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    Home » Side Dishes » 40 Best Vegetable Sides

    40 Best Vegetable Sides

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    Looking for a healthy vegetable side dish to serve with your next meal? These side dishes are quick and easy to make, made with simple and real ingredients, and are downright delicious. If you are wondering "what vegetable sides to make for dinner", you are in luck! Whether you are trying to switch up your typical side dish routine on a busy weeknight, looking to add more vegetables into your diet, or just trying to sneak in some veggies on your kid's plate at family dinner, I've got you covered. We have rounded up over 40 of our best and most popular vegetable side dishes which are all vegetarian and gluten-free, with lots of vegan options (or adaptable to be vegan!).

    Over 40 best vegetable side dishes which are quick and easy to make, healthy and delicious, and vegetarian and gluten-free with lots of vegan options. | aheadofthyme.com

    Best Vegetable Side Dishes

    1

    Oven Roasted Vegetables

    Oven Roasted Vegetables are a delicious flavorful side dish that goes well with almost any dinner main. Customize it with whatever veggies you have on hand.

    2

    Crispy Smashed Potatoes

    These crispy smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish. They’re easy to make, crispy on the outside, tender and fluffy on the inside, and so flavorful.

    3

    Honey Roasted Carrots

    Honey roasted carrots are a sweet, savoury, and salty side dish that pairs well with almost any entree. With these flavours, everyone will want seconds.

    4

    Pesto Asparagus

    Pesto asparagus is a quick easy side dish that takes regular sautéed asparagus to the next level in just 15 minutes. It's healthy, vegan, and gluten-free.

    5

    Roasted Garlic Parmesan Baby Potatoes

    Quick and easy roasted garlic Parmesan baby potatoes are crispy on the edges and tender inside. They are delicious, flavourful and bakes in just 30 minutes.

    6

    Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash

    Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash are a quick, easy, flavorful, and delicious Thanksgiving side dish that you need this holiday season.

    7

    Sautéed Garlic Green Beans

    Buttery sautéed garlic green beans is a simple side dish that is quick, easy and delicious. Make these vibrant, crispy and tender green beans in 10 minutes.

    8

    Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin

    Rich and creamy potatoes au gratin is the ultimate comfort food made with sliced potatoes, cheese, and milk. It's the perfect side dish for the holidays.

    9

    Air Fryer Vegetables

    Air fryer vegetables are healthy, flavorful, and delicious. This vegan side dish is quick and easy to make in the air fryer in under 15 minutes.

    10

    The Best and Creamiest Mashed Potatoes

    Creamy, buttery, and delicious, this is the best and creamiest mashed potatoes recipe you will ever find. It's velvety, smooth, and melts in your mouth.

    11

    Creamed Spinach

    Creamed spinach is a rich, creamy, and delicious side dish to make this fall. Easy to make ahead and reheats well — perfect for Thanksgiving holiday dinner.

    12

    Roasted Spring Vegetables

    Roasted spring vegetables are an easy sheet pan side dish packed with all our favourite veggies of the season. Plus, it's so easy to prep and make.

    13

    Air Fryer Asparagus

    Crisp on the outside and tender inside, air fryer asparagus cooks in just 6 minutes! It is tossed in very little olive oil with garlic and seasonings.

    14

    Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic Herb Butter

    Hasselback potatoes with garlic herb butter are perfectly crispy on the outside and tender and buttery on the inside, infused with garlic and rosemary.

    15

    Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

    Tender and caramelized, easy roasted brussels sprouts tossed in balsamic vinegar and honey is a classic household favourite to serve on your holiday table.

    16

    Easy Roasted Cauliflower

    Quick and easy roasted cauliflower is a delicious, flavourful side dish that you throw on a sheet pan and into the oven. Plus, it's vegan and gluten-free.

    17

    Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms

    Roasted garlic asparagus and mushrooms is a simple vegan sheet pan side dish that‘s easy to make, flavorful and delicious. Serve with your favorite protein.

    18

    Collard Greens with Bacon

    Collard greens with bacon is a flavorful, delicious, and healthy side dish that is quick to make in 25 minutes. A stress-free holiday side for Christmas.

    19

    Maple Roasted Acorn Squash

    Maple Roasted Acorn Squash is savory and sweet, with its flavor intensified when tossed and roasted in a homemade maple glaze with a sprinkling of cinnamon.

    20

    Green Beans Almondine

    Green Beans Almondine is buttery, garlicky, and nutty. This classic French side dish is quick and easy to make, and loaded with flavor and texture.

    21

    Mashed Cauliflower

    Mashed Cauliflower is a fluffy and buttery side dish and a low carb, keto-friendly alternative to mashed potatoes. Plus, it’s easier and quicker too!

    22

    Cheesy Roasted Asparagus

    Cheesy roasted asparagus is a quick and easy side dish made with a handful of simple ingredients in 20 minutes. They’re garlicky, cheesy, and flavorful.

    23

    Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

    Sautéed Brussels Sprouts are a quick and easy side dish made with just 5 ingredients and ready to serve in only 15 minutes. They're vegan and keto too.

    24

    Creamed Corn

    Homemade Creamed Corn is creamy, delicious, and simple. It’s quick and easy to make at home and so much better than store-bought canned creamed corn.

    25

    Nutty Green Beans

    With only a few ingredients, it is incredible how much flavour are packed in these 10-minute nutty green beans. Earthy green beans balance perfectly with crunchy pecans.

    26

    Mashed Butternut Squash

    Mashed butternut squash is the perfect side dish for fall — creamy, smooth, and delicious, with the perfect balance between sweet and savory fall flavors.

    27

    Air Fryer Broccoli

    Quick and easy air fryer broccoli is a healthy side dish that takes just six minutes to cook in the air fryer. It's crispy, delicious, and flavorful.

    28

    One Pan Roasted Harvest Vegetables

    One pan roasted harvest vegetables with butternut squash, brussels sprouts and baby potatoes is the best fall side dish. So easy to prep in just minutes.

    29

    Garlic and Herb Roasted Carrots

    Sweet and flavourful easy garlic and herb roasted carrots is the perfect side dish to your holiday dinner or your everyday weeknight dinner.

    30

    Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

    Easy honey balsamic Brussels sprouts are a sweet savory side dish that's roasted until tender and caramelized, and coated in a delicious flavourful glaze.

    31

    Lemon Parmesan Asparagus

    Lemon parmesan asparagus is a delicious way to serve a classic spring vegetable. This side dish is quick and easy to make in less than 20 minutes.

    32

    Air Fryer Baby Potatoes

    Crispy and tender, easy air fryer baby potatoes are a healthier take on a classic side dish without compromising taste or texture. Cooks in just 20 minutes.

    33

    Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter

    Oven-roasted corn on the cob with homemade garlic butter is buttery, juicy, crunchy, and perfectly charred on the outside — without a grill.

    34

    Roasted Garlic Green Beans (Air Fryer or Oven)

    Quick easy roasted garlic green beans are tangy, sour, savoury, and sweet, with a tender and crunchy texture. Make them in the oven or air fryer in minutes.

    35

    Maple Roasted Carrots with Yogurt Sauce

    Maple Roasted Carrots with Yogurt Sauce is a quick, easy, flavorful, and delicious side dish that is warmly spiced and caramelized with maple syrup.

    36

    Creamy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

    Craving a big serving of mashed potatoes but with a quarter of the calories? Now you can with creamy garlic mashed cauliflower. Ready in just 20 minutes.

    37

    Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

    Brussels Sprouts with Bacon is a quick and easy side dish with the best flavor and texture. The best part? This holiday side is ready in under 15 minutes.

    38

    Roasted Butternut Squash

    Roasted butternut squash is the easiest vegan side dish you need this fall. It has a ton of flavour with just a few simple pantry staples.

    39

    Microwave Steamed Broccoli

    Microwave Steamed Broccoli is tender, buttery, and delicious. With just 4 ingredients, this easy side dish takes minutes to prep and even less time to cook.

    40

    Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes

    Mascarpone mashed potatoes are creamy, smooth, and comforting. Classic mashed potatoes are given a twist resulting in a super silky and rich mash.

    41

    Quick and Easy Sautéed Asparagus

    Keep dinner healthy, yet full of flavour with a side of quick and easy sautéed asparagus: the perfect companion to your main dish.

    42

    Creamy Brussels Sprouts Bake

    Delicious, garlicky, cheesy and creamy brussels sprouts bake is the ultimate comfort food side dish. So flavourful and the best way to eat brussels sprouts.

    43

    Greek Lemon Roasted Baby Potatoes

    Quick and easy Greek lemon roasted baby potatoes are crispy on the outside and tender inside, packed with a Greek flavour blend of lemon, garlic and herbs.

    44

    Pesto Green Beans

    Pesto green beans is a simple side dish that is quick and easy to make in under 10 minutes, tossed in buttery toasted walnuts and pesto. So delicious.

    45

    Herb-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

    Crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, these flavourful, herb-roasted sweet potatoes are the perfect side dish on your holiday table. It’s another one of my go-to’s since it is super easy, taking only about 10 minutes of prep time.

    46

    Roasted Eggplant

    Whether you’re cooking this roasted eggplant in your oven or air fryer, you’ll fall in love with how fast, easy, and delicious this simple recipe is.

    47

    Green Beans with Bacon

    Green Beans with Bacon is a delicious, flavorful side dish that comes together quickly in 20 minutes (including prep!) with a handful of simple ingredients.

    48

    Roasted Pumpkin Wedges with Parmesan Cheese

    Soft and tender, easy roasted pumpkin wedges with Parmesan cheese is the easiest and most delicious side dishes to make this fall. Prep it in just minutes.

    49

    Spring Vegetable Stir Fry

    Quick and easy spring vegetable stir fry is made with delicious seasonal vegetables, packed with savoury and salty flavour, and takes 10 minutes to cook.

    50

    Crispy Leaf Potatoes

    Crispy leaf potatoes are a delicious potato side dish made with layers of buttery, sliced potatoes that crisp up when baked. The perfect side dish.

    51

    Grilled Corn on the Cob

    Buttery and salty grilled corn on the cob with beautiful char marks, delicious flavor, and the best texture is the easiest recipe to throw on the grill.

    52

    Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

    Cheddar Mashed Potatoes are fluffy, creamy, and buttery. Loaded with cheese and hints of garlic, every bite of this classic side dish is flavorful.

    How to Serve Vegetable Side Dishes

    Serve these vegetable side dishes alongside a main course like chicken, beef, salmon, or tofu. Browse through my favorite mains for some inspiration:

    • 60 Best Chicken Recipes
    • 25 Best Ground Beef Recipes
    • 15 Best Salmon Recipes
    • 30 Best Shrimp Recipes
    • 60 Easy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    Storing Instructions

    You can make some of these vegetable side dish recipes ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for a few days or even in the freezer for up to 3 months. Otherwise, you can prepare the ingredients and store in the refrigerator until ready to assemble and/or cook. Check the individual recipes for full make ahead and storing instructions.

    To reheat, place any leftovers in the air fryer or the oven at 300F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through, or on the stovetop over medium-low heat (depending on the recipe). If heating from frozen, let it thaw first and then reheat.

    More Side Dish Recipes

    • 30 Potato Side Dishes
    • 15 Brussels Sprouts Recipes
    • 50 Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
    • 50 Best Christmas Side Dishes
    • 50 Best Easter Side Dishes

    Did You Make Any of These Vegetable Side Dishes?

    Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of vegetable side dishes. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

    HUNGRY FOR MORE? Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram and Pinterest for more recipe updates.

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    Over 40 best vegetable side dishes which are quick and easy to make, healthy and delicious, and vegetarian and gluten-free with lots of vegan options. | aheadofthyme.com

    40 Best Vegetable Sides


    • Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings
    • Diet: Vegan
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    Description

    Over 40 best vegetable side dishes which are quick and easy to make, healthy and delicious, and vegetarian and gluten-free with lots of vegan sides too. My favorite are these easy roasted spring vegetables.


    Ingredients

    • 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
    • 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
    • ½ lb. medium asparagus, ends trimmed and halved
    • 5-6 radishes (½ lb.), ends trimmed and halved
    • 2 large parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
    • 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • ½ tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
    • ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, add potatoes, carrots, asparagus, radishes, parsnips and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with Italian seasoning, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine until well coated.
    3. Arrange the vegetable mixture in a single layer on a large half sheet baking pan.
    4. Bake at for 30 to 35 minutes until tender and golden brown. Gently shake the sheet pan halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.

    Notes

    You can make some of these vegetable side dish recipes ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for a few days or even in the freezer for up to 3 months. Otherwise, you can prepare the ingredients and store in the refrigerator until ready to assemble and/or cook. Check the individual recipes for full make ahead and storing instructions.

    To reheat, place any leftovers in the air fryer or the oven at 300F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through, or on the stovetop over medium-low heat (depending on the recipe). If heating from frozen, let it thaw first and then reheat.

    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Category: Side Dish
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: 40 best vegetable side dishes, vegetable side dish recipes, side dishes, vegetarian side dishes, vegan side dishes, vegetable side dishes

    Did you make this recipe?

    I'd love to see! Tag me @aheadofthyme on Instagram.

    40 Best Vegetable Sides
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