She Strengthens

Elevate Your Veggie Game: 35 Delicious Recipes to Transform Your Meals

As the world shifts towards a more plant-based diet, we’re on a mission to discover innovative ways to prepare our veggies. We’ve curated 35 mouth-watering recipes that will take your vegetable dishes to the next level, whether you’re roasting, steaming, grilling, sautéing, or serving them raw.

Roasted Vegetable Side Dishes

1. Oven-Roasted Garlic Cabbage: Think of cabbage as a giant Brussels sprout, and you’ll understand why this recipe is a game-changer. With garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper, your oven will do the rest.
2. Tomato Fennel Gratin: Baked tomatoes are rich and luxurious, especially when layered with fennel, olive tapenade, crème fraîche, and Parmesan cheese.
3. Harissa Green Beans with Spiced Chickpeas and Feta: Crunchy chickpeas meet roasted green beans tossed in a North African red chile paste. It’s an easy “wow” factor for your next dinner party.
4. Spicy Maple-Glazed Carrots: Maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness to counter the heat of cayenne pepper. Bookmark this easy recipe for Thanksgiving.
5. Cilantro-Lime Roasted Cauliflower: Roasted cauliflower has a nutty flavor, and adding lime zest and cilantro makes it sing. With 3.28 grams of fiber per cup, you’ll want to make this a staple.

Steamed Veggie Sides

6. Steamed Butternut Squash Salad with Coconut Lime Dressing: This stovetop dish uses a steamer basket for minimal cleanup. Shake up a simple dressing of coconut oil, lime juice, honey, and cilantro for a delicious side dish.
7. Steamed Broccoli Mash: This dish is a great way to use stems and get everyone to love broccoli. Coconut milk gives it a creamy, rich flavor that’s dairy-free and packed with healthy fats.
8. Ginger Beets with Orange Zest: Steaming sliced beets is quicker than roasting whole beets. Dress them in a ginger-orange-apple cider vinaigrette while they’re still warm for a sweet and zesty flavor.
9. Steamed Cauliflower with Curry Butter and Toasted Almonds: Toss steamed cauliflower in curry-infused butter, sprinkle on toasted almonds, and you’ve got a side dish worthy of a buffet table.
10. Lemongrass and Ginger Tea-Steamed Vegetables: A flavorful ginger-infused steam cooks layers of cauliflower, broccoli, and yellow zucchini. They get a surprise visit from Jerusalem artichokes, a sweet and carby tuber.

Sautéed Vegetable Side Dishes

11. Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios, Cranberries, and Parmesan: We’re always happy to cook Brussels sprouts in a new way. Slice them thin, leave out the dried cranberries, and add Parmesan and pistachios for a flavorful side dish.
12. Ratatouille-Inspired Summer Veggie Dish: Zucchini, eggplant, pepper, and onion simmered in tomato sauce, topped with fresh thyme and basil, will pair with any protein.
13. Charred Carrots with Griddled Goat Cheese: Inspired by Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann, this stovetop method of charring creates carrot magic. Top with greens, parsley, and warm, melty rounds of goat cheese.
14. Vegan Coconut Creamed Kale: Here’s a healthier version of creamed spinach. Swap out dairy for coconut milk and spinach for kale, and tame the kale by blanching and draining before adding to the coconut milk.
15. Stir-Fried Turnips and Cabbage Spiked with Cumin: Turnips have a sweet flavor, amped up by pressure cooking cubes of them and then sautéing them over high heat. Look for baby turnips that only need to be cut in half and sautéed for 5 minutes.

Braised Vegetable Side Dishes

16. Cider-Braised Kohlrabi: Kohlrabi looks like something from outer space, but it doesn’t taste scary. Braising in apple cider, sage, and butter brings out its sweetness.
17. Artichokes and Fava Beans: This Italian-inspired dish requires shelling and peeling favas and prepping artichokes, so get a buddy involved to make it more fun. Braising them is the easy part.
18. Braised Romano Beans with Bacon, Baby Leeks, Chard, and Garlic: Romano beans are like a more rugged version of green beans that stand up really well to long cooking. This dish will make your house smell amazing.
19. Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Caraway Seeds: This traditional sweet-sour German dish goes with just about anything, but especially pork. It takes about an hour to cook, giving you time to ponder why it’s called red cabbage when it’s purple.
20. Braised Green Beans and Cauliflower Stewed in Tomato Sauce: This side of veggies simmered in tomato sauce has a homey, comforting flavor and texture. It’s an easy dish for a family meal, and it’s even better the next day.

Grilled Healthy Vegetable Dishes

21. Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salsa: Slicing cauliflower into steaks opens up new possibilities, like grilling. A vibrant salsa of black beans, corn, and tomatoes is a zesty addition to this side dish.
22. Grilled Asparagus Plate and Cilantro Pepita Pesto: Sending asparagus to the grill brings out its natural sweetness. It’s even more special when served with a spicy, Mexican-inspired pesto that’s so good you’ll want to use it on everything.
23. Grilled Escarole with Pecorino: Escarole is one of the milder greens, especially the pale leaves inside. In this recipe, a head of escarole is cut into quarters and dunked in soy-balsamic dressing. Grilled, the flavors caramelize and mellow.
24. Grilled Carrots with Carrot Greens Pesto: Carrots from the farmers market usually come with the greens still attached, and turning those tops into a vibrant pesto turns your purchase into two dishes. Use the best carrots available.
25. Grilled Broccoli with Chipotle Lime Butter: Grilling isn’t just for summer. With indoor grill pans, even a tiny apartment can crank out impressively charred food like this awesome broccoli.

Raw Vegetable Dishes

26. Kale, Avocado, Tangerine, and Sesame Salad: Raw kale gets the massage treatment here. Soy-honey dressing, fresh tangerine segments, and creamy avocado make this irresistible.
27. Persian Cucumber Salad: Refreshing cucumber salad is always welcome on the table. Mild rice vinegar is used in this recipe. You can slice the cukes with a sharp knife, grate them by hand, or use a mandoline.
28. Marinated Turnip Greens: Turnip greens are among the milder greens. In this recipe, sun-dried tomatoes and olives give it a sweet and salty flavor boost. Prep a day in advance for the most flavor.
29. Shredded Raw Brussels Sprouts with Pecorino, Lemon, and Olive Oil: Brussels sprouts slay in a raw slaw. Skip the mandoline and let your food processor’s grater blade make quick work of these fiber-filled babies.
30. Simple Celery and Almond Salad: Finally, celery gets a starring role in this easy salad. The sliced almonds will make you feel oh-so-fancy, too.

The Bottom Line

With these 35 recipes, we’re actually looking forward to eating our vegetables with dinner tonight (we might even just eat them first). Veggies alone are great for you, but sometimes they need just that little extra something. These recipes prove that the right dressings and garnishes are the fastest way to take side dishes from blah to bellissima.