Healthy Pepper Side Dish Recipes

These easy roasted vegetables will give your plate a pop of color. Give the cubes of butternut squash a head start for 10 minutes to soften in the oven before adding in the other veggies. The broccoli, peppers and onion are naturally more tender than the butternut squash and cook more quickly. That way everything ends up finishing at the same time.

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.

This simple technique of cooking onions and peppers is a useful way to get your veggie servings in. They're quite versatile--use these peppers and onions on a burger or sausage sandwich, stuff them into quesadillas or layer them into casseroles.

Ratatouille is a type of veggie-forward, Provençal-style stew. Our sheet-pan ratatouille features tangy goat cheese and sweet balsamic glaze that complement the tender charred vegetables. Bake the tomatoes on a separate pan so that the steam from the tomatoes won't steam the other vegetables.

In this veggie-forward spin on Texas-style barbecue, we swap the traditional brisket for root vegetables and rely on the chipotles in the sauce to bring the smokiness to the table. These vegetables are a versatile side for all sorts of mains, whether you're in the mood for meat or want to go vegetarian with grilled tofu or a bean dish.

Grilled vegetables in foil is a great recipe to have on hand when camping or cooking over an open fire, but it's also nice on your backyard gas grill too. Here, we cook asparagus, mini peppers and zucchini together with a hint of garlic and butter. Delicious!

If you like corn pudding, you'll love this creamy corn casserole! Sweet corn and tangy lime brighten up this easy casserole, while serrano chiles and cotija cheese add spice and a salty note to keep everything balanced.

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.

The method for making these grilled bell peppers is simple, straightforward and pretty much fail-proof. The dressing turns these easy grilled peppers into a delightful appetizer or tasty addition to a simple sandwich, but feel free to skip dressing them if you need plain grilled peppers for another recipe. Alternatively, you can also skip the grill and roast the peppers instead.

Ratatouille, a classic French dish with tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper and onion, is frequently cooked low and slow until it turns silky and luscious. We kept the classic flavor but gave it a makeover by thinly slicing the vegetables and layering them in a cast-iron pan. We brighten up the flavor at the end with a splash of red-wine vinegar.

This eclectic stir-fry is a colorful combination of carrot, red bell pepper, corn and romaine lettuce. This recipe exemplifies how to stir-fry vegetables with different textures. The carrots, which are a “hard vegetable,” should be stir-fried for a minute before adding “medium-hard” vegetables like peppers or corn, which require slightly less cooking. Finally, add “soft or leafy vegetables” in the last 30 seconds to ensure all the vegetables achieve the same level of doneness. Make sure the lettuce is dry--if it's wet when added to the pan, it will turn the stir-fry into a braise.

Pair this flavorful veggie combo with chicken or fish for a taste of summer any time of year.