20 Veggie Side Dishes You'll Want To Eat on Repeat
When you're in need of a quick, tasty, vegetable forward side dish, look no further than these 20 recipes. From stir fried to roasted veg, every recipe is a winner and takes 45 minutes or less to whip up.
It's important to have a few great, classic vegetables sides in your back pocket that can pop onto the dinner table any time of year, in less than 45 minutes. The 20 options below are some of our favorites, from simple glazed carrots to microwave steamed broccoli, spicy sautéed mushrooms to stuffed tomatoes. Find a new favorite or an old friend, and invite that dish to dinner tonight!
1. Crispy Parmesan Potatoes
"The baby potatoes for this recipe should be 1 to 1 1/2 inches across. If your potatoes are larger, consider quartering them." —Kayla Hoang, Simply Recipes Contributor
2. Lemony Broccoli Rabe with White Beans
"For this recipe, cut the thicker stalks of broccoli rabe in half lengthwise and then cut them into shorter lengths to help them blanch more quickly and make them easier to eat." —Sheryl Julian, Simply Recipes Contributor
3. Chickpea and Spinach Rice
"This is also great on its own as a main dish. Don’t forget the feta and dill at the end. They bring a lot of freshness and pop to the rice." —Julia Turshen, Simply Recipes Contributor
4. Bombay Potatoes
"If you do not like spice, avoid the green chili and reduce the Kashmiri chili powder by half. You can swap the Kashmiri chili with cayenne pepper." —Annika Panikker, Simply Recipes Contributor
5. Bang Bang Broccoli
"For this recipe, use broccoli florets, a mix of broccoli and cauliflower, or broccolini." —Devan Grimsrud, Simply Recipes Contributor
6. Roasted Zucchini with Garlic
"Arrange all the spears skin-side down so that the triangle part is sticking up. This will help the moisture cook out and evaporate instead of getting trapped against the baking sheet." —Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes Founder
7. Easy Sautéed Mushrooms
"When shopping for mushrooms, look for smooth, fresh, unblemished caps that are plump and neither dried out nor slimy. I recommend buying whole mushrooms rather than pre-sliced, but if you need the cooking shortcut, go for it." —Katie Morford, Simply Recipes Contributor
8. Microwave Garlicky Creamed Spinach
"For this recipe, we recommend using fresh baby spinach—we got ours from a pre-washed package. The leaves are smaller and more tender, steaming more quickly in the microwave. Baby spinach also has a sweeter flavor than mature spinach, which lends itself well to the creaminess of this classic side dish." —Julie and Amy Luxemberg, Simply Recipes Contributors
9. Mozzarella and Basil Stuffed Tomatoes
"You want to use an evenly round, medium-sized tomato with firm walls for this recipe. I use a variety called "tomatoes on the vine" for their size, uniform roundness, and classic tomato flavor. They are commonly sold with 4 to 6 tomatoes still attached to the vine as the name implies." —Kalisa Marie Levette, Simply Recipes Contributor
10. Zucchini Con Patate
"If you don’t like the zucchini falling apart, don’t add it until the potatoes are mostly cooked though." —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Senior Editor
11. Microwave Broccoli with Sesame Dressing
"We developed and tested the recipe using a 1,200-watt microwave. Depending on the power of your microwave, you may need to cook the broccoli for longer, adding more time in 1-minute intervals. Look for visual cues—the broccoli is ready when it’s bright green, and tender, but not mushy." —Liz Mervosh, Simply Recipes Recipe Tester
12. Classic Glazed Carrots
"Make sure to cut the carrots into uniform sized pieces so each piece cooks evenly." —Elise
13. Peperonata (Sautéed Peppers and Onions)
"Peperonata recipes come in many versions; some get cooked a good long time, some get cooked with potatoes, or without tomatoes. This dish is certainly open-for-improvisation!" —Elise
14. Crispy Parmesan Broccoli
"I love the slightly nutty flavor of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, but aged cheddar or Gruyere would work well, too." —Molly Adams, Simply Recipes Contributor
15. Sweet and Sour Onions
"These onions are just as tasty at room temperature as they are hot." —Hank Shaw, Simply Recipes Contributor
16. Gochujang Green Beans
"You’ll find the most gochujang varieties by swinging by an Asian market, but most well-stocked mainstream grocery stores, specialty stores, or organic markets also carry it. There’s always Amazon and online shops too." —Katie
17. Perfect Mashed Potatoes
"Start cooking the potatoes in cold water: This ensures that the potatoes cook evenly. Otherwise, if you start with hot or boiling water, the outsides of the potatoes cook and soften while the middles are still hard and crunchy." —Elise
18. Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
"For extra caramelization, sprinkle fries with a little sugar before putting in the oven." —Elise
19. Air Fryer Green Beans
"As with any air fry recipe, make sure your green beans are in a single layer. Some overlapping here is fine, but if you pile in the green beans, they won’t cook correctly. Work in batches. Don’t worry. They go fast." —Nick Evans, Simply Recipes Contributor
20. Stir-Fried Maitake Mushrooms with Garlic and Chile Oil
"If you want to try this recipe with other mushrooms, cut them into thick slices (about 1/4 inch), then proceed with the rest of the recipe, but add the soy sauce little by little, tasting as you go. Some types of mushrooms will need more of a boost, some will need less." —Georgia Freedman, Simply Recipes Contributor
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