savory options, not just the sweet stuff! (Even though you guys know I love a good pie or two. Or three.)
Expect a full Thanksgiving roundup next week. But until then, let’s talk about this stuffing, which happens to be my favorite stuffing of all time.
This recipe is adapted from my grandma’s classic stuffing that my dad has loved since he was a kid, and I happen to be quite fond of as well. It’s hearty, moist and flavorful on the inside, and perfectly crisp on the outside – just like any good stuffing should be.
While her version isn’t vegan, I’ve subbed out the meat for lentils, the egg for a flax egg, and the chicken broth for veggie broth to keep things veg-friendly. (Of course, sub in any of those things as you please.)
Despite making quite a few swaps, the final result was surprisingly close to the original recipe! In fact, I think if I served this version at Thanksgiving, I doubt anyone would be able to tell the difference.
Another perk? It’s simple! Just 9 ingredients – all basic and easy to get your hands on.
This stuffing is my new favorite! It’s:
Hearty
Warm
Flavorful
Loaded with veggies
Studded with nutrient-rich lentils
Wholesome
Satisfying
Moist on the inside
Crisp on the outside
& Perfect for holiday gatherings
If you guys make this dish this holiday season, let us know by tagging a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We’d love to see what you cook up. Cheers!
Simple Vegan Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 large loaf whole-grain bread* (cubed & set out to dry overnight // 1 large loaf yields ~9 cups loosely packed cubes)
- 3/4 cup uncooked green lentils
- 3 Tbsp olive oil or vegan butter (I used a mix of both)
- 1/2 cup white onions (diced)
- 3/4 cup celery (diced)
- Salt & pepper
- 3 – 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (plus more for cooking lentils // DIY or store-bought)
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
- 2 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
- 3/4 tsp dried sage*
Instructions
- The night before, cube your bread and set it in a large bowl to dry out – you want it to be the texture of day old bread – noticeably dry but not rock hard.
- The day of, if you haven’t already cooked your lentils, do so now by thoroughly rinsing 3/4 cup lentils in cold water, then adding to a small saucepan with 1 1/2 cups veggie broth or water (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- Cook over medium-high heat until a low boil is achieved, and then lower to a simmer and continue cooking uncovered for 20-30 minutes. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a 9×13 pan (or comparable sized dish // as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) with foil or spray with nonstick spray. Also prepare flax egg by mixing flaxseed meal and water and set aside.
- Sauté onion and celery in the olive oil or vegan butter and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant and translucent – about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- To the bowl of bread, pour most of the broth then add the remaining ingredients (sage, cooked veggies, flax egg, and lentils) and mix with a wooden spoon. The key is to make sure it is about the consistency of a meatloaf: Moist but not soggy. It should hold its shape if formed into a shape but liquid shouldn’t squeeze out of it. Too dry and it will be really dry after cooking. Too wet and it will be soggy and never get any crisp texture. If too dry, add more broth and mix again. If it’s gotten too wet, add more bread.
- Transfer to the prepared pan and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Then remove the top layer of foil so the top can brown. Increase heat to 400 degrees F (204 C) and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the top is well browned and crisp.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave or oven, though best when fresh.
- This dish would be awesome with vegan mashed potatoes and my vegan mushroom gravy!
Notes
*You can sub 1 1/4 tsp fresh sage, chopped per 3/4 tsp dried.
*Adapted from my grandma’s favorite stuffing.
*How to cook lentils from the Kitchn
Scott says
Love this recipe. Can i mix ingredients in pan the night before ( cover and refrigerate) and then bake next day before we eat?
Hi Scott, we don’t think this would do well as a make-ahead dish, but it’s possible that would work. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Molly Knievel says
I made this stuffing and baked it in a sugar pumpkin for Thanksgiving. It was so good!
So fun! Thank you for sharing, Molly!
Deb D says
The bread ratio was far too high for my taste. I used about 2/3 of the bread and almost doubled the veggies and it was really still very bread heavy.
So sorry this one didn’t turn out as expected, Deb!
Jack says
Love this recipe!! I used Schar gluten free white bread and made this a day ahead of time, baking only for the first 45min with the foil on (per recommendations from a bit of googling). I think between the texture of the gf bread, the dish sitting overnight, and adding too much liquid (I wound up using around 2 and 2/3 cups of broth), it got very mushy, but that’s okay! The flavor was still phenomenal and I loved that it included lentils for protein, making this our main for Thanksgiving this year. Thanks for another stellar recipe, I’ll be making this again for Christmas!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jack! Thank you for sharing your experience!
Justin says
This is a great recipe. I used it for a vegan Thanksgiving dinner last year and will be using it again for Christmas dinner this year. Can I use canned lentils instead?
We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Justin! Canned lentils should work. Just be sure to adjust the amount of broth since the lentils won’t need to be cooked in broth. Hope that helps!
Rita says
My husband’s comment: “It’s good, but it’s not stuffing.” When he saw I felt bad, he said, “It’s OK, we’ll call it lentil casserole. I just had my heart set on stuffing.” Lesson learned. The lentils overpower the traditional stuffing taste for us. And it ends up we just really like traditional stuffing, which for us, is a side dish, not a protein source.
Probably the first thing on this site that I’ve made and haven’t liked. So your batting average is till great!
Hi Rita! We’re sorry you didn’t enjoy this one! We have a more classic stuffing recipe here for next time!
Ethan says
I just do this recipe without the lentils and it goes over really well.
Sally says
Worst stuffing I’ve ever had. Why give a comparison to meatloaf?
Hi Sally, thanks for your honest feedback. This recipe is based on a family recipe and meatloaf is a helpful reference for achieving the right texture.
Natasha says
I made this yesterday I used whole wheat bread and vegetable stock instead of broth, it was the only thing I had on hand. I read that you can switch it out but it was bland when I took it out of the oven. I am going to switch it up next time in hopes the bread and broth will make it taste better. I also followed one of the reviews suggestions of not using all the liquid because I too do not like soggy stuffing. I ended up sautéing some baby Bella in a a generous amount of vegan butter and some veggie stock. Added minced garlic thyme and ground sage the pored it over the top and mixed it again. It was better and had some flavor but still something was off. Not sure. After adding all that I prob used about 2 1/2 cups of stock. Agin not bad but missing something.
Hi Natasha, broth usually is seasoned while stock is a little less flavorful. You can season the stuffing with more salt next time! Another thing to note, if the bread you are using is quite bland you may need a bit more seasoning overall! Hope this helps. xo
Coral Beth Rowley says
May I copy and share this with my cooking class for a MSU Extension cooking class today in Michigan? I believe it meets the criteria for lower cost and a healthier version of stuffing.
Also, if I leave out the flaxseed meal (which many may not have and can be difficult to find in our small town) will it greatly alter the recipe?
Hi Coral, It should be okay to leave out the flaxseed meal + water (which makes the flax “egg”). Hope that helps! You can find our sharing guidelines here.
Kait says
I hosted a fully vegan Thanksgiving this year and was looking for a good stuffing recipe. This came out perfect and was a hit with everyone! I made with a homemade sourdough loaf and used fresh sage and thyme. Smothered in mushroom gravy, this was delicious, and even the carnivores said it was some of the best they had had.
Amazing! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it, Kait! Thank you for sharing! xo
Shannon L says
Hello,
LOVE this recipe! It I wanted tomorrow it ahead of time then freeze it, would I make it then freeze it and bake the day of? Or make it, bake it then freeze it? And can it go in the oven frozen or should it be thawed?
Thank you!
Shannon
Hi Shannon! We’d suggest baking it then freezing it, thawing in the refrigerator, then warming in the oven. Hope this helps!
Kyle says
Another hit at my half-vegan Thanksgiving this year! The lentils are such a good idea, they add the perfect texture to the stuffing and it always comes out great. Although I used even less broth than the recipe called for and it still came out soggy! Could be the whole wheat bread I used. I saved it by adding more bread and baking it a second time on a cookie sheet and it came out perfect ^_^
Great! We’re so glad it turned out well with that modification! Thank you for sharing, Kyle!
Ronaldo says
Very nice recipe!
I did not make any change, followed step by step all the instruction.
Thank you very much for sharing, more plants, no animals on our table!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ronaldo! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Nicki says
This is so fantastic- it tastes nearly identical to my grandmother’s non-vegan version. I left out the lentils and subbed poultry seasoning for the sage. I love Better Than Bouillon No Chicken for the broth. I noticed you said this is a spin off your grandmother’s stuffing (we call it “dressing”), and my husband joked that maybe we are cousins, lol. Happy Thanksgiving, Dana! Thank you for this recipe.
Aw, love this, Nicki! Happy Thanksgiving to you! xoxo
felonggj64 says
I have made this recipe for the last 5 years. My son as always loved it, myself as well. Last year we added dry cranberries instead of the lentils, we loved it.
Woohoo! Love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
McKayla Barbour says
I’m very excited to be making this for an international Thanksgiving this year! Would substituting white onions for red change the flavor much? Thanks!
Hi McKayla! White, yellow, or red onions will work perfectly here. Let us know what you think!
Tammy says
I did not enjoy. There was no flavour. I also discovered that I don’t want my stuffing to be crispy on the outside.
I have been following your blog for years and have absolutely loved all of your other recipes.
Oh no! So sorry you didn’t enjoy this one, Tammy. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Shanise says
Will leaving out the lentils change the consistency or ability for the stuffing to bind? My friend is allergic.
Hi Shanise, that should be okay, or you could try subbing vegan sausage?
Katrina Peebles says
I made this for Thanksgiving, and it was fabulous! I am making it again for Easter but can’t remember if the 3 1/2 cups of broth included the broth for cooking the lentils or if approximately 3 1/2 cups was needed to add to the bread mixture before baking. Could you please clarify? Thank you!
Hi Katrina, we’re so glad you enjoy it! The 3 – 3 1/2 cups broth is added in step 6 with the bread. You’ll need additional broth for cooking the lentils (step 2). Hope that helps!
Laura says
So delicious! I had no idea that it was so easy to make a delicious stuffing! I added an apple (gala) to mine.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Laura! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Pam says
I made this for Christmas dinner (the first time I made it for Thanksgiving) and it was a hit again! I used Schar GF bread, canned lentils, and added diced carrots to the celery mixture, but followed all the other directions as exactly stated. The key is to remember to add just enough broth to make it a “meatloaf like texture”. Will def be part of our holiday menu rotation going forward!
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Pam! xo
Susan Tuffnell says
I would like to use canned lentils too. How much did you use?
Kelsey H says
This turned out so well! It was our main dish for our vegetarian Christmas dinner. I halved the recipe and used a real egg instead of a flax egg – but yum! Seriously so good.
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing, Kelsey! xo
Jana Kuplic says
This is the BEST stuffing I have made since we went vegan 8 years ago. So delicious and easy! Unlike others, it did not turn dry and lentils add bunch of flavor, not even mentioning nutrition. Will be making every Thanksgiving and more!
Yay yay yay! Thanks for sharing, Jana!
Tiffany ODonnell says
I made this stuffing for the first time for Thanksgiving. It was excellent! My favorite dish of the meal.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Tiffany! Thanks so much for sharing!
Katelyn Graziano says
Loved this stuffing! The recipe was very easy to follow and it was absolutely delicious. Tons of flavour and everything was the exactly as I wanted. I will definitely make this again!
Aw, yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Katelyn! xo
Ambur says
Simple, easy, good. I make a lot of recipes from this site and this one was very easy with readily avaliable ingredients. Obviously not for the lentil lover. I do have to tease Dana though and ask that a vegan recipe not suggest comparison to meaty meals (making it the consistency of meatloaf). That wasn’t helpful for me =]. Great recipe, thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ambur! And thanks for the feedback- we’ll keep that in mind for the future.
Andrea says
I normally love all recipes on this site, but this one was awful for me. Everything worked but I hated the taste. I think I chose the wrong loaf of bread. Any guidance for bread type would be really appreciated!
Interesting, this one is so popular this time of year. What type of bread did you use? It’s adapted from my grandmother’s recipe, which usually uses plain white sandwich bread, but personally I prefer a good sturdy white sourdough loaf (1-2 days old or more).
Andrea Gunn says
This was my first time making stuffing from scratch. I didn’t realize it should be sturdy bread so I bought the crappy Publix-brand wheat bread, worried that something denser (like Dave’s Killer Bread) would have too intense of flavor. I realized after the fact that it was “lower calorie” bread too, so it was lightweight, super soft and tasted gross. Lesson learned! We made new stuffing after this with a thick country white bread from the bakery and it came out great. Thanks for the reply.
Thanks for sharing! Yes, a good sturdy bread is needed here! We love white sourdough :D
April says
We had mixed feelings about this stuffing. My husband, who enjoys stuffing found it a little bland. I however, who usually avoids the stuffing, found it pleasant. The flavor was mild, I suppose I could have added more salt, but what I liked was the texture and density. And I felt the flavor was fine since there were already several dishes that danced, flavor wise. It was more loaf like instead of mushy stuffing I have had before from other recipes. Texture is everything to me. I made one change and added vegan apple-sage sausage and next I make this I might add a spicer one and add more salt. I’m rating this for me not my husband so giving it 5 stars.
Thanks for sharing, April!
Andy says
Was going to try this recipe tomorrow, but I have a question that I see has come up many times in the comments over the years, but I don’t see that any of them have been answered, and the recipe still requires you to know what meatloaf consistency is.
As vegans, many of us have absolutely no idea what it means when you say “consistency of a meatloaf”, and you say that this step is “key”. (I didn’t even think anyone outside the 1950’s ate meatloaf). So now just to make stuffing I feel like I need to go watch a bunch of videos about meatloaf…
Could you please update recipe for future vegans and attempt a way to explain this in terms of plants, or describe it in another way that makes sense to people that don’t eat loaves of meat? Thanks :)
Yes! Doing so now, Andy!
Andy says
Thanks for the very quick fix! That is helpful.
Sarah says
I made this for our first weeknight Thanksgiving meal last night—we’re doing regular, Thanksgiving-inspired meals all week rather than one big feast on Thursday because of #2020 and #PandemicExhaustion. It was *so* good—and easy! We’re new vegans, and this is already on the “take to someone’s house for Thanksgiving even if we’re the only vegans there” list. (Once seeing people is a thing we can do again.)
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Sarah!!
Bryce says
Question. I made my lentils in pressure cooker today and put in refrigerator for tomorrow. Can I just heat veggie stock tomorrow and then add cooked lentils to heat up? Or since going in oven just heat broth? And if so, do I need a cup and 1/2 or just a cup since you say add most of broth to bread? Thanks!
Hey Bryce! I think you’d be fine to just add them without heating them up tomorrow. And add 1/2 cup broth at a time until the bread is moistened but not liquidy. Hope that helps!
Cat says
We had our first Vegan Thanksgiving in 2019 and your recipes were the highlight. I came back today while building my shopping list to find this recipe. It is totally delicious and I love that I can feel good about eating it thanks to the lentils! It pairs beautifully with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy. It’s all of the good flavors from Thanksgiving prior to being Vegan with none of the cruelty.
What a combo! Lovely. Thanks for sharing, Cat!!
Michelle says
Made this for a thanksgiving family potluck and it was a hit! So light, delicious, and filling – plus it paired so well with everything!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Michelle! xo
Conner says
Hi! So I am hoping to make this for thanksgiving dinner but someone in my family is a particularly picky eater and may not be found of the appearance of lentils. Would you recommend any other substitutes? Or I can just omit them on half.
Hi Conner, we’d suggest vegan sausage. Hope that helps!
April says
Was thinking about making this for thanksgiving. Could this be made the day before (put it in the pan Wednesday, pop in oven Thursday maybe?) or is it a day of thing? No microwave for reheating.
Hi April, We wouldn’t recommend baking this ahead of time. It really is best the day of!
Nicole says
I know this is a very delayed reply, but I have made this recipe in the crock pot before and it turned out great! On low for 4 hours. I’d imagine you could mix everything a day ahead and heat in a crock pot on day of if you have the time. We did it because we had other things that needed to go into the oven.
Thank you for sharing, Nicole!
Kathleen says
Going to make for Thanksgiving.
Thought mushrooms added would be nice.
Agreed! Great idea, Kathleen.
Taylor Vettese says
I’m making this now and I’m so excited. I normally like to add lpecans and cranberries or apples to my stuffing. I wouldn’t mind putting some chia seeds in there too. do you think I’d ruin this fabulous stuffing if I did that?
Hi Taylor, that might work! We haven’t tried it. But we do have a stuffing recipe with cranberries: https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-cornbread-stuffing/
KK says
Hi, I am going to use the pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s.
Can you advise on how to adjust the quantity to agree to your 3/4 cup of dried lentils? Thanks much!
Hi, 3/4 cup dry lentils make ~2 cups cooked. You’ll want to reduce the veggie broth accordingly. Hope that helps!
Samantha says
Could I make this on the stovetop instead of the oven?
Hi Samantha, we haven’t tried that with this recipe. Let us know if you try it!
Dayna says
Question: I was wondering if I could sub real eggs rather than flax eggs? I eat mostly vegan but I have pet chickens so I still eat eggs.
Hi Dayna, we haven’t tried that, but it should work!
Betty says
I made this for Thanksgiving dinner and people loved it so much that I am making it again for Christmas dinner. I used gluten-free bread and everyone was amazed that it had so much taste and such a great texture. It also reheats well–I ate it for about four days after Thanksgiving.
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it- thanks for sharing! Happy holidays! xo
Michelle says
Could the stuffing be made with croutons instead of dry bread cubes?
Hi Michelle, we don’t think they would soften and soak up the flavors of the other ingredients as well, but maybe? Let us know if you try it!
Michelle says
Okay, thank you!
Neet says
I have made this recipe over and over and over again and it still wins people over… that is saying quite a bit especially as I made it this year for my very traditional extended love their meat Indian family for their first thanksgiving meal. Thank you sooo much!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Neet. We are so glad you enjoy this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Neet says
So sorry I forgot the ratings last year still a wonderful recipe one year later!
Thanks, Neet!
Rebecca Jenkins says
I absolutely love this recipe!
I wanted to make it for a pot luck. Any ideas of how to keep it fresh and warm? I’m not too familiar with crock pots since I use my instant pot for everything. Do you think it would be alright after baking to put it in the crockpot on low to keep it warm for a fee hours?
We haven’t tried that, Rebecca! But it might work! Let us know if you give it a try!
neet says
just curious if it worked? we will be at my husband’s family and there will be no oven space plus a 6 hour drive ski will have to make it the night before
Nicole says
Yes, keeping it warm on a crock pot works perfectly!
NorDawg says
Tastes delicious. I made this for the vegans in the family. All of us devoured it. No more stove top stuffing for this family.
We’re so glad you all enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Joan Scott says
Hello, the recipe says this is freezer friendly for one month.
Is it frozen after cooking and cooled or before it is baked.
Thanks
I’d suggest freezing UNBAKED, then thawing and baking.
Dory says
I made two pans, one for Thanksgiving dinner and the other for leftovers. We ate them both! No leftovers. I left out the lentils (just a personal preference). Delicious!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Dory! Thanks so much for sharing!
Dory says
I made two pans, one for Thanksgiving dinner and the other for “leftovers”. We ate them both! No leftovers. I left out the lentils (just a personal preference). Delicious!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Dory. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Nancy says
It was just okay. Kind of bland and disappointing.
Sorry to hear that, Nancy! This definitely depends on the saltiness of your broth. Season to taste before baking is our best recommendation!
Leah H says
Hi! The following review is by a new vegan college student who rarely bakes or cooks, so it might be helpful to other newbies like me, but not to seasoned chefs!
So I’ve only ever bought canned lentils, but thought the main vegan thanksgiving dish I was bringing to a potluck was a good time to try and figure out how to do this for the first time, haha! I found the dish to be a little lentil-heavy. Idk if that’s because I didn’t have enough bread or the bread was too soft or if the lentils were ~slightly~ undercooked which made them stand out more. Genuinely couldn’t say bc I’ve never made stuffing or lentils before, haha!
I wish I’d bought a French or Italian loaf from harris teeter because its already nice and crusty, but I ended up buying a softer loaf from lowes foods which was still kinda soft after sitting out all night. I think my choice would have been better for a bread pudding than stuffing.
I left out about 3/4 cups of broth when pouring to the bread and that was good (I think it was enough since the bread was already kinda soft and maybe the loaf was slightly small idk). Since I needed all my bread the advice to “if its wet add more bread” wouldn’t have worked bc I didn’t have any more, so I’d definitely recommend stopping after two cups, checking the consistency, and then adding more from there.
I used better than bouillon vegetable base for the lentils and broth mixed into the bread and it was good.
I made it in a casserole dish. rubbed the sides and bottom down with olive oil before putting micture in and it was great! I used rubbed sage and think sage is definitely the thing that makes it smell and taste like traditional stuffing to me- it was magical!
Went over pretty well at my thanksgiving. I was the only vegan and ate most of it myself, haha! Idk if others simply weren’t into the taste or if I messed up the texture with the lentils but I really enjoyed it personally (although I may be biased since I made it myself and I’m very proud of that, haha!).
Also brought veganricha’s sweet potato herbed dinner rolls and those both went so well together in a bite with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce!!!! Would definitely make again (under supervision of someone who’s cooked lentils before, lol!!!!)
Ah, thanks, Leah!!! So kind!
Taylor says
Made this for our vegetarian Thanksgiving meal this year. So! Good! Loved how easy it was to put together. It was a crowd pleaser. I love the addition of lentils so that the dish still has good nutritional value….other “vegan” stuffing recipes just omit meat and replace the meat broths with vegetable broth, but this one still gave the recipe umph! Will be making this every year from now on!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Taylor!
Sarah says
When/where do you add the sage?
Step 6!
Karra says
Everything else I’m cooking is at 400 degrees. Can I do the first part of this at 400 or will that dry it out?
Hi Karra, If you have other things in the oven that are adding moisture, it might work. But we haven’t tried it and can’t say for sure. Let us know how it goes!
Reena says
How many eggs should I use if I’m omitting flax seed?
Hi Reena, we’d suggest 1 egg.
Holly says
Would a mix of green and red lentils work? I don’t have enough green! Or I have Morning Star sausage links, I thought might work? Thoughts?
We haven’t tried either, but we think they might work. Perhaps the sausage would be better?
Coco says
Hello! I’ve been making this recipe for years after discovering it and oh my, it’s amazing! However, being the only vegetarian in the household, how long do you think you can store leftovers for?
It should keep 2-3 days in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer.
Samantha says
Hi Dana,
I understand that this dish is best when baked day of. However, can you prepare it all and assemble the day before and then simply bake before you plan to serve? Thank you!
Hi Samantha, we don’t think this would do well as a make-ahead dish. But if you try it, let us know how it goes!
Zen Living says
This recipe sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it. A clarification—is it 3 1/2 cups of broth or 3(3 1/2), which totals up to 10 1/2 cups?
Hi there, it is 3 to 3 1/2 cups. Hope that helps!
Tommie says
Can you make refrigerate and bake the next day??
Hi Tommie, As far as baking early, we wouldn’t recommend baking this ahead of time. It really is best the day of!
Linda says
I have a question. (I’m NOT a cook). Should the lentils be drained or should the lentils and the broth in which they were cooked be put into the mixture? If the lentil broth goes into the mixture, should that amount of broth be deducted from the 3 – 3 1/2 cups of broth called for in the recipe?
Hi Linda, sorry for the confusion! Use 1 1/2 cups veggie broth for cooking the lentils- there shouldn’t be broth remaining once they are cooked, but if there is, you can drain it off. Then use 3-3 1/2 cups veggie broth in step 6. Hope that helps!
A says
Considering this is a vegan recipe, could you use something else besides “meatloaf” to compare the consistency to? I have no idea what that consistency would be, and I’m sure many vegans/vegetarians don’t either.
Kae says
Not the blog owner but I would call it moist but not soggy. It should hold its shape if formed into a shape but liquid shouldn’t squeeze out of it. Too dry and it will be really dry after cooking, too wet and it will be soggy and never get any crisp texture. Don’t soak the bread all the way through with liquid…I’d say about half soaked with liquid. I hope that helps. I see you are writing right near Thanksgiving so I wanted to jump in and reply in case you were making this now! Happy Thanksgiving!
A says
Thanks, that helps a lot!
Andy says
Thanks Kae for answering our question! It sounds very important to get the right consistency, and I’m not sure I’ve ever even seen a meatloaf, so thanks for explaining that! I wish they would update the recipe and save people like me a lot of time searching comments for your year-old answer.
Hi Andy, we’ll see about making an update! Happy Thanksgiving :D
Rebecca says
Any tips on how to make this with less sodium?? Thanks!
You can use low sodium vegetable broth or make homemade and salt to preference.
Cat says
Has anyone tried making this with vegan sausage instead of lentils? What about adding other veggies/ingredients like chestnuts? Or subbing for a different type of bread (ie focaccia, baguette, etc)? Would be curious to know the results with various substitutions! Thanks!
Hannah says
Made this recipe with low sodium vegetable broth. I think that’s where I may have gone wrong. It was super bland (but my husband said it was delicious). All I got was a bread taste. I absolutely love so many of your other recipes. I do have to watch my salt intake, which is why I used a low sodium broth. Any recommendations to make it a bit more flavorful without the added salt? Thank you!
Hi Hannah, we’d suggest our DIY vegetable broth or Pacific brand for store-bought. Hope that helps!
Molly says
This looks delish! Do you think gluten free bread would work okay here? Trying to find a gluten free/vegan stuffing or dressing has proved difficult!
We think that would work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Holly says
I decided to practice some recipes a couple weeks before thanksgiving just to see how they turned out, and this one turned out amazing! I decided to omit the apples because I just wanted the more savory taste and then added a bit more onion and celery. The fresh herbs really make this recipe I think, they bring out the flavor so well (plus having a couple in my garden helps). I have even been eating them for breakfast they are so dang good! They have been keeping really well so far, I just add a couple drops of water and warm at a low heat and they are still super moist-so I know making a day or 2 ahead of time is no big deal. Thank you!!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Holly! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Joan says
I’m sorry I don’t see where apple was an ingredient in this stuffing. I think it might be a nice addition however, not sure the qty to add as an extra.
Terri says
Have you tried it without the flax egg?
We haven’t, but another reader mentioned they forgot to add it and it still worked great. Let us know if you give it a try!
KR says
I’m not vegan or even vegetarian but this is hands down the best stuffing I ever had. I’m making it again this year (and likely every year after that). Thanks for a great recipe!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Debbie McCoy says
I LOVE this recipe. Stuffing was always my favorite thing to eat at Thanksgiving (and pumpkin pie) but since going vegan a few years ago I haven’t had it. My daughter made this recipe tonight and is was so good. We had mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts and mushroom gravy (our own recipe) along with the stuffing. This was such a comfort dinner. The bread was not left out the night before and it still tasted good so if you don’t plan accordingly I would not let this stop you from making it. I always put olives and mushrooms in my stuffing so I might try that next time. Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Debbie. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Connie says
I’d really like to try this recipe for Thanksgiving. Is there something I can substitute for the Vegan butter/olive oil? Or can I just leave it out??? (We eat whole-food plant-based no-oil) Thanks so much for your help.
Hi there, we haven’t tested it without the oil. I’d say be sure to use day old firm bread and just omit the oil. Let us know how it goes!
Debbie says
I try to not use oil so when I need to saute anything I just use veggie broth or water. Sometimes the veggies have enough water in them that you don’t even need to to that.
Linda Furley says
There is nothing simple about this recipe
Leah H says
as someone who’s only been vegan for a couple years and is a college student who never bakes or cooks at all- I found this recipe to be simple and easy to follow! No crazy ingredients (maybe flax but supposedly that would be fine to leave out). Put out some bread, saute a couple stalks of celery and some frozen onions, add lentils broth celery and onions into a dish basically! Not too bad imo!
Jill Sweet says
Wonderful, undetectably vegan and easy to prepare! You are a wonder MB! We had this with our Christmas dinner paired with your vegan gravy, mashed cauliflower, lentil loaf and dinner rolls. Truly amazing!
Whoop! Glad to hear it, Jill!
Jillian Walmsley says
I’ve made this stuffing twice, now, once gluten free and once with wheat bread, and both came out so delicious!! I can’t wait to serve it to my family, today!
Whoop! We’re glad to hear that, Jillian!
Paula says
I am vegan and gluten free so it was a challenge to find a bread that was gluten free and vegan but I did find it. I also added the vegan and gluten free bread recipe that turned out good.
I like the way it came out and so did my vegan friends. Thank you for this recipe. I did not add lentils. I never added any kind of meat when I wasn’t vegan so I didn’t see the point and I really like the basic stuffing recipe. I did make my own veggie broth and I think that added a lot of flavor and nutrients. I freeze all my scraps to make this. I also made the gravy which was awesome!
Sheryl says
I love your recipes! I have huge allergy issues, and I find that I can eat most of the ingredients in your recipes. Thank you for all your effort to provide such tasty fare! I made this stuffing today, and didn’t have green lentils so I used red. I did not cook them ahead as you suggested for green lentils as red can get a bit mushy when overcooked. I simply tossed them into the skillet when I browned the onion and celery. I also added a handful of raisins and shredded carrots that I had on hand. These both added nice color and additional flavor. It turned out scrumptious! Thank you again!
Yay! thanks, Sheryl!