12 Simple Vegetable Side Dishes

Crispy Potatoes with Avocado Salsa Recipe
Photo: Victor Protasio

Vegetable side dishes are as delicious as the main course when created with fresh ingredients, earthy seasonings, and a bit of olive oil. Whether you're looking for a standard vegetable dish or something a bit unconventional, we've got you covered. We've rounded up a dozen vegetable side dishes perfect for any season, including smashed cucumber salad, crispy potatoes, braised radishes and mustard greens, and more.

01 of 12

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Peanuts and Fish Sauce

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Peanuts and Fish Sauce
© John Kernick

Cookbook author Julia Turshen dresses up simple roasted brussels spouts with a combination of olive oil, fish sauce, and vinegar. It gives the sprouts great punchy flavor, while chopped peanuts on top add crunch.

02 of 12

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan

Roasted Broccoli Lemon and Parmesan
William F. Dickey II

This easy roasted broccoli recipe is a great side dish for grilled or roasted meat or fish and can be served atop cooked pasta or rice. It's ready in under 45 minutes, making it ideal for weeknight cooking.

03 of 12

Steamed Leeks with Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette

Steamed Leeks with Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette
© Lucy Schaeffer

Leeks are among the sweetest members of the onion family, making them a terrific match for a tangy mustard vinaigrette.

04 of 12

Smashed Cucumber Salad with Butter Beans and Tarragon

Smashed Cucumber Salad with Butter Beans and Tarragon
Jennifer Causey

Gently crushing the cucumbers for this salad releases their aroma and creates nooks and crannies for soaking up the dressing. They still retain plenty of crunch, a great contrast to the rich, creamy butter beans. Don't skip the tarragon here; its fragrance and delicate anise flavor give the dish an herbaceous pop.

05 of 12

Broccolini with Crispy Lemon Crumbs

Broccolini with Crispy Lemon Crumbs
© Anson Smart

Gail Simmons reinvents a classic Top Chef recipe challenge by blanching Broccolini quickly, then sautéing it on the stove with shallot and adding a shower of spicy, lemony homemade breadcrumbs at the very end.

06 of 12

Mixed Onion Agrodolce

Mixed Onion Agrodolce Recipe
Caitlin Bensel

The combination of shallots, cipollini onions, and pearl onions delivers a lovely contrast of shapes and texture; feel free to simplify by using just one type of onion. Dried plums add a jammy sweetness and make this dish a perfect pairing for rib roast or turkey.

07 of 12

Green Bean Slaw

Green Bean Slaw
© Fredrika Stjärne

In this salad, tender haricots verts are tossed with crunchy strips of carrot, red pepper, and parsnip. When TV personality Rachael Ray (who is originally from upstate New York) visited the Beekman farm, chef Lee Woolver made a version of this salad with bacon, but it's just as delicious without.

08 of 12

Braised Root Vegetables and Cabbage with Fall Fruit

Braised Root Vegetables and Cabbage with Fall Fruit. Photo © Johnny Valiant
© Johnny Valiant

Chef Alain Ducasse uses six pots to cook each type of vegetable on its own, then layers them in a baking dish. Everything cooks in one big pot for this simplified version of Ducasse's fruit and root vegetable stew.

09 of 12

Lemony Seared Endives

Gin-and-Orange-Juice-Braised Endives.
© Michael Turek

This three-ingredient side dish from chef Eli Dahlin has a surprising abundance of flavor. Cook your endives until they're golden brown on the outside but still retain some of their crisp texture.

10 of 12

Honey-Mustard Braised Radishes and Mustard Greens

Honey-Mustard-Braised Radishes and Mustard Greens
© Michael Turek

Chef Grant Achatz features pungent mustard three ways in this surprisingly easy side dish, including the nose-tingling condiment, mustard greens, and mustard seeds.

11 of 12

Broccoli, Shiitake, and Red Onion Roast

Broccoli, Shiitake and Red Onion Roast
© Sabra Krock

In this sheet pan recipe, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, and red onions cook together in just 20 minutes, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner.

12 of 12

Crispy Potatoes with Avocado Salsa

Crispy Potatoes with Avocado Salsa Recipe
Victor Protasio

Potatoes are often deep-fried, but roasting smashed potatoes at a high temperature (with plenty of olive oil) yields a similar result with a fraction of the mess. Make the avocado salsa while the potatoes are roasting; it's the perfect creamy, cooling complement to the salty, crispy potatoes and bright, spicy jalapeños.

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