Low-Calorie Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

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.

Simmered in a tomato sauce fragrant with garlic and cilantro and finished with pomegranate molasses, this okra recipe might be just the dish that turns okra haters into lovers.

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.

This lemony side dish of steamed cauliflower and broccoli florets goes perfectly with poultry or fish.

Barley is an excellent source of fiber, and in this slow-cooker recipe it's paired with nutrient-dense spinach and butternut squash. Topped with shredded Parmesan cheese, this side dish will be happy sharing a plate with whatever else you're serving.

A dash of crushed red pepper adds the perfect amount of spice to this flavorful cilantro-lime corn on the cob.

Sprinkled with sesame seeds, this easy-to-make side dish pairs well with chicken served over rice.

Try this fun honey-mustard zucchini-wrapped corn on the cob side dish at your next barbeque.

This cheesy and crispy asparagus dish is the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

A mixture of boiled root vegetables--turnips, carrots, parsnips and onion--are cooked until tender and mashed just like potatoes. This tasty side dish is a healthy and beautiful addition to any meal.

Next time you're preparing meat or fish on the grill, try this grilled salad recipe. Romaine lettuce is a perfect choice for grilling and it's ready in just a few minutes. Slightly charred and wilted, the taste is enhanced with a simple lemon dressing and a sprinkling of feta cheese.

Haricot verts are a French variety of green beans that are thinner and more delicate than regular green beans. Here they are steamed until crisp-tender and served with a delicious herb butter.

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.

This skillet-browned Brussels sprouts recipe is a tasty accompaniment for all types of Christmas main dishes including roast beef, pork, or lamb as well as turkey or chicken.

Broccoli rabe has dark green, leafy stalks and clustered buds that look like broccoli. It makes for a nutritious, low-calorie side dish, as you'll see with this recipe.

No more boring beans! In this recipe, the familiar green bean takes on an exciting new flavor. Onions, sugar, and balsamic vinegar coat the beans in a sweet, but tangy sauce.

In this vegetable side dish, the Italian sauce agrodolce translates to sour ("agro") and sweet ("dolce"). Pro tip: It's as delicious on grilled summer vegetables as it is on bitter greens and roasted winter squash. Here, grilled eggplant acts like a sponge, soaking in that addictive sweet-sour sauce as it rests. No baby eggplant? No problem. Cut large eggplant into 1/4-inch-thick slices.