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    Home » Collections

    40 Best Vegetable Sides

    Published: Dec 10, 2022 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    These bright and flavor-packed vegetable sides are easy to make and bring extra flavor and color to your meal.

    We've listed 40 of our best vegetable sides that can help you jazz up your lunch and dinner with little extra veggies. From sauteed greens and vegetable dips to roasted, and marinated vegetables, you will surely find fresh inspiration here.

    Vegetable sides with roasted and mashed vegetables
    On this page:
    • Stovetop sides
    • Oven-roasted side dishes
    • 15-minute vegetable sides
    • Family-friendly vegetable sides
    • Recipe

    Stovetop sides

    If your oven is already busy, make an easy and quick stovetop side dish in less than 30 minutes. Whether you prefer leafy greens, mashed potatoes, or sauteed veggies, you'll find whole side dish ideas here.

    1. Mashed potatoes

    This mashed potato recipe is easy to make, light, and creamy, and you can adjust its consistency based on your preference. The best way to serve it is as a side dish with butter and chives, or even better, with a generous amount of our incredible mushroom gravy.

    mashed potatoes with butter and chives

    2. Sauteed eggplant

    This easy sauteed eggplant recipe is cooked in a pan on the stovetop in just 20 minutes, and it's great as a last-minute dinner. You can serve it on its own as a side dish, on top of toasted bread, or use it as a delicious pasta sauce.

    Italian sautéed eggplant

    3. Quick sauteed zucchini

    A super easy side dish! Use this sauteed zucchini recipe in pasta or risotto, in a frittata, or on pizza. Make it in just about 10 minutes and get ready for the next zucchini season.

    sautéed zucchini with red onion

    4. Caramelized onions

    Caramelized onions are great as a topping and a side dish. They are soft and melt in your mouth; they are a delicious addition to starters, soups, dips, salads, pasta, and sandwiches.

    caramelized onions with fork

    5. Pan-fried asparagus

    Lemon sautéed asparagus is the tastiest and best way to cook asparagus on the stove. The asparagus turns out tender-crisp in just 10 minutes, and you can use this spring side dish in salads, frittata, and with other stir-fried vegetables.

    sauteed asparagus serve with lemon and almonds

    6. Steamed artichokes

    These steamed artichokes are very easy to make but absolutely delicious, soft, and buttery. You'll be able to fully taste the artichoke flavor, and you can jazz them up them with chimichurri, and homemade vegan mayonnaise.

    steamed artichokes with salsa verde

    7. Sauteed mushrooms

    Here's how to make perfect sauteed mushrooms on the stovetop, with a few simple ingredients, in about 15 minutes. They are not only a delicious side dish on their own; they are also an excellent addition and base ingredient to pasta, salads, and grain bowls.

    Sauteed mushrooms and white spoon

    8. Cauliflower mashed potatoes

    Cauliflower mashed potato is now our favorite mashed potato alternative because it's easy to make, tasty, light, and fluffy. You can expect a familiar, comforting flavor, similar to classic mashed potatoes, but with cheesy notes and a mild cauliflower taste.

    Cauliflower mashed with potato and chives

    9. Steamed asparagus

    Asparagus is one of our favorite vegetables to steam, its flavor blossoms and they get tender and juicy. You can serve steamed asparagus with a pinch of salt, a twist of ground black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

    steamed asparagus served on a plate with lemon wedges

    10. Mashed sweet potatoes

    Take your pick from 2 variations of mashed sweet potatoes: sweet or savory. Sweet potatoes are a great autumn and winter side dish and pair well with other veggies, stews, mushroom gravy, and vegetarian meatballs.

    serving mashed potatoes in a bowl

    Oven-roasted side dishes

    These oven-roasted side dishes are perfect with any meal, require little preparation, and can go right into the oven while you prep your main dish. These roasted sides are vegetarian and vegan-friendly and made with whole-food ingredients - great for family dinners and as putlock meals.

    11. Easy roasted mushrooms

    Oven-roasted mushrooms are a quick and easy side dish you can make with a few staple ingredients and most mushroom varieties. All you need to make them tasty and meaty is salt, garlic, and olive oil at a high oven temperature.

    12. Roasted sweet potatoes

    Easy and nutritious, these roasted sweet potatoes are the perfect side dish for an everyday dinner. And since they are easy to top with dressing and roasted nuts, they are also ideal for a special dinner, holidays and celebrations

    roasted sweet potato cubes drizzled with tahini sauce and parsley

    13. Garlic-roasted broccoli

    Oven-roasted broccoli is so tasty you won't believe it's actual broccoli. Crunchy, lemony, slightly spicy, and with the perfect twist of garlic, they are perfect as a pre-dinner appetizer, snack, or side dish.

    Baked broccoli on a platter

    14. Sweet potato wedges

    Roasted sweet potato wedges are a quick and easy recipe that takes no time to prepare and only 30 minutes of roasting. You can peel the sweet potatoes or make these wholesome skin-on sweet potato wedges, they make a rustic and wholesome side dish.

    roasted sweet potato wedges on a platter with ketchup

    15. Roasted eggplant

    Roasted eggplant is an easy, delicious side that complements a variety of main dishes. You can easily use it to make other recipes, such as salads, caponata, and curries, and serve as a healthy side dish with a drizzle of salsa verde on top.

    roasted eggplant with garlic seasoning

    16. Roasted potatoes

    These tender and buttery roasted potatoes are perfect as an appetizer or side dish; we eat these a lot as a healthier alternative to french fries. You can serve them as they are or with a dip like homemade mayonnaise, chipotle sauce, and avocado spread.

    Roasted Potatoes with garlic

    17. Roasted artichokes

    Roasted artichokes are crunchy on the outside, and tender on the inside. The recipe is easy, and the artichoke gets incredibly flavourful this way. We love to cook them together with potatoes for a wholesome and winter-friendly side dish.

    Baked artichokes and potatoes

    18. Italian baked zucchini

    Tender, aromatic, and delicious, this roasted zucchini recipe is one dish that is easy to prepare and goes well with any meal. The breadcrumb topping gives a lot of flavor to the zucchini and it gets all golden, crisp, and crunchy as the breadcrumbs gratin in the oven.

    roasted zucchini on a serving platter

    19. Roasted cauliflower salad

    This creamy roasted cauliflower salad is nutty, tender, and with a creamy and tangy tahini dressing. Paired with roasted chickpeas and fresh tomatoes, this salad is a great autumn side dish for any meal.

    cauliflower salad with tahini and tomatoes

    20. Roasted and marinated bell pepper

    Oven-roasting peppers is a simple, clean, and healthy way to make smokey and juicy roasted peppers. Drizzle with an Italian marinade and garnish with fresh herbs for a tender, aromatic and flavor-packed side dish.

    bell peppers marinated

    21. Tomato confit

    Tomato confit is the easiest, meltiest, most delicious tomato recipe. Soft, juicy, packed with oregano and garlic aroma. Tomatoes made this way can elevate any kind of meal; as a juicy side dish, a starter served with toasted bread, or as a topping to a bowl of pasta.

    confit tomatoes just baked

    22. Roasted broccoli and cauliflower

    A quick and healthy way to prep veggies is by roasting them! Roasted broccoli and cauliflower is a great side dish you can make with almost no effort and a few ingredients for weeknight dinner or the holidays.

    roasted broccoli and cauliflower with almonds on top

    23. Smashed potatoes

    These smashed potatoes are the perfect finger food, similar to nachos, and you can even top them with cheese or dairy-free cheese if you like. This recipe is excellent for so many occasions; weeknight dinner or Sunday dinner, you can serve them as a side dish and as a substitute for roasted potatoes.

    Smashed potatoes and fork

    24. Roasted carrots

    Roasted carrots are a lovely side dish, perfect for many occasions, from a simple weeknight dinner to a special celebratory meal. These carrots are tender, slightly caramelized, tasty, and can be drizzled with chimichurri, green goddess dressing, or chili oil.

    oven-roasted carrots with chimichurri on top

    15-minute vegetable sides

    These weekday-friendly vegetable sides are quick and easy to make. They require little or no cooking and will elevate any meal with just 15 minutes of preparation.

    25. Red cabbage slaw

    This red cabbage slaw is perfect for any special occasion - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even new years eve. The recipe is easy: crunchy red cabbage as a base, shredded carrots to add sweetness, sliced green apples to add sour notes, and chopped walnuts to add a nutty and earthy flavor.

    red cabbage slaw with mayonnaise and fork

    26. Microwave sweet potato

    Microwave sweet potato is a quick, healthy, and delicious side dish. Eat it as is, as a vibrant vegetable side, or load it with one of our toppings to turn it into a tasty and healthy main dish.

    Microwave sweet potato with butter

    27. Cauliflower rice

    This cauliflower rice recipe is cauliflower grated with a box grater or processed in a food processor, then lightly cooked on the stove and served as if it were regular rice. Eat it as a low-carb side dish when you feel like a little extra green next to curries, stews, and stir-fry meals.

    cauliflower rice in a pot

    28. Shaved Brussels sprout salad

    This Brussels sprouts salad is a crispy side dish for the fall and winter seasons when Brussels sprouts are in season. It's a beautiful and different dish for a quick lunch or everyday dinner, and it's also perfect for a special holiday meal, from Thanksgiving through Christmas and new years eve.

    shaved brussels sprouts salad

    29. Green beans salad

    Green bean salad is easily upgraded with fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, slivered almonds, and a creamy mustard dressing. In just about 15 minutes, you've got a delicious and super tasty side dish everyone will love.

    vegan green bean salad with nuts

    30. Air fryer asparagus

    You can air fry most vegetables, but air fryer asparagus is one of our favorite air fryer recipes. They are similar to oven-baked asparagus, except that they are faster to "roast," crispier on the outside, and juicer on the inside, thanks to the quick cooking time.

    air fryer asparagus served on a plate with lemon

    31. Easy air fryer green beans

    Air fryer green beans are crunchy on the outside and tender juicy on the inside. They cook in just 15 minutes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and you can serve them with a garnish of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice.

    Air fryer green beans in a white bowl

    32. Panzanella bread salad

    A quick and practical side dish idea: Italian bread salad. The flavorful soft stale bread, combined with crisp cucumber, meaty tomatoes, tangy red onion, and fruity extra virgin olive oil, creates a palette of textures and flavors that are irresistible. And all that with very basic, everyday ingredients.

    panzanella salad in a serving bowl

    33. Zucchini salad

    This raw zucchini salad will exceed your expectations because it's delicious, refreshing, and easy to make. We use a vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini thinly. It's an easy technique and a super easy side dish that takes just 5 minutes to prepare.

    zucchini salad on a serving platter

    34. Easy side salad

    Here's our house salad; a classic and authentic Italian recipe you'll find in most restaurants and homes in Italy served as a side salad. It's the queen of side dishes! Make it with leafy greens, tomatoes, and carrots to make it colorful and crunchy, and dress it in extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and salt.

    simple side salad in a bowl

    Family-friendly vegetable sides

    Sweet, crisp, or colorful, these family-friendly side dishes please everyone around your table. They're great for putlocks, and family dinners with kids, and they are meal-prep-friendly too.

    35. Maple-roasted Brussels sprouts

    Roasted Brussels Sprouts are tender and buttery, but the dressing is what makes them extra special! A creamy mustard vinaigrette coats and penetrates the crevices of the oven-roasted Brussels sprouts with sweet, tangy, acidic, and slightly spicy notes. When you bite a sprout, all the flavors pop in your mouth at once, making this simple side dish hard to resist.

    Roasted brussels sprouts on a platter

    36. Kale chips

    Kale is a tremendous superfood with plenty of nutritional benefits. Kale chips in the oven are a fun and easy way to add some of this nutritional powerhouse to your diet. If you like crispy vegetable chips, take a look at our sweet potato chips.

    Kale chips with grated lemon

    37. Rainbow roasted vegetables

    Roasted vegetables are an easy side dish that will come in handy for weeknight dinners and special meals such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. You'll learn how to roast multiple veggies to perfection on the same baking tray and with a simple seasoning.

    Roasted vegetables on a plate

    38. Caponata

    Caponata is a traditional Sicilian recipe typically served as a starter or a side dish. In essence, caponata is an eggplant salad or a quick eggplant stew that you can eat warm or at room temperature. This recipe is with roasted eggplant or air-fried eggplant to keep it light and healthy.

    bruschetta with caponata

    39. Grilled zucchini

    A perfect summer side dish for barbecues and picnics. Grilled zucchini is a great way to enjoy this healthy vegetable in spring and summer. They're tasty, juicy, and perfectly charred. They are easy and quick to make and you can customize them with your favorite dressing.

    grilled zucchini on white plate

    40. Roasted butternut squash

    Make them sweet or savory, this tender roasted butternut squash recipe is the ultimate fall side dish. One is with garlic and fresh herbs, The other is with cinnamon and maple syrup. Both recipes are delicious as a side for an everyday dinner or a holiday dinner, from Thanksgiving through the winter holidays.

    Roasted sweet butternut squash

    More vegetable side dishes

    If you want more side dishes to choose from, get healthy and colorful ideas from these salads and vegetable recipes:

    • 45 easy salad recipes or these 25 easy vegan salad ideas
    • Favorite recipes with eggplant, zucchini, or sweet potato
    • 15 best sides for lasagna and 25 ideas for what to eat with hummus
    • Or see our best asparagus recipes and list with best artichoke recipes
    • 45 Best Salad Recipes
    • 25 Best Sweet Potato Recipes
    • 15 Best Sides to Serve with Lasagna
    • 25 Ways to Eat Hummus

    What to serve with vegetable sides

    These healthy side dishes go well with protein, pasta, and any main dish. Take your pick here for some easy dinner inspiration:

    • 25 easy tofu recipes with curries, soups, and stir-fry dinner ideas
    • 40 easy pasta recipes with Italian pasta favorites, vegetarian and vegan pasta ideas
    • 29 easy dinners with stews, soups, vegetarian meals, and salad recipes
    • 60 vegan Italian recipes: appetizers, mains, and desserts, all Italian and vegan-friendly recipes!
    • 25 Easy Tofu Recipes
    • 40 Easy Pasta Recipes
    • 20 Best Soup Recipes (with Toppings)
    • 40 easy dinners

    For many more easy and healthy side dishes make sure to check out our Sides Recipes Page!

    Recipe

    Vegetable sides with salad and mashed veggies

    40 Best Vegetable Sides

    Author: Nico
    Over 40 best and tasty vegetable side dishes that are easy to make, healthy and delicious. Browse through, and pick your favorite roasted, steamed, salad, or marinated vegetable side.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 3 votes
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Side dish
    Cuisine American Italian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 220 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • Pick your favorite vegetable side dish
    • Read the recipe for ingredients required
    • Make the recipe by following the instructions

    Instructions
     

    • How to store: Most of these vegetable sides keep for 3 days in the refrigerator, best if stored in an airtight container. We usually reheat it in the microwave, but a pan with a dash of water would do too.
    • How to reheat: Most of these recipes can be reheated in the microwave, on a pan with a dash of water. Check the individual recipes for full make ahead, reheating and storage instructions.

    Video Recipe

    Creamy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

    Notes

    Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can eat them at room temperature, or reheat them in the microwave. We do not recommend freezing salads and raw recipes.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    40 Best Vegetable Sides
    Amount Per Serving (150 g)
    Calories 220
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

    If you liked these 25 best vegetable sides, you might also like:

    • 40 easy dinners
    • Vegan Cauliflower Recipes
    • 40 Easy Appetizers
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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

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