27 Easy Vegetable Side Dishes Perfect for 4th of July

June 30, 2020

Celebrate the 4th of July with these easy vegetable side dishes. These recipes take just 20 minutes of active cooking time, so you can have a delicious spread in no time. We highlight seasonal ingredients like corn, zucchini and green beans to make a healthy accompaniment to any main dish. Recipes like Simple Roasted Zucchini & Squash and Vinaigrette Coleslaw are fresh, tasty and a celebration of summer.

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Garlic-Parmesan Asparagus

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In this garlic-Parmesan-crusted asparagus recipe, we combine Parmesan cheese, whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs and walnuts for a crispy topping that's baked over asparagus. Roasting the asparagus spears in a hot oven keeps them tender-crisp in this quick side dish! Source: EatingWell.com, January 2020

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Spiralized Onions with Crispy Parmesan Breadcrumbs

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You may not have considered onions as candidates for the spiralizer, but you should. They create beautiful ribbons that make this recipe reminiscent of fried shoestring onions. And because this onion ring-inspired recipe is baked rather than fried, they're really easy to make. Serve them as a side with burgers or as a crunchy healthy snack for game night. Source: EatingWell Magazine, October 2019

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Grilled Eggplant

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Master this simple grilled eggplant recipe and you'll have the foundation for all sorts of healthy summer dishes. Serve the eggplant slices as a side with grilled chicken, fish or meat; add grilled eggplant to a salad; stuff it into sandwiches; chop it and top pizza with it; stir it into pasta dishes or grain bowls--the possibilities are almost endless. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2019

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Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

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Oven-roasted fingerling potatoes can be a special holiday side dish, but they're quick enough to enjoy on a weeknight too. The secret to these crispy roasted fingerling potatoes? Getting the baking sheet nice and hot before you spread the potatoes on it. Source: EatingWell.com, November 2019

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Summer Vegetable Tian

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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. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2018

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Roasted Peppers & Onions

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Roasted peppers and onions complement just about everything from grilled and roasted meats to seafood. This easy low-carb side dish, with its vibrant color and simple flavor, is sure to become a staple. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2020

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Simple Roasted Zucchini & Squash

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This simple roasted zucchini and squash recipe is perfect for when you have extra squash on hand. Serve this easy side dish alongside grilled or roasted chicken or steak. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2020

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Mexican Corn (Esquites)

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This street corn dish, known as esquites, is served in cups instead of on the cob for all the flavor of elote without the mess. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May 2020

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Vinaigrette Coleslaw

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If you prefer, make this salad with broccoli slaw mix instead of the coleslaw mix. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Grilled Romaine with Feta

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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. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Madeira-Roasted Mushrooms & Shallots

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Madeira, a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name, has a sweet, mellow flavor somewhat like sherry (which can be used as a substitute here). Serve this healthy vegetable side dish with steak or chicken or add it to a salad or grain bowl. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2019

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Lemon-Roasted Mixed Vegetables

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Tossing these roasted vegetables with lemon zest gives them a bright, fresh flavor. Serve them along with roasted chicken or add them to sandwiches and grain bowls for an easy, healthy dinner or lunch. Source: What to Eat with Diabetes 2019

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Green Bean Salad with Feta Dressing

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Briny feta, tangy buttermilk and fresh herbs combine in a yummy dressing for steamed green beans in this healthy side dish recipe. Serve with grilled chicken, pork or steak for an easy dinner. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2016

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Grilled Zucchini with Parmesan

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Grilled zucchini is one of the great food joys of summer. In this easy recipe, the crunchy, bright breadcrumbs offset the sweet, soft zucchini in the most delightful way. Serve this healthy side with grilled chicken, fish or shrimp or as part of a vegetarian summer meal. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled if you have a bumper crop of zucchini. Source: EatingWell.com, April 2019

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Pan-Fried Okra

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These spicy, crunchy pan-fried okra pods may be just the recipe to turn okra haters into lovers. Bonus: Okra's soluble fiber--the unique gel that traditionally thickens gumbo--also helps clear unhealthy cholesterol in your body. Serve this vegetarian side dish along with baked or grilled chicken or fish for a healthy dinner. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2019

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Roasted Mushrooms with Brown Butter & Parmesan

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Brown butter lends a toasty note to these savory roasted mushrooms. Enjoy them as a side dish alongside steak or chicken. Source: EatingWell.com, March 2020

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Porcini Eggplant

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This delicious vegetable side dish is bursting with grape tomatoes, porcini mushrooms, and creamy roasted eggplant chunks. Topped with a thyme-balsamic sauce, it would make a filling vegetarian main dish served over rice or couscous. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Foil-Packet Corn with Sriracha-Mayo Drizzle

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This Asian-inspired corn is one you'll want to add to your repertoire. We give instructions for grilling in a foil packet or directly on the rack. Both methods work great, but you'll get more charred bits with the direct grilling method. Sweet mirin cooking wine (find it with the Asian foods in large supermarkets) combines with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and lime zest for a glaze that's sweet, salty, garlicky and nutty. The Sriracha-mayo drizzle is a delicious finishing touch, with enough heat to perk up your palate; for less heat, reduce the amount of Sriracha to 1 teaspoon. Source: EatingWell.com, October 2019

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Grilled Broccoli Wedges with Herb Vinaigrette

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Lightly charring the broccoli then finishing over indirect heat allows the stems to get tender without becoming too burnt. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May 2020

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Honey & Orange Glazed Carrots

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Bright and fresh, these candied carrots have just a hint of sweetness from the honey and citrus. This one-pan dish is quick and easy to make, but also has such a pretty presentation that it works both as an entertaining-worthy or weeknight side dish. Look for carrots that are similar in size so they cook evenly. Source: EatingWell.com, October 2019

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Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Honey-Balsamic Glaze

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This lightning-fast side dish produces deliciously sweet Brussels sprouts, thanks to honey that caramelizes and crispy, salty bacon. They're so good your kids will even eat them! If the Brussels sprouts are hard to skewer, consider microwaving them a minute longer and then try skewering again. If you'd like to make this Brussels sprouts recipe vegetarian, simply omit the bacon. Source: EatingWell.com, October 2019

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Quick Pickled Zucchini Ribbons

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Lively tasting quick pickled zucchini is a nice addition to any summer lunch or dinner spread. Cutting the zucchini into long strips makes for a pretty presentation. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2019

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Olive Oil-Braised Summer Squash

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Zucchini or any other kind of summer squash will work in this easy vegetable side dish. Serve with grilled chicken or fish for a quick and healthy dinner. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2019

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Pressure-Cooker Baked Beans

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Make this classic version of sweet and tangy barbecue baked beans in an electric pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot, in a fraction of the time it would take in the slow cooker or on the stove. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2018

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Spiralized Rainbow Carrots

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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. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Fall 2018

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Charred Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette & Hazelnuts

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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. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2018

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Grilled Summer Squash, Onions, and Tomatoes

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Enjoy the freshest summer vegetables hot off the grill, flavored with herbs and a hint of garlic. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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