Our 10+ Best New Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

Check out our new, most popular vegetable sides! No matter what the main dish is—poultry, tofu, beef, seafood or even more vegetables—this collection holds a delicious and nutritious recipe you can use to complete your meal. Each of these new dishes has already received four- and five-star ratings from EatingWell readers. Add crowd-pleasing Loaded Potato Pancakes to your plate. Or, make something bright and zesty like our Carrot Salad in as little as 10 minutes of active prep time.

Potato Pancakes Loaded with Bacon, Cheddar & Sour Cream

Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

For fans of loaded baked potatoes, this potato pancake recipe delivers all the same satisfaction with crispy, golden pancakes adorned with sour cream, bacon and cheese. This twist on classic comfort food can be modified any way you like. Go beyond the loaded-potato flavor profile and top with some smoked salmon and a dollop of crème fraîche or serve with any of your favorite dipping sauces.

Carrot Salad

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

This zesty carrot salad features a sweet-and-savory vinaigrette that adds punch to every bite. Serve it on its own, mix it with greens, or use it as part of a sandwich or wrap filling. Let it stand for at least 10 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld. Freshly grated carrots work best here. Grate them using the large holes on a box grater, or use the shredding disk for your food processor if you have one.

Sautéed Spinach with Lemon, Garlic & Parmesan

Photographer: Stacy K. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

The thinly sliced lemons in this versatile side dish add a dressy element to sautéed spinach with garlic, but they are not there just for looks! Sautéing lemon slices captures flavors from both the juice and the rind for an easy side dish that works any day of the week. When cooking larger quantities of spinach, add it in batches, letting the spinach wilt a little before adding more to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Balsamic-Rosemary Butter Melting Potatoes

Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jasmine Smith, Prop Stylist: Tucker Vines

These melting potatoes earn their name with a technique that combines high-heat roasting and braising for a crispy outside and a wonderfully creamy texture inside. The broth cooks off, leaving behind a sweet and tangy coating. Serve them with roasted chicken or pork and a side salad for dinner.

Crispy Lemon-Parmesan Leeks

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser

Enjoy the sweet and delicate flavor of roasted leeks with this elegant and unique side. We slice leeks into rounds and top them with savory Parmesan cheese and lemon zest that crisps up in the hot oven. Remember to thoroughly rinse and dry the leek rounds to ensure any trapped dirt or sand is removed before roasting.

Garlicky Green Beans

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco

These easy garlic green beans are the perfect side for any protein. You can cook the beans ahead of time and then reheat and season them right before serving. If you don’t like tarragon, substitute dill or leave it out completely.

Cabbage Salad with Apple, Walnuts & Gorgonzola

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser

This crisp and fresh cabbage-apple salad features carrots, walnuts and creamy Gorgonzola cheese. Allowing the cabbage to sit before serving helps develop the flavor and soften the cabbage. While any type of cabbage will work well, tender cabbage like napa will need less time to soften, while a sturdier cabbage like red or green cabbage will take a bit longer.

Spiced Chickpea Confit

Ali Redmond

This endlessly versatile side dish pairs beautifully with any grilled meat or fish and can also be a wonderful plant-based main dish. You can serve it over rice or pasta to round it out, or pair it with whole grains or whole-wheat pasta to reinforce the nuttiness. You can also turn it into a terrific salad by serving it over baby spinach, escarole or arugula. Leftovers can be blended into a chunky dip that is great with pita wedges or crostini. Or make leftovers into a soup by reheating with an equal volume of vegetable or chicken broth.

Loaded Cabbage Salad

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Sue Mitchell

This loaded cabbage salad features crisp chopped green cabbage tossed in a creamy dressing flavored with smoky bacon. We use bacon fat from the skillet to pump up the savory flavor in the dressing, but you can swap it out for oil if you prefer. While green cabbage holds up well in chopped salads, red cabbage or even napa cabbage can be used in its place.

Lemon-Garlic Marinated Cabbage Wedges

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser

These roasted cabbage wedges let the lemony marinade seep into their folds for added flavor in every bite. Preheating the baking sheet gets a jump-start on the caramelization—the process that makes these cabbage wedges sweet and golden brown. Serve this easy side with anything from roast chicken to pork roast or sautéed pork loin.

Roasted Miso-Garlic Cauliflower Bites

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Sue Mitchell

Tender cauliflower florets are coated in a flavorful blend of mild white miso and garlic, complemented by the sweetness and subtle heat of sweet chili sauce, in this irresistible side dish. This miso-garlic cauliflower is the perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish. Alternatively, serve it atop rice or noodles for a simple and delicious vegetarian meal option.

The Simplest Spinach Salad

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser

This bright spinach salad, with sweet notes from the fresh orange segments and briny feta cheese, is sure to make it into your regular rotation. Make this easy salad a more substantial main dish by adding grilled chicken or roasted tofu on top.

Quick & Easy Green Beans with Bacon

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser

These tender-crisp green beans with bacon are sautéed and steamed in the same skillet for a speedy accompaniment that complements virtually any main dish, whether it’s chicken, shrimp or steak. Use a mixture of yellow and green beans to jazz up the presentation.

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