Healthy Side Dish Recipes

While slowly fermented cabbage and pungent garlic are the ingredients most people associate with kimchi, there are dozens and dozens of other versions of Korea's national dish, featuring all manner of vegetables, such as these quickly pickled cucumbers with just a trace of garlic.

Great for breakfast on the go! Golden roasted nuts, seeds and oats are enveloped by flavorful almond butter in these delectably chewy, no-fuss energy bars. Unrefined turbinado sugar adds a deep caramelly undertone. Feel free to use light brown sugar instead. Bars stored at room temperature will be softer than those that are refrigerated.

Stuff crisp lettuce leaves with a savory filling inspired by PF Chang's famous lettuce wraps. These low-carb wraps made with tofu, mushrooms and daikon radish are an easy vegetarian dinner. Add julienned carrots to the wraps for a bonus crunch. 

This simple tuna salad with egg has a clean and balanced flavor. The capers and lemon bring acidity to help everything come together and chopped arugula adds a peppery kick. Enjoy it with greens or on a slice of your favorite whole-grain bread.

This velvety cabbage side dish melts in your mouth and picks up the flavors of caraway, cumin and garlic as it simmers in broth in the oven. Serve it alongside roasted pork or chicken.

In this easy broccoli soup recipe, broccoli cooks together with onions, celery, garlic and fresh herbs and is puréed into a delicious creamy soup. Try this healthy broccoli soup alongside grilled cheese sandwiches or as a starter for a simple dinner.

These full-flavored potatoes are a great new approach to your typical potato side dish. The potatoes roast, then "melt" with the flavors of lemon, rosemary and garlic. They're good enough for a special occasion, but easy enough for a weeknight.

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.

Whipped frozen lemonade combines the creaminess of a milkshake with the thirst-quenching tanginess of freshly squeezed lemonade for an incredibly refreshing treat. And this simple frozen lemonade treat comes together with just four ingredients and a blender. You can use light coconut milk or refrigerated coconut milk in place of full-fat coconut milk, though the end result won't be as rich and creamy. Leftover simple syrup will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Take 5 minutes to toss together a fiber-rich chickpea and tomato salad for a satisfying snack.

This Japanese-inspired cool, crisp salad is as elegant and well balanced as it is simple.

This easy broccoli salad is tossed in a creamy dressing and spiked with sweet cranberries, Cheddar cheese and toasty walnuts. This easy side is great for lunch--add shredded chicken to make it a main dish.

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.

Pure maple syrup adds body and rich flavor to the dressing, providing a perfect counterpoint to the smoked cheese.

An unlikely pairing of grapes and broccoli creates an out-of-the-ordinary quick side dish. The sweet snappy bite of the grapes complements the crispy raw broccoli and onion, while the creamy dressing and toasted almonds pull it all together. Enjoy it for lunch or double the recipe for an easy potluck recipe everyone will love.

Inspired by South Indian cuisine, this rice recipe gets bright flavor from lemon juice and turmeric and aromatic, savory flavor from curry leaves, mustard seeds and peanuts. Urad dal, also known as black lentils, add nice crispy bites throughout this dish.

This flavorful dish--with the combination of balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese--makes a great weeknight meal since it requires little legwork (and only one pan!). The marjoram adds a distinct earthy aroma. If you don't have marjoram in your spice arsenal, you can use dried oregano instead. Both have a woodsy flavor that complements the dish beautifully.

An onion blooms into a show-stopping side dish when it's cut just right and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Just grab the tender onion petals off the onion and dip them in the creamy barbecue sauce for a fun and festive vegetable side dish.

This recipe is an irresistible bowl-scraper. It's fragrant and flavorful from the shallots, garlic, lemon and tarragon, and creamy from cream cheese. Plus, with the addition of low-sodium broth, the orzo cooks in the same pan as the rest of the ingredients—no extra pot or strainer necessary. You can have this easy, comforting spring dish on your table in about 30 minutes.

This big salad is a feast for the eyes and an everyday way to incorporate nutrient-rich beets and plant-based protein from edamame (green soybeans). If you're not a fan of cilantro, mix in freshly chopped basil or dill instead.

Jazz up a can of tuna with this easy avocado tuna salad recipe. Silky avocado adds creaminess that's cut with a hit of acidity from lemon and a briny punch from feta cheese. Romaine hearts and cucumber offer refreshing crunch.

A refreshing accompaniment to a main course of meat or fish, this cucumber-yogurt salad also makes a tasty filling for pita bread. If the cucumbers are grated instead of chopped, this mixture can be served as a dip.

This gluten-free, low-carb "bread" is light and airy--like a cloud! Use it in place of a burger bun or sandwich bread if you're following a low-carb or keto diet. To get the fluffiest cloud bread, make sure there is no yolk in your egg whites, and whip them in a clean bowl for maximum volume.

One pan is all you need for a heaping pile of nutritious, tender and colorful root vegetables. Whip up this large-batch recipe at the beginning of the week to use in easy, healthy dinners all week long.