The best vegan stuffing made with fennel, lots of fresh herbs, and savory vegan sausage.
This Vegan Fennel, Herb, & Sausage Stuffing is full of flavor and texture and is simple and easy to make!
Stuffing is always the dish I reach for first on Thanksgiving. It’s moist on the inside, crisp on the outside, and full of aromatic veggies, herbs, and savory vegan sausage.
Not to mention, it’s super simple to make and calls for easy-to-find ingredients.
How to make Vegan Fennel, Herb, & Sausage Stuffing:
- Preheat the oven to 250°F. Cut the bread loaf into 1″ cubes and add to a large baking sheet. Spread out into an even layer. Toast for ~45 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Increase oven temperature to 375F. Grease an 8×8″ baking dish with vegan butter. An 9×12″ baking dish also works.
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot (like a dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add sausage and crumble using the back of a wooden spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes until browned. Drain all the grease, pat dry, and add to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add butter to the same pot over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the onion, fennel, celery, and pinch of salt. Cook for 6-7 minutes until soft and light golden brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- Add cornstarch to the bread. Toss well to fully coat the bread in the starch. Add the aromatic herb mixture and sausage. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to carefully fold the ingredients together.
- Drizzle over ⅓ of the broth, fold in carefully, and repeat until all the broth is gone. Press the stuffing down into the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Let stuffing cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Why you’ll love this Vegan Fennel, Herb, & Sausage Stuffing:
- Moist on the inside
- Crisp on the outside
- Easy & simple to make
- Full of flavor from the aromatics, fresh herbs, and vegan sausage
- Hearty & warm
- Perfect for fall/winter gatherings
Tips for making the best vegan stuffing:
Make your own croutons. Making your own croutons from freshly baked bread (homemade or store-bought), in my opinion, makes for a more flavorful stuffing. Any breads that are fluffy with a tight crumb will hold up best. That includes, French bread, brioche, focaccia, white sandwich bread (not overly processed like Wonder bread, that’s too soft), or challah.
Add aromatics. Aromatics bring so much flavor to a stuffing. This recipe includes leek, onions, and garlic.
Add tons of fresh herbs. The more herbs, the better. I prefer fresh over dried! This recipe calls for lots of fresh sage and rosemary.
Add umami-flavors. Stuffing typically has sausage or chicken/beef broth, so to add a delicious umami-flavor to this recipe I added vegan sausage! Any of your favorite vegan sausage will work, I opted for Field Roast’s Smoked Apple & Sage Sausage.
Add the liquid slowly. Adding too little liquid will create a dry stuffing while adding too much will make your stuffing mushy. I recommend slowly drizzling in your liquid while mixing to…
- Control the amount of broth your putting in.
- Not create mushy soft spots.
If you’re looking for more delicious thanksgiving side dishes, you’ll also love these Crispy Garlic Fingerling Potatoes with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce, this Herbed Jalapeno and Almond Cornbread, and these Vegan Mashed Potatoes.
Also, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram don’t forget to tag me @healthienut + #healthienut! I love seeing your mouthwatering recreations!
The best vegan stuffing made with fennel, lots of fresh herbs, and savory vegan sausage.
- 1 lb. country style bread
- 2 vegan sausages (I used Field Roast Smoked Apple & Sage)
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- ½ fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups homemade mushroom broth* (or sub homemade or storebought vegetable broth)
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 250°F. Cut the bread loaf into 1" cubes and add to a large baking sheet. Spread out into an even layer. Toast for ~45 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
-
Increase oven temperature to 375F. Grease an 8×8" baking dish with vegan butter. An 9×12" baking dish also works.
-
Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot (like a dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add sausage and crumble using the back of a wooden spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes until browned. Drain all the grease, pat dry, and add to a small bowl and set aside.
-
Add butter to the same pot over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the onion, fennel, celery, and pinch of salt. Cook for 6-7 minutes until soft and light golden brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
-
Add cornstarch to the bread. Toss well to fully coat the bread in the starch. Add the aromatic herb mixture and sausage. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to carefully fold the ingredients together.
-
Drizzle over ⅓ of the broth, fold in carefully, and repeat until all the broth is gone. Press the stuffing down into the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Let stuffing cool for 15 minutes before serving.
