Healthy Cooking Methods & Styles Quick & Easy Healthy Recipes Healthy, Quick & Easy Side Dish Recipes Healthy, Quick & Easy Vegetable Side Dish Recipes 18 Balsamic Veggie Side Dishes in Three Steps or Less By Danielle DeAngelis Danielle DeAngelis Instagram Twitter Website Danielle DeAngelis is a rising journalist and current Fellow for EatingWell.com. Through her previous experiences as a news writer, she has focused on covering sustainability and human interest stories. Her passions of reading, writing and eating local all guide her in her position at EatingWell. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 29, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photography / Brie Passano, Styling / Sammy Mila / Holly Raibikis These delicious veggie side dishes have a few things in common. They all embrace the tangy and sweet flavor of balsamic vinegar—and they're also all easy to make. With only three steps or less, these sides can be whipped up and served with no hassle. Recipes like our Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic & Parmesan and Balsamic Roasted Cabbage are unforgettable additions to your dinner plate. 01 of 18 Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic & Parmesan View Recipe Photography / Brie Passano, Styling / Sammy Mila / Holly Raibikis Topped with Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar, these flavorful Brussels sprouts will be the star on any table. Smashing the sprouts creates a wide surface area that gets mouthwateringly crispy in the oven. 02 of 18 Caramelized Balsamic Onions View Recipe As these onion halves cook, the balsamic mixture becomes syrupy and caramelizes the onions, giving them a bronzed caramel color and a luscious, rich flavor. 03 of 18 Balsamic Roasted Cabbage View Recipe These roasted cabbage wedges with honey and balsamic vinegar make an attractive and healthy side dish that's also very easy to prepare. You can use red or green cabbage--or make a double batch with one of each for a pretty presentation. 04 of 18 Balsamic-Parmesan Sautéed Spinach View Recipe Tender spinach with a hint of garlic, Parmesan cheese and sweet balsamic vinegar makes a quick and flavorful side dish. The sturdy leaves of mature spinach hold up best during cooking. 05 of 18 Balsamic Oven-Roasted Carrots View Recipe Roasting carrots in the oven brings out their sweetness, which is enhanced further with a tangy balsamic and maple glaze. Serve them straight-up for an easy weeknight side dish or garnish with chopped hazelnuts for holiday meals and dinner parties. 06 of 18 Balsamic Broccoli & Cauliflower View Recipe Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh Reaching for a frozen broccoli & cauliflower blend to make this flavor-packed side dish helps save time on chopping, plus the frozen veggies cook quicker than fresh! 07 of 18 Crispy Smashed Balsamic-Parmesan Mushrooms View Recipe Rachel Marek These crispy smashed mushrooms take up the flavors of sweet and tangy balsamic vinegar and savory Parmesan cheese. Making an X in each cap helps them smash evenly. 08 of 18 Balsamic Roasted Zucchini with Feta View Recipe We've got a great way to use up your garden zucchini! Zucchini softens while roasting and soaks up the flavor of balsamic vinegar. The sweet flavors are complemented by salty feta cheese sprinkled on just before serving. It's an easy summer side you'll come back to again and again. 09 of 18 Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Broccoli View Recipe This healthy side dish recipe couldn't be simpler--or more delicious. Broccoli is roasted until brown and crispy, then topped with Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar for a savory and sweet flavor combination that can't be beaten. Try this quick vegetable dish along with chicken, fish or really any main course. It's also great in salads or warm grain bowls. Tip: Preheating the pan helps the broccoli to brown and develop nutty flavors. 10 of 18 Parmesan-Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts View Recipe These roasted Brussels sprouts are about to be your new favorite side dish. In addition to getting brown and crispy in the oven, they're topped with Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar for a hit of salty, savory flavor. This makes a great vegetable side to serve with roasted meats. 11 of 18 Balsamic-Roasted Green Beans with Parmesan View Recipe Sweet balsamic vinegar and nutty Parmesan cheese complement roasted green beans and shallots in this easy and healthy side dish. Roasting the green beans gives them a sweet, caramelized flavor while they still retain some bite. Serve with chicken, fish, pork--you name it. These green beans are also a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving meal. 12 of 18 Balsamic-Roasted Mushrooms with Parmesan View Recipe These super-flavorful mushrooms get a hint of sweetness thanks to a splash of balsamic vinegar. Parmesan cheese added at the end lends a savory note. Enjoy them as an accompaniment to steak or on their own as a side dish. 13 of 18 Balsamic & Parmesan Broccoli View Recipe Cooking this quick broccoli side dish recipe in a wok gives you a larger surface area, so you get lots of nice crispy bits. Serve with oven-roasted herb chicken or fish, or as a tasty topping to your grain bowl. 14 of 18 Honey-Balsamic Brussels Sprouts View Recipe Balsamic vinegar and honey combine to give a sweet-tart coating to these roasted Brussels sprouts. These honey-balsamic Brussels sprouts are quick enough for a weeknight meal, but they are special enough to make a no-fuss side dish for Thanksgiving or any other holiday meal. 15 of 18 Broccoli with Balsamic Mushrooms View Recipe Just a touch of butter adds silkiness to the balsamic sauce that coats broccoli and meaty mushrooms in this easy broccoli side dish recipe. 16 of 18 Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Balsamic Drizzle View Recipe A delicious tangy-sweet balsamic-and-honey reduction looks dramatic over roasted sweet potato wedges. 17 of 18 Crispy Smashed Broccoli with Balsamic & Parmesan View Recipe Brie Passano Flattening broccoli florets increases their surface area, which means more space to absorb the flavors of Parmesan cheese and a sweet balsamic vinegar drizzle. Pair this quick side dish with roasted chicken or pork. 18 of 18 Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower View Recipe Roasting isn't usually the first cooking method you think of for cauliflower but the results are quite delicious. The florets are cut into thick slices and tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and herbs. Wherever the flat surfaces come into contact with the hot roasting pan, a deep browning occurs that results in a sweet, nutty flavor. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit