Ciabatta bread, veggies, rosemary, and thyme make this vegetarian dressing a plant-based spin on the classic Thanksgiving side.

November 19, 2019 Updated December 8, 2021 Jump to Recipe
Ciabatta bread, veggies, rosemary, and thyme make this vegetarian dressing a plant-based spin on the classic Thanksgiving side.
Dressing (or stuffing) is unquestionably a Thanksgiving staple. Yet it can be a very difficult to get this simple holiday side just right.
Often, dressing is either too dry, too wet, or underseasoned. But my easy Ciabatta Bread Vegetarian Dressing solves these problems. This dressing has great flavor, texture, and perfectly combines the traditional and untraditional—peas are not a traditional dressing ingredient, but I think they’re a delicious addition to this vegetarian dressing.
Disclaimer: if you prefer dressing/stuffing to be more on the coagulated bread side of the spectrum, this may not be the recipe for you. If you prefer your dressing/stuffing to have a bit more texture and separation between the bread and other dressing components, you’ve come to the right place.
Here’s what sets my Ciabatta Bread Vegetarian Dressing apart:
Ciabatta bread is a great bread base for dressing because it’s sturdy. Using a soft bread for dressing is a bad idea–the end dish will be mushy because a soft bread can’t hold up to the juices from the veggies, and the broth, that the dressing is immersed in before baking. The ciabatta base is a huge reason why my dressing recipe works everytime.
In this recipe, the ciabatta is cubed and toasted in the oven before the veggies and vegetable broth are added. The bread is already sturdy, but toasting it further ensures that it will more than hold up to all the moisture. The resulting dressing manages to hit that desirable moist yet crisp dressing texture that’s so delicious.
Of course salt is critical to bringing lots of flavor to any dish. And this dressing is perfectly salted to highlight the flavor of two classic Thanksgiving herbs: rosemary and thyme.
Use fresh rosemary and thyme if you can. The flavor is more rich and full. But if you can’t find these herbs fresh, dried works too. You can find my favorite dried rosemary here, and my favorite dried thyme here, on Amazon [aff. link].
Make my Ciabatta Bread Vegetarian Dressing this year! (It’s great with my Mashed Potato Bake with Mozzarella.) I’m sure it will be a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving table.
This Post Has 4 Comments
I am loving the Ciabatta bread, Shannon it would be incredible in this dressing. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Katerina!
Love all the herbs in this delicious looking classic vegetarian dressing! I can see me serving this up to go with our turkey and gravy on Christmas Day. Yum!
Thanks Neal! This dressing will definitely be on our Christmas table this year!