No dinner is complete without a delicious side dish. The best and healthiest side dishes are vegetable dishes. And I have 24+ of the best vegetable side dishes. PLUS my great tips for making them taste delicious.
Wondering what to cook for dinner? Hm… maybe some chicken recipes cuz’ they are so easy. Or maybe steak? Also easy to make. What about the side though?
When it comes to side dishes, people run out of ideas. Or they rely on the classics – mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, and fries. Why? Probably because they are easy to make. But, when you want to follow a healthy diet, those are not very good options. Sure, you can make healthier mashed potatoes (I actually have a great recipe for healthier mashed potatoes included here). Or use brown rice instead of white rice. Or whole wheat pasta. But how many times can you do this before ending up hating your dinner?
So what should you do?
Turn to easy and quick vegetable side dishes!
Easy? Yes! Healthy? Yes! Nutritious? Yes!
And you have so many options. I gathered all my favorite healthy vegetable side dishes in one post for you. With these easy vegetable recipes, you won’t run out of side dishes options very soon. Add your favorites to your weekly rotation and turn back to this post any time you need vegetable sides inspiration.
TOOLSET FOR EASY VEGETABLE RECIPES
Let me start the discussion about these vegetable side dishes with a list of kitchen tools you’ll need to make them happen.
- Cookware and bakeware: baking sheet, skillet, saucepan, stockpot, and casserole dish;
- Kitchen tools: potato masher and mixing bowls;
- Kitchen gadgets: food processor, slow cooker, and immersion blender.
4 BONUS TIPS FOR MAKING SIDE DISHES EXTRA DELICIOUS
Before listing all my favorite vegetable side dish recipes, let me assure you that healthy vegetable side dishes don’t have to be boring. Or tasteless. Or bland. They can be yummy and flavorful. And here are some useful tips for making them yummy and flavorful:
- Use seasonal veggies – seasonal veggies have the best taste and flavor so make sure you have a list of easy vegetables to cook for every season.
- Cooking healthy vegetable side dishes is not hard and it doesn’t have to involve steaming veggies and season them with salt and pepper. Roasting veggies is a healthy cooking process too. And the veggies taste better roasted than steamed. You can also saute the veggies in a little bit of olive oil.
- Find healthy alternatives for dipping sauce – you can make sugar-free ketchup at home or a greek yogurt dipping sauce. Add healthy fries to the mix and the veggie side will be loved by everybody.
- Use healthy substitutes to make your favorite side dishes healthy – coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey instead of refined white sugar, greek yogurt instead of heavy cream, and so on.
MY FAVORITE VEGETABLE SIDE DISHES
Are you ready for these vegetable side dishes? I’m excited for you! You’ll find so many awesome options here. These are great vegetable recipes for dinner but some work for lunch too. Or as appetizers. And the best thing – they are all so delicious!
1. LOADED CAULIFLOWER TOTS RECIPE
Let’s start this list with a vegetable side dish that is rarely healthy – loaded tots. Can loaded tots be healthy? YES! This Loaded Cauliflower Tots Recipe will give you healthy tots. Yay!
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 51 kcal
2. HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE (JUST 4 INGREDIENTS!)
Does cranberry sauce belong on a list of vegetable side dishes? If you ask me, the answer is YES. Definitely yes! I love cranberry sauce. It’s my favorite Thanksgiving side. And, since this Homemade Cranberry Sauce (Just 4 Ingredients!) is healthy, you can enjoy it guilt-free year round. Because it’s totes delicious.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 78 kcal
3. HEALTHIER CROCK POT MASHED POTATOES
Mashed potatoes side is one of the most popular hot vegetables dishes. Also one of the most loved ones. And, if you learn how to make Healthier Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes you can enjoy this delicious side more often.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hrs
- Total Time: 4 hrs 10 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 132 kcal
4. CREAMY PARMESAN CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOES
And speaking of mashed potatoes, if you’re looking for easy vegetable side dishes that are delicious and healthy, you can try my recipe for Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes. Cauliflower mashed potatoes are low-carb and low-calories compared to mashed potatoes but still so incredibly delicious.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 103 kcal
5. HEALTHY GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
This Healthy Green Bean Casserole should be added to your list of easy vegetable recipes ASAP. It’s so delish. It will make your taste buds happy, it is satisfying, comforting, and easy to make.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 221 kcal
6. 3-INGREDIENT HEALTHY MASHED SWEET POTATOES
The best veggie sides are the simple ones. Take this 3-Ingredient Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes side for example – it’s flavorful, tasty, healthy, and it requires only 3 simple ingredients.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 84 kcal
7. HEALTHY MAC AND CHEESE | MAKE IT HEALTHY
You might think that having this Healthy Mac And Cheese on the list of vegetable recipes is a mistake. But it isn’t. My Mac And Cheese is made with butternut squash to make it healthy. So it belongs here. It also belongs on a list of best vegetable recipes because… healthy Mac And Cheese, peeps.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 337 kcal
8. HOW TO MAKE ROASTED ACORN SQUASH
Vegetable dishes taste better when you use seasonal flavors. So learn How to Make Roasted Acorn Squash for a delicious Fall vegetable side dish.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 21 kcal
9. EASY SWEET POTATO HASH
When it comes to healthy vegetable side dishes, you can always count on sweet potatoes. You can turn them into many yummy and healthy sides. Including this Easy Sweet Potato Hash.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 157 kcal
10. 10 MINUTE SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH LEMON
If quick vegetable sides are what you’re looking for, try this 10 Minute Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon recipe. This is one of my go-to vegetable side dish recipes for when I don’t have a lot of time to prep a healthy side.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 3 mins
- Cook Time: 7 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 79 kcal
11. HOW TO COOK SOUTHERN STYLE GREEN BEANS
Turning green beans into healthy hot vegetable dishes is not at all hard. Learn How to Cook Southern Style Green Beans and see it yourself.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 124 kcal
12. OVEN BAKED ASPARAGUS FRIES
Would you include fries on a list of best vegetable side dishes? Probably yes, right? But will you include them on a list of healthy vegetable side dishes? Probably not. However, you can include these Oven Baked Asparagus Fries. They are a tasty and healthy alternative to classic fries.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 98 kcal
13. HOW TO MAKE SWEET POTATO FRIES
Also, add sweet potato fries on the list of healthy vegetable side dishes that are a great alternative to classic French fries. Heck, you can add sweet potato fries on a list of best vegetable recipes of all times. Because they are amazing. So, in my opinion, learning How To Make Sweet Potato Fries is mandatory.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 88 kcal
14. THYME ROASTED CARROTS
Carrots are easy vegetables to cook and they make great vegetable side dishes. You can cook carrots in different ways and you’ll get delicious veggie sides every time. My favorite way to cook carrots is to make Thyme Roasted Carrots. So yum!
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 193 kcal
15. EASY PARMESAN ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
Roasting veggies is another great way to make easy and healthy veggie sides. Add some parmesan and you’ve got winner vegetable recipes. Like this Easy Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 142 kcal
16. LEMON ROASTED ASPARAGUS
More vegetable ideas? No problem! How about this Lemon Roasted Asparagus? It’s so quick and easy. Also quite delicious I might say.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 118 kcal
17. BAKED CARROT FRIES + HOMEMADE KETCHUP WITHOUT SUGAR!
Healthy fries are great vegetable recipes for dinner. And I have another recipe to prove it – Baked Carrot Fries. Bonus Homemade Ketchup Without Sugar!
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 114 kcal
18. PARMESAN ROASTED GREEN BEANS
These Parmesan Roasted Green Beans are simple, yummy, and so easy to make. Told you turning green beans into healthy vegetable side dishes is very easy.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 123 kcal
19. CAULIFLOWER GRATIN
The classic Cauliflower Gratin is not very healthy. In fact, gratin recipes are easy vegetable recipes but not the healthiest. However, my Cauliflower Gratin is always healthy. And yours can be healthy too.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 378 kcal
20. ROASTED BROCCOLI
Hot vegetables dishes can be very easy to make. Sometimes, all you have to do is roast some veggies. That’s it. When was the last time you made Roasted Broccoli as a dinner side?
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 190 kcal
21. HONEY BALSAMIC ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
And, while we’re on the topic of roasting vegetables to make veggie sides, I have to mention this Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe. It’s just perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 224 kcal
22. CHEESY AU GRATIN POTATOES
Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes = vegetable side dish of dreams. Because cheese + potatoes = LOVE. Am I right?
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 221 kcal
23. EASY SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
Casserole dishes are great veggie sides. Why? Because they are easy to make healthy, you can prep them ahead and just reheat them for dinner. Great! And with this Easy Sweet Potato Casserole, you get such amazing flavors.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 487 kcal
24. CLEAN BROCCOLI TOTS
I talked to you about my cauliflower tots so, naturally, I have to tell you about these Clean Broccoli Tots as well. Because they are so amazing. And easy to make. And great as a veggie side.
Recipe Notes:
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 24 mins
- Total Time: 44 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: 201 kcal
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