Low-Carb Side Dish Recipes

We gave this vegan "lox" a smoky twist (similar to smoked salmon) with smoked paprika. Try it on a bagel with vegan cream cheese or serve it with crackers.

Wilted greens topped with fried onions is a mezze must. Bitter dandelion greens are the most flavorful, but chard or kale--really any green or a combination of them--tastes delicious.

Tarator is an easy-to-prepare tahini sauce that often accompanies baked fish, shawarma, falafel or cooked vegetables like these chard stalks.

This layered dish features super-tender roasted eggplant and sweet sautéed onions spiked with tart and fruity pomegranate molasses. Serve with pita as part of a mezze course or as a side with a larger meal.

A popular Sephardic Jewish dish, cuajado, is made with just the zucchini flesh mixed with fresh cheese and matzo meal. This vegetable side dish recipe was created so the peels wouldn't go to waste. Serve as an appetizer or a side dish. Use any leftover zucchini flesh in stuffings, breads and muffins or just sauté with garlic in olive oil.

You may not typically serve your cucumbers bruised, but intentionally smashing them releases their flavorful juices. Taking the time to soak the walnuts for this dish gives them a special soft texture and plumpness. Serve this vegetable dish with pita as part of a mezze platter or as a side salad.

Spiralized carrots come together quickly in this simple lemony side dish. Don't have a spiralizer? Use a julienne vegetable peeler to create the carrot strands.

Thinly shaved carrots stand in for wide rice noodles in this Thai-inspired low-carb "noodle" dish. Try using red, purple, or yellow carrots for a colorful twist.

Roasting cauliflower transforms it into a crispy, tender vegetable. A sponge for other flavors, cauliflower can absorb any spice mix or marinade you add, like this warm and toasty combination of turmeric, cumin and garlic. Serve as a simple side dish, or stir it into salads or grain bowls to add more plant power.

Fresh zucchini slices are battered in crispy panko and pan-fried until golden brown and crunchy. You can eat them with a fork, but popping these zucchini chips by the slice is perfectly acceptable. Serve with a dollop of creamy dressing for a simple summer vegetable side.

We've taken the key ingredients of the popular caprese salad--tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil--and piled them into portobello mushroom caps to make a delicious and satisfying vegetarian main dish.

Serve this simple vegetarian side dish warm or room temperature alongside grilled meats and a stacked summer salad. A flash under the broiler leaves these slices of corn-studded polenta golden on the outside and soft on the inside; an herby, smoky tomato-pepper salad acts like a salsa to be spooned over the top.

This vegan side dish is traditionally served at room temperature with grilled meat or fish, but feel free to double your portion and eat it as a vegan entree with crusty bread for dipping in that garlicky, flavor-packed olive oil. The name for this combination of roasted vegetables comes from the Catalan escalivar, meaning to cook in ashes, though most folks these days use an oven or grill to put some char on their veggies.

This pretty vegan layered casserole is so simple to make. Its only seasonings are salt and garlic-infused olive oil, which you make by sizzling a clove of garlic in olive oil for about a minute. This dish is lovely warm or room temperature. Serve with crusty bread as a vegetarian entree or alongside roasted meats as a side dish--don't forget a glass of chilled rosé.

Our go-to trick for this crunchy, mustardy vegan side dish: Use a grill basket--it lets you cook all the things that would ordinarily fall through the grill grates, no skewering required. Pick one up from the hardware store or order one online for less than $15.

Looking for a tasty vegetable side dish? This recipe with fresh green beans and red pepper strips, served with crisp bacon and lightly toasted walnuts, is a perfect choice and ready in just 25 minutes.

Zucchini and tomato slices are sprinkled with a tasty panko bread crumb mixture, and then broiled until crisp. This side dish is quick to make and pairs well with any protein.

Although this simple side dish recipe is delicious with salmon and other fish, it's also tasty with beef, pork, and poultry.

This broccoli side dish is made irresistible with Gouda cheese and can be served with something simple in flavor, such as a pork roast or grilled pork chops.

Baby corn, pea pods and water chestnuts, along with a soy and ginger sauce add Asian flavor to this simple vegetable side dish.