Tired of the same old vegetable side dishes? Use this collection of simple recipes to try something new!
We love rounding out a family-friendly dinner with a delicious veggie side! Even veggie-haters can learn to love vegetables with some of our off-the-charts delicious recipes. We like these sides because they pair beautifully with many main dishes, are a breeze to make, and taste wonderful.
What vegetable side dish recipes are good for last-minute dinners?
When you’re short on time, these are your speediest veggie side options:
- Garlic Broccoli. Steaming is the quickest way to cook vegetables and get them on the table in minutes. This simple broccoli dish is just so easy!
- Steamed Asparagus. A few basic spices, lemon juice, and butter are all you need to season this quick and easy asparagus dish.
- Herbed Cucumber Tomato Salad. This is one of our favorite recipes for summer when fresh herbs are abundant and tomatoes have the best flavor and texture.
- Cucumber Onion Salad. Like the tomato salad above, this recipe is best in the summer when the raw cucumber is seasoned only with a simple creamy vinaigrette.
- Avocado Caprese Salad. Want something a little more filling or hearty? This avocado caprese salad is your answer!
What is the most popular side dish?
We love all of our veggie side dishes, but these are some of our reader favorites:
- Loaded Roasted Cauliflower. Cauliflower with ranch, bacon, and cheese—what’s not to love?
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli. A little bit of Parmesan makes every vegetable taste better!
- Sweet and Creamy Coleslaw. This one is great for meal prep and is a summer favorite!
- Grilled Corn on the Cob. Listen, corn on the cob is a classic for a reason, and we’ll show you our favorite way to grill it!
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes. Once you see how easy these are to make, you’ll never want to cook mashed potatoes another way!
And now, on to the full collection of easy vegetable side dishes!
34+ Simple Vegetable Side Dishes
Tired of the same old vegetable side dishes? Use this collection of simple recipes to try something new!
Broccoli and Cauliflower
Roasting broccoli and cauliflower intensifies their flavor and brings out their sweetness. You might never go back to steaming your broccoli again.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget the simplest dishes are often some of the tastiest. This side dish of Parmesan roasted broccoli is sure to be a hit.
Making a fast side dish for your family can be simple—and this steamed garlic broccoli is the perfect example!
Never roasted cauliflower before? You should! Roasted cauliflower is sweet, hearty, and insanely delicious—especially when seasoned with garlic, paprika, and nutty Parmesan cheese.
Tender, caramelized roasted cauliflower is loaded with tangy ranch, crisp bacon, fresh green onions, and sharp cheddar cheese for an addicting side dish!
Carrots
Learn how to transform carrots into a delicious, savory-sweet side dish with this grilled carrots recipe.
You can make these Honey Glazed Carrots with just a few ingredients. They are a healthy savory-sweet side dish to serve with turkey, chicken, ham, or vegetarian dishes.
This shaved asparagus, kohlrabi, and carrot salad is a fun change of pace when you're getting sick of the run-of-the-mill lettuce salad. It's light, flavorful and would make a perfect side dish for a light dinner, or, you could toss on some protein and make it a light lunch.
Beets
These bright and colorful Roasted Beets with Balsamic Glaze are a tasty and healthy side dish that will convert even the biggest beet hater.
Cabbage
This Sweet and Creamy Coleslaw has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors. Feel free to experiment with the mix of veggies– the real star of this show is the dressing.
Green Beans
Southern Style Green Beans and Potatoes just get better with time, so make them now to savor as a side all week. It also makes the perfect contribution for pitch-ins and other parties!
Grilled Garlic Green Beans are an easy and simple side dish that pairs well with a variety of grilled meats and vegetarian mains.
Green Beans are roasted in the oven to savory perfection with olive oil, fresh lemon, and garlic. This quick and easy side dish is perfect all year long.
Bell Peppers
Fresh, flavor-packed, and colorful, grilled peppers are one of the summer’s great joys. Here’s how to fire them up on the grill.
This Avocado Bell Pepper Salad is the perfect lunch or side dish!
Tomatoes
This simple Herbed Cucumber and Tomato Salad is actually probably way too simple to be called a recipe!
These light and fresh Caprese Sticks are a quick protein-packed snack! They’re colorful, flavorful and ready for summer.
This Avocado Caprese Salad is summer in a bowl! Use only the freshest tomatoes and basil to add tons of flavor to this healthy lunch.
Cucumbers
A Simple Cucumber Onion Salad is best made in summer, when the vegetables are at their peak freshness and their flavors can really shine through.
Use your bounty of cucumbers in this crisp, cool, and spicy Cucumber Salsa. It pairs perfectly with lighter fare!
Corn
This simple side dish takes the best flavors of summer and mixes them into one beautiful, flavorful Fresh Corn and Basil Salad that is perfect for picnics and potlucks.
Quinoa Succotash is a healthy, vegetarian dish that is packed with whole grains, complete protein, and tasty summer veggies!
This simple corn and black bean salsa recipe is the perfect addition to your summer potlucks or weeknight dinners.
Grilled corn on the cob is one of the summer's best treats. Turning out a batch that's perfectly grilled doesn't have to be a challenge. Follow this advice for easy grilling.
This Mexican street corn salad can be whipped up in no time. It’s a quick summer side dish with a satisfying balance of spicy, savory, and sweet.
Zucchini and Summer Squash
This grilled zucchini is great hot off the grill or at room temperature. Learn how to grill zucchini with Parmesan to add a tasty twist to this summer classic.
Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
I know the ingredients in this slaw sound a little unusual (raw sweet potatoes? apples? radishes?), but I promise the end result is a veggierific side dish that is bursting with Latin flavor.
A little bit spicy, a lot a bit flavorful, this Buffalo Blue Cheese Potato Salad will knock the socks of the guests at your next pitch in!
These mashed sweet potatoes straddle the line between sweet and savory. They are the perfect alternative to the sweet potato casseroles normally served for Thanksgiving.
Tender in the middle and crispy around the edges, these Perfect Grilled Potato Wedges are easy to make and go perfectly with whatever else you may be grilling!
By using your slow cooker to make these easy mashed potatoes, you get creamy, flavorful potatoes for any major holiday with barely any effort at all.
Make crispy and dippable sweet potato fries right in your oven! Our protips will guarantee perfectly crispy BAKED sweet potato fries.
With an Instant Pot, sweet potatoes are ready in 15 minutes. Use your pressure cooker to make tender sweet potatoes that are perfect as a side dish or for stuffing.
These garlic roasted potatoes are equally welcome on the dinner table as they are in a brunch spread.
Brussels Sprouts
This vegan Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples and Walnuts is packed full of healthy, in-season flavor—perfect for the cool weather months!
Perfectly Roasted Brussels Sprouts will convert even the most adamant sprouts-hater. When they are cooked perfectly, sprouts are sweet, a little crisp, and mildly-flavored. Stinky, mushy veggies need not apply!
Leafy Greens
The old-school Caesar salad gets a superfood spin, thanks to the addition of kale and chickpea croutons.
Asparagus
A simple recipe for steamed asparagus that gives you maximum flavor and tenderness. This classic side dish is easy to prepare and goes with almost any meal.
Roasted asparagus pairs well with almost anything. In this oven-roasted asparagus, Parmesan cheese adds a tasty topping to the tender roasted stalks.
