25 Veggie Side Dishes You'll Want to Make Forever

By

Danielle DeAngelis

Published on March 24, 2023

Smashed Zucchini with Pesto & Burrata — Photo: Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

These healthy and delicious side dishes star your favorite veggies, from zucchini and cucumber to Brussels sprouts and beets. Whether you like your veggies honey-roasted or caramelized with balsamic vinegar, these sides make the perfect addition to any meal. Highly-rated recipes like our Herbed Tomato Gratin and Roasted Savoy Cabbage with Orange Vinaigrette are so tasty, they will forever be a part of your dinner rotation.

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Herbed Tomato Gratin

Vegetable gratin recipes often have a crunchy breadcrumb or crouton topping. But summer tomatoes are too gorgeous to hide, so we tucked crusty cubes of bread underneath them instead. Plus, the bread soaks up all the juicy tomato goodness. If you can't find marjoram, fresh basil or oregano makes a good substitute.

02 of 25

Smashed Zucchini with Pesto & Burrata

Smashed Zucchini with Pesto & Burrata — Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Tender zucchini rounds get topped with creamy burrata and tangy, bright pesto for an easy side dish that's sure to impress. Crushed red pepper adds a light kick of spice to round out the flavors.

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Balsamic-Parmesan Sautéed Spinach

Tender spinach with a hint of garlic, Parmesan cheese and sweet balsamic vinegar makes a quick and flavorful side dish. The sturdy leaves of mature spinach hold up best during cooking.

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Roasted Savoy Cabbage with Orange Vinaigrette

Easy Savoy cabbage recipes can be far and few between, especially ones that are as delicious as this whole roasted cabbage. The outer cabbage leaves blacken during the long cooking time, but when removed they reveal a meltingly tender center. Orange blossom water adds delicate aroma to the vinaigrette that's drizzled on top. Serve alongside roast beef or pork, or over mashed potatoes as a main course.

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Sautéed Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

Peanut butter, balanced with a little soy sauce and vinegar, makes a delicious and kid-friendly sauce for broccoli and other vegetables. Giving the broccoli a head start by steaming it before sautéing it with the other vegetables ensures that all the vegetables are nicely cooked at the same time.

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Turmeric-Roasted Cauliflower

Roasting cauliflower transforms it into a crispy, tender vegetable. A sponge for other flavors, cauliflower can absorb any spice mix or marinade you add, like this warm and toasty combination of turmeric, cumin and garlic. Serve as a simple side dish, or stir it into salads or grain bowls to add more plant power.

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Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon & Cumin

bowl of Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon & Cumin

Don't skip salting the cucumbers in this quick cucumber salad recipe—just 10 minutes pulls out some of their excess moisture, concentrating the flavor and keeping the salad from being watered down. Serve this smashed cucumber salad at a summer cookout alongside burgers and hot dogs.

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Colorful Roasted Sheet-Pan Vegetables

a recipe photo of the Colorful Roasted Sheet-Pan Veggies on a cooking sheet — Sonia Bozzo

Give your plate a pop of color with these healthy sheet-pan veggies.

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Zucchini & Mushroom Sauté

Serve this simple side dish with grilled turkey burgers. Other fresh herbs, like thyme or oregano, work well too.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Potatoes

Roasted Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels sprouts and potatoes make a great quick and easy side dish for dinner, or you can turn it into a breakfast hash served with an egg on top.

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Air-Fryer Butternut Squash

Air-Fryer Butternut Squash — Caitlin Bensel

Butternut squash gets tender with slightly crispy edges when it's cooked in the air fryer. The simple seasonings here complement the subtle sweetness from the squash. Serve this quick and easy side dish with just about anything, from roast chicken to pork.

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Sesame Snap Peas with Carrots & Peppers

The colorful combination of sugar snap peas, red bell pepper and carrot plus Asian-inspired flavors make this side dish a pleasure to whip up for a weeknight dinner.

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Sunomono (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

Japanese Cucumber Salad — Crystal Hughes

This version of sunomono uses more readily available English or slicing cucumbers, but if you live near an Asian market you could substitute Japanese cucumbers. Some recipes call for salting the cucumbers first, but we found that squeezing them in paper towels removed enough excess moisture without adding additional sodium. This Japanese-inspired salad is cool, crisp and simply delicious.

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Honey-Roasted Beets

a recipe photo of the Honey Roasted Beets served in a bowl — Preethi Venkatram

Earthy beets turn sweet and tender when they're roasted in this healthy beets recipe. Preheating your baking sheet speeds up the roasting time and gives the outside of the beets a quick and flavorful sear. Honey and lemon juice add sweet and tangy notes.

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Oven-Fried Panko-&-Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini

Oven-Fried Panko-&-Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini — Jacob Fox

These oven-fried panko- and Parmesan-crusted zucchini rounds are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a hint of Parmesan cheese in the crust. Dip them into marinara, pesto or ranch dressing for an irresistible snack or appetizer.

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Easy Eggplant Stir-Fry

Easy Eggplant Stir-Fry

This eggplant stir-fry is easy to make. We call for long and tender Japanese eggplant, but regular eggplant will work well too, cut into 1-inch pieces. Jalapeño peppers can vary from mild to very spicy. If you need to cut the heat, opt for small sweet peppers in their place.

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Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

A sprinkle of Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil transform tomatoes into the perfect side dish. Or try sandwiching them between slices of your favorite whole-wheat country bread.

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Simple Roasted Zucchini & Squash

This simple roasted zucchini and squash recipe is perfect for when you have extra squash on hand. Serve this easy side dish alongside grilled or roasted chicken or steak.

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Caramelized Balsamic Onions

As these onion halves cook, the balsamic mixture becomes syrupy and caramelizes the onions, giving them a bronzed caramel color and a luscious, rich flavor.

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Cucumber Vinegar Salad

Cucumber Vinegar Salad — Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Ruth Blackburn

This cucumber vinegar salad has the perfect balance between sweet and sour flavors, plus a hint of fresh dill. The red onion adds nice crunch. Enjoy this salad right after you're done making it or store it away to snack on for later.

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Simple Cabbage Salad

Simple Cabbage Salad — Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless

Cabbage maintains a nice crunch when it's tossed with an easy dressing in this simple cabbage salad recipe. This easy salad is perfect for fall when cabbage is at its sweetest.

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Marinated Cucumber & Tomato Salad

Marinated Cucumber & Tomato Salad — Andrea Mathis

This marinated salad is such a healthy way to enjoy those fresh summer veggies and can be easily customized. Try adding in some fresh herbs or feta cheese for a little added flavor. You can also swap in seasoned pepper, which is amped up with additional seasonings, in place of the plain ground pepper for an additional flavor boost. This recipe is part of our Juneteenth Family Cookout Menu.

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Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cabbage

roasted garlic parmesan cabbage — Ali Redmond

Cabbage gets transformed in the oven with garlic, Parmesan and olive oil in this simple vegetable side. This irresistible side dish would make a welcome addition to any meal—try serving it alongside chicken or steak.

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Acorn Squash Casserole

Acorn Squash Casserole — Antonis Achilleos

This acorn squash casserole is smooth and creamy. The Parmesan cheese gives it the perfect amount of savoriness, while the breadcrumbs add an herby crunch. This easy casserole would be great with any fall meal, and is sure to become a new Thanksgiving favorite.

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Crispy Smashed Beets with Feta

Crispy Smashed Beets with Feta — Photography / Dera Burreson, Styling / Lauren McAnelly / Holly Rabikis

We take a classic pairing—beets and feta—and make it even tastier by roasting the beets before smashing them to create crispy edges.

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