Global Thanksgiving Side Dishes

By Food & Wine
Updated May 23, 2017
From an Asian-inspired sticky-rice dressing to Mexican chipotle-roasted baby carrots, here are globally-inspired Thanksgiving side dishes.
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Chipotle-Roasted Baby Carrots

Credit: Christina Holmes
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When he makes this stunning salad at Empellón Cocina, Alex Stupak roasts baby carrots with mole poblano, a complex sauce that includes dried chiles, raisins and chocolate. Here, the carrots are roasted simply with smoky chipotles in adobo.

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Calabrese Mustard Greens

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Just a little red wine vinegar transforms this otherwise familiar bowl of garlicky greens.

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Sautéed Parsnips with Dates and Spiced Yogurt

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Jeff Cerciello says the inspiration to combine parsnips and dates came from Moro, a Moorish restaurant in London. To get the parsnips nicely browned, he cooks them on the stovetop in batches before roasting them with the dates, which caramelize in the oven.

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Smoky Chorizo Stuffing

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Rather than traditional sausage stuffing, chef George Mendes serves a smoky version using chorizo and hot pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika).

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Creamed Cipollini Onions and Mushrooms

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Beet-and-Blood-Orange Salad with Mint

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To give this refreshing salad Palestinian flavor, Sam Mogannam seasons the dressing with ground sumac, a tangy Middle Eastern spice. While the color of golden beets contrasts nicely with dark red blood orange sections, any beet variety—from standard red ones to the white-and-pink striped chioggia—will be delicious.

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Golden Persian Rice

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Persian rice gets its extraordinary crust, or tah dig, as it slow-cooks in a thin layer of oil. The crust is bolstered here by crunchy triangles of pita bread. Tehran-born Alireza Sadeghzadeh, a software developer, learned the technique from his mother.

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Red-Miso-Glazed Carrots

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Red miso is made from soybeans fermented with barley or other grains. It adds a deep, savory flavor to these buttery carrots.

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Potatoes Lyonnaise with Lemon and Chile

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For April Bloomfield, the crisp potatoes and caramelized onions called potatoes lyonnaise are “the ultimate home fry.” After traveling to France, she perfected this version by adding chopped garlic, lemon juice and crushed red pepper.

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Sweet-and-Sour Catalan Spinach

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This sweet-and-sour spinach side dish gets its satisfying flavor from the combination of honey and sherry vinegar that’s drizzled on top. It’s relatively light, which makes it a great addition to a hearty Thanksgiving menu.

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Root Vegetable and Cauliflower Tagine with Parsley Yogurt

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For Aida Mollenkamp, spiced Moroccan tagines are a dinner-party staple because they can be made in advance. “In case something impromptu happens,” she says, “you’re not stressed about the main dish.” And tagines are incredibly versatile.

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Sticky-Rice Dressing

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Joanne Chang says, “A Chinese meal isn’t complete without rice; Thanksgiving isn’t complete without stuffing. This sticky-rice dressing combines the best of both worlds.” Chinese sausage makes the rice deliciously sweet and savory. Chang likes using the Kam Yen Jan brand, which has no MSG; look for it at Asian markets.

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Curry-Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpeas

Credit: John Kernick
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This Indian twist on the traditional Thanksgiving dish of roasted butternut squash is supereasy: After tossing the squash and chickpeas with curry and cayenne, Melissa Rubel Jacobson roasts them, then drizzles the dish with a cooling cilantro-spiked yogurt sauce.

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Swiss Chard with Ginger and Cumin

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“I often use just one or two spices, such as the ginger and cumin in this Swiss chard,” says Madhur Jaffrey. “It’s a very northern Indian approach.”

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Herbed Polenta and Parmesan Gratin

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Maria Helm Sinskey created this indulgent baked polenta, made with plenty of Parmesan. It’s just as good when made ahead and reheated as it is when it comes straight out of the oven.

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